Atlanta United vs. Orlando City SC | 2020 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 16
Atlanta United vs. Orlando City SC
Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta
October 7 – 7:00 PM ET

STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; on DAZN in Canada

LOCAL TV: FFOX Sports Southeast, FOX 35 Plus, YouTube TV [Orlando region only]

A rivalry that's been decidedly striped until this season has turned on its ear and turned purple in 2020 and now it's Atlanta United looking for their first win over Orlando City SC this season when the foes square off for a third time Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Atlanta (5W-8L-2D) will be confident coming in following a 4-0 drubbing of D.C. United at Audi Field Saturday night, their second victory in their last three games, while Orlando City (8W-2L-5D) are the hottest team in MLS, extending a league-best unbeaten streak to nine games with a 3-1 win over the New York Red Bulls at Exploria Stadium Saturday.

The Lions picked up their first-ever win over the Five Stripes August 29, a 3-1 triumph at the Benz, while ATLUTD avoided a second consecutive defeat thank to an Adam Jahn stoppage-time equalizer in a 1-1 draw in Orlando Sept. 5.

Atlanta United

Jon Gallagher struck for a brace and Brooks Lennon had a goal and two assists to lead Atlanta to a 4-0 road victory over D.C. United. They did it without Ezequiel Barco, who was expected to take the lead role in the club's attack after Pity Martinez's transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on Sept. 7. But the young Argentine was out of interim coach Stephen Glass' lineup for a fourth straight match.

"One hundred percent I see him playing with the team for the rest of the year," Glass said.

"Ezequiel has been training. He is day to day. I don’t want to divulge what his injury is, but he’s been carrying an injury that he’s been able to train. He’s been feeling things and he’s had a couple of setbacks.

"So there is nothing sinister going on with him. I’ve seen the suggestions that I’m not quite being honest that he’s training. He’s 100 percent training. I’ve seen an article the other day that said 'alleged injuries.' He has an injury. That’s the simple fact. I’ve not been misleading in any way. The club has not been misleading in any way. He wants to play, we want him to play and he will play a part later on in the season. I don’t know when. Hopefully very soon.”

Updated team roster
Injury Report:
- OUT: Josef Martinez (F) - ACL injury
- OUT: Cubo Torres (F) - knee sprain
- OUT: Matheus Rossetto (M) - undisclosed injury
Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: Miles Robinson (D)
International duty: None

Orlando City SC

First place in the East? The Supporters' Shield? It's all within reach for Orlando City, who cruised to a 3-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls Saturday afternoon. If not for a few sloppy moments in defense and some missed opportunities on the other end, the scoreline should have been even more lopsided for a team that is just two points behind East co-leaders Columbus and Toronto.

“I think that we know that we could beat any team in this league and I think that personally, this is a new feeling for me this year compared to last year for example," said right back Kyle Smith, who registered his first MLS assist on the first goal. "I go into every game knowing that we have a great chance of winning the game and that we should win the game.

"It shows that our confidence is high and I think that everyone in the team feels that way, too. We go into every game wanting the three points, whether it’s a home game, an away game. We want the ball, we want the three points and we are going to try our best to get those points.”

Updated team roster
Injury Report:
- OUT: Dom Dwyer (F) - knee injury
- OUT: Joao Moutinho (D) - groin injury
- OUT: Uri Rosell (M) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Tesho Akindele (F) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Mauricio Pereyra (M) - undisclosed injury
Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: Joao Moutinho (D), Mauricio Pereyra (M)
International duty: Jhegson Sebastian Mendez (M), Pedro Gallese (HK)