Griezmann Brace Fires Orlando Into Playoff Picture as MLS Matchday 22 Delivers Blockbuster Weekend

• Antoine Griezmann scored both goals in Orlando City’s 2-1 comeback win over Real Salt Lake to earn Player of the Matchday honors and drag the Lions into ninth place in the Eastern Conference
• Atlanta United unveiled new Designated Player Breel Embolo before beating Sporting Kansas City 2-1, while St. Louis CITY SC extended the longest unbeaten run in MLS to 11 games
• The Leagues Cup quarterfinals bring a blockbuster Chicago Fire vs CF Monterrey clash featuring Hugo Cuypers against his former club, and Hirving Lozano returns to San Diego with the LA Galaxy this weekend

Griezmann proves he is exactly the player Orlando hoped he would be

Antoine Griezmann has played six regular-season matches since joining Orlando City from Atletico Madrid. He has played all 540 minutes. He has contributed three goals and two assists. And on Saturday he delivered his first MLS brace in a 2-1 comeback victory over Real Salt Lake that dragged the Lions into the playoff picture for the first time this season.

The French attacker was tasked with leading the line against a rotated RSL side before moving back into midfield when Daryl Dike entered at halftime. He scored from both positions. It was a textbook demonstration of the versatility that has defined Griezmann’s career at every stop, whether operating as an attacking midfielder, a central midfielder, a half-space runner or a striker. He does it all, and he does it at a level that changes the complexion of games.

The numbers tell the broader story. Before Griezmann’s arrival, Orlando had 14 points and sat 12th in the Eastern Conference, outside the playoff places. Across his six starts, all against current playoff-positioned teams, the Lions have gone 3-2-1 and jumped to ninth with 24 points. Griezmann became the eighth former FIFA World Cup winner to be named MLS Player of the Matchday, joining Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, David Villa, Thiago Almada, Youri Djorkaeff, Kaka and Thomas Muller on that list.

Atlanta United had a day to remember on Sunday. Hours after unveiling Breel Embolo as their new Designated Player, the Five Stripes beat Sporting Kansas City 2-1 on Sunday Night Soccer. Embolo, a 29-year-old Swiss international, arrives from Ligue 1 club Stade Rennais for a reported 18 million dollar transfer fee following an impressive FIFA World Cup showing. His mixture of goal threat, hold-up play and genuine on-ball creativity should make life easier for fellow DPs Miguel Almiron and Alexey Miranchuk. Where the recently loaned Emmanuel Latte Lath’s dependence on service hindered production, Embolo brings more to the No. 9 spot.

Toronto FC made it four straight MLS games without a loss by beating Inter Miami 2-1 away from home. Robin Fraser’s team defended in a combative 4-4-2 block, conceding just 0.64 xG in the first half and allowing only two open-play shots from inside the box after the break. Josh Sargent scored his first MLS goal since May, a timely breakthrough for a striker who has not started life in the league as well as he would have wished. If the defense continues to hold firm and Sargent has found his rhythm, Toronto could keep climbing the Eastern Conference standings.

Jack Harrison continued his outstanding start at the New England Revolution in a 1-1 draw with New York City FC. The former Leeds United and NYCFC winger, who now has three primary assists in three starts for his new team, set up the opener with a clipped ball into the box that Peyton Miller laid off for Dor Turgeman to convert. Carles Gil had a penalty saved by Matt Freese earlier in the match, but New England’s attacking depth meant the miss did not define the result. With Harrison’s blend of distribution and dribbling on the wing, the Revs look like genuine top-four contenders in the East.

Charlotte FC’s post-World Cup form continued with a 3-1 win over DC United, their third victory in six league games since the restart. New Designated Player winger Allan Saint-Maximin made his first start, providing a genuine one-on-one spark on the left wing. Pep Biel delivered another masterclass in the No. 10 role with a goal and an assist, taking his season total to 19 goal contributions, tied for third in the league. Luca de la Torre has also carved out a bigger role in central midfield after spending time as an unused substitute before the World Cup break.

The longest unbeaten streak in MLS belongs to St. Louis CITY SC, who extended it to 11 games by beating then-Western Conference leaders Houston Dynamo FC on Saturday. First-year head coach Yoann Damet has already led St. Louis to 33 points through a 9-6-6 record, surpassing their entire 2025 total of 32. Twelve different players have scored during the unbeaten run, a testament to the collective approach Damet has instilled.

The broader transfer window picture underlines where MLS stands as a destination. Robert Lewandowski and Griezmann have grabbed the headlines, but the average age of summer signings is 25 years old, with more players aged 24 or younger joining than those 30 or older. Eleven previous World Cup participants, 14 Designated Players and 30 different nationalities are represented among the summer arrivals.

The week ahead brings a Leagues Cup quarterfinal worth circling. Chicago Fire, the only MLS team to win every Phase One match in regulation, host CF Monterrey on Tuesday night. The storyline writes itself: Hugo Cuypers, who scored 44 goals across three seasons in Chicago before transferring to Monterrey this summer, faces his former club after netting the dying-seconds winner that clinched Los Rayados’ quarterfinal spot. All eyes will be on Robert Lewandowski at the other end, the man who replaced Cuypers and has been finding the net during Chicago’s winning streak.

Saturday brings another charged affair when Hirving Lozano returns to San Diego for the first time since his loan move to the LA Galaxy. Lozano was San Diego’s inaugural Designated Player and helped catalyze a historic first season before being excluded from the squad in 2026. He made his first Galaxy start on Wednesday and looked threatening throughout, forcing saves and drawing fouls. If the emerging Galaxy-San Diego rivalry needed any more fuel, this fixture should provide it. St. Louis host FC Dallas on Sunday Night Soccer, and Orlando travel to Minnesota United looking to extend their strong run under Griezmann’s influence.

Sources

MLS Soccer, MLS Soccer, MLS Soccer

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

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