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Orlando City vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Steal Three Points Late

Jack Lynn’s late strike lifts Orlando City to a road win over the San Jose Earthquakes.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City (4-5-4, 16 points) claimed an unlikely three points tonight, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes (3-10-1, 10 points) 1-0 at PayPal Park. Jack Lynn came off the bench early in the game and scored a late winner to give the Lions a much-needed three points.

Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja made two changes to the team that played to a scoreless draw against Inter Miami Wednesday night. Cesar Araujo was out due to yellow card accumulation and Martin Ojeda was left on the bench. They were replaced in the lineup by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson — who started his first game since suffering a concussion on May 4 against FC Cincinnati — and Felipe.

The Lions went back to the same 3-5-2 lineup they displayed against Inter Miami. The three center backs in front of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese were David Brekalo, Wilder Cartagena, and Rodrigo Schlegel. Thorhallsson and Facundo Torres were the wingbacks, while Felipe, Ivan Angulo, and Nico Lodeiro made up the midfield. Duncan McGuire and Luis Muriel were the strike duo again.

The Lions started this game shorthanded and an early injury to McGuire made things more difficult. It appeared for most of the game like the visitors would eventually concede, but they showed a strong defensive effort. Counterattacks were the best options for both teams as they looked to find a late goal. Solid goalkeeping by Gallese and William Yarbrough kept the game scoreless, and a bit of fortune enabled Orlando City to get its first win in San Jose.

The first attack came in the opening seconds when the Earthquakes quickly went forward on the kickoff and created a chance for their newest Designated Player, Hernan Lopez. As the Argentinian arrived at the top of the box, the ball met him for the game’s first shot. He had space but couldn’t get over the ball and it sailed well over the goal.

On the other end, the Lions attacked with Torres on the left. The midfielder sent a pair of nice crosses that landed inside the six-yard box, but neither McGuire nor Muriel could get on the end of them. As a result, they traveled harmlessly across the field.

Trouble struck Orlando City in the 12th minute when McGuire collided with Bruno Wilson on a long ball up field by Gallese. The striker attempted to break his fall with his hand after Wilson undercut him and remained on the ground holding his elbow while the medical staff attended to him. The injury forced the Lions into their first change of the game as he was replaced by Lynn.

“Duncan had that pain there in the shoulder before, but the recovery for him has always been good,” Pareja said about his starting striker. “I saw him in the locker room, obviously sad with the event. But I see him with a very positive face and a very positive attitude. So let’s wait for the doctors to see what he got. But Duncan has been there before and he came up from that as well very easily.”

“We went through the game plan pretty well this week, so I think everyone on the bench knew what was expected of them if they had to come in,” Lynn said about the early substitution. “So I felt ready.”

In the 20th minute, a give-and-go between Lopez and Carlos Akapo saw Lopez sent down the right. The midfielder was gearing up for a cross, but Felipe slid in with an excellent tackle to knock it out for a corner kick. Vitor Costa and Brekalo went up for the ensuing set piece with the San Jose defender reaching it, but the header was over the target.

The Lions nearly had a chance in the 25th minute when Jackson Yueill was ready to collect a Thorhallsson clearance but slipped. Lynn raced to the ball, but Akapo was closer and quicker, reaching it before the Lions’ striker.

Gallese was forced into his first save of the night in the 26th minute. San Jose worked the ball across the field until it ended up with Carlos Gruezo from distance. It was a hard strike by the midfielder but right at Gallese, who knocked it away.

The Orlando City goalkeeper was forced into another save in the 30th minute. A cross into the box by Cristian Espinoza was flicked on by Costa to the back post, where Rodrigues was wide open. The center back’s shot was directly at Gallese, who got down to block it away with his legs.

The Lions had their first good chance of the game in the 35th minute. A Schlegel throw-in was headed out by Wilson, but only to Thorhallsson near the top of the box. The wingback had plenty of time and his second touch was a shot towards goal. The ball skipped just wide, but it was close enough for Yarbrough to feel the need to dive after the attempt.

In the 37th minute, Espinoza sent a curling ball into the six-yard box. Brekalo headed the ball out the other end, but Rodrigues was there again, left wide open. Thorhallsson attempted to close him down, but the center back got his shot off. This time he sent the ball past Gallese, but just wide of the far post.

The hosts nearly scored in the 43rd minute when, after a blocked cross, Akapo laid it back for Espinoza on the right side. The playmaker sent a dangerous cross through the box and beyond the reach of several players. Amahl Pellegrino was making a run to the back post and it appeared as though he’d reach it. Fortunately for Orlando, it was just too far in front of him and went all the way out of play for a goal kick.

San Jose led in all major statistical categories after 45 minutes of play with more possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (7-5), shots on target (3-1), corner kicks (4-3), and crosses (9-6), as well as better passing accuracy (82%-78%). However, two quality saves by Gallese kept the hosts off the board and the Lions got into the locker room scoreless.

The hosts had the first dangerous attack of the second half in the 51st minute. Quick passing from Gruezo and Jeremy Ebobisse sent Espinoza behind Orlando’s back line. The second-touch shot by Espinoza was wide, but the flag went up for offside.

Orlando City should’ve taken the lead in the 59th minute when Angulo made a long run into the San Jose box and played it across. Thorhallsson met the ball with plenty of time and space. The Icelandic player tried to send it inside the near post, but put it wide.

The Earthquakes had their second chance of the half in the 62nd minute when Costa brought the ball down well and carried it across the top of the box. He found Espinoza with some space and the midfielder’s first touch was a shot. However, it didn’t trouble Gallese at all, rolling well wide of the target.

Muriel forced Yarbrough into his toughest save of the night in the 73rd minute. Lodeiro found the striker left of the box. He took on Yueill, creating enough space for a shot. It wasn’t a bad attempt, but Yarbrough did well to get down and knock it wide, where Costa was able to clear.

The Orlando City forward attempted another shot in the 76th minute but this one didn’t bother Yarbrough as much. After receiving the ball short from Torres, Muriel dribbled inside and attempted a long shot. It was heading over the crossbar as soon as it left his foot and sailed well over the target.

It looked like San Jose would have a good chance to score in the 78th minute when Costa received the ball just outside of the box. He used a strong touch to get past Thorhallsson that went straight to second-half substitute Benji Kikanovic. The first touch was back to Costa who shot with space, but hit it wide.

Immediately after the miss, Pareja made two more changs. Martin Ojeda and Rafael Santos came into the game for Torres and Thorhallsson. The changes proved to be vital in the Lions’ win.

The Lions nearly scored in the 82nd minute when Santos sent in a beautiful ball with Lynn entering the box between Rodrigues and Costa. The Orlando City striker was just looking to get a touch on the ball and barely got his head to it, but Yarbrough came out to make himself big and the ball bounced off of his knee.

An Orlando City corner kick in the 86th minute turned into a good chance for San Jose when the clearance turned into a transitional attack. Jack Skahan came out with the ball and, after a long run, played it wide for Preston Judd. The substitute immediately sent it across the field for Espinoza, who cut inside to lose Santos and took a shot for the far post. Gallese dove for the ball, but it went just wide.

In the 88th minute, Skahan took the chance himself and nearly scored. Receiving the ball from Niko Tsakiris just outside of the box, the attacker took one touch to control it before aiming to the far post. The shot appeared to be on target, but Gallese dove to his right, tipping it wide. The ensuing corner kick was headed out by Brekalo to Angulo and the Lions broke the other way.

Dribbling down the left, Angulo used his speed to pass and remain ahead of Skahan. His cross was to the other side of the box for Ojeda, who attempted to volley it on goal. He mishit the attempt, but the ball went off the heel of Wilson and right to Lynn inside the six-yard box. It was an easy finish for him, giving the Lions an unlikely 1-0 lead.

“If I remember correctly, I think it was a pretty quick transition. Ivan was sprinting down the sideline and I think me, Tincho (Ojeda), and someone else were just busting our butt to get into the box,” Lynn said about the play. “And, you know, fortunately the ball fell to me kind of at the top of the six and I just passed it in.”

“Orlando City has another fantastic striker. A number nine that came from college and a player who has been proven already enough in the second group,” Pareja said about Lynn. “And the evolution of Jack is great. We kept him in the game because we knew that he just needed one action. But this time we were wrong. He needed just two and he put the ball in the back of the net. That’s what he can do.”

The fourth official showed five minutes of second-half stoppage time, which gave the visitors a little more work to do. Pareja made his final two changes two minutes into added time and they were defensive moves as his team looked to see out the game. Defender Kyle Smith and defensive midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski entered for forwards Muriel and Lynn.

Despite needing a goal and pushing numbers forward, San Jose couldn’t create anything in the final minutes. In fact, Orlando City held possession for much of injury time, enabling the Lions to see the game out and claim all three points.

At full time, San Jose had slightly more possession (51.1%-48.9%), corner kicks (6-5), and crosses (13-11), as well as better passing accuracy (82%-80.9%). Meanwhile, Orlando City ended the game with more shots (12-11), and both teams put four chances on target. Lynn being in the right place at the right time ended up being the difference.

“It was a great result for a group of players that are giving us all of the energy that they have, and they showed a lot of pride on the pitch, trying to resolve the problems,” Pareja said about the game. “I thought they had a lot of personality to overcome some bumps in the game. I liked much better the second half when we had more control. The boys that came off of the bench helped us a lot too. But I saw a team that is growing. Their confidence is growing. The way we’re playing is much better in terms of the efficiency in the other side of the box. And so we’re proud, but the thing that we are so happy to see is them battling all the time and trying to do the right things.”

The Lions got off to a tough start this year, staying near the bottom of the Eastern Conference for the first quarter of the season. But they’ve now gone three games unbeaten, including two wins and a draw against the team currently on top of the conference. The run has seen them jump into 10th place and only a point out of eighth.

“Well, (it) always has been our desire is to get results and not need to have the bad moments in order to bounce back,” Pareja said about the recent run. “They always want to win games and get good performances. We have navigated very difficult times without losing the direction. They are a group of friends there that work together every morning. We still need a lot of things to get better. We still have a lot of work to be done. And we all know it, but it’s much better when you do it while winning.”

“I think the coaching staff did a really good job of reminding us we’re a really good team,” Lynn added about turning the season around. “Even though we weren’t getting the results early in the year, you’re putting in some good performances. And I think recently we’ve been able to see those performances translate into results and hopefully we can continue that going forward.”

The next chance the team has to turn a good performance into a result is next Saturday night when the Lions welcome the Columbus Crew to Inter&Co Stadium.

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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United, 2026 U.S. Open Cup: Final Score 4-1 as Lions Maul Five Stripes

A big first half filled with breakaway opportunities helped Orlando City knock Atlanta out of the U.S. Open Cup.

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5 hours ago

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May 19, 2026

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Image of Tiago celebrating a goal with Justin Ellis against Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City ran wild over Atlanta United in the first half, building a huge advantage in what was ultimately a 4-1 victory over their Southeast rivals at Inter&Co Stadium in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals tonight. David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey, and Tiago (twice) provided the fireworks in a wild first half that could have seen Orlando ahead by even more goals if not for the offside flag and good goalkeeping by Atlanta’s Jayden Hibbert.

“I’m happy, of course, for the result, as well for the performance. But more than anything, I’m happy first of all for our group of players, because they do a huge effort every day,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “From the very beginning they have been fighting and I’m happy they were able to gift us a performance like this.”

Perelman’s lineup included Javier Otero in goal behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Brekalo, and Dorsey. Braian Ojeda and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield between wingers Ivan Angulo and Tiago, with Martin Ojeda and Justin Ellis leading the attack up top.

The Lions decimated Atlanta in the opening 45 minutes to build a huge 4-0 halftime lead that could have been more if not for Tiago and Angulo being offside on breaks that they finished and a couple of huge saves by Hibbert. Orlando City ripped the Atlanta defense to shreds either by moving the ball quickly or simply placing perfect through balls or long balls into the gaps in the visitors’ three-man back line.

However, the first goal of the game came off a set piece. Atlanta cleared a corner kick in the fifth minute, but Braian Ojeda sent in a good ball on the recycle and Brekalo was able to sneak in behind by timing his run well, nodding home for his first goal of the year to get the scoring party started.

“I’m so relieved that it happened, and it happened in this kind of game, magnitude of importance, and I hope this is the first of many this season, because I know I’m capable of scoring more goals,” Brekalo said.

Three minutes after the opening goal, Dorsey came forward and beat Hibbert but the defense cleared the shot off the line.

Atlanta’s first good look at goal came in the 14th minute on across from the left that found Aleksey Miranchuk on the right. The Atlanta attacker sent his header just wide of the left post.

Tiago nearly got in behind in the 15th minute but the defense knocked the ball away for Hibbert to collect. Orlando scored a minute later anyway. Marin sent a good ball forward for Angulo to run onto. The Colombian got down the left and centered a pass for Dorsey to tap home to make it 2-0 in the 16th minute.

Ellis played Martin Ojeda in behind in the 20th minute. The Argentine put his shot on goal and Hibbert made a good save, but the flag came up for offside anyway, although that one looked clean to me.

Atlanta United could have cut the lead in half a minute later when Emmanuel Latte Lath caught Otero off his line but the chip shot hit the right post.

It was a costly miss for Latte Lath, because Tiago made it 3-0 in the 24th minute on a good hustle play. The Brazilian pressed high and blocked Hibbert’s pass attempt. Martin Ojeda was offside, so he let the ball go and Tiago recovered and fired past Hibbert to triple the lead.

Like Dorsey just did recently, Tiago celebrated with the traditional ball under the shirt to honor his pregnant wife.

“It was recent news that we found out my wife was pregnant, obviously very happy about it, and today we actually found out it’s a boy,” Tiago said. “So, that’s what kind of gave me extra motivation for the goals, for my wife and now my son. They’re the two most important people in my life.”

Angulo got in behind and scored in the 33rd minute but the flag came up for offside again.

Miranchuk redirected a cross on goal in the 34th minute but sent his effort straight at Otero for a comfortable save.

The Lions then had more excellent chances to extend the lead just after Atlanta’s chance. Hibbert made an excellent save to deny Tiago in the 36th minute, getting his hand up just in time to keep it out of the net. Two minutes later, Dorsey bombed forward again on the break but the defense forced him wide. The fullback chipped it toward goal anyway and the defense cleared it off the line just before it could cross. In the 39th minute, Martin Ojeda got behind on a pass from Angulo but Hibbert made another solid save to keep the game at 3-0.

Brekalo got his head to the ensuing corner kick cross but the post denied the center back a brace in the 40th minute. A minute after that, Dorsey blasted a hard shot that Hibbert palmed over the crossbar.

Tiago thought he had his brace in the 44th minute, getting in behind and firing past Hibbert, but the flag came up once more.

Otero made a good save to stop Jay Fortune’s shot in the third minute of first-half stoppage time on one of Atlanta’s best chances of the game.

The Lions went the other way and made it 4-0. Braian Ojeda sent a good through ball to unlock Tiago. The Brazilian put the ball past Hibbert again to bag his first brace in an Orlando City uniform in the fifth minute of stoppage time on the last chance of the half.

“Extremely happy,” Tiago said of his brace. “I know the quality of the player that I am. I’ve spoken to Coach Martin (Perelman) during the week, and he told me the runs I should make, so naturally the goals came out of it.”

At the end of the first half, the Lions had the advantage in shots (11-7), shots on target (9-3), and corners (4-0). Atlanta led in possession (60%-40%) and passing accuracy (85%-80%).

“We were obviously extremely focused on the game,” Tiago said. “We know Atlanta is a tough team. We played them over the weekend, obviously we drew them, so we came into this game very focused, and we knew the quality of the group and knew we could advance.”

“I think I have to give credit to the coaching staff here, where they prepared the plan really well,” Brekalo said. “That was the main point: either take the ball super high or super low when we’re defending and counterattack them, so it worked exactly like the planned, and like we saw first half, I think many times, three or four times, that didn’t result in a goal, could be a goal, I think by a few inches or something. So, I would say that that was the whole plan, so it was either take it super low when in the our last third or super high up, and obviously the hard work of everybody, you know, defenders shifting, midfielders running like crazy. Everybody worked so hard today.”

Atlanta made four substitutions at the break and went to four at the back. This prevented Orlando City from getting the numerous breakaways the Lions enjoyed in the first half. Saba Lobjanidze’s introduction also gave the Five Stripes more bite in the attack.

The Five Stripes offense looked better right from the jump as the visitors looked to get something on the board to make a game of it. Matias Galarza fired just off target in the 49th minute on the good first look of the second half.

Orlando’s first look at goal came three minutes later, when Martin Ojeda fired a hard shot straight down the middle at Hibbert.

Lobjanidze just missed the left post from the right side in the 54th minute as Atlanta pressed numbers forward. Two minutes later, Lobjanidze dropped a cross onto Miranchuk’s head but the redirection went wide.

Tristan Muyumba volleyed a cleared corner kick toward goal in the 68th minute but missed the target badly.

“I think the challenge when we went out in the halftime, we imagined that they were going to make substitutions and strong players were going to come in, because they have a really good roster and talented players,” Perelman said. “And we knew the first 15 minutes were going to be very important. We tried to maintain the plan. I think we were able to do it, maybe not the first five minutes of the second half, but yes, we knew we needed to go over those first 15 minutes, and fortunately we could.”

Having weathered the early second-half storm, Orlando settled into protection mode, still looking to get forward when it could, but not taking many chances in possession. The Lions won a couple of corner kicks in the 72nd and 73rd minutes but couldn’t do anything with them.

Galarza again fired over the bar in the 75th minute, and Lobjanidze missed on a good opportunity in the 83rd minute as the visitors kept coming. A minute later, Latte Lath spoiled the shutout by volleying a beautiful shot just under the crossbar from the top of the box to make it 4-1.

Angulo got forward and fired over the bar in the 88th minute in the first good look for Orlando in quite some time. Two minutes later, the Lions broke forward and Braian Ojeda looked for a passing route, but the defense kept the channels blocked, so the midfielder went for goal himself. It was a good effort, but Hibbert made a nice save to push it wide. The corner kick was cleared out to second-half sub Wilder Cartagena in space. The Peruvian fired from outside the box but sent it right at Hibbert at the near post.

The match ended without another look at goal for either team and the Lions advanced past their rivals.

Atlanta’s second-half surge allowed the visitors to finish with the advantage in possession (59.5%-40.5%), shots (16-13), and passing accuracy (84.7%-79.4%). The Lions finished with more shots on target (10-4) and corners (6-1). Most importantly, Orlando won on the scoreboard by a wide margin.

“I’m happy to move forward in this competition, to put the team in a semifinal, which is important for us, for our club,” Perelman said. “I’m happy for our fans, because they deserve it. They support us always in the good ones and in those ones that are not that good ones. And of course, I’m happy for the entire club, managers, owner, Ricardo (Moreira), everybody here. We work really hard, so I think today is a good day for us and I’m happy for us.”

“I’m so happy that we advanced to the semifinals,” Brekalo said. “The team performed really well. We know we played against the same opponent, a tough game three days ago, so it was not easy, like energy-wise. And yeah, I’m so happy and proud of this team.”

The Lions advance to play the winner of tomorrow’s match between New York City FC and the Columbus Crew on the road on Sept. 15 or 16. Orlando City returns to league action Saturday on the road against FC Cincinnati. After that, the team is off for the World Cup break until late July.

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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United, 2026 U.S. Open Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions look to bounce back after conceding late Saturday in their draw vs. Atlanta in tonight’s knockout game against the Five Stripes.

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17 hours ago

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May 19, 2026

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Image of Justin Ellis driving at Atlanta defenders.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to your match thread for a Tuesday night U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal matchup between Orlando City and Atlanta United at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network). It’s the second of three scheduled meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals — the second in three days — with the Lions scheduled to make the return trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sept. 9 in MLS play.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of tonight’s match.

History

The Lions are 5-11-8 in the all-time series against Atlanta in league play and 3-6-4 at home. Orlando City is 6-12-8 against tonight’s visitors in all competitions (regular season, playoffs, and U.S. Open Cup), 4-7-4 at home in all games played, and 0-1-0 in the U.S. Open Cup against the Five Stripes.

Orlando City and Atlanta United met just three nights ago on Saturday, playing to a 1-1 draw. Griffin Dorsey gave Orlando the lead early but the Lions squandered chances to extend the lead, allowing Jay Fortune’s late goal to steal a point for the visitors.

The Lions led 2-1 in Atlanta on May 28, 2025, on goals by Cesar Araujo and Ramiro Enrique to more than offset Alexey Miranchuk’s goal. However, Araujo foolishly got himself sent off. The Five Stripes turned the game around on Bartosz Slisz’s goal with seven minutes remaining in normal time and Jamal Thiare’s winner deep in stoppage time in a 3-2 victory for Atlanta. The teams just met in Orlando a month earlier on April 26. The Lions prevailed 3-0 on goals by Luis Muriel (from the penalty spot), Alex Freeman, and Marco Pasalic.

The rivals met in the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals, with the Lions eking out a 1-0 home victory on Nov. 24, 2024. Enrique provided the game’s only goal, and the Orlando defense was dominant, allowing the visitors just seven total shot attempts — none on target. That win pushed the Lions into their first-ever conference final.

Prior to their postseason meeting, these two teams met on Decision Day 2024, with Atlanta scoring two early goals and holding on for a 2-1 win on Oct. 9. Saba Lobjanidze and Thiare gave the visitors an early lead. Martin Ojeda pulled one back and Duncan McGuire appeared to tie the game late, but the latter goal was overturned on video review for a handball. The teams also met at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on March 17, 2024, when Orlando City fell 2-0 on goals by Lobjanidze and Giorgos Giakoumakis.

The last meeting of 2023 took place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with Orlando City capturing a 2-1 away win. Atlanta took the lead through Caleb Wiley, but Antonio Carlos and McGuire scored to lead the Lions’ comeback. The southeast rivals also met in Orlando on May 27, 2023, at Exploria Stadium and played to a 1-1 draw. It was a heartbreaking dropped two points for the Lions, who took the lead through Kyle Smith at the half-hour mark and held that advantage until four minutes from full time, when Tyler Wolff pounced on a fortunate rebound in the box and equalized.

Atlanta went 1-0-1 in the season series in 2022. On Sept. 14 at Exploria Stadium the Five Stripes won 1-0 on a Thiago Almada goal despite the Lions out-shooting Atlanta 20-10. The sides played to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting of that year on July 22 in Atlanta. Mauricio Pereyra staked the Lions to an early 1-0 lead on a beautiful free kick. Juan Jose Purata equalized in the second half, but Atlanta bombarded Orlando the majority of the game and completely controlled the midfield, outshooting the Lions 18-3 in the match.

Orlando had a six-match unbeaten streak in the series (3-0-3) snapped on Sept. 10, 2021, as the Five Stripes won 3-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. George Campbell and Ezequiel Barco scored for Atlanta, sandwiched around a Daryl Dike own goal to hand Gonzalo Pineda his first win as manager for United.

The second of three 2021 meetings took place July 30 at Exploria Stadium, with the Five Stripes taking the lead twice on goals by Josef Martinez and Marcelino Moreno, but the Lions not only fought back twice on strikes by Smith and Silvester van der Water, but Nani scored a late game winner by heading in VDW’s cross in Orlando City’s 3-2 win. The first meeting of that season between the two rivals came on opening day — April 17 — and they played to a 0-0 draw.

The final meeting of 2020 came on Oct. 28, when Orlando City ran away with a 4-1 win over Atlanta at Exploria Stadium. Dike, Chris Mueller, Tesho Akindele, and Matheus Aias scored the goals for the Lions, with Cubo Torres preventing a shutout with a late goal for the visitors. Prior to that, the teams met in Atlanta on Oct. 7, 2020 and played to a 0-0 draw. Robinho and Nani each hit the woodwork and Brad Guzan stood on his head to prevent Orlando from taking a deserved three points in that one, while Brian Rowe held down the fort at the other end to earn a shutout in Pedro Gallese’s absence.

Back on Sept. 5, 2020, a late, unforced turnover by Kamal Miller led to Adam Jahn’s 92nd-minute tying goal that offset a Benji Michel strike in a 1-1 draw at Exploria Stadium. Orlando City finally got on the board in the series against Atlanta United with a 3-1 win on the road on Aug. 29, 2020. Junior Urso, Mueller, and Nani supplied the offense to more than counter a Brooks Lennon headed goal. That three-goal explosion snapped a three-match scoreless streak against the Five Stripes for Orlando.

Orlando City created an incredible 17 scoring chances on Aug. 23, 2019, yet finished none of them in a 1-0 home loss. Martinez scored the game’s only goal in the second half. Only 17 days earlier at Exploria Stadium, Orlando also failed to score and lost 2-0 to Atlanta, getting bounced from the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. On Mother’s Day of 2019, Atlanta United claimed a 1-0 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Pity Martinez scored the goal.

Atlanta won at Orlando City Stadium on Aug. 24, 2018 by a 2-1 final score. Leandro Gonzalez Pirez bundled home a rebound off Joe Bendik, who misplayed Barco’s free kick to open the scoring just 21 minutes in. Scott Sutter tied the game just before the half, but Josef Martinez broke the deadlock in the second half, with only 16 minutes remaining in normal time.

Atlanta easily claimed the June 30, 2018 meeting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 4-0. Josef Martinez and Barco each scored a goal and Miguel Almiron added a brace. Orlando lost the first matchup of 2018, 2-1, on May 13. An early penalty on a Cristian Higuita foul gave the visitors a leg up on a Josef Martinez goal from the spot and Barco doubled the lead before halftime. Justin Meram scored his first goal as a Lion to pull one back, but Orlando could get no closer. The unfortunate ending included a shower of debris coming out of the stands due to dissatisfaction with referee Alan Kelly’s decisions that night.

Hector Villalba’s two late goals in the first two meetings turned what could have been an Orlando draw and a win into a loss and a draw. The two teams kicked off their series with Orlando suffering a late 1-0 loss at home on July 21, 2017. Villalba found the net late. He then scored a stoppage-time tally to rescue a 1-1 draw for Atlanta in the second meeting on July 29, 2017. Kaká scored one of his best goals as a Lion in that match to provide Orlando’s lone score.

Orlando City became the first visiting team to take any points out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a 3-3 draw in Atlanta that September. Dom Dwyer scored his first brace as a Lion (in MLS, anyway) and also assisted on Cyle Larin’s goal. Josef Martinez’s hat trick spoiled Orlando’s bid to take all three points.

Overview

The Lions and Atlanta obviously played just a few days ago and walked away splitting the points, but not all draws are created equal. The Five Stripes rotated more than Orlando City did, which should position them better for tonight. They were already better rested than the Lions and all Orlando did was add more miles to legs that have logged a lot of them this month. To make matters worse, captain Robin Jansson left with a knock at halftime on Saturday.

Orlando got to this point in the tournament by squeaking past two opponents it should have overpowered. The Lions were fortunate to get a 1-0 road win at FC Naples on April 15, with a Nolan Miller goal-line clearance that was perhaps fortunate to not have to stand up to video review. Naples outplayed Orlando City by a wide margin in the game, especially in the second half, but the Lions got the game’s only goal.

In the Round of 16, Orlando went north to face New England and was met by a youthful Revolution side made up almost entirely of prospects. The Revs didn’t even dress stars like Carles Gil and Matt Turner. City fell behind that makeshift lineup three times but fought back to ultimately win it 4-3 on April 29.

Atlanta is 3-0-1 in its last four road games in all competitions (two U.S. Open Cup, two MLS). The Five Stripes got to this point in the competition by beating Chattanooga FC 3-1 in the Round of 32 and Charlotte FC 2-0 in the Round of 16.

Orlando City’s defense will have to keep tabs on Lobjanidze and Miranchuk in particular, but the Lions can’t switch off in their own end regardless of who is on the pitch and what the score is. OCSC has been fragile with late leads and even bringing on defense-for-offense substitutions has not helped. If they again don’t rotate much, the Lions will also need to conserve energy and pick their spots to make long runs as they are playing in their third match in seven days.

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Javier Otero.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Tiago.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Justin Ellis.

Bench: Maxime Crepeau, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Marco Pasalic, Duncan McGuire.

Atlanta United (4-4-1-1)

Goalkeeper: Jayden Hibbert.

Defenders: Elias Baez, Stian Gregersen, Pedro Amador, Ronald Hernandez.

Midfielders: Cooper Sanchez, Jay Fortune, Will Reilly, Matthew Edwards.

Attacking Midfielder: Aleksey Miranchuk.

Forward: Emmanuel Latte Lath.

Bench: Lucas Hoyos, Juan Berrocal, Tomas Jacob, Tristan Muyumba, Matias Galarza, Sergio Santos, Saba Lobjanidze.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Live Stream: Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/19/26

Lions set for international duty, lessons from MLS matchday 14, Austin FC makes changes at the top, and more.

Published

20 hours ago

on

May 19, 2026

By

Image of Marco Pasalic saluting the fans.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! It wasn’t a particularly successful weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, but we don’t have time to dwell on the past. Orlando City is set for a big U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match against Atlanta United tonight, and all three teams will be back in action over the weekend. We’ve got a whole host of things to talk about today, so let’s jump straight into the links.

Lions Called Up for International Duty

A busy summer break from MLS is almost upon us, and that means that the international call-ups are starting to roll in. Gustavo Caraballo will be joining Venezuela’s U-20 outfit as it gets ready for an upcoming youth tournament.

In addition, Marco Pasalic has been named to Croatia’s World Cup squad, so Orlando City will be represented on the biggest stage.

Congrats to both players!

Lessons from Matchday 14

Matchday 14 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so let’s take a look at what we learned from the weekend’s action. For one thing, despite a slightly slow start to the season by his high standards, Hany Mukhtar’s hat trick against LAFC proved that he should still be considered among the league’s elite. Marco Reus flashed his versatility in the LA Galaxy’s 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders, as he played striker and got an assist on LA’s first goal. Finally, while its too early to say things are definitely turned around for Sporting Kansas City, back-to-back wins means that there’s at least something to get excited about, and that’s very welcome in a season that’s been difficult for the most part. The spine of Sporting’s midfield looked improved on Saturday, and having Dejan Jovelic up top is never going to hurt a team’s chances.

Austin FC Makes Personnel Changes

Austin FC followed in the footsteps of the Columbus Crew by announcing the firing of head coach Nico Estevez on Monday. Where Austin went a step further was by also firing sporting director Rodolfo Borrell. The team has begun searches for permanent appointments to both positions immediately, while naming Davy Arnaud as interim manager in what will be his second stint in that role with the club. Austin has endured a difficult start to the season and is currently 13th in the Western Conference with a record of 3-6-5 and 14 points from 14 matches. The 2-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday seems to have been the final straw, and Austin will now be seeking its third permanent head coach since becoming an MLS club.

Americans in Midweek Action

Most major European seasons have already wrapped up or will be doing so shortly, but there’s still a number of Americans who will be competing during the working week. Things get started later today when Tyler Adams and Bournemouth play host to Manchester City in Premier League action. The stakes ratchet up considerably on Thursday when Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg play Paderborn in the first leg of the Bundesliga’s promotion/relegation tie. Things then finish up on Friday when Yunus Musah and Atalanta travel to take on Fiorentina in Serie A.

Free Kicks

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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