Portland Timbers? Successfully chopped down! 🌲🪓🪵 Grinding out an important 1-0 win over Phil Neville’s side on Saturday, Duncan McGuire’s first goal of 2025 proved the difference. Now, the Lions fly north above Interstate 75 to face Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Despite just two wins in nine visits, Orlando City SC will head to Georgia full of belief, eager to take down our bitter rivals after matching our longest-ever MLS unbeaten streak (12 games).
Atlanta United’s 4-2 win over FC Cincinnati gives them hope. But if we bring our A-game in the A, we’re the better side. The biggest compliment Orlando can be paid right now? We’ve shown we can win in different ways! Our last two league matches prove it – a dominant 0-3 derby win in Fort Lauderdale, followed by a gritty home victory over a Portland side that had lost just once in 11 MLS games.
Last time out
On Saturday, Orlando City SC ground out a 1-0 win over Portland Timbers at Inter&Co Stadium, with Duncan McGuire’s 39th-minute strike sealing the points. The Lions weren’t at their sharpest but showed resilience to extend their unbeaten MLS run to 12 games (6-6-0), matching our club record set in 2020. We also became just the fourth MLS team in the last five seasons to go 12 or more games unbeaten – an impressive feat coming just days after our draining U.S. Open Cup exit. Importantly, Eduard Atuesta was back in the XI for the first time since April 26. Pulling the strings, he assisted McGuire’s goal with a clever pass. Big Dunc’s goal was a relief – not just for him, as his first of 2025, but also after we missed several earlier chances. Pedro Gallese secured his seventh clean sheet of the year, calmly handling late pressure and making a crucial save to deny Finn Surman. And late in the game, we survived a VAR scare when David Brekalo made a last-ditch tackle on Ariel Lassiter. It wasn’t vintage, but our defensive organisation and effort delivered a vital three points during a relentless run of fixtures.
Last head-to-head
On April 26, Orlando City SC snapped a 312-minute goal drought in style, demolishing bitter rivals Atlanta United 3-0 at home. A Luis Muriel penalty and goals from Alex Freeman, and Marco Pašalić sealed a derby day to remember. Ending our three-game winless run, it also extended our unbeaten streak to seven. Freeman netted his third MLS goal, while Muriel and Pašalić impressed in a dominant second-half. With a goal and an assist, Pašalić also became just the fourth player in club history to tally at least seven goal contributions in his first 10 matches, joining Nani (nine), Dom Dwyer (seven), and Daryl Dike (seven). The win marked Orlando’s fourth consecutive clean sheet and set a new club record of 436 shutout minutes. After the game, Oscar Pareja dedicated the result to César Araújo, celebrating the birth of his daughter, and praised his side for finding their “natural mode of play”.
What’s at stake this time?
Orlando City SC have climbed to fourth in the Eastern Conference with 27 points from 15 games. We’re level on points with third-placed Nashville SC but sit just behind due to their superior win record (8 wins to our 7). Now only three points behind leaders Philadelphia Union, we’re edging closer to the summit! Having matched our longest-ever MLS unbeaten streak (12 games), we’re combining defensive solidity with a potent attack – the perfect balance! Bragging rights are always on the line against Atlanta United, who’ve been awful this season, sitting 12th in the East with seven defeats in 15 games. After thrashing them 3-0 in April, a sweep would be super satisfying! Once the team that terrorised us, Oscar Pareja has flipped this Florida-Georgia rivalry on its head. And make no mistake – we’ll be determined to assert our dominance on their dreadful plastic turf! Lastly, despite looking tired against Timbers, Alex Freeman is on a high after earning his first call-up to the USMNT squad for their Gold Cup warm-up friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland on June 7 and 10. Outstanding so far this season, he’ll be eager to impress Mauricio Pochettino once again.
Opposition danger men
🇨🇮 Emmanuel Latte Lath (5 goals, 1 assist – 2025 MLS)
🇵🇾 Miguel Almirón (3 goals, 3 assists – 2025 MLS)
🇷🇺 Alexey Miranchuk (1 goal, 2 assists – 2025 MLS)
🇬🇪 Saba Lobjanidze (0 goals, 5 assists – 2025 MLS)
Injuries
🇺🇸 Josh Cohen (adductor) – out
🇳🇴 Stian Gregersen (quadriceps) – out
🇺🇸 Brooks Lennon (hamstring) – questionable
🇫🇷 Tristan Muyumba (knee) – out
🇻🇪 Gustavo Caraballo (lower leg) – questionable
🇵🇪 Wilder Cartagena (right leg) – SEI
🇨🇴 Nicolás Rodríguez (thigh) – out
🇯🇵 Yutaro Tsukada (knee) – SEI
*SEI – Season-Ending Injury List (Unavailable)
Suspensions
None
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Atlanta United vs Orlando City SC
Last 3 head-to-heads
- October 19, 2024: Orlando City SC 1 Atlanta United 2 (2024 MLS Decision Day)
- November 24, 2024: Orlando City SC 1 Atlanta United 0 (2024 MLS Cup Playoffs)
- April 26, 2025: Orlando City SC 3 Atlanta United 0 (MLS)
2015/25 head-to-head stats
- It was 3-0 to Orlando the last time the sides met (April 2025)
- Played Atlanta 23 times in MLS – Atlanta 10, Draws 7, Orlando 6
- In MLS, Orlando have gone 6-5-4 against Atlanta with Oscar Pareja as head coach
- Atlanta have only won 1 of their last 9 MLS fixtures, going 1-3-5
- Orlando have won their last 3 consecutive MLS fixtures
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Watching the game
Atlanta United vs Orlando City SC will be shown live on Apple TV at 00:30 (GMT) on Thursday, May 29.
Remember, UK supporters can watch all of Orlando City SC’s 2025 MLS regular season fixtures by subscribing to Apple TV’s “MLS Season Pass”.
Subscribe now by clicking here.
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