Orlando City SC marches past Atlanta United for first conference final match | OneFootball

Facing one of their toughest opponents from the regular season, Orlando City SC beat Atlanta United this time. They lost to them twice before. But they held them off 1-0 this time.

That means Orlando goes to the Eastern Conference final for the first time in club history.

Striker Ramiro Enrique netted that goal on a rebounded cross from Martin Ojeda. He raced Atlanta keeper Brad Guzan for the ball, won the race, and kicked it past him into the net.

Ramiro said he anticipated the rebound well. But he beat everyone to the ball that drove the conversion to a score. It didn’t hurt that one of the players to beat was a briefly distracted goalkeeper.

Then it fell to everyone to protect the impossibly narrow lead. It wasn’t only the Lions’ strong defense rising to this task. Look to one statistic to see how overwhelming was Orlando’s all-team defense.

Nov 24, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando City forward Ramiro Enrique (7) and Atlanta United defender Derrick Williams (3) battle for control of the ball during the first half in a 2024 MLS Cup conference semifinal match at Inter&Co Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Orlando finished this playoff match with a clean sheet without goalkeeper Pedro Gallese making as many as one save.

Atlanta players took seven shots during the match. But not one of those shots were on target – four of them were blocked.

One of the inspirations for this match – Orlando City’s greatest single-match performance this year – was the league championship won by the Orlando Pride. Momentum is also a powerful driver. City has won 13 of their last 18 matches since July, scoring 43 goals.

All those inspirations make for an undeniable commitment for Orlando City SC to bring home the second major league championship to the city.

As City Head Coach Oscar Pareja put it, the Orlando Pride players and coaches have the utmost admiration of Orlando City.

Orlando Pride enjoyed a great championship victory parade. Orlando City SC intends to march that same route soon.