ORLANDO, FL- Orlando City SC (8-9-6, 30 points) easily defeated DC United (4-23-9, 20 points) at Inter & Co. Stadium on Saturday night in front of 22,561 fans. The night was also special as Orlando legend Kaká was inducted as the first-ever player in the Legends Terrace. He was honored after the match.
Kaká has seen success at all levels of soccer, from winning the World Cup with Brazil to triumphs in the Champions League with AC Milan and Real Madrid, including winning the Ballon d’Or.
Kaká joined Orlando City SC in 2004 and scored its first goal in MLS history. The three-time MLS All-Star scored 27 goals for the Lions in all competitions. He retired from MLS in 2017.
“On behalf of the players and all the staff on our team, we want to congratulate Kaká on what happened today,” said Head Coach Oscar Pareja. “It was very significant to the Club and what he represents. It was an honor to be a part of that.”
Orlando, on the upswing after a rollercoaster season, rebounded from a 4-2 loss against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium with a 2-1 win over Toronto FC on Wednesday night.
Facing the team at the bottom of the table, Orlando had no problem finding space to make plays in the first half, with Martín Ojeda, Robin Jansson, and Iván Angulo all scoring, plus two goals being called off for offsides.
In the second half, the Lions’ attack continued as they added two more goals for a 5-0 win.
In the 74th minute, Duncan McGuire put in a cross, and Facundo Torres had no problem charging in the middle and scoring past the keeper for a 5-0 lead.
A few minutes later, in the 86th minute, Alex Freeman set up Ramiro Enrique for an easy put-in for the final goal of the match.
“Another good night for us,” said Pareja. “We tried to get more consistency in this game that we needed, not just because of points but the confidence that we need on the team. I thought it was an outstanding first half, probably the best that we have played during the year. I’ve seen that our players are getting more confident and we’re getting closer to what we were. We’re happy and encouraged to keep going. The second half, to play up a man, we dominated the game territorially and in spaces, but I think the overall take is we look much more like ourselves.”
Orlando dominated possession in the match, 61% to 38.2%. The Lions had 24 shots, with 10 on target, while United had only five shots with one on goal.
Orlando had 48 touches inside the box compared to DC’s five.
It was total domination by the Lions.
The Lions will next head out on the road to take on the New England Revolution on Saturday, July 13, at Gillette Stadium. That match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
