Atlanta United Defeats Orlando City SC 1-0
September 14, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Atlanta United FC News Release
ORLANDO, Fla. – Atlanta United defeated Orlando City SC 1-0 Wednesday night at Exploria Stadium, thanks to another impressive goal from Thiago Almada. The clean-sheet victory marks the first time that Atlanta has won consecutive matches this season and moves the team to within two points of the playoff line with three games remaining.
Despite Orlando having the bulk of the possession in the first half, Atlanta almost opened the scoring through Luiz Araújo in the 36th minute. The Brazilian forward rounded Pedro Gallese after being sent on a breakaway run but his rolling shot was cleared off the line by defender Kyle Smith.
A quick passing sequence from Almada and Dom Dwyer created a one-on-one opportunity between Gallese and Andrew Gutman in first-half stoppage time. It took a sprawling save from the Orlando goalkeeper to keep the defender off the scoresheet.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 72nd minute through Almada. Gutman played a one-two with Almada on the edge of the box, playing the Argentine into the penalty area. With close control of the ball, the midfielder sat an Orlando defender down onto the pitch before tucking a finish into the Orlando goal.
Raúl Gudiño and the Atlanta defense held strong late on in the matchup, facing 10 unanswered shots from the hosts; however, Orlando could not find an answer, resulting in a clean sheet and Atlanta United’s first win at Exploria Stadium since 2019.
Atlanta (10-12-9, 39 points) returns to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia to face off against Philadelphia Union on Saturday, Sept. 17 (3:30 p.m., UniMás, TUDN, Twitter, Sports Radio 92-9 The Game, La Mejor).
STATS
Shots: 20-10 Orlando
Shots on target: 5-3 Atlanta
Corner kicks: 4-4
Fouls committed: 16-10 Atlanta
Offside: 1-1
Possession: 56-44 Orlando
Passing accuracy: 84-80 Orlando
SCORING SUMMARY
ATL – Thiago Almada 72′ (Andrew Gutman) [HIGHLIGHT]
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
ORL – Wilder Cartagena 37′ (yellow)
ATL – Dom Dwyer 50′ (yellow)
ATL – Luiz Araújo 78′ (yellow)
ATL – Edwin Mosquera 90+4′ (yellow)
ATLANTA UNITED STARTING LINEUP
Raúl Gudiño; Ronald Hernández, Juanjo Purata, Alan Franco ©, Andrew Gutman; Santiago Sosa, Amar Sejdic (Matheus Rossetto – 56′), Thiago Almada (Caleb Wiley – 86′); Brooks Lennon (Edwin Mosquera – 67′), Dom Dwyer (Josef Martínez – 56′), Luiz Araújo (Ronaldo Cisneros – 86′).
Substitutes not used: Rocco Ríos Novo, Marcelino Moreno, Franco Ibarra, George Campbell.
ORLANDO CITY SC STARTING LINEUP
Pedro Gallese; Kyle Smith (Ruan – 58′), Antônio Carlos, Rodrigo Schlegel, João Moutinho; Wilder Cartagena (Andrés Perea – 65′), Mauricio Pereyra ©; Iván Angulo (Tesho Akindele – 75′), Júnior Urso (Jake Mulraney – 74′), Facundo Torres, Ercan Kara (Benji Michel – 58′).
Substitutes not used: Mason Stajduhar, Nicholas Gioacchini, Michael Halliday, Thomas Williams.
OFFICIALS
Rubiel Vazquez (referee), Jose Da Silva (assistant), Logan Brown (assistant), Marcos DeOliveira (fourth), Allen Chapman (VAR), Peter Balciunas (AVAR).
NOTES
Atlanta United won consecutive matches for the first time this season
Thiago Almada scored his sixth goal of the season, his second-consecutive match with a goal
Andrew Gutman recorded his second assist of the season, his second-consecutive match with an assist
Raúl Gudiño recorded his first clean sheet with Atlanta United
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