From the moment that David Beckham first arrived in MLS back in 2007, the expectations surrounding Designated Players have been high — stratospheric, even. It’s understandable given that their salaries are often orders of magnitude more than some of their less renowned teammates.
However, those expectations require some context. For one, soccer is a team game, and a DP’s chances of success are highly dependent on the roster that surrounds them. Done right, the newly arrived star player hits the ground running and raises the level of an already-good team even higher. Done poorly, and an MLS team is basically setting money on fire.
Spare a thought, then, for Antoine Griezmann.
The World Cup winner with France has signed with Orlando City SC and will join the Lions from LaLiga‘s Atlético Madrid when MLS’ summer transfer window opens on July 13. Sources said that Griezmann put pen to paper on a two-year deal with an option for a third.
And in doing so, he’s moving to a club that is the antithesis of a well-oiled machine.
Through five matches, Orlando occupies 13th place in the 15-team Eastern Conference with a league-worst goal differential of minus-12. The Lions’ 40 shots on goal conceded is also the worst in the league. It’s a dynamic that seems sure to test Griezmann’s love of American sporting culture.
The sorry start to the season was enough to cost longtime manager Oscar Pareja his job after a mere three games, leaving one to wonder: if that was all it took to move on from Pareja, why not jettison him at the end of last season? Now the bulk of the work done in preseason has been wasted.
It’s also clear that what is ailing Orlando seems to run deeper than just the head coach, having been hammered 5-0 last weekend by Nashville SC. The Lions look to be in the midst of a considerable rebuild. It’s not quite akin to tearing a team down to the studs, but several supporting beams have been removed.
Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese‘s contract wasn’t renewed, so off he went to Deportivo Cali in Colombia. Forward Luis Muriel is also now in Colombia, having been transferred to Junior FC. Center back Rodrigo Schlegel now calls Liga MX’s Atlas home. Right back Alex Freeman — whose contract was due to expire at the end of the 2026 season — was transferred to Villarreal in LaLiga. Center back Robin Jansson is still working his way back from a foot injury.
The replacements have, at least so far, not been an improvement on what was there before. It makes you wonder if Griezmann knew what he was getting himself into when he agreed to the move.
“I am very excited to begin this next chapter of my career with Orlando City,” Griezmann said in a statement. “From my first conversations with the club, I could feel a strong ambition and a clear vision for the future, and that really spoke to me.”
He certainly isn’t landing in a spot like Son Heung-Min and Thomas Müller did when they joined LAFC and the Vancouver Whitecaps, respectively. In both of those cases, the player being added was looked upon as the final piece of a roster puzzle. They weren’t asked to carry the entire team.
Even a team like the San Jose Earthquakes, who for much of the past decade have been a shining example of what not to do in MLS, possess a foundation that looks poised to make the most of new signing Timo Werner. The Quakes might not have any other stars, but there looks to be a plan in place. In fact, San Jose appears to be about 12 months ahead in terms of roster build, especially in the back, compared to where Orlando is now.
Will Griezmann make the Lions better? It would be hard to make them worse. He’s bound to add some dynamism to an attack that features Martín Ojeda and Marco Pasalic.
He’ll also help the team defend from the front. His 6.3 defensive interventions per 90 minutes put him in the top 25% of LaLiga forwards with more than 500 minutes played, and should take some pressure off of a beleaguered backline. But that is asking a lot of a 35-year-old, one who has only gone 90 minutes six times this season. He’s not being brought into defend, either.
“Antoine is a complete footballer — creative, intelligent, clinical — and he is a proven winner on the biggest stages of the game,” said Orlando sporting director Ricardo Moreira. “Beyond his talent, he brings leadership, a relentless drive and a championship mentality that will elevate everyone around him. This is a statement signing for our club and ownership group, and we are thrilled to welcome Antoine and his family to Orlando.”
The reality is that Griezmann is going to need some additional players to come with him. That is now the task in front of Moreira, who now has about four months to bring in some additional pieces that will complement the Frenchman’s unique set of skills. Those pieces need not be stars, either. In fact, Orlando looks to be in need of some lunch-pale guys who will add some steel to the team.
Can Moreira make that happen? It’s possible, but given the team’s current state, he definitely has something to prove to the fan base beyond the ability to sign one aging star.
