The Whitecaps will be tested by another of Major League Soccers newest superstars on Saturday. They will travel to Orlando City, where Kaka has orchestrated an exciting beginning to the brand new franchise.
They have taken 4 out of a possible 6 points so far, and they haven't had it easy, either. They opened their season in Yankee Stadium, where they spoiled New York City's party and earned a draw against David Villa and the boys. The next week they played Houston Dynamo at home and got their first win. So now, in week 3, Orlando are co-leaders of the Eastern Conference.
It is not always clear how good an expansion team is going to be, but it two short weeks Orlando City have made it clear that they are a legitimate threat in the East. They boast a player in 32-year-old Kaka who eight years ago was named the best footballer in the entire world, beating out Cristiano Ronaldo for the 2007 Ballon d'Or.
And although his career has cooled of significantly since, he is still an immense talent who seems to be finding his stride again in North America. He is a world class dribbler, able to create space on his own before his vision and passing ability takes over. To say he was built for MLS would be an insult, but nobody can argue that his counter-attacking prowess lends itself very well to the style of soccer played over here.
As far as his performance so far, he has not disappointed. His tallies of 4 shots and 2.5 key passes per game are both in the top 15 among MLS players. He does have a goal to his name, albeit off a lucky deflection on a set piece delivery. More importantly, his peripheral numbers suggest his learning curve will be relatively gentle; he has already begun to make an immediate impact in MLS.
To put it simply, Vancouver have their hands full this weekend. They have already failed a similar test in their home opener, where Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore ran all over the Whitecaps defenders en route to a 3-1 loss. And that was at BC Place.
To contain a player of Kaka's caliber away from home the Caps will need to show dramatic improvement. Yes, they kept a clean sheet in Chicago last week, but this Orlando City team is a cut above the Fire. We should get a feel this weekend for how good, or bad, this Whitecaps defense really is.
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