{"id":371451,"date":"2026-08-14T16:14:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T16:14:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/371451\/"},"modified":"2026-08-14T16:14:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T16:14:16","slug":"how-antoine-griezmann-has-inspired-orlando-city-teammates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/371451\/","title":{"rendered":"How Antoine Griezmann has inspired Orlando City teammates"},"content":{"rendered":"

Somehow, though, Grizi dialed up his aura points even further when he told Ellis exactly how a key sequence would unfold during his MLS debut, a 4-0 rout<\/a> of the San Jose Earthquakes<\/a>, right down to their joint execution of his famous \u2018Hotline Bling\u2019 goal celebration.<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple days before the San Jose game,\u201d Ellis recounted to MLSsoccer.com on Thursday, \u201cduring training he was telling me, when you assist me against San Jose, we’re going to do this celebration, and somehow he called it \u2013 and then I assisted him, and then we ended up doing his signature celebration. That was a pretty sick moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s like he literally predicted the future. It was insane.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n One of us<\/p>\n

The frontline duo aim to go dancing again this weekend as the Lions host Evander<\/a> and resurgent FC Cincinnati<\/a> in Matchday 20’s Walmart Saturday Showdown at Inter.co Stadium (7:30 pm ET |\u00a0Apple TV<\/a>). And as we learned after that road win, neither Ellis nor any of their colleagues needed many reminders about Griezmann\u2019s celly game.<\/p>\n

The club\u2019s social-media team posted a video<\/a> from the locker room in which veterans Robin Jansson<\/a> and Maxime Cr\u00e9peau<\/a> reenacted his Hotline Bling and video game-inspired \u2018Take the L\u2019 dances as Grizi received the match ball for his performance amid loud chanting of his name, driving home just how high the vibes are around Orlando lately.<\/p>\n

The French attacker\u2019s star power is evident. Yet the paradox is that he became one of the guys almost instantly, seemingly upon arrival last month despite being, as Ellis phrased it, \u201cfor all of us on the team, probably the best player all of us have ever played with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turns out, Orlando\u2019s most accomplished player and most recognizable face is also their most approachable.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing that I would really point out about Grizi specifically is just his humanness,\u201d said right back Griffin Dorsey<\/a>. \u201cAs much as he’s a star, it’s very easy to be in a room with Grizi and feel like he’s just another human being. You’re not staring at him, going, oh my gosh, that’s Antoine Griezmann, the guy who was playing semifinals in [UEFA] Champions League less than six months ago, or a guy who’s won a World Cup, or who played at the highest levels for as long as he has.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s a very humble guy, and that allows him to connect with his teammates super well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Or in Ellis\u2019 words: \u201cHe’s so normal and down-to-earth, and he’s such a nice person.\u201d<\/p>\n

In essence, it\u2019s sparked a collective reinvention, what Cr\u00e9peau called \u201ca renewal of energy in the group\u201d during a conversation with MLSsoccer.com<\/a> at the 2026 MLS All-Star Game presented by Chime.<\/p>\n

\n Team banter<\/p>\n

Griezmann\u2019s quick chemistry with the homegrown, one of the squad\u2019s youngest players, formed not just on the training ground but in their shared love for EA Sports FC, the iconic video game still widely known among players by its old shorthand, \u2018FIFA.\u2019<\/p>\n

Grizi does not hesitate to use his own digital self from his Atl\u00e9tico Madrid days, which has given the youngsters around him some surreal moments.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe uses himself \u2013 because we use the old FIFA, so he uses Atl\u00e9tico Madrid,\u201d laughed Ellis. \u201cI mean, it’s pretty insane. Obviously he has a good card, because he’s really good, but when you see him using himself, it\u2019s kind of crazy. \u2026 He’s literally sitting next to you, playing FIFA against you, and it’s like, bro, what are you doing on the screen? It doesn’t make sense! He’s great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those two are part of a cluster of about half a dozen Lions who use the game\u2019s \u2018Pro Clubs\u2019 feature to play together on the same team, though road trips often involve some heated head-to-head matches that even the non-participants occasionally have to intervene in.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are nonstop yelling and screaming, honestly to a point where some of us have to be like, \u2018hey, guys, quiet down,\u2019\u201d revealed Dorsey, who for his part connected with Griezmann over yerba mate, the herbal drink introduced to them by South American teammates at Houston Dynamo FC<\/a> and Atleti.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re in a hotel screaming bloody murder about a goal that was scored in FIFA; it’s quite comical,” Dorsey continued. “And honestly, it’s amazing, especially from a group standpoint and a team standpoint. We’re a team that wants to get results, and I feel like those are the types of things that are super important in a team environment to get results.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n Forward progress\u00a0<\/p>\n

Griezmann\u2019s transformative effect is easy to see on the pitch. The previously basement-dwelling side are 3W-2L-1D across all competitions since his arrival, climbing towards the Eastern Conference\u2019s Audi MLS Cup Playoffs places with drastically increased style and swagger.<\/p>\n

The Frenchman has already notched two goals, one assist and a whopping 14 chances created in his first six appearances for the Lions. Perhaps his weightiest statistic so far, though, is the nearly seven miles he ran in his debut, leading his new team in ground coverage right out of the gates, a powerful example of defensive commitment that has spread through the group like wildfire.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat shows maturity. That shows humility, just to work off the ball and on the ball,\u201d noted winger Tyrese Spicer<\/a> after Orlando\u2019s 1-0 win<\/a> over East-leading\u00a0Nashville SC<\/a>. \u201cIt shows, no matter where you are, you could keep working and push yourself, push the team. Because you\u2019re seeing Grizi doing that, that would force you to just be like, I need to run back as well, too. No matter how big you are, if you’re a DP or not, we work together.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone’s buzzing. Everyone’s buzzing in the locker room. The morale is up.\u201d<\/p>\n

A clever creator with soccer IQ beyond his years, Ellis freely admits he \u201cjust hates defending\u201d by nature, but found Griezmann\u2019s tigerish spirit infectious, particularly within the assertive, high-tempo game model interim head coach Mart\u00edn Perelman has installed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe does the work on both sides of the ball, and that’s what a real superstar is, you know?\u201d said Ellis.<\/p>\n

“Seeing him, how he runs on defense, it’s super contagious, and it makes me want to defend, which is something incredible. He’s just a super good role model for me, on the field and off the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n Trophy hunt<\/p>\n

Griezmann\u2019s galvanizing impact has the Lions dreaming big.\u00a0Dorsey compares their current outlook to the 2023 Houston side he helped power to a US Open Cup<\/a> trophy \u2013 Orlando will duel Columbus<\/a> in that tournament\u2019s semifinals next month \u2013 and a deep run in the postseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing that sticks out most about that year was how slow we started that season, and how strong we finished it,\u201d he recalled. \u201cI’ve seen so many things happen throughout my career that are so unexplainable. I would just say at this point, this team is capable of absolutely everything that we have in front of us.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re still in the Open Cup, and then pushing for playoffs, there really is no ceiling for what this team is capable of. And I can’t wait to continue to be a part of it.”<\/p>\n