Atlanta United puts survival instincts up against Orlando City

Atlanta United is out to continue one of the great Cinderella runs in MLS Cup Playoff history when they visit Orlando City in an Eastern Conference semifinal match Sunday.

Ninth-seeded Atlanta United needed to win its last two regular-season matches just to reach the postseason and finished that task with a 2-1 triumph at Orlando City on Decision Day.

After edging past CF Montreal on penalties in an East wild-card match, interim manager Rob Valentino's side pulled off arguably the league's greatest playoff upset, besting Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in a best-of-three series in Round One.

Even after a season that has included the exit of a coach and two star players, Valentino always felt his side was capable of a playoff run.

"We feel like it's been there, but something needed to click," Valentino said. "That belief can only start with us because if we start relying on the outside or external factors that only lasts so long."

It's been a group effort. Jamal Thiare is the only Atlanta player with two playoff goals, both coming in the 3-2 win at Miami in Game 3. Fullback Pedro Amador has been an unlikely attacking catalyst with an assist in all four playoff matches after he had no goals and four assists in nine regular-season matches.

Fourth-seeded Orlando won 10 of its last 14 to close the regular season before surviving an extremely close Round 1 series against Charlotte, winning on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Game 3 after losing on penalties following a 0-0 draw in Game 2.

The Lions are the highest seed remaining in the Eastern Conference, and star Facundo Torres has scored twice in the postseason already.

But they lost both their regular-season meetings with Atlanta United, who was originally their closest geographical rival before Inter Miami began play in 2020. Orlando boss Oscar Pareja is the MLS manager with the most victories to have never won -- or even reached -- an MLS Cup final.

"It's Major League Soccer," Pareja said. "You have this variety of games and rivals. And then in this case with Atlanta, it just happened that we have this one game and this is the one that we need to win. The other two happened and we learned how to control the situations. But this is the one."

--Field Level Media