Eric Remedi stabbed in Julian Gressell's cross eight minutes before halftime, then served up the ball thad helped create a late second goal as Atlanta United advanced to their first ever U.S. Open Cup Final with a 2-0 semfinal victory over Orlando City at Exploria Stadium on Tuesday night.
Atlanta will host the final on August 27 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, welcoming the winner of Wednesday night's semifinal between Minnesota United and the Portland Timbers at Allianz Field (8 pm ET | ESPN+).
Emerson Hyndman also scored his first-ever goal in any competition for Atlanta since his summer arrival, helping his team improve its all-time record to 6-0-2 in eight matches in all competitions against their Southeastern rivals.
On a night coach Frank de Boer missed Josef Martinez due to injury and replaced Ezequiel Barco early in the second half, the visitors still turned the screw as the evening wore on.
Dom Dwyer and Sacha Kljestan both missed quality first-half chances for Orlando, which was hoping to play for its first trophy in its fifth year. Both were removed by coach James O'Connor in a 58th-minute double substitution.
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Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Bad just goes to worse for the Lions in this fixture, no matter the setting and no matter the competition. In a midweek tilt at home with Atlanta's record-breaking goal scorer unavailable, Orlando fans must've surely thought this was their club's best chance to finally get their first win in what has so far been a one-way rivalry. It wasn't.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Hyndman has quickly earned De Boer's trust since his arrival on loan from English Premier League side Bournemouth. It was repaid in full with his well-taken goal, his first as a professional on American soil.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Eric Remedi. Far from the most flamboyant South American on his side, the midfielder nevertheless has a knack for the knockout rounds. His goal was only his second in an Atlanta shirt in any competition. The first? The only tally in a 1-0 victory over New York City FC in Leg 1 of last year's Eastern Conference semifinal.
Up Next
- ORL: Saturday, August 10 at Toronto FC (7:30 pm ET | TSN4, MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US)
- ATL: Sunday, August 11 vs. New York City FC (4 pm ET | ESPN, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada)
