In case anyone needed any proof that Brazilian superstar Kaka is going to be the main attraction of Orlando City's maiden MLS season, Friday's post-practice media session provided it.
After his first training session with his new team, Kaka fielded questions from dozens of media members who had assembled to catch a glimpse of the gregarious Brazilian legend, who obliged by fielding questions in three different languages for nearly 30 minutes.
“We are ready to start this preseason and ready to have a very good season this year,” Kaka said. “The moment has arrived, and I am so happy. God bless Orlando City.”
But will the club be blessed enough to become the second MLS expansion team to win MLS Cup and replicate what the Chicago Fire did in 1998? Kaka wasn't hiding his ambitions for 2015 in an interview with ESPN (watch it here), where he stated that he felt Orlando City is capable of winning MLS Cup.
OCSC head coach Adrian Heath attempted to downplay Kaka's bold statement, but the Brazilian playmaker did little to back away from his comments on Friday.
“I’m used to thinking about winning,” Kaka responded. “I know that our first step this year is to get to the playoffs, but I still hope that we can win the league.”
If they do, Kaka is expected to play a major role although it's not clear where exactly. Many assume that Kaka will play up top behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation. However, the 2007 Ballon d’Or winner implied that might not necessarily be the case.
“I spoke with [Coach Adrian Heath] two weeks ago,” the Brazilian said. “We’re trying out some ideas. He’ll try me on the field in some positions to see which one is the best for me.”
Kaka will have a little over a month to figure it out ahead of the season opener against New York City FC on March 8. But it's pretty clear from the way he speaks about the league that he can't wait for his MLS adventure to get started.
“[MLS] is growing so fast,” Kaka said. “Maybe in five or 10 years, it will be one of the biggest leagues in the world. They are growing sustainably. The have a lot of good professionals. A lot of players are coming from other teams around the world. This is a very good sign for the league.”
