For 85 minutes on a sticky Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium, it looked like Orlando City SC was going to grind out a tough win. But in MLS, a one-goal lead can disappear in a flash. Atlanta United’s Ajani Fortune scored a late equalizer in the 86th minute, forcing the Lions to settle for a 1-1 draw on May 16, 2026.
The big story going into the game was fatigue. Orlando was playing their second match in just two days, and interim coach Martín Perelman’s team had every reason to be tired against their rivals from down south. But the Lions came out with real energy and heart. They controlled most of the early action, pushed Atlanta back, and hunted for chances on the wings.
That hard work paid off in the 18th minute. Martín Ojeda played a beautiful pass down the left side to Iván Angulo, who raced forward and whipped a perfect cross to the back post. Griffin Dorsey was there to smash it home past Atlanta’s keeper.
It was Dorsey’s third goal of the season across all competitions and his second in back-to-back games. Angulo also continued his strong form, picking up his fourth assist of the MLS season.
After taking the 1-0 lead, Orlando settled in and defended well for a long stretch. Their back line stayed solid and shut down most of Atlanta’s threats. But as the second half went on, the quick turnaround started to catch up with them. The players’ legs got heavier, and they weren’t winning as many battles in the middle of the field.
Atlanta noticed and started pushing harder. They dominated the ball and kept firing shots — finishing the night with a 22-7 advantage in shots.
Then came the gut punch. In the 86th minute, Atlanta worked the ball nicely into the box, and Fortune found space to fire home the tying goal. The big crowd of over 20,000 went quiet as the visitors stole a point.
There’s no time to feel sorry for themselves, though. These two teams meet again in just three days at the same stadium — this time in the quarterfinals of the 2026 U.S. Open Cup.
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