ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 23, 2019) - Orlando City SC (9-12-7, 34 points) dropped a 1-0 decision to Atlanta United FC (15-9-3, 48 points) on Friday night at Exploria Stadium. The Lions posted a season-high 22 shots in the match, but were unable to break through on the night.
Head Coach James O’Connor:
“Obviously very disappointed. I think when you look at the game overall, I think we’ve had enough chances to win, in two or three games. I think unfortunately for us tonight, we’ve played very well, we’ve had exceptional chance creation, we just weren’t able to take our chances which is pretty hard to swallow. Very painful evening for us.”
Scoring Recap:
60’ Josef Martinez (Ezequiel Barco) - ATL 1, ORL 0
The Five Stripes took the lead with Josef Martinez dribbling into space before finding Ezequiel Barco at the middle of the pitch. Barco took a few touches before laying it back off to Martinez near the edge of the area, who hit it first time from the left side into the far post.
Match Notes:
- Mauricio Pereyra recorded his first career MLS start in the match. Pereyra made his Orlando City debut last Saturday at Minnesota when he entered the match after the halftime break for Robinho.
- Dom Dwyer registered his 60th appearance as a Lion when he entered the match for Tesho Akindele in the 67th minute.
- The Lions registered a season-high 22 shots in the match.
Next Match: The Lions head back out on the road, traveling to the West coast to take on the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, August 31. Kickoff for the match is set for 10:30 p.m. ET at Avaya Stadium.
