Atlanta United 2 proved they belong among MLS NEXT Pro’s top contenders with a resounding 5-1 thumping of Orlando City B for their second-straight win in their penultimate home match of the season on Saturday.
Atlanta were the better side in the first half, outshooting Orlando 8-3 with most of the ball. Despite this, the match was scoreless until added time, when Cameron Dunbar broke the deadlock with his seventh goal of the season in the second minute of stoppage. Atlanta thought they’d carry that lead into the break, but the Lions equalized thanks to midfielder Issah Haruna’s fourth of the campaign in the seventh of eight added minutes.
Conceding such a late goal to end the half would kill the momentum and confidence of many teams, but Atlanta were undeterred. Dunbar bagged his brace right after the restart in the 52nd minute to restore the lead. Arif Kovac added some insurance with his 17th of the year in the 74th minute to extend his lead atop the league scoring charts, and even made some history in the process by breaking Atlanta United 2’s single-season scoring record. Stoppage time in the second half was just as eventful as the first, but this time Atlanta were able to put the result beyond doubt. Patrick Weah opened his account on the season in the second minute of added time, and Kovac got his second two minutes later for the exclamation point.
Orlando had a spell of possession as they chased the game after Dunbar’s second goal, but overall, Atlanta controlled the half and finished the match with 17 shots to Orlando’s seven and a 7-3 advantage in shots on target.
Head coach Jose Silva said his message to the team at halftime was to stay positive and keep focused, but he credited his players’ response to his tactical adjustments as the reason for the second half being more dominant than even he could’ve wished for.
“Once the ball [went] to one side, we tried [to be]… more zonal to help the center back so [Orlando] can’t find the second striker in between the lines,” Silva said. “I think that cut a little bit of the sequence Orlando was having, and that allowed us to have more of the ball. If [we] know how to move the ball and possess it and find the space, then we can attack them; the spaces are going to, little by little, show up.”
Dunbar said the mentality the team showed will be essential to ending the regular season the right way to head into the playoffs in the best form possible.
“We felt like these past three games we’ve had in the last eight days have been three finals for us, where we have to give everything,” Dunbar said. “We can’t afford to slip up at this crucial moment in the season, and we have to dig deep and focus as much as possible because these were a big six points against Chicago and Orlando to put us in a good position in these last four games.”
This drubbing vaults Atlanta up to fifth in the East and onto a new club record of 40 points. Orlando, meanwhile, are reeling after their fifth straight loss and just barely cling on to 10th. Both clubs now only have four games left in a tight playoff race in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta will continue their push against more Floridian opposition, as they’ll take a trip to Fort Lauderdale to take on Inter Miami II on Friday, while Orlando return home to face conference leaders Crown Legacy next Sunday. These two teams will face off again on Orlando’s home turf in their final game of the regular season on Sept. 20 in what could very well still be a pivotal matchup for playoff seeding, or even for making the playoffs at all.
I felt like I was there! Great writing.