Atlanta United works a successful back-five against Orlando City SC | OneFootball

Atlanta United FC knows how to work a back-five formation. They brought it to Orlando City SC.

In the second half until the 83rd minute, Atlanta United FC was losing to Orlando City SC. They brought all their offense against the Lions throughout the match. But until that moment, they were behind 2-1.

Atlanta frequently worked a back-five formation against Orlando. This didn’t work in the previous match for the Portland Timbers. City won that one 1-0. United made so many defensive errors – even with five on the backline – that they lamented the fact in their post-game presser.

But then Atlanta amped up the offense and solidified their defense. Orlando couldn’t score anymore. United midfielder Bartosz Slisz equalized with a long shot that scored in the 83rd minute with an assist by Alexy Miranchuk, who had previously equalized with a score in the 19th minute.

Lions midfielder Cesar Araujo and forward Ramiro Enrique scored two points, with assists from Marco Pasalic and Martin Ojeda.

Enrique’s unassisted score came from one of Atlanta’s mistakes. He grabbed a failed clearance and beat United goalkeeper Brad Guzan to the net.

But the trouble wasn’t over. Atlanta intended to build on their late-game momentum.

May 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta United midfielder Miguel Almiron (10) controls the ball against Orlando City during extra time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

As the match entered generous stoppage time, United forward Jamal Thiare got fed by Saba Lobjanidza and the busy Miranchuk for a 95th-minute score that stood until the final whistle. It was only the second come-from-behind win after the 75th minute in Atlanta’s history.

Lions Head Coach Oscar Pareja said the match momentum started drifting from the team at the time of a red card shown to Araujo in the 70th minute. The coach took issue with the referee’s action that left the team short-handed as Atlanta’s offense began to surge.

United went on to finish the Lions off in the remaining seven minutes of the match. This back-five problem, amplified by red-card discipline, is a tough subject that Orlando City SC will address quickly this week.