By 1788 Sports writer Caleb Leon (@1788Sports, @LeonCaleb)
The Gold Cup break is almost over, which means one thing. Atlanta United (9-3-7) will be back in action this Friday, July 21st.
We open the second half of the season, in a comfortable fourth place in the eastern conference, with an opponent that needs no introduction, but I am going to introduce them anyway.
Orlando City Soccer Club (8-5-7).
The Purple Lions (somehow) sit in fifth place in the east. Just one point below Atlanta in the standings, this is before back-to-back weeks of playing each other.
The first game of the series will be played in Orlando, and I can safely say that people are excited to travel into the heart of OCSC’s territory. The away supporters section has been sold out for a month, so expect to see lots of red and black come friday evening,
The reverse fixture will be played at historic Bobby Dodd Stadium at Georgia Tech. Bobby Dodd has served Atlanta United well as its temporary home, constantly being filled to the brim with over 45,000 fans all singing, chanting and screaming in unison.
Never Hunt Alone
Fans play an important role in the success of any sports team, Orlando is no different. Their new stadium sports “The Wall” a standing room only section that offers places to lean against, so that no one falls off of bleachers or out of chairs. I would expect a fairly packed stadium coming out of the Gold Cup break. So, look for the stadium to be pack and for it to be LOUD. Orlando is known around the league as one of the loudest places to play and they have some of the most hardcore fans in the league. Some fans are so jealous of what OCSC has, they resort to stealing parts of their new stadium. Though, New York City fans are known for stealing chairs….
(Link to story: https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/5xq8o7/zero_class_nycfc_supporter_arrested_for_stealing/)
Orlando Players to Watch:
Kaka: The man, the myth, the captain, the legend. Kaka is known as one of the best human being on the planet, it is really hard to hate him as a person.
As a player, Kaka is dangerous. He has 3 goals in 13 games with only 5 shots on goal. If Kaka gets hot this team could easily fix their goal differential problem and outscore many of their opponents.
Cyle Larin: Orlando’s leading goal scorer with 8 goals in 17 games, will be sorely missed as he has been called up to Canada's Gold Cup squad ahead of the knockout rounds.
Carlos Rivas: Rivas is Orlando’s assist leader with 5 and an important part of their midfield. Look for him to try and expose Atlanta’s back line with through balls to the speedy attackers ahead of him.
The Talk:
MLS has been trying to force rivalries for a long time, but organic growth is the way to go. The trash talk on twitter has been nothing short of amazing. Atlanta fans have been going in hard with old favorites like “Mickey Mouse FC” and “Florida Ain’t the South”. My personal favorite came earlier today…
This was seen on I-4 in downtown Orlando earlier today.
Needless to say, people are excited.
Between the Sticks:
Well, it is time. Brad Guzan will be given the start this Friday for the first time with Atlanta United. The keeper is coming off of an interesting Gold Cup and a disappointing few seasons in England. The USMNT #2 is ready to go and will bring a new fire to Atlanta’s defense. He is a welcome addition and will help relieve the pressure because of Alec Kann’s quad injury.
The Verdict.:
I expect a highly contested match this week with Atlanta pulling out a late winner, finishing the game 3-2.
Goals from Martienz, Gressle, and Almiron will give United the three points.
Follow me on twitter @LeonCaleb and let me know how you think the game will go, in the comments below.
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