ORLANDO, Fla. -- Kaká’s run in Copa America with the Brazilian national team may be over before the tournament even starts, but Orlando City are hopeful their star Designated Player will not miss any time with them after the international break.
The Lions will play at the Jacksonville Armada on June 15 in Lamar Hunt US Open Cup play, then entertain the San Jose Earthquakes on June 18 in their return to league play. The captain is already being counted on for at least the league games, as well as a big showdown with conference rivals Toronto FC the following week.
News of Kaká’s latest injury – his third this season – arrived on Wednesday night with most of the players and coaching staff away due to the big gap between games, but founding owner and president Phil Rawlins was quick to assess the situation.
“The way it was described to me is that it was ‘a minor thigh strain,’ and Kaká will be ready for San Jose,” Rawlins said. “It is obviously a big disappointment for him, but we have a couple of weeks before our next game, and he is confident he won’t miss any time with us.”
Orlando City sit just out of playoff position, and they will want to make the most of back-to-back home matches, so they can ill afford to be without their star man.
Unfortunately for Kaká – and Brazil – the injury was just enough to rule him out of the Copa group stages and comes as a huge blow after the unexpected call-up last week that seemed set to give him one last chance to burnish his legend with the national team.
“Mentally, it is very tough for him,” Rawlins added. “He was definitely hyped to be playing for Brazil one more time, and we know it means a lot to him. But I think he is also relieved it is just a minor niggle, and he can actually treat it as a week off like the rest of the players. Certainly the feeling is he will be available for the 18th.”
It has been a whirlwind seven days for Orlando’s talisman, who missed Sunday’s 2-2 draw at New York City FC after his late Copa summons and, instead, played in Brazil’s warm-up game against Panama in Denver on Monday.
He pulled out of training the next day after feeling a pain in the thigh muscle, and it was only 24 hours later that the team physio decided he was going to need at least a week’s rest and treatment.
Kaká has certainly been crucial to Orlando’s cause so far this season, with two goals and five assists in his seven games to date.
“Brazil felt that missing out on the whole of the group stage wasn’t going to help them, so they decided to release him,” Rawlins said. “Realistically, he can certainly do with the time off.”
