{"id":928129,"date":"2026-08-19T07:16:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T12:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/19\/how-griezmann-lewandowski-are-transforming-their-new-teams-mlssoccer-com\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T07:16:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T12:16:11","slug":"how-griezmann-lewandowski-are-transforming-their-new-teams-mlssoccer-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/19\/how-griezmann-lewandowski-are-transforming-their-new-teams-mlssoccer-com\/","title":{"rendered":"How Griezmann &#038; Lewandowski are transforming their new teams | MLSSoccer.com"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Soccer <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>It didn\u2019t take long for two of MLS\u2019s brightest \u2013 and newest \u2013 stars to show why they\u2019re among the biggest names in soccer.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>In his very first game for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/orlando-city\/\">Orlando City<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/antoine-griezmann\/\">Antoine Griezmann<\/a> found himself on the scoresheet. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/fifa-world-cup\/\">FIFA World Cup<\/a> champion with France, Griezmann notched a goal during a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/mls-regular-season\/2026\/matches\/sjvsorl-07-22-2026\/\">4-0 win<\/a> over the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/san-jose-earthquakes\/\">San Jose Earthquakes<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Like the former Atl\u00e9tico Madrid superstar attacker, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/robert-lewandowski\/\">Robert Lewandowski<\/a> also found the scoring column in short order. With his second start for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/chicago-fire-fc\/\">Chicago Fire FC<\/a>, the former Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona striker nabbed a brace in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/mls-regular-season\/2026\/matches\/chivsclt-08-01-2026\/\">2-1 win<\/a> over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/charlotte-fc\/\">Charlotte FC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Both Griezmann and Lewandowski have proven themselves to be must-watch players upon arrival. And now? They&#8217;re going head-to-head on Wednesday evening at Inter.co Stadium (7:30 pm ET | <a href=\"https:\/\/soc.cr\/3RW8BId\" target=\"_blank\">Apple TV<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s dive into both halves of this superstar clash.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n                                <iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aZatvW_uSfA?feature=oembed\" allowfullscreen title=\"Antoine Griezmann BEST OF Orlando City Home Debut!\"><\/iframe>\n                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><strong>How he\u2019s being used:<\/strong> Mostly as a free-wheeling No. 10. And it&#8217;s awesome.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Griezmann, with his clever off-ball movement and soft first touch, has been magnetic for Orlando City. Playing as an attacking midfielder with plenty of freedom to drift around the field, the Frenchman leads all non-Orlando center backs in passes per 90 minutes, according to Opta. Across his MLS regular season and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/competitions\/leagues-cup\/\">Leagues Cup<\/a> games, the actions on Griezmann\u2019s touch map are about as widespread as they come.<\/p>\n<p>Given just how many roles Griezmann has thrived in throughout his illustrious career \u2013 second striker, striker, narrow winger, attacking midfielder, and central midfielder \u2013 you certainly can\u2019t blame Orlando interim coach Mart\u00edn Perelman for giving his new star the keys. While it\u2019s possible that Griezmann\u2019s role could shift as the season goes on, the attacking midfield spot seems a perfect fit.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What he brings to the table:<\/strong> Elite attacking incision.<\/p>\n<p>Even as he acclimates to his new surroundings, Griezmann is already delivering a ton of value in the most important spots on the field. According to Opta, he ranks eighth in through balls per 90 among MLS players with at least four appearances, and the safe money is on him continuing to climb those rankings before Decision Day. It\u2019s not just distribution, though, that sets Griezmann apart. He\u2019s also third among Orlando City starters in progressive carries per 90 and expected goals per 90.<\/p>\n<p>Griezmann is an attacking dynamo of the highest order.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<blockquote><p>\u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MLS\/status\/2080139139781906866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 23, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><strong>Which teammate is benefiting the most:<\/strong> Justin Ellis.<\/p>\n<p>The 19-year-old homegrown broke out just before Griezmann\u2019s arrival, but has quickly developed a seemingly telepathic understanding with the new DP. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/justin-ellis\/\">Ellis<\/a>, an attacker with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/us-men-s-national-team\/\">USMNT<\/a> potential, has shown the ability to interchange and combine with Griezmann at an impressive level. With back-to-goal savvy and comfort in just about any attacking situation, Ellis is unlike any other player in the USMNT pool. He brings a level of versatility to the No. 9 position that\u2019s uncommon worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>Ellis assisted Griezmann\u2019s inaugural MLS goal, and the veteran has been <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/USMNTOtaku\/status\/2081553101870236121\" target=\"_blank\">singing his praises<\/a> for one of the league\u2019s brightest young talents. Expect to see the two link up for more brilliance before the season is out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What he needs to do against Chicago:<\/strong> Dictate as much of the game as possible.<\/p>\n<p>When Griezmann is on the ball, Orlando City are exceedingly dangerous. All roads flow through the World Cup winner for the Lions, which is exactly how things should be.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><strong>How he\u2019s being used:<\/strong> Same as it ever was.<\/p>\n<p>Lewandowski is, at his core, a true goal-scoring striker. There\u2019s a reason he scored more than 300 goals in the German Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich before averaging more than 20 goals per season across his four-year spell in LaLiga for FC Barcelona. The Polish No. 9 is simply lethal.<\/p>\n<p>Head coach Gregg Berhalter is rightly using the veteran as the tip of his attacking spear, with an attacking midfielder or second striker often playing close to Lewandowski while wingers and fullbacks form the rest of the attacking line.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What he brings to the table:<\/strong> Plenty of this:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<blockquote>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Robert Lewandowski&#8217;s first MLS goal is a beauty! \ud83d\udd25 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/b4ipzWZFcQ\">pic.twitter.com\/b4ipzWZFcQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MLS\/status\/2083720688817344598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 2, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Lewandowski&#8217;s pinpoint shooting accuracy is a major asset. That goal up above against Charlotte FC \u2013 the one that opened his MLS account \u2013 is a perfect example. Lewandowski had only a sliver of space to shoot through defensive traffic and past goalkeeper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/kristijan-kahlina\/\">Kristijan Kahlina<\/a>, and he did exactly that.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Of course, Lewandowski\u2019s game is built off more than just his finishing instincts. The striker also has a top-tier ability to move off the ball and find space inside the box. His understanding of space and clear picture of where his teammates (and opponents) are positioned around him is truly game-changing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>See: This dummy, run into the box, and first touch? Picturesque.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<blockquote>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">They don&#8217;t call him Robert LewanGOALski for nothing! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6MXPSmYWTH\">pic.twitter.com\/6MXPSmYWTH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ChicagoFire\/status\/2083737908737884493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 2, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><strong>Which teammate is benefiting the most:<\/strong> Philip Zinckernagel<\/p>\n<p>The Danish winger was already among the best players in MLS, leading the Fire in goal contributions last season and second only to the recently departed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/chicago-fire-transfer-hugo-cuypers-to-cf-monterrey\">Hugo Cuypers<\/a> this season. But Lewandowski\u2019s arrival has opened new opportunities for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/philip-zinckernagel\/\">Zinckernagel<\/a> via the former\u2019s on-ball savviness.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In Lewandowski, Zinckernagel has a willing and able partner to combine with. And with the right entry pass and off-ball run, Zinckernagel will enjoy no shortage of chances like this one against Santos Laguna in Leagues Cup:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<blockquote><p>\u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MLS\/status\/2086635788679118910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 10, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Now, Zinckernagel\u2019s chance ultimately went unfinished before Lewandowski tapped it home at the far post. But a chance resulted from their interplay all the same.<\/p>\n<p>These two players are on the same wavelength in the attack, which is a terrifying reality for opposing defenses.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What he needs to do against Orlando:<\/strong> Find the right balance between dropping to get on the ball and finding the right gaps off the ball.<\/p>\n<p>Though Lewandowski&#8217;s primary objective remains unchanged (score goals from the No. 9 spot), he is still adjusting to his new teammates in a different attacking setup. If he can pick the right moments to come deep and find a devastating pass, as well as the right ones to stay high and latch onto service, Chicago will be tough to stop.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/how-antoine-griezmann-robert-lewandowski-are-transforming-their-new-teams\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a>Laine Pecora<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Soccer It didn\u2019t take long for two of MLS\u2019s brightest \u2013 and newest \u2013 stars to show why they\u2019re among the biggest names in soccer. In his very first game for Orlando City, Antoine Griezmann found himself on the scoresheet. A FIFA World Cup champion with France, Griezmann notched a goal during a\u00a04-0 win over [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":928130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29448,43500,2005],"tags":[48728,14263],"class_list":["post-928129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-griezmann","category-lewandowski","category-soccer","tag-griezmann","tag-lewandowski"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=928129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928129\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/928130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=928129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=928129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=928129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}