On Saturday night, Orlando City Midfielder Julio Baptista made his first start since the team traveled to Columbus at the end of July. The powerhouse player has made seventeen appearances in his MLS career, starting in five games throughout the course of the season.
For someone who played for the Brazilian national team and appeared for many European clubs, including Real Madrid and Arsenal, MLS is unexplored territory. But so far, it would appear as though Baptista is impressed with what he has seen. “To be honest, it’s a very competitive league with a lot of teams that play very well,” Baptista said after the match against Colorado. “MLS is definitely proving to be a balanced league.”
After spending a few months in the league, Baptista and his teammates have their eyes on the playoffs. Getting a point in Colorado was huge and moves the team further in the right direction. “Colorado is a team that plays very well. It wasn’t an easy game for either team… A point on the road is definitely a good result for us,” Baptista said after the match.
Now, Orlando City looks to back-to-back home matches in the coming week. Baptista and his teammates are focused on fighting to earn those points. “I think what’s important for us is not to drop any points at home,” Baptista said. “We’re always trying to get positive results.”
Orlando City will appear at Camping World Stadium on Wednesday, August 24th at 7:30pm to take on Toronto FC.
