Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Antoine Griezmann’s work rate is an example to all his team-mates, Tyrese Spicer declared after Orlando City made it two wins from two games with the former World Cup winner.
Griezmann scored on his MLS debut in midweek as Orlando thumped the San Jose Earthquakes 4-0 on the road, and on Saturday, he played at Inter.co Stadium for the first time.
The Lions defeated Eastern Conference leaders Nashville SC 1-0 via a driven, left-footed finish from Spicer in the 72nd minute.
The victory moved Martin Perelman’s side within two points of the playoff picture, as Orlando have now won back-to-back MLS games for the first time all season.
And after the game, Spicer hailed the off-the-ball impact of Griezmann, who played the full 90 minutes and contested the joint-most duels of any Orlando player (eight, matching Justin Ellis, four successful).
“It shows his maturity, and it shows humility, to work off the ball and on the ball,” Spicer said. “I think it shows that no matter where you are, you can keep working.
“No matter how big you are, if you’re a Designated Player or not, we work together. It’s a big thing.”
No Orlando player recovered possession more often than Griezmann, who matched Ivan Angulo with seven regains, while his 81 touches were also a team-high figure.
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) July 26, 2026
The 2018 World Cup winner, who left Atletico Madrid as their all-time leading scorer at the end of 2025-26, cut short his holiday in order to arrive in Florida in peak condition, and he is now feeling the benefits.
“I wanted to arrive here a little bit early, to get to know the group, the tactics, really bond with the locker room, and get to work,” Griezmann said.
“I think it’s gone well, but we’ll continue to work, continue to bond with the locker room, get closer to my team-mates, and we’ll push forward for a good year.
“We have everybody in the team focused on winning every single game. I know that every single player, when they’re selected to go out on the field, every single one of us is going to give 100%, and that’s the most important thing.
“We’ll give everything to go out there and win for the badge – I have full confidence in the group.”
Orlando visit the New York Red Bulls next Saturday for their final MLS game before the Leagues Cup break, with Monterrey, Club Leon and Atletico de San Luis their group-stage opponents in that tournament.
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