SANFORD, Fla. — Forward Tesho Akindele knows what a win over Atlanta would mean for Orlando City.
During a meet-and-greet on Monday, the game was all fans wanted to talk about. Every single person he met repeated the same phrase — “We can’t wait for Friday.”
Matches against Atlanta United are met with equal parts excitement and dread in Orlando.
On one hand, the rivalry has been embraced ravenously by the club, best reflected in the layered, pulley-operated tifo that the supporters section spent hours constructing for the last time the teams met.
On the other hand, Atlanta has dominated the series with six wins and two draws.