Antoine Griezmann made the first minute count and the final whistle matter for Orlando City on Saturday night, supplying an assist and scoring a superb free-kick in a 3-2 MLS win over Columbus Crew.
Key takeaways
- Griezmann set up Harvey Sarajian for Orlando’s opening goal after just one minute.
- The 35-year-old Frenchman added a direct free-kick in the 16th minute.
- Orlando City have climbed from 13th to seventh in the Eastern Conference since his arrival.
- Griezmann now has nine goals and five assists from 12 MLS appearances.
A decisive opening spell against Columbus
Orlando struck immediately through Sarajian, with Griezmann providing the final pass for the early breakthrough. Fifteen minutes later, the former Atlético Madrid forward delivered his own moment of quality.
Stationed wide on the right, Griezmann curled a left-footed free-kick beyond American goalkeeper Patrick Schulte. His contribution proved central as Orlando held on for a 3-2 victory over Columbus Crew.
Griezmann lifts Orlando’s play-off push
The French international has rapidly become a key figure in Orlando, both in production and presence. Sarajian praised the forward’s effect on the squad, describing his enthusiasm and energy as outstanding and saying the group feeds off his charismatic personality.
That impact has also been reflected in the standings. Orlando were 13th in the Eastern Conference when Griezmann joined, but now sit seventh, putting themselves back into contention for the MLS play-offs.
