Antoine Griezmann to get hero's welcome in Orlando City home debut | OneFootball

By Charles Boehm

Orlando City have already experienced an ‘Antoine Griezmann effect’ on the pitch: Witness their 4-0 road thrashing of the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday, the Lions stylishly notching their biggest win of the season in the French superstar’s first MLS match.

On Saturday they’ll feel it in the stands as well. Orlando’s supporters are working intensely to provide a special welcome for Griezmann on his home debut, a visit from league leaders Nashville SC that’s turned into one of the biggest occasions of the year at Inter.co Stadium (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV).

“We're excited. It's overdue,” Jared Ambrose, a member of the Iron Lion Firm supporters group, told MLSsoccer.com on Friday. “We're not unfamiliar with this, right? We've had Kaká, we've had Nani, we've had Pato – we've had world-class players. But I think Griezmann is a different level.

"The energy that he's bringing, the commitment that he seems to have, I think we're ready for taking this next step.”

All-out celebration

A massive, multi-phase tifo display is being prepared, and while its creators carefully keep the full details secret, ILF president Logan Miller hints that it’s inspired by a piece of “iconic French artwork” in Griezmann’s honor.

“Half of it will go up when they [the players] walk out, and the other half will be displayed after the national anthem,” explained Miller. “That's something that we've started to do more recently, too, these sort of two-part displays where the first part goes up, and the anticipation builds, like, ‘what's next?’

“These have been some very long days post-World Cup, getting together what is effectively going to be the largest display in our team's history, that we're putting together by hand, of course. So it’s been morning to night, in full supporter mode, for two weeks.”

Iron Lion Firm and fellow supporters group Ruckus Orlando will gather several hours ahead of kickoff to tailgate, hosting an asado and a crawfish boil, respectively.

Ruckus also has karaoke on the bill, and “Kids Water Day,” a chance for young fans to beat the central Florida heat with water guns and water balloons (you might want to bring a spare set of dry clothes if you find yourself in the vicinity). ILF even produced custom, Napoleon-themed T-shirts to celebrate Griezmann.

Griezmann's instant impact

Signing the longtime Atlético Madrid ace was always going to spark excitement. Add in his effervescent performance in San Jose, where he scored his first MLS goal and created a game-high five chances, and the wider sense of exhilaration in the wake of this summer’s spectacular FIFA World Cup, and the Lions faithful feel they’re entering “a new era,” in Ambrose’s words.

"I mean, he's one of the elite players in world football of the past decade or so. So having anyone with that talent level come to your club, even if it's at the tail end of their career, I think is still phenomenal,” said ILF member Gabe Holt. “It's not about players quote-unquote retiring to MLS, it's about players coming and wanting to experience America and the supporters culture that we have, and just embrace what we bring.”

Miller added: “Did we all forget that he was starting in two semifinals in the [UEFA] Champions League a few months ago? He was fighting for a top spot in La Liga, and he wasn't a bench player by any means. He was a starter.”

As Miller notes, Orlando have at times been overshadowed by the flashy, big-spending, MLS Cup-winning projects on either side of them in Atlanta United and Inter Miami CF. Then this season began in particularly discouraging fashion, with a brutal 1W-6L-1D start prompting the departure of longtime head coach Oscar Pareja as a leaky defense put the Lions on track to break league records for most goals conceded.

Griezmann’s talent and personality has changed that narrative dramatically, aided by the return of fan favorite Daryl Dike, key contributors like Wilder Cartagena back from injury and the rising form of goalkeeper Max Crépeau after his World Cup campaign with Canada.

“With the way this league is, there's so much parity that when you bring in a player of Griezmann's class, with the right players around them – and we do have the right players – I think we can really make a run and have an impact,” said Ambrose.

“The league is growing, the league is getting more competitive every year. You can't just sit back and wait. And I think this is a testament to that – we're ready to compete and to make a run in every competition that is in front of us. We're hyped.”

Orlando's very own GOAT

The purple side of Florida prefers not to speak the name of Lionel Messi, the figurehead of their Rosanegra rivals to the south. Yet there are intriguing parallels at play here.

Just as ‘Grizi’ has inspired his new teammates upon arrival, Orlando’s hardcores believe the French World Cup winner can turn heads in the region’s sporting mainstream, and draw maximum spirit and noise from what has always been a rowdy supporter culture in the city’s Parramore neighborhood.

He might even bring back some of the fans who’ve drifted away over the years.

“Griezmann is a name the whole world knows. Griezmann is a player that's won almost everything you can win in the world, right?” said Holt.

“He also fits Orlando in a way that is really nice. Miami can have their own thing, and Messi fits that, and I think they work really well together. But I think Griezmann, his path to being successful really, kind of mirrors Orlando in a lot of ways as well.

“Hopefully the energy can carry over,” he added, “because when everything lines up, it's magic.”

Match Trailer | Antoine Griezmann to make Orlando home debut vs. Nashville