ORLANDO — Orlando City SC defeated C.F. Monterrey in a Leagues Cup match Wednesday night, with forward Tyrese Spicer converting a penalty kick and assisting on a goal by Antoine Griezmann as the Lions rode a wave of momentum at home.
“Very happy for the victory. Again, it was another huge effort by our players. It was an amazing environment with our people, our fans, the stadium, and the energy,” interim head coach Martín Perelman said. “Wednesday night against a team, of course, that we respect. So, I think it was a really good victory. I am so happy for everyone in the club, especially our players and our fans. Very, very happy for them.”
Spicer said Griezmann deferred the penalty kick to him during the match. “Antoine [Griezmann] said to me, ‘Do you feel confident to take it?’ He was like, ‘You gave me one, I give you one,’” Spicer said. “I took penalties yesterday at practice and I put like two in the bins. I was like, ‘You know what, I can do the same thing today.’ Good penalty, kind of top bins.”
The young forward also set up Griezmann’s goal with a precise pass. “Griezmann always tell me, ‘When you get the ball, always look up and see where I am,’” Spicer said. “Normally, he’s like [Lionel] Messi, like the cutback. But I think I saw him early enough to where he’s pointing in front. That’s my ball. I love to play those kinds of balls in between the keeper and the last defender, and he saw it. I mean, that was class from him, I don’t know how he got his foot on it to score, but that was class from him.”
Spicer credited Griezmann’s arrival with lifting the entire squad. “The momentum on the team is really good right now, high morale. I think [Antoine] Griezmann added some experience. His passion and discipline has trickled into the team,” Spicer said. “Everyone’s looking forward to the next game. It’s just a stepping stone to keep going and ride the momentum.”
Forward Daryl Dike, who came off the bench for his first game back in Orlando, said the reception from the home crowd fueled him. “It’s a very good feeling. I think for me, for the past few weeks, since I’ve been here, I’ve been working for that moment, to be included, to be part of the team and help the team get a result,” Dike said. “The guys put in a big shift before I even came on, so it was nice to be able to contribute. Of course, the welcome from everybody there, as a player, it’s what you want when you’re playing.”
Dike said the club’s recent form has the locker room confident heading deeper into the Leagues Cup bracket. “We’re also a very good team, and we’ve shown that in the recent results,” Dike said. “I play with freedom, I play with happiness and I play with joy. As I said, playing in front of everybody and playing alongside them, that’s all you’re going to do, you’re going to play with joy.”