Hunting Journal | Playoff Rivals

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A lot has changed for Orlando City SC over the course of the last year.

This time last year, they were the No. 2 seed in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, facing off against the Columbus Crew at home, eventually falling to them in extra time and ending their promising run in the playoffs.

This year, the team came into the season with high expectations, and after some early season struggles, have found themselves right back where they were 364 days prior.

Orlando now sits as the top team remaining in the Eastern Conference and will host the conference semifinals and conference finals if they continue winning. But just like last year, it's important for the Lions not to look too far ahead. They have a rivalry game to play in order to get there.

The Lions' rivalry with Atlanta United has been very mixed over the past eight years. For the first three, Orlando was never able to win a match against the 5 Stripes. It wasn't until Head Coach Oscar Pareja's arrival in 2020 when the Lions finally got their first three points against the Georgia side.

Since 2020, the Lions have gotten results in nine of their 13 matchups, compared to just two from 2017 to 2019. This year, however, the Five Stripes had their number in the regular season, winning both home and away matchups, including the final game of the regular season. That game at the end of October was the one that got Atlanta into the playoffs in the first place.

"It's Major League Soccer," Pareja said on Thursday. "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 situation, but this is the one."

Thursday's training for the Lions was just as it's been the last few weeks. The vibes were still lighthearted, especially with the return of Facundo Torres and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who were both very vocal during warmups.

Just like last year, the Lions have had almost two weeks to prepare for this Eastern Conference Semifinal. Now, the team will hope that they can change the narrative and go further than any Orlando City team has gone in the MLS Cup Playoffs by winning this weekend against Atlanta.

"We're always optimistic to advance and have the advantage to play at home and the next game," Pareja said. "Obviously, in Major League Soccer, anything can happen. So, we'll see what can happen. I would love to not just advance to the final of the conference, but just bring the MLS Cup here, or if we have to go somewhere, but our responsibility is to play one game at a time. This one, we're gonna be ready for sure."