Orlando City’s season resumed on July 22 at San Jose, and in the exactly one month between that game and the home game against Real Salt Lake on Aug. 22, the club played nine games. What is rest and recovery, anyway? Three of those matches were in the Cash Grab Leagues Cup and the other six were in MLS regular-season play, and the Lions are performing better during this portion of the season than they did before the World Cup break.

As it turns out, Orlando City had a pretty tough schedule during Leagues Cup, as Monterrey and Club León have both reached the semifinal round, and the Lions ended up going 1-1-1 in the three games. They really should have gone 2-1-0 but let their concentration slip at the end of the third game and allowed a tying goal in the final seconds.

It was not surprising that Adrián Marín was involved in that late goal, as he has struggled during the last few weeks, but it was surprising that Antoine Griezmann also played a role in allowing Atlético San Luis to even the game. Griezmann was overly unselfish and turned the ball over when he could have iced the game by shooting it himself, either scoring an insurance goal or running the clock out.

While attempting to pass instead of shooting turned out to be the wrong decision in that game, the French superstar has been just shy of brilliant overall since joining Orlando City, leading the team back into the playoff hunt (the Lions would make the playoffs if the season ended today) and bringing qualities to the field that few in the world can.

Since play started back up, Griezmann has five goal contributions during MLS games, which leads the team and ranks tied for sixth across the entire league. His attacking style of play has added a new dimension to the Orlando City attack, as evidenced by some of the advanced stats tracked by Futi:

Futi’s tracking breaks a full game down into smaller chunks, which they call phases of play:

These are labels for familiar situations in a football (soccer) match that help us describe what’s going on beyond “Well, a bunch of people sure are chasing a ball around.” Phases break the game into bite-size chunks to make it easier to digest.

You can read more about Futi’s explanation of phases in the full article, but suffice it to say the coders who log each game break down each part of it into hundreds of phases, and when Griezmann is involved offensively or defensively, he is part of a positive result (a.k.a., winning the phase, nearly two-thirds of the time). The only Orlando City player with a higher win percentage is rising star Justin Ellis, one of the most highly touted players to ever come through the Orlando City academy system and a player in the Griezmann mold, learning from Griezmann himself.

For context on phases won, 63% is right there with some of the best players in MLS. For example, Grizi is slightly below Lionel Messi (68%) and Evander (65%), but above Denis Bouanga (62%) and Carles Gil (61%). League average is….50%, because it has to be. Math!

The French attacker also already leads the team in completing passes that progress the ball at least 10 yards toward the opposition’s goal in the attacking two-thirds of the field and ranks behind only speedster (though somehow not among the fastest in MLS in the new EA Sports FC 27) Iván Angulo for total progressive plays per 90 minutes. Griezmann’s gravity on offense has opened up room for his teammates, and since the World Cup break the Lions are one of only nine teams to improve in goals scored per game rate post-break as compared to pre-break:

Griezmann is contributing heavily on defense as well, as he drops deeper than most forwards — perhaps even all forwards — throughout the game and is always actively engaged defensively. American Soccer Analysis already ranks him fourth among forwards in its “interrupting” metric (the one defense-specific sub-metric that goes into goals added), despite how few minutes he has played, and after allowing 2.93 goals scored per game before the break, the Lions have only allowed 1.17 since they returned to action. Orlando City is among only 10 teams in the league that are scoring more goals and allowing fewer goals than the league average since the World Cup break:

Adding one of the best players in the world has made the team better; thank you, Andrew, for the insight.

Even with Griezmann’s addition, the Lions are still at risk of missing the playoffs and need to stack up wins in the final weeks of the season to ensure that they play in the postseason for the seventh consecutive season. In his six MLS games with the team, Orlando City has picked up 10 points, and had it been playing at that same 1.67 points-per-game pace all season, the team would be in fourth place and comfortably above the line.

Major tests still remain, as every team left on the schedule is either currently in a playoff position or within four points of one. At some point soon, however, Orlando City will get a boost from the return of Martín Ojeda, who despite not playing since May is still tied for 11th in goals scored and is seventh in goals scored per 90 minutes.

Griezmann is tied for 17th in goal contributions per 90 minutes among players who have played at least as many minutes as he has (as an aside, if you throw out minimum minutes requirements, Orlando City’s Ignacio Gómez leads the league in this category, with his one goal scored in only 13 minutes played). Once everyone is healthy, Orlando City will resemble more of a many-headed hydra than a lion with all of the team’s attacking talent, and with a pair of tremendous passers in Ellis and Griezmann leading the attack and finishers like Daryl Dike, Martín Ojeda, Marco Pašalić, and Tyrese Spicer roaming around the opposition’s box, the offense could still improve even more than it has already.

The Lions need wins, not draws, so they need to take that possibility and make it reality. The defense has improved but is still leaky, so wins are more likely to come by scoring two or three goals rather than trying to hold a 1-0 lead. The next two games — at Minnesota and home vs. San Diego — are eminently winnable, and a three-game run of wins over teams from the west would be best if Griezmann and the Lions are really going to be beasts in the east.

Vamos Orlando!

Orlando City faces Minnesota United Saturday at Allianz Field. Orlando City have climbed into the playoff hunt, but as I mentioned last week, points are hard to come by on the road in MLS. With only 13 matches left in the season, this is an opportunity to keep pace or potentially move up the table. What must the Lions do to earn all three points against Minnesota United?

Pour on the Goals

With the exception of the San Jose match, Orlando City’s defense has been inconsistent at best, and if not for Maxime Crepeau, the limited points earned since the World Cup would be even fewer. As such, in Martin Perelman’s preferred style of play, it is contingent upon the offense to score enough goals to overcome the defense.

I think Antoine Griezmann is finally taking to heart he will sometimes just need to score the goals rather than making the extra pass. As for the others, Daryl Dike is finding his feet again in MLS, Tyrese Spicer and Griffin Dorsey are good from the edges, and Justin Ellis is plenty dangerous. Minnesota is solid, if not spectacular, on defense. The Loons can be scored on, having given up 29 goals this season. Orlando City will also need to beat Minnesota goalkeeper Drake Callender to score the needed goals. It can be done, but the Lions will need to be clinical to score multiple goals.

Reap the Rest Rewards

For the first time in what feels like forever, Orlando City will have a normal match week. The Lions will have to travel to Minnesota, but that’s only a one-hour time zone difference, and there’s no extra match midweek. The potential for legs to rest and for knocks to heal is not to be underestimated. I know that Minnesota will have the same rest, but given the attacking style of play the Lions prefer, I think the rest will be beneficial.

The normal week allows Perelman to put out a mostly first-choice lineup. So I’ll be curious to see what that looks like. I think the rest will help Griezmann the most. He plays smart, but he also plays hard, puts in plenty of miles, and is 35 years old. All players need rest, let alone a “more experienced” guy like him, even if it just comes in the form of a normal match week.

Defensive Midfielders Unite

With the Lions getting that full week of rest, I’m hopeful we’ll see the defensive midfield pairing of Wilder Cartagena and Joran Gerbet. Cartagena has started looking like his old self, and Gerbet was a game changer when he came on against Real Salt Lake. It’s been a while since Orlando City had a good defensive midfield pairing, and I’m hopeful that these two could be it.

The pair will need to deal with Joaquin Pereyra, Wil Trapp, and Owen Gene in the midfield. Ideally, they’re stopping attacks by Kelvin Yeboah and Marcus Caldeira if Orlando City’s lines are high enough. If so, that plays into the opportunities created for the offense much like the second half against Real Salt Lake.

That is what I will be looking for on Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

Orlando City addressed an area of need ahead of the transfer window closing by acquiring left back Vinícius Nogueira on loan through the end of the 2027 MLS Sprint Season. The 24-year-old Brazilian arrives from a stint with PFC Ludogorets in Bulgaria’s top flight, with the Lions holding an option to make the move permanent at the end of the loan period. Nogueira’s availability is pending the receipt of his P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).

“Vinícius is a dynamic left back with the pace, technical quality, and work ethic to impact the game on both sides of the ball,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “He comes from a top academy and has further developed in competitive environments in both Brazil and Europe. His versatility makes him an excellent fit for our group, and having a new left-sided player will also provide more options and flexibility to the first-team lineup. We believe he can contribute right away while continuing to develop within our environment, and we’re excited to welcome him to Orlando.”

Nogueira came up through the Palmeiras academy system in Brazil, and also spent time in the Atletico Minero and Ponte Preta youth systems. The Penápolis, Brazil, native has made a combined 139 appearances at the U-20 and senior levels, scoring four career goals and adding 16 assists. He made 20 appearances for Swedish club Varberg in 2023, before Halmstad BK bought him ahead of the 2024-2025 season. He made 29 appearances with Halmstad and was loaned to Norwegian side Vålerenga in 2025, where he played in 25 more games, scoring two goals. He joined Ludogorets in 2026, where he was part of a club that won the 2025-2026 Bulgarian Super Cup.

He will wear jersey No. 27 for Orlando, worn by previous Lions Rafael Ramos, R.J. Allen, Kamal Miller, and Jack Lynn.

What It Means for Orlando City

If left back hadn’t already been one of the team’s biggest, most glaring needs, a recent thigh injury to Homegrown Bernardo Rhein just as he was surpassing on the depth chart the inconsistent (at best, and ineffective at worst) Adrian Marin, who also sustained a recent knock, and the trade of Tahir Reid-Brown to St. Louis City would have made it so. It’s been a problem spot for Orlando for a while. Center back David Brekalo played that spot most of 2025, although Kyle Smith was also tried there. Luca Petrasso and Rafael Santos were unable to lock down the position during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The last reliable player Orlando had at left back was João Moutinho from 2019-2022, but his health was far less reliable.

At just 24 years old, Nogueira is entering his prime. On video, his closing speed and ball skills stand out. These are traits that will suit him well in Major League Soccer. But it’s difficult to know how (and how quickly) his play will translate to MLS. By making the loan through the 2027 Sprint Season, the Lions look to believe they have a player that they can develop and integrate into the team, and if they’re happy with him, they can make the move permanent. However, the loan is short enough that if things don’t work out, it won’t be a long-term gamble.

Being Brazilian, he’ll have teammates who can help him get acclimated to the culture, and having played abroad in Sweden, Norway, and Bulgaria, he’s had experience with that part of professional life before.

Orlando City has recently deputized Homegrown right back Zakaria Taifi at left back in the wake of injuries to Rhein and Marin, and while the energy and desire is there, it’s unclear if Taifi is even ready for major minutes on his natural right side, let alone on the left, where he’s been victimized by attacking players the last two games against the Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake. A remedy has been necessary in that spot for multiple seasons, and only time and minutes will tell if Nogueira could be that remedy.

Below is a 2023 highlight film. As always, highlight films don’t/can’t tell the whole story, and this one is a few years old, but it at least provides glimpses of the kinds of skills the player has.