Orlando City SC v Atlanta United: 'We see the big picture' – Perelman thrilled with recent growth

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ShareOrlando City SC are looking to build on their dramatic win in midweek, while Atlanta United want to get back to winning ways after a loss.Orlando City SC head coach Martin Perelman believes his team are continuing to grow "little by little", with attention turning to Atlanta United next in MLS.Orlando snatched a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday, with Martin Ojeda scoring the winner in the 90th minute.It was their fourth win of the season, as they continue to try to move up the Eastern Conference, where they currently sit 12th after 13 games.And Perelman believes his team's improvements have been clear to see in recent games."I think the guys are putting in a lot of effort and we had a really good performance [against Philadelphia]," he said."We made some mistakes. What I learned from this game is to enjoy the victories, and that's what we're going to do."There are things we still need to improve, but we understand the process. We see the big picture, and little by little, we are continuing to grow."Atlanta saw a two-game winning run snapped in midweek, with their 2-1 loss to the LA Galaxy, throwing away a lead in the process.They sit below Orlando in the East, but a win at the weekend would see the Five Stripes leapfrog them in the table.Striker Emmanuel Latte Lath believes Atlanta can cause Orlando problems with their high press, but he acknowledged the need to improve in front of goal."We've improved a lot in how we play," he said. "We try to play from behind and create chances."We need to keep going and trying to hurt our opponents. The effort we put in the first half [against the Galaxy] was a lot, but unfortunately, we didn't score."Every game is important because we're trying to make pressure to force them into mistakes. We try to do it as a team and train to put that pressure on. It's our identity now, so we need to keep going and do our best."PLAYERS TO WATCHOrlando City SC – Martin OjedaWith two goals against the Union, Ojeda now has 10 game-winning goals for the Lions, the third most in club history.He has six shots against Philadelphia (a team-high), accumulating 1.8 expected goals (xG), while five of his opportunities were Opta-defined 'big' chances.Atlanta United – Tristan MuyumbaAtlanta were hit by two goals in five minutes by the Galaxy, but Tristan Muyumba had a strong performance in the middle of the park.He won six of his nine duels and won possession a game-high nine times, while also having 90 touches, more than anyone else on the pitch.MATCH PREDICTION: ORLANDO CITY SC WINThe last six meetings between Orlando and Atlanta have been keenly contested, with each of the teams having three wins apiece – the latter won the most recent meeting 3-2 in May 2025.Orlando have won their last two home games against the Five Stripes without conceding.The Lions have alternated between defeat and victory in their last six MLS matches, winning the most recent 4-3 against Philadelphia – they are yet to record back-to-back wins this season.Atlanta have won just one of their four away games in 2026 so far; they lost their first three without scoring but beat Toronto FC 2-1 in the most recent.OPTA WIN PROBABILITYOrlando City SC – 45.4%Draw – 24.3%Atlanta United – 30.3%Orlando City SC are looking to build on their dramatic win in midweek, while Atlanta United want to get back to winning ways after a loss.Orlando City SC head coach Martin Perelman believes his team are continuing to grow "little by little", with attention turning to Atlanta United next in MLS.Orlando snatched a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday, with Martin Ojeda scoring the winner in the 90th minute.It was their fourth win of the season, as they continue to try to move up the Eastern Conference, where they currently sit 12th after 13 games.And Perelman believes his team's improvements have been clear to see in recent games."I think the guys are putting in a lot of effort and we had a really good performance [against Philadelphia]," he said."We made some mistakes. What I learned from this game is to enjoy the victories, and that's what we're going to do."There are things we still need to improve, but we understand the process. We see the big picture, and little by little, we are continuing to grow."Atlanta saw a two-game winning run snapped in midweek, with their 2-1 loss to the LA Galaxy, throwing away a lead in the process.They sit below Orlando in the East, but a win at the weekend would see the Five Stripes leapfrog them in the table.Striker Emmanuel Latte Lath believes Atlanta can cause Orlando problems with their high press, but he acknowledged the need to improve in front of goal."We've improved a lot in how we play," he said. "We try to play from behind and create chances."We need to keep going and trying to hurt our opponents. The effort we put in the first half [against the Galaxy] was a lot, but unfortunately, we didn't score."Every game is important because we're trying to make pressure to force them into mistakes. We try to do it as a team and train to put that pressure on. It's our identity now, so we need to keep going and do our best."PLAYERS TO WATCHOrlando City SC – Martin OjedaWith two goals against the Union, Ojeda now has 10 game-winning goals for the Lions, the third most in club history.He has six shots against Philadelphia (a team-high), accumulating 1.8 expected goals (xG), while five of his opportunities were Opta-defined 'big' chances.Atlanta United – Tristan MuyumbaAtlanta were hit by two goals in five minutes by the Galaxy, but Tristan Muyumba had a strong performance in the middle of the park.He won six of his nine duels and won possession a game-high nine times, while also having 90 touches, more than anyone else on the pitch.MATCH PREDICTION: ORLANDO CITY SC WINThe last six meetings between Orlando and Atlanta have been keenly contested, with each of the teams having three wins apiece – the latter won the most recent meeting 3-2 in May 2025.Orlando have won their last two home games against the Five Stripes without conceding.The Lions have alternated between defeat and victory in their last six MLS matches, winning the most recent 4-3 against Philadelphia – they are yet to record back-to-back wins this season.Atlanta have won just one of their four away games in 2026 so far; they lost their first three without scoring but beat Toronto FC 2-1 in the most recent.OPTA WIN PROBABILITYOrlando City SC – 45.4%Draw – 24.3%Atlanta United – 30.3%