ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando City SC’s standing six-game winning streak is its best in its Major League Soccer history, but that could all be upended when the Lions host Atlanta United FC in an end-of-weekend matchup.

That’s something the Lions (6-2-1, 19 points) are well-aware of, as head coach Jason Kreis considers the 2017 expansion side as his team’s “most severe test to date.”

“A lot of difficulties,” Kreis said after training on May 9. “Will be our most severe test to date, no doubt about it.”

City and Atlanta (7-2-1, 22 points) were mostly even in their three matchups last season. United gained the slight advantage in the two teams’ first-ever meeting, a 1-0 win for Atlanta. Forward Héctor Villalba proved to be Atlanta’s hero with an 86th-minute goal to claim the only win in the all-time series.

The Lions subsequently earned two road points in a 1-1 draw on July 29, 2017, and in a 3-3 draw–wherein then-new Lions forward Dom Dwyer recorded two goals and an assist–on Sept. 16, 2017.

Here’s what to expect from United when the two teams play on Sunday at 6 p.m.

Atlanta Tops Eastern Conference Standings

United enter their match with the Lions in top form. They currently top the Eastern Conference standings while leading Major League Soccer in goals (23). Atlanta is also among the league’s best defensive teams, allowing the sixth-most goals (12) in MLS.

So far in 2018, Atlanta has recorded three clean sheets and has not allowed an opponent to score two or more goals three times this season. United’s greatest victory was a 5-0, home win over Los Angeles FC on April 7. Atlanta also managed to stave off Minnesota United FC in a 1-0 road win wherein United played with 10 men for 52 minutes.

Atlanta, however, had its eight-game unbeaten streak canceled in a battle between the two conferences’ No. 1 teams on May 9, a 2-0 decision in favor of Sporting Kansas City. Keeper Brad Guzan was issued a straight red card in the 34th minute, expunging him from Atlanta’s starting lineup against Orlando City, too.

“Yeah, you’re seeing, I think, a much more complete Atlanta team this year than we saw last year,” Kreis said. “Last year, everybody knew that they were so dangerous in the attack, but they were quite open defensively. I think that they’re fixing some of those things, playing with five defenders…”

Miguel Almirón, Josef Martínez Lead Atlanta’s Top-ranked Attack

For United, their rise to the top of the Eastern Conference table in the early-season going has more to do with their attack than their defending. Atlanta is one of only four teams to have scored 20 or more goals, so far.

That’s largely due in part to the work of midfielder Miguel Almirón and forward Josef Martínez.

Almirón is tied for second in goals with three other players, including Dwyer, at six goals and is tied for fourth in assists with five other players, including Lions midfielder Yoshimar Yotún, at five assists.

As for Martínez, he leads all MLS goal-scorers with seven goals and has an assist to his name. His best performance came in a 4-1 win over 10-man Vancouver Whitecaps on March 17, wherein the soon-to-be 25-year-old tallied a hat-trick by the 88th minute.

Martínez scored his three goals on five shots, recording three of Atlanta’s four on-target attempts that match.

“The same as they always bring [is what I see],” Dwyer said after training on May 9. “They got a lot of quality–good players… Yeah, they got some good players. You know, we try not to focus on that too much. They got a lot of weapons; they can score a lot of goals. We know where that comes from–it’s no secret.

“But, like I said, we’re concentrating on ourselves, and we’ll see what we can do on Sunday.”

United Recovered from Season-opening Shutout

The league’s No. 2 team in points started its season with a stunner, as the Houston Dynamo delivered Atlanta a season-opening, 4-0 shutout at BBVA Compass Stadium. Midfielder Andrew Wenger opened the scoring in the fifth minute for Houston.

United’s start-of-season loss almost epitomizes how their season has unfolded. In that match, all four of Houston’s goals were scored in the first half, as Atlanta held the Dynamo to three shots (one on-goal) in the second half. In the first half, Houston unloaded 10 shots (nine on-goal).

Following that loss, Atlanta went on to win seven of its next eight games, including separate four-game and three-game winning streaks before its most recent loss to SKC.

“They’re a different team from then and now,” Dwyer said. “You know, that’s six, seven games ago. So, you know, everyone tries to find their feet at the start, and then, I guess, you know, now they’re progressing into a little bit of a different side, and you won’t see ’em get beat 4-0, but you never know.”

For more on the Lions, as they seek their first-ever win over Atlanta, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.

To contact Victor, you can email him at vtan@newdayreview.com.