Orlando City Soccer Club’s inaugural MLS Season started today as the clubs players reported back for training in front of a packed media audience.
In a week where the club announced it had broken the 10,000 season ticket barrier, it seems apt to look back to 2011 when it all began. Back then a handful of media were present at games as the club won the USL PRO title at its first attempt. Today, approximately 100 media from numerous outlets from all over the world were present to witness the first training session for Brazilian superstar Kaká (pictured above) and his new teammates. It was a striking contrast best illustrated as a couple of the younger players were honest enough to admit they were a little overwhelmed by it all.
After the training session media attended a press conference where Phil Rawlins – President of Orlando City Soccer (pictured above right), Alex Leitão – newly appointed CEO (pictured above left), Head Coach Adrian Heath and Kaká spelled out their hopes and aspirations for the new season. Rawlins opened the session as he remarked: “You’re going to find it very difficult to take a picture of me today without a smile on my face. This is a day we’ve waited for (for) seven years. It’s another historical milestone in the history of this great club, one that I’m delighted to see happen.” He continued: “We are here to win, to make a mark on Major League Soccer — not to just make up the numbers, but as we’ve said all along, to compete. I think you saw by the standard and the quality of the facilities and the quality of players on the field that we’re certainly going to make that statement bold and strong.”
2007 FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or winner Kaká informed the audience that he had already started bonding with his new teammates and that he was very much up for the latest challenge in his career.
“It’s respect,”Kaká said. “And I can show them even if I won a lot of things in my career, I still have the motivation for victories. Every day I will try to show them that personality when we’re training, and show them how I want to win.” He added: “I played on three big clubs, and on those clubs most of the time I was the face of the team. So I’m used to it. It’s a big responsibility. But it’s also a big motivation. So I hope I can be the face of Orlando for many years.”
More photos at www.FloridaLeisurePhotography.com
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