Antoine Griezmann delivered the decisive double as Orlando City SC beat D.C. United 4–1 at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday, October 17, taking control early and responding emphatically to the visitors’ brief lifeline.
Griezmann struck in the 15th and 50th minutes, with Martín Ojeda adding Orlando’s second in the 22nd minute and Marco Pasalic completing the victory in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time. Tai Baribo’s penalty at 45+2 minutes gave D.C. hope before the interval, but the hosts ultimately secured a convincing MLS victory.
Orlando establish an early advantage
Griezmann opened the scoring after 15 minutes, and Orlando quickly strengthened their position. Ojeda made it 2–0 in the 22nd minute, leaving D.C. facing a substantial recovery before the first half had reached its midpoint.
The visitors did find a route back into the contest just before half-time. Baribo converted from the penalty spot in the second minute of added time, cutting Orlando’s advantage to 2–1 and changing the complexion of the interval.
Griezmann answers after the restart
Any prospect of a sustained D.C. comeback suffered a major setback five minutes into the second half. Griezmann struck again in the 50th minute to restore Orlando’s two-goal cushion, providing a timely answer to the visitors’ late first-half breakthrough.
Orlando’s advantage was supported by 59.3 percent possession and a sharper return in front of goal. Although D.C. attempted 15 shots to the hosts’ 13, Orlando put seven on target compared with four from the visitors. D.C. also held an 8–1 advantage in corners, but those opportunities did not translate into another goal.
Pasalic supplied the final flourish at 90+5 minutes, extending the margin to 4–1 and rounding off a productive evening for Orlando’s attack.
What comes next
Orlando return to MLS action against New York City FC on Saturday, October 24, while D.C. United face FC Cincinnati the same day. Both fixtures are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PDT.
For Orlando, the defining response came immediately after the break: having seen their lead halved, they restored it through Griezmann and finished with all three points firmly secured.
