:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69142064/1229335365.0.jpg)
Preseason? Completed. CCL Round of 16? Done and dusted.
We’ve now arrived at another early milestone for Gabriel Heinze’s Five Stripes: the MLS season opener. A refreshed and retooled Atlanta United squad travels south this afternoon to kick things off against an all too familiar opponent in Orlando City SC.
Atlanta will surely be itching to right some wrongs after giving up three points to their original next door neighbors for the first and second times over the course of the 2020 season. The Lions, meanwhile, will be eager to continue their trend bucking results from last year into 2021.
In addition, we’ll see a long awaited homecoming of sorts for Josef Martinez, who returns to Exploria Stadium for the first time since August 23rd, 2019, where he’s scored in all but one visit. An overall tally of seven goals in six games makes this matchup the most profitable for Josef, one which he and many others would be happy to see grow today.
The high profile opener is one of the earlier kickoff times of the day at 3:00 PM, so make sure to prepare by checking out our match preview and lineup prediction before joining us in the match thread below as we begin our 2021 MLS journey.
Atlanta United’s Lineup:
#ATLUTD Starting XI vs @OrlandoCitySC pic.twitter.com/EJEBCIKfsQ
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) April 17, 2021
Orlando City SC’s Lineup:
The first City XI of 2021 @orlandohealth | #ORLvATL
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) April 17, 2021
How to Watch:
Venue: Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Florida
Kickoff Time: Saturday, April 17th; 3:20 PM ET
Available TV: UniMas/TUDN
Available Streaming: Twitter, Fubo TV (Free Trial)
Available Radio: 92.9 The Game, La Mejor 1600 AM
This thread will be your match thread. We don’t have many rules here. We just ask that you don’t insult each other personally and treat each other with respect. Debates can get heated and that’s fine, but name-calling and petty insults will get you banned. If you see a comment that you feel is out of line, please report it and it will be dealt with.
Dirty South Soccer has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.