ATLANTA (Florida Sports Wire) – Orlando City SC (10-6-7, 37 points) picked up an important rivalry win on Saturday evening, downing Eastern Conference foe Atlanta United FC (9-7-8, 35 points) by a 2-1 scoreline.
After falling down by a goal early in the match, the Lions battled back to score a goal in each half, securing all three points at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.With the Five Stripes opening the scoring in the 22nd minute, the Lions didn’t waste any time to level things up, scoring just three minutes later on a set piece header from Brazilian Antonio Carlos, with Mauricio Pereyra proving the service.Then, in the second half, Duncan McGuire picked up his eighth goal of the season after being threaded behind the backline by Pereyra, calmly slotting the ball past an onrushing Brad Guzan.Despite Atlanta pushing hard for an equalizer until the final minute, the Lions’ defense stood strong, with goalkeeper Pedro Gallese making a match-saving stop in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time on a Thiago Almada set piece just outside of the area.The Lions will now head into a regular-season break, preparing to start Leagues Cup 2023 next week with their first of two group stage matches, facing Houston Dynamo FC on Friday night at Exploria Stadium.
