Atlanta United are back in the MLS playoff picture, trailing the final spot by three points as they host Orlando City on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Five Stripes ended a four-match winless run on Wednesday, beating Real Salt Lake 2-1, while the Lions are fifth in the Eastern Conference, drawing the Colorado Rapids 1-1 in midweek.
Match preview
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A highly publicized rant from one of Atlanta's most prized possessions seemed to light a fire in this team at home versus RSL, scoring twice in the opening half and hanging on to claim a big three points.
Josef Martinez usually does his talking on the field but following their defeat at home to Austin FC (3-0) last Saturday, the Venezuelan striker vented his frustrations for all to see.
Among other things, he said that some players do not appreciate the jersey of Atlanta United, while also suggesting that some individuals do not give a good enough effort in training.
Whether it was that public criticism that sparked them or not, Gonzalo Pineda's men put forth a much better effort across the board on Wednesday, firing seven shots on target with an 86% pass accuracy and stringing together over 500 passes over the 90 minutes.
It is not uncommon to see your team respond to challenges or criticism once in a while, but the struggles with this team go far deeper than that, with consistency plaguing them throughout the season, failing to win consecutive league fixtures so far in 2022.
Technically, they are used to having the majority of the possession and stringing together passes all over the field, although they have made poor choices in the attacking third, which have made all of that build-up play go to waste.
They tallied in the first half this week for the first time since June 19, and they are now a perfect 3-0 on the season when leading at the interval.
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While rarely looking all that impressive technically, Oscar Pareja and his team continue to grind out results, which have kept them in a playoff position.
In the high altitude of Colorado, we saw two sides to the Lions, one where they created a decent amount of scoring opportunities, with good movement in the opening half.
In the second half, though, they looked tentative and overwhelmed by a Rapids team who did a lot of pressing, while pushing forward in numbers.
Regardless of how well or poorly they are playing, Orlando frequently do a good job of keeping their matches close and making their opponents earn everything, as 13 of their 20 games this season have been decided by a goal or fewer.
If you look at their statistics, it seems as though they are missing the presence of a solid chance creator and someone with a smooth finishing touch, scoring the fourth-fewest goals (25) in the Eastern Conference.
This team saw numerous outstanding individual difference makers leave last year, and replacing those X-factors has not been easy.
Their slow-paced, grind-it-out brand of football is unlikely to win over many neutral fans, but they have managed to adjust to a different style, catered towards receiving contributions all over the field to be successful.
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Team News
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Martinez seems to relish the opportunity to face Orlando, as he has scorched them in previous encounters, scoring eight goals against them in his Five Stripes career, though it was a brace from Ronaldo Cisneros that helped Atlanta capture a 2-1 victory in midweek, as he now leads them with six on the season.
Thiago Almada and Matheus Rossetto helped those goals from happening, with Almada now leading the team in assists with his fourth of the year, one more than Martinez and Marcelino Moreno.
Osvaldo Alonso is out with an ACL issue, while Dylan Castanheira, Brad Guzan and Miles Robinson are all done for the season with Achilles injuries.
Brooks Lennon and Ronald Hernandez remain out long-term with MCL sprains, while Emerson Hyndman and Andrew Gutman have quad injuries.
Facundo Torres picked up his fifth goal of the season for Orlando this week, and Alexandre Pato notched his fourth assist as he trails Mauricio Pereyra by two for the team lead.
Ercan Kara has seven goals domestically to lead the way for them, while Antonio Carlos, Pato and Tesho Akindele were inserted into the starting 11 against the Burgundy Boys replacing Rodrigo Schlegel, Kara and Pereyra.
Goalkeeper Javier Otero was eligible for selection for the first time since signing with the Lions from Orlando City B in MLS NEXT Pro, while Mason Stajduhar has a jaw injury, Joao Moutinho is listed as questionable because of a right lower leg issue, as is Adam Grinwis who is suffering from a problem in his right upper extremity.
Atlanta United possible starting lineup:
Rios Novo; DeJohn, Franco, Campbell; Rossetto, Sejdic; Sosa, Moreno, L. Araujo; Martinez, Cisneros
Orlando City possible starting lineup:
Gallese; Smith, Jansson, Schlegel, Ruan; Perea, C. Araujo, Urso, Torres; Pato; Akindele
We say: Atlanta United 1-1 Orlando City
Overall, Atlanta possesses more quality than Orlando, but the Lions have done well to neutralize opposing attacks, so we expect them to show discipline and structure against an aggressive Five Stripes team, who have not proven that they can remain consistent from one match to another.
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