Antoine Griezmann backed to continue MLS journey for ‘two or three years’ as hot streak continues
· Yahoo Sports
France national team and La Liga legend Antoine Griezmann has taken to Major League Soccer like a duck to water since arriving from Atlético Madrid in July - and countryman Gilles Grimandi has recently backed his outstanding impact to continue for some time yet.
The 35-year-old, who won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Les Bleus, had long flirted with an eventual move Stateside, and after 17 seasons in Spain, finally decided to make the jump this summer, signing a Designated Player deal with Orlando City SC.
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Griezmann’s current deal runs through the 2027-2028 season - the first that will align with the European calendar following the 2027 Sprint Season. Orlando also holds the option to extend his stay in Florida by a further year, by the end of which the former Barcelona and Real Sociedad star will be 38 years old.
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Having joined a struggling Orlando side, Griezmann has played an integral role in their comeback. Now sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference with four regular season games remaining, the Frenchman could get to experience MLS Playoff action in just his first season, thanks in no small part to his four goals and two assists in their three league games to date in October.
All in all, Griezmann has found the back of the net 13 times and provided six assists in 18 games across all competitions since his move. On Monday, the MLS named him the Player of the Matchday for Matchday 31 - after scoring a brace in a 4-1 win against D.C. United.
“He scored two goals this weekend, he gave an assist again, so he's performed very well,” longtime Arsenal defender Grimandi said in an interview with Goal.
“Griezmann has lost a bit his physical ability, but he's so intelligent and technically he's top so he can still perform. He looks after his body well, he still has good stamina. When you are intelligent and you have good technique you can play long.
“Griezmann I think is the ‘91 generation, so he has two or three more years to play if he still wants to do it. Physically and technically, with his intelligence, he can do it without any problems.”
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Following their latest win, interim head coach Martín Perelman said that both Griezmann and fellow goalscorer Martín Ojeda “make everybody better. So for us it’s about helping them, work to support them, and they do what they do because they are top players.”
With their 12th league win of the season now under their belt, Perelman’s side is set to host New York City FC on Saturday before a trip to the Windy City to take on Robert Lewandowski’s Chicago Fire on October 28. Griezmann and Co. will then face Charlotte FC on the road before heading home to face the New England Revolution on November 7 to close out their regular season.