3 Questions with The Mane Land
Catching up with some old frienemies.
It’s that time again. Orlando City and Atlanta United re-new their rivalry on Sunday with their first meeting of 2024. Ahead of the anticipated match, I caught up with Ben Miller, a Senior Columnist from The Mane Land for a quick chat on how the Lions are doing to kickoff the season.
To get some more in-depth insight on Orlando ahead of the match, check out their site and see what else they have to say.
Rob: How worried should Orlando fans be after this poor start to the season?
Ben: It's been quite the departure from the way last season ended, with the lengthy unbeaten run and 2nd place finish in the East. Still, there have been encouraging things to take from each of the games that Orlando has played, even the ugly 5-0 thumping down in Miami during the second game of the season. For my money, it's too early to press the panic button just yet, and most of the fanbase seems willing to give the team some time.
Rob: Are there any tactical or personnel issues at the root of the current struggles or is it as simple as CCC stretching the team thin?
Ben: I think it comes down to CCC involvement. We saw something similar at the start of last year, with uneven performances and a team that started slowly as it attempted to progress in continental competition. Once it was able to focus on MLS, the team's form improved, and there are reasons to think the same thing will happen this year. A large number of the goals the Lions have given up have been due to mistakes and sloppiness, and the team has looked dangerous going forward and created plenty of chances, but hasn't been able to hit the ocean from the boat. Those are the sorts of things that you see when a team is tired and stretched thin, so in theory a more friendly match schedule should help Orlando get back on track.
Rob: The Atlanta/Orlando matchup was dubbed a rivalry early on. Now that time has passed and many different variables have changed, what is Orlando’s perspective of Atlanta United as rivals and competitors in the current landscape?
Ben: While many OCSC fans have shifted large amounts of their ire to that pink team in Fort Lauderdale, I'd say that Atlanta is still viewed as a rival. Things might have evened out some in recent years, but the memories of just how one-sided the matchup used to be still linger, and it's a match that certainly holds extra importance. For me, Atlanta is a team that I have plenty of respect for. Aside from a couple down years, The Five Stripes have consistently been among the playoff places and have silverware to show for it, and the Benz is never a fun place to go and try to get a result. Games with extra heat are always more fun, and at least on the purple end, this is a matchup that fits that definition.
Lineup Prediction: Pedro Gallese; Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson; Wilder Cartagena, Felipe, Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda, Ivan Angulo; Duncan McGuire.
Score Prediction: I'll go with a 2-2 draw, lord knows this team could use a point.
We don’t care what the angry fake tough Orlando peeps have to say.
Since Charlotte and Ft. Lauderdale have come into the league it seems like both clubs have a more natural rival. I still do enjoy "hating" Orlando though.