Miguel Almirón remains questionable with a knee injury as Atlanta United prepares to face Orlando City again in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday, May 19 (7:30 p.m. ET), with a semifinal berth at stake. Jayden Hibbert, now the backup keeper,
The night Saturday night ended in a draw, but it didn’t end the rivalry.
Atlanta United and Orlando City meet again Tuesday, May 19, with a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff in the quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup—and this time, there’s a semifinal berth on the line. The teams didn’t have anything to split them Saturday night when they drew 1-1 at Inter&Co Stadium.
For Atlanta United, the focus now includes who can actually take the field.
Miguel Almirón remains questionable with a knee injury. He’ll have two more chances to get back on the pitch — either tonight or Sunday against Columbus Crew. Fafa Picault is also listed with a hamstring issue and is questionable.
Atlanta’s goalkeeping situation adds another layer of urgency. Jayden Hibbert. after breaking into the starting lineup for a portion of the 2025 season. is now taking the role of backup to Lucas Hoyos. Hibbert spoke Monday about his mindset as the Open Cup keeper—and the way he’s been trying to turn limited opportunities into momentum.
“I take every day with the with the mindset of trying to improve,” Hibbert said Monday. “I’m trying to do anything I can to help the team, and in doing so, get me on the field. If that comes sooner than later, great. If it doesn’t, I’m going to be doing the same thing every day to try to get there.”
At 21 years old, Hibbert was selected in the MLS SuperDraft in 2024. He’s learning under the tutelage of a 37-year-old veteran in Hoyos. Hibbert said he’s brushing up on his Spanish and paying close attention to how Hoyos approaches play with the ball at his feet.
“I thought I was calm player, but this guy in the net is super suave,” Hibbert said. “He says that all the time. ‘Suave, suave.’ Smooth, relaxed … He’s been a great tool for me.”
When asked about waiting for the moment to arrive, Hibbert didn’t dress it up.
“I’m eager to get any opportunity I can,” Hibbert said. “Any sniff of the pitch, I’m going to take my opportunity with two hands and I’m going to grab it. I’m grateful for any opportunity that comes, and I’m always prepared.”
That preparation matters, especially because Tuesday’s match comes quickly after Saturday’s 1-1 result.
Head coach Tata Martino sees the turnaround as a chance to fine-tune tactics, not an excuse to drift. He said there are things tactically that the team is analyzing—based on what they saw in the defensive or attacking phases in the last match.
Martino’s team had the best of the majority of the match after Orlando City’s early goal Saturday. Atlanta will try to use that as a blueprint Tuesday night.
After Orlando City’s 18′ goal on Saturday night, the match stats showed the gap in control:
Possession: Atlanta United 56.5%, Orlando City 43.5%
Expected Goals: Atlanta United 1.48, Orlando City 0.40
Shots: Atlanta United 20, Orlando City 5
Shots on target: Atlanta United 6, Orlando City 2
Corners: Atlanta United 8, Orlando City 2
Atlanta’s second-half push leaned heavily on pressure. Martino pointed to an even fiercer press than they started with, while also warning that it’s hard to sustain for the full 90.
“That’ll be a tough strategy to sustain once against Tuesday, as the Florida heat and humidity will certainly play a factor,” Martino said, before adding that the plan wouldn’t be abandoned.
“I’m comfortable with [the press], because that’s what we’re aiming for,” Martino said. “But there’s also moments like what happened against Galaxy. I think we’ve been doing it well and we’ve been able to maintain it for periods of time. We want to prolong those periods but [also] understand that when we can’t. we have to be aware of those moments in transition. If we’re making a decision between going and not going, I’m always going to prefer to go.”.
Back-to-back meetings don’t automatically tilt the game in either direction, Martino said. He pointed out the real difference is minutes.
“Playing back-to-back games against an opponent does provide wrinkles, but Martino didn’t see it as an advantage for either side,” the team’s discussion said, adding that Martino noted Orlando will be playing their third match in less than a week.
“If there were any advantages, it would be the same for both teams in this situation,” Martino said, “with the difference being that we know Orlando has played more minutes over the last week than we have.”
Hibbert’s readiness is one side of Atlanta’s preparation. Another is how hard Atlanta plans to run the game.
Hibbert also said the 5-Stripes will need more energy, especially with the knowledge that Orlando could be run down.
“We’re going to use everything we can to try and beat them into the ground and move on to the semifinal,” Hibbert said.
For Orlando City, Saturday’s early goal mattered. For Atlanta United, the way they responded—and the margins shown in possession, chances, and shots—matters just as much now. Tuesday night turns those numbers into something sharper: one result decides who advances, and who has to keep waiting.
Atlanta United Orlando City Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal semifinal berth Miguel Almirón knee injury Fafa Picault hamstring Jayden Hibbert Lucas Hoyos Tata Martino Inter&Co Stadium