ORLANDO, Fla. —
Antoine Griezmann continued his scoring run Saturday, recording a brace as Orlando City defeated D.C. United 4-1 at Inter.Co Stadium.
Griezmann scored in his third consecutive game. He has 13 goals and seven assists in 18 games since joining the Lions this summer.
The Frenchman opened the scoring in the 15th minute, connecting with Daryl Dike before combining with Martín Ojeda on a give-and-go inside the box and beating D.C. United goalkeeper Sean Johnson from close range.
In the 22nd minute, Griezmann found Ojeda, who spun and scored with a backheel flick to double Orlando’s lead.
Tai Baribo put D.C. United on the scoreboard before halftime, converting a penalty after Wilder Cartagena fouled a player inside the box.
Griezmann added Orlando’s third goal in the 50th minute after a turnover in D.C. United’s defensive third. Marco Pašalić closed out the scoring with a close-range goal after Justin Ellis found him on a run in stoppage time.
Takeaways
Orlando needed a win to move closer to securing a postseason berth. The Lions may have been disappointed after Wednesday’s 3-3 draw at Toronto, where they surrendered a 3-2 lead in stoppage time.
Orlando entered Saturday’s game as the stronger team on paper and met expectations. But the biggest question was whether the Lions could shore up their defense. They had conceded 68 goals this season entering the match, among the most in the league.
Cartagena’s foul led to D.C. United’s 69th goal against Orlando this season. Otherwise, the Lions showed defensive discipline at times.
Captain Robin Jansson was out after the club announced Friday that he would miss the rest of the 2026 season following successful surgery for a foot fracture. Brazilian defender Iago started alongside David Brekalo in the back line. The pair turned in a solid performance against a struggling D.C. United team.
With four regular-season games remaining and Orlando unbeaten in its last three, the Lions appear to be building momentum at the right time.
The Lions currently sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings with 41 points with four games left in the regular season.
Orlando City hosts New York City FC on Saturday at Inter.Co Stadium.