SAN JOSE, Calif. — Orlando City SC opened the second half of the MLS season with a shutout victory at San Jose, recording the club’s first clean sheet of the year behind a defensive effort Interim Head Coach Martín Perelman called the highlight of the performance.
“Very happy on the victory. The way the guys performed today, I think it was amazing. It was a really good start to the second part of the season, so we’re so happy. Again, for the performance, for the effectivity, for the clean sheet, for many things, and we hope we can keep and maintain this level and these results,” Perelman said.
Antoine Griezmann, the French international who joined Orlando City this year, factored heavily in the result. Perelman praised Griezmann’s influence both on and off the pitch. “What I can tell you is that off the field, it’s amazing the way his energy — he’s so humble, he brings good energy to all of us. It’s a pleasure and an honor, not only for me, but everyone in Orlando, to share on a daily basis with him,” Perelman said.
Goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau echoed that assessment. “Antoine [Griezmann] is such a gentleman. On and off the field, he’s been somebody that is fantastic for the Club, somebody who is very dedicated to the system and you can see his quality. He relieves us a lot on the ball, to find some spaces and to keep the ball, and obviously you saw his quality on the finish. He doesn’t need a couple of chances, that’s why he’s such a great player. He’s been fantastic in our locker room and within our entourage. It’s a blessing to have him,” Crépeau said.
The clean sheet carried particular weight for a squad that had come close to shutouts late in the first half of the season without finishing the job. “The dedication from every single player to defend outside our box was something that we took very seriously during the preparation. Even towards the end of the first half of the season, we were getting close to those clean sheets, but there was always that one play that we couldn’t defend and that we couldn’t pull it off. So to not concede tonight is something amazing, and we mentioned it in the locker room that it’s something that this group is taking pride in,” Crépeau said. “I’m very happy for everybody, from our number nine to me, it’s a collective effort and it’s been highlighted in the locker room that the victory is important, but the clean sheet is as well.”
Perelman credited the club’s preparation during the mid-season break for the result against a San Jose side he called difficult and worthy of respect. “We knew it was going to be tough, and we knew we would not only need a good plan and a good preparation, but also a lot of energy and character. And being honest, our players did an amazing job in terms of level of activation, energy, personality to play, to defend. I really like the way the team defended,” Perelman said.
Crépeau pointed to the collective effort during the break as the foundation. “Credit to everybody, staff and players, who have put so many hours into the work, to treat this mini preseason, basically, to start the second semester of the season. Honestly, there has been tremendous work from every single person at the Club. This is just 90 minutes to reward ourselves for that work,” Crépeau said.
Orlando City returns to Exploria Stadium for its next home match as the club looks to build on the defensive standard set in San Jose.