ORLANDO - Antoine Griezmann scored his fourth goal across his last three matches Saturday night, lifting Orlando City SC (8-11-4, 28 points) to a 1-0 victory over San Diego FC (8-9-6, 30 points) at Inter.co Stadium in the first-ever meeting between the clubs.
The lone goal came in the 28th minute when Daryl Dike sent a ball into the box for Justin Ellis, who slipped a pass across to Griezmann. The Frenchman settled it and fired a right-footed shot into the left corner, marking his sixth goal contribution over Orlando’s last four matches with four goals and two assists. The assist was Ellis’ ninth of the season, trailing only Iván Angulo’s 10 for the team lead in 2026. Dike recorded his first assist and third goal contribution across all competitions since rejoining the Lions on July 17.
“Very tough. I don’t think we had as much control as we probably wanted, but it was a winning-team type of win, you know?” forward Justin Ellis said. “Even if we weren’t at our cleanest - personally, I was not at my best - but we still produced the moment with [Griezmann], and then defensively, we were tough. I don’t remember them, besides the long shot that hit the post, having any really dangerous chances. So, yes, we defended very well today, and I’m grateful for the win.”
San Diego pressed for an equalizer throughout the second half, but goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau made two saves to record his third shutout of the season - Orlando’s fourth across all competitions in 2026.
“The win was very important. We started the game confident with the ball,” Crépeau said. “The group was very disciplined tactically and with the ball. We saw tonight what it is going to take for the next two months of the season. This is how we need to play for the next two months, and we will be above that little red line at the end if we keep going like this.”
Interim head coach Martín Perelman made one change to his starting lineup from the club’s previous match against Minnesota United FC, inserting Bernardo Rhein into the starting XI. Defender Adrián Marín missed the match with a thigh injury, while midfielder Braian Ojeda was unavailable with a foot injury. Perelman singled out Ellis’ defensive growth as a key development for the 18-year-old.
“I think the biggest change for [Justin Ellis] is defensively,” Perelman said. “Being an ‘07 with that quality, and if he is going to defend like that, then the future is bright for him.”
Orlando City next travels to face rivals Atlanta United FC on Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Apple TV.