1. A special win on a special day. The welcome of Antoine Griezmann to Inter.co Stadium turned into a close match against the top team in MLS and ended in a statement 1-0 win for Orlando City SC.
2. Earlier this season, the first away match under Interim Head Coach MartÃn Perelman, Orlando was handed a tough 5-0 loss at the hands of Nashville, which has jumped to the top of the table since then. This Orlando City, however, has shown it is not the same team from back in March.
3. Coming into the match against a team that has only let in 11 goals on the season, it was always going to be tough. Nashville has been staunch defensively and through the first half, that showed. Orlando struggled to break down the visiting side's low block, creating a few half chances, but nothing challenging goalkeeper Brian Schwake.
4. Nashville also made sure to try and keep Griezmann as quiet as they could. Having a player floating around him when he had the ball, closing space and forcing others to beat them didn't allow Orlando's star man to get a true foothold in the game. Still, he was able to create some chances and draw defenders away from his teammates.
5. The dam finally broke for Nashville with about 20 minutes to go. After some good interplay on the left wing, the ball fell to Justin Ellis in space. As he had done all game, the young 19-year-old drove past two players and into space in the midfield. As he pushed in, Tyrese Spicer went out to the wing. A quick pass from Ellis into the space in front of Spicer and a one-touch finish to the near post sent the Inter.co Stadium fans into delirium.
6. Spicer talked about the goal after the game, saying, "I know Justin likes to dribble a lot, and I was just like 'let me give it to him and run in the space'. I know he was gonna cut in, and I was just waiting for it. I was yelling his name as loud as I could, just to give it to me. As soon as I got that ball, I knew I had to go first post. It was just like muscle memory."
7. After the goal, the defense had to hold firm for the final 20 minutes, something they hadn't really been able to do most of this season so far. After the game, Spicer credited the work the team did over the World Cup break to work on those late-game situations and see out results, drilling those moments over and over. Tonight, it showed how much that work has paid off.
8. The game also came with a special debut. Just seven hours prior, 18-year-old Bernardo Rhein signed a Homegrown contract with the Club. A player that has been within the youth system almost since the Club has existed in MLS, the fullback was given the start against the best team in the league. He was one of three teenagers to start in the match (Rhein, Ellis and Luis Otavio) marking the first time in MLS play that the Lions have had that many young players starting in the same game.
9. The biggest point of the night was that Orlando was able to secure the team's first home shutout of the season. Especially against two top teams in San Jose and Nashville, the growth of the team since coming back has been evident and the confidence is riding high for the team.Â
10. The Lions now have a week before heading back on the road, as they will travel to New Jersey on Saturday, August 1 to play Red Bull New York. That game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
