Saturday is the fifth edition of a budding southern-fried rivalry as Atlanta United (10-3-4) take on Orlando City (6-9-1) in the latest chapter of this Eastern conference match. The Five Stripes are trying to get back to their dominant best to keep the pace at the top of the Supporters’ Shield while the Lions are just looking to get a point any way they can as they come off seven straight losses in the league.
Regardless of form, it’s always an intense one when these two teams meet, and with 70,000+ fans in the stands, this one will be one of the Saturdays of the season for Atlanta United. Make sure to grab a ticket or tune in on ESPN at 7:00 p.m. EST on Saturday night.
Atlanta United (10-3-4)
The Five Stripes enter the matches on top of the Supporters’ Shield standings but still feeling like there’s more room to grow after a draw last Sunday against the Portland Timbers. The team admitted last week they wanted to improve on their home form after just one win in their past four, saying they wanted to make Mercedes-Benz Stadium a place teams didn’t want to come play again. With 70,000+ Atlanta United fans behind them for this one, the intimidation factor shouldn’t be a problem.
Leading the way is of course Josef Martinez, whose 14 goals gives him a three-goal cushion at the top of the MLS Golden Boot race. His eight goals since the start of May is best in the league, with only two others scoring more than five. And he’s had success against Orlando in the past with four goals in just two appearances, including a hat trick in his only home match against them last September.
The big question mark coming into the game is who will fill the void left by the injury to Darlington Nagbe, who’d played nearly every minute of league play so far this season before that. New signing Eric Remedi is an exciting prospect, but isn’t eligible to play for the squad for another few weeks. Tata Martino has told reporters the most likely candidates are Julian Gressel, who would move in from the right wing, or Kevin Kratz in a straight swap in the center of the park. Behind them is a defense that has tightened back up after the three-goal loss to Atlanta, conceding one or fewer goals in each of their last five games, with the team going unbeaten in that time.
Orlando City (6-9-1)
The last time these two teams played each other, Orlando City was coming off a six-match win streak, one of the best runs in team history. But things have changed drastically since, with seven straight losses and a coaching change, pushing Orlando down to eighth in the Eastern Conference. Interim coach Bobby Murphy will be trying to figure how to revive an offense that –– in just their seven-match losing streak –– scored multiple goals just once and been shut out three times.
Dom Dwyer leads that front line with seven goals this year, and will probably be flanked by some combination of MLS veteran Justin Meram, 2018 SuperDraft pick Chris Mueller or Paraguayan DP Josué Colmán on the wings. Two-time MLS Best XI midfielder Sacha Kljestan will be the main creative force out of midfield with Peruvian midfielder Yoshi Yotún presumably not ready to return for a full 90 minutes after his World Cup journey. Uri Rosell and Cristian Higuita are probably the most likely candidates to start alongside Kljestan to balance out the attack.
But their biggest Achilles heel this season so far has been on the defensive end, where their 33 goals conceded is the second-most in the league. A lack of cohesiveness in the back line combined with some key injuries have led to 17 goals conceded since the start of May, nearly as many as Atlanta have conceded all season. Jonathan Spector’s return from injury makes them better at the back, but Atlanta United’s attack could find some vulnerabilities against a team that has leaked goals all season.
It’s always a thrilling match when these two teams play, and 70,000+ Atlanta United fans will only amplify the spectacle. Make sure you tune in on ESPN for the 7:00 p.m. EST kickoff this Saturday, and for all the other ways to follow the match, click here.
