1 - Familiar Faces
On Aug. 3, 2016, Orlando City acquired MatÃas Pérez GarcÃafrom San Jose in exchange for Darwin Cerén. Pérez GarcÃa has appeared in all but two matches since then, picking up three assists in 16 starts among 21 appearances. Cerén has 16 starts in 20 appearances for San Jose.
2 - All-Stars Return
Avaya Stadium hosted the 2016 MLS All-Star Game. Kaká earned his second All-Star selection and captained the squad for the second time, while Cyle Larin earned his first All-Star selection. Kaká played the first half of the match and Larin entered in the 77th minute. The MLS All-Stars dropped a 2-1 decision to English Premier League side Arsenal FC.
Though it is the second meeting between these teams in California, it is the first meeting at Avaya Stadium. The 2015 match was played at Levi’s Stadium.
3 - Cyle & Carlos
Orlando City’s strike partners have been nothing short of spectacular this season. Both rank among the league’s top three in goals and assists, as
Cyle Larin
has seven goals in ten games and
Carlos Rivas
has five assists in just 740 minutes. Additionally, Larin leads MLS with four game-winning goals and is one of just two strikers in the top five not to take a penalty kick this season.
The two combined for a clinical goal in the 16th minute of Saturday’s draw with Sporting KC. Rivas took a pass from Donny Toia and curled a chest-high ball that Larin stabbed out of the air. It was the fourth goal the duo has combined for this season.
4 - Floridian Connection
Orlando City and San Jose have drawn both matches in the all-time series. In 2015, Kaká scored from the penalty spot before Chris Wondolowski did the same just four minutes later to earn his 100th career MLS goal. The Lions left California with a point after being reduced to 10 men.
Then in 2016, City took a second-half lead when Seb Hines headed home Adrian Winter’s corner service but Chad Barrett equalized in the 85th minute. Supersub Júlio Baptista scored on a superb strike in stoppage time before Shea Salinas tied it again in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
5 - #OrlandoUnited
The last time these two teams met was the #OrlandoUnited game on June 18, 2016. The match was dedicated to the victims of the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub. Over 37,000 supporters stayed through the rain to support the community in the first sporting event in Orlando after the June 12 tragedy. The usually purple-clad supporters wore the colors of the rainbow and 49 seats were left vacant to honor those who lost their lives. The match was also paused for a moment of silence in the 49th minute.
6 - Captain Kaka On A Tear
Kaká has been on re since returning from a hamstring injury that pulled him out of the season opener just 11 minutes in and kept him out of the next five games. In just 228 minutes this season, Kaká has three goals. The captain scored in stoppage time in City’s 2-0 win against Colorado before blasting another goal in first-half stoppage time in Toronto. Then on Saturday, the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year showed his class when he chested down birthday boy Scott Sutter’s cross and curled a smooth shot perfectly into the bottom corner for the go-ahead goal.
7 - Continent Crossers
Orlando City continues its marathon travel schedule through the month of May. The Lions began the month with a trip north to Toronto, immediately followed by a flight to Houston. After hosting Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, City heads west to face San Jose before returning to the City Beautiful to host New York City FC for the third and final time this season. The Lions then head up to Minnesota before finishing a seven-game month at home against D.C. United. In all, City will travel over 10,000 miles in May.
