Fourteen matches into his MLS career, the 2018 World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann is producing at a pace the league has not seen.
The French forward scored twice and assisted on Martín Ojeda's goal Saturday night as Orlando City beat D.C. United 4-1 at Inter.co Stadium. According to The Associated Press, he now has 12 goals and seven assists in 14 league appearances and is the first player in MLS history to record a goal contribution in 12 of his first 14 career games.
The club said Saturday extended his run of consecutive league matches with a goal or assist to 10.
The partnership with Ojeda drove the first half. In the 15th minute, Griezmann worked a quick exchange with Daryl Dike at the top of the box, then played a give-and-go with Ojeda and finished from close range. Seven minutes later the roles flipped.
Griezmann lifted a ball over the D.C. back line, and Ojeda met it with an improvised flick, a back-heel volley in the AP's description and a scorpion kick in the club's, that tucked inside the post for a 2-0 lead.
Ojeda, who on Wednesday became Orlando City's career scoring leader across all competitions, called the night one of happiness. "Of course, there were moments when we suffered," he said through an interpreter, according to the club.
That suffering came just before halftime, when an Orlando defender brought down a player on a corner kick and Tai Baribo converted the penalty to make it 2-1.
Griezmann restored the two-goal cushion five minutes into the second half, and he did it without help. He jumped on a misplaced pass from Kye Rowles in the D.C. defensive third, took two touches and rolled his shot past Sean Johnson. Designated Player Marco Pašalić added the fourth goal in stoppage time, running onto a through ball from Justin Ellis.
It was the kind of goal D.C. could not afford against a forward in this form. Johnson finished with three saves, according to the AP.
