After beating New York Red Bulls 3-1, Oscar Pareja‘s Orlando City SC head to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face rivals Atlanta United for the third time this season.
The scene of City’s standout 2020 game so far, a 1-3 victory in August, the Lions will be hungry to avenge Adam Jahn’s devastating last-minute equaliser back on September 5 (1-1).
Despite our 3-1 win over Red Bulls extending our unbeaten streak to nine games, Orlando City SC must be more ruthless against Atlanta United.
With Chris Mueller and Benji Michel missing big chances to extend the Lions’ lead, fortunately we weren’t made to pay for being wasteful.
Oscar Pareja has previously been quoted as saying he doesn’t like messy games.
In truth, the only blight on Orlando City SC‘s superb season so far has been City’s inability to keep enough clean sheets.
Despite being a game-changer in goal, Pedro Gallese has only kept three clean sheets all season.
Not a reflection on his abilities as a goalkeeper but rather defensive lapses in concentration, this is something City need to improve to be considered top MLS quality.
Indeed, Florian Valot’s goal was completely preventable and Orlando City SC need to work on not giving the opposition any encouragement in games.
Now heading to rivals Atlanta United, City will have Brian Rowe in goal after Pedro Gallese was called up by Peru for two 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Hot off the back of a 0-4 win at D.C. United, Stephen Glass’ Atlanta United will still be hurting from their 1-3 loss to Orlando City SC in late August.
It’s up to Orlando City SC to make their newfound quality tell against an opponent who City supporters love to hate.
Orlando City SC vs Atlanta United – 2017/20 head-to-head stats
Atlanta United and Orlando City SC faced each other twice in just nine days back in late August / early September.
With City holding a pitiful record against The Five Stripes prior to 2020, its refreshingly been all change this year.
Unbeaten against the Georgia side this season, Oscar Pareja‘s City have made Stephen Glass’ side look very ordinary in 180+ minutes of MLS action.
All of that said, four points should’ve definitely been six.
Outshooting Atlanta United 15 to 9 at home on September 5, City only got 4 shots on target in a game they dominated in large spells.
Wasting so many glorious chances, this came back to bite us in the 92nd minute.
Adam Jahn headed home a stoppage time Jake Mulraney cross to cancel out Benji Michel‘s first-half opener – just gutting!
Orlando City SC 1 Atlanta United 1 – Highlights – September 5, 2020 (Credit: Major League Soccer)
Heading to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the second time this season, Orlando City SC will take great belief from our landmark 1-3 victory there on August 29.
Arguably Orlando City SC‘s best away performance in MLS, it was so important to finally defeat Atlanta United for the first time – psychologically more than anything!
Completely outplaying Stephen Glass’ side, things did get hairy after Brooks Lennon reduced City’s 0-2 deficit to one by the 83rd minute.
However, just three minutes later, Júnior Urso effectively ended Pity Martínez’s Atlanta United career by stealing the ball from him and laying in Nani who crucially made the game safe.
Atlanta United 1 Orlando City SC 3 – Highlights – August 29, 2020 (Credit: Atlanta United FC)
Besides the 2020 results (1-3 and 1-1) that we’ve discussed so far, a theme can be drawn from the other THREE most recent meetings.
Indeed, THREE of the last FIVE MLS head-to-heads have been separated by just ONE goal.
With Atlanta United defeating Orlando City SC 1-2, 1-0 and 0-1 prior to this season’s meetings, you can see that City were getting closer to a positive result.
Now we’ve overcome the psychological burden of having never defeated Atlanta United, there’s nothing to fear – especially given how The Five Stripes’ 2020 has gone so far.
Atlanta United form
A trend has been emerging in Atlanta United’s last THREE Major League Soccer fixtures.
The Five Stripes’ last THREE results have finished ‘to nil’ with Stephen Glass’ side winning TWO of these games.
Victorious against FC Dallas (1-0) on September 23, Atlanta United also defeated D.C. United 0-4 at Audi Field last Saturday,
Sandwiched in between was a 2-0 loss at Chicago Fire on September 27 – The Five Stripes’ eighth loss from 15 MLS regular season games.
Orlando City SC form
If you needed one stat to sum up Oscar Pareja‘s huge improvement of Orlando City SC this season, this is it.
Right now, the Lions have FIVE points more than ever before at this stage (15 games) of any of our FIVE MLS seasons so far.
Currently sitting third in the Eastern Conference and only two points off first-placed Columbus Crew, this season is defying expectations.
After the #MLSisBack Tournament, onlookers wondered whether City’s newfound form was a fluke.
But now nine games unbeaten, having experienced two tough games out west, this Orlando City SC side is unlike any other we’ve seen in MLS.
Orlando City SC 3 New York Red Bulls 1 – Highlights – October 3, 2020 (Credit: UTC FOOTBALL TV)
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Don’t forget, Atlanta United vs Orlando City SC will be shown LIVE on FreeSports in the early hours of Thursday morning at 00:05 (GMT).
You can view our TV Fixture Tracker by clicking here.
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