France star Antoine Griezmann don start im MLS journey with sweet goal for Orlando City debut. Di former Atletico Madrid forward show im quality for pre-season friendly against Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Orlando City crush Tampa Bay Rowdies 6-0 for Inter&Co Stadium. Griezmann score one goal and add one assist for just over one hour of game time. Five different Lions find di net, plus Tampa Bay add own goal for di rout.
Interim head coach Martin Perelman field im starting lineup wey include Griezmann first start since joining late June. Javier Otero hold goal, back line get Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Luis Otavio, Eduard Atuesta, and Wilder Cartagena dey for midfield, with Ivan Angulo, Griezmann, and Martin Ojeda lead attack.
Di Lions start di match with some specific plan. Dem often pull back from potential transition attacks, allow Tampa Bay to set up defensively before dem try to work through. Di shape na fluid, with Cartagena drop to left side of three-man back line at times, wey allow Marin to roam forward both left side and even middle.
Orlando suppose don score plenty goals for first half, but dem waste multiple breakaways. Credit Tampa goalkeeper Jahmali Waite for some save, but di finishing no precise enough.
Di first chance come just two minutes after start. Dorsey head long ball down to Griezmann, who work with Atuesta before set up Cartagena shot from distance wey deflect wide for corner. Di ensuing corner play short for Griezmann, but he step on ball and fall, end attack.
Ojeda send Angulo all alone for sixth minute but di Colombian leave im shot too close to Waite, who get foot to knock am wide. D. Meyers header crash off crossbar. Two minutes later, Angulo get behind defense again. Im shot beat Waite but smash into crossbar. Ojeda get to beautiful through ball from Griezmann for 17th minute but Waite make another big save. Brekalo head wide from ensuing corner.
Rowdies create dem second good chance for 21st minute when Evan Conway get behind back line. Dorsey recover to bother im shot, wey attacker send straight at Otero for save.
Just after hydration break, di Lions hold ball to invite pressure to play through, and nearly costly. Otero send wayward pass to right wey Conway pick off, volley toward goal. But di shot for 32nd minute off line, game remain scoreless for few more seconds.
Griezmann receive ball on left wing, cut across middle of field near top of box, get entire Tampa defense moving one way, then cut soft shot back against grain, send am just inside right post to make am 1-0 for 32nd minute.
Only two minutes later, Orlando double di lead. Dorsey get down right side and carry ball into box. He try to send pass through area for Angulo, but Sebastian Cruz deflect ball into im own net, double Orlando lead to 2-0 for 34th minute.
Tampa get look two minutes after own goal, but Isaiah Le Flore send soft shot right at Otero. Atuesta nearly send in behind by Otavio for 42nd minute, but di midfielder no get enough pace to break in alone. As im defender arrive, he make two quick moves before fire into outside netting for last sight of goal for half.
Justin Ellis, Tiago, and Tristan Himes enter game at halftime for Ojeda, Cartagena, and Otero. Tampa Bay start second half well, get forward early after pick off errant Dorsey pass, but Jansson block shot for corner. Brekalo take knock to head after win aerial ball from Karsen Henderlong, end threat.
For 51st minute, Pedro Dolabella fire wide off another Orlando turnover from heavy Tiago touch near left sideline. Tiago nearly get in behind for 57th minute but backup Tampa goalkeeper Joshua Kachurak come out and just beat am to loose ball.
Di Lions strike again just as host of substitutes prepare to enter match past hour mark. Griezmann steal ball in Tampa Bay penalty area and step toward goal. Instead of shooting, di Frenchman calmly find Angulo, who all alone in front of empty net. Angulo convert to make am 3-0 for 61st minute, end night for starters.
Zakaria Taifi, Colin Guske, Iago, Bernardo Rhein, Ignacio Gomez, Dylan Judelson, Tyrese Spicer, and Harvey Sarajian all check in after celebration. Ellis nearly put Sarajian in behind for 64th minute with great ball. Kachurak come out and beat am but misplay am. With net empty, Kachurak get to loose ball just in time to knock am out of play.
Guske foul set up Tampa Bay free kick opportunity to left side of box moments later. Hal Uderitz get head to set piece cross, but pop am up in heavy traffic and send am over bar. Kachurak make fantastic save to keep game at 3-0 for 69th minute. Spicer get down right side, cut to middle and blast low shot inside right post. Kachurak lay out and get strong hand to am, knock am wide.
Iago take silly foul for 71st minute, hand Tampa free kick in dangerous spot just outside box. Louis Perez take shot but slam into defensive wall. He get to rebound first, but send that shot right back into wall, end threat.
Orlando lead bulge to 4-0 two minutes later. Sarajian make fantastic run and Ellis pick am out with gorgeous through ball. Di rookie fire im shot inside right post for 73rd minute.
Following failed corner attempt by Tampa, di Lions add another for 78th. After sustained possession around top of area, Ellis backheel perfect pass for Taifi to run onto. Di fullback chip shot over keeper and into left side of net to make am 5-0.
Final subs for Orlando take field over next few minutes, with Tahir Reid-Brown, Yutaro Tsukada, and Gustavo Caraballo all enter in place of Tiago, Spicer, and Judelson. Ellis earn im third assist of night for 88th minute, work give-and-go with Caraballo, send di latter in behind defense. Caraballo fire home to make am 6-0 and cap beatdown of Rowdies on game final scoring chance.
Di Lions go head to FC Dallas for another friendly a week from tonight. After that, MLS season resume with July 22 road match at San Jose.
