Orlando City beat San Diego FC 1-0 on Saturday night on Antoine Griezmann’s first-half goal, and the result mattered immediately in the San Diego FC vs Orlando City standings. Griezmann scored in the 28th minute, with Justin Ellis and Daryl Dike on the assists, while Maxime Crépeau made two saves to secure Orlando City’s shutout.
The goal was Griezmann’s fifth in his first eight MLS matches, a pace that has given Orlando City a lift as the season enters a tight stretch. The match came at a moment when Orlando City was sitting in the ninth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference at the start of the day, so the margin for error was thin before the ball was even kicked.
Crépeau’s night mattered as much as the finish at the other end. He recorded his third shutout in 23 starts this season, and Orlando City improved to 8-11-4 after holding San Diego FC scoreless. CJ dos Santos turned away three shots on goal for San Diego FC, but that was not enough to prevent a loss that left the visitors at 8-9-6.
The standings wrinkle is what gives the result its edge. San Diego FC began the day in eighth place in the Western Conference, yet still left with a loss, while Orlando City protected its spot at the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff line. That is the kind of result that does more than add three points; it can decide which side of the cutoff a team wakes up on the next morning.
San Diego FC now turns to San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday, and Orlando City goes to Atlanta United on Wednesday. For Orlando City, the next match carries the same pressure as this one: keep scoring, keep defending, and keep the standings from tightening any further.
