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Kaká Shines in Orlando City’s 4-0 Preseason Rout of Young FC Dallas Squad

The Brazilian scored a goal on a penalty and assisted on another in his 45 minutes on the pitch as the Lions rolled.

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11 years ago

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Dave Griesbrecht, The Mane Land

DAVENPORT, FL — Kaká made his long-awaited debut in purple today and he looked good.

He and his Orlando City SC teammates ran roughshod over an FC Dallas team comprised largely of backups and trialists, winning 4-0 at the ChampionsGate Sports Complex. The highest paid player in Major League Soccer, wearing the captain’s arm band, scored on a penalty in the 33rd minute (I think…they didn’t have a visible clock and time was kept on the field), after striker Martin Paterson was pulled down in the box by…someone. We weren’t given rosters. It was No. 39 and he had long hair — that’s all I know.

Here’s that penalty:

Paterson himself got on the score sheet earlier, collecting his own rebound and scoring left-footed in the 20th minute, off a beautiful feed from Kaká, who overlapped nicely with Kevin Molino on the play. “Molino to Kaká to Paterson, GOAL!” has a nice ring to it. Hopefully we’ll hear it a lot this season.

Orlando City’s $7 million man started and played the opening 45 minutes. All the starters were replaced at the half. Kaká was all smiles after the game.

“Very good, first game,” he said. “We have a lot of things we need to improve, but as a first game it was nice, and I’m happy with it.”

Head Coach Adrian Heath said he was, in a word, “pleased” with his team’s effort, although he pointed out the opposition was a very young side that will not be what the Lions will see in the regular season. FC Dallas played without its best and brightest in the scrimmage.

“After the first 15-20 minutes, I thought we started to play some reasonable football,” Heath said. “We started to look as if we knew what we’re doing. We started getting a little bit better idea of what we can become. It was good to get ‘Ricky’ (Kaká) on the field and see where he’s going to fit in and where we think we can work with him best.”

Heath said his team was still getting to know its star player and where to look for him.

“I think the most important thing is we’ve got to get to know where he thinks it’s best for him to be operating,” said the coach. “Like he did a little bit at Sao Paulo last year, he played a bit deeper at times. One of the pleasing things today is that he dropped deep and Kevin (Molino) went and played in behind him. There were one or two nice little bits of movement between the two of them.”

Midfielder Tony Cascio, who started on the right wing, opened the scoring, just 13 minutes in, faking a defender out and dribbling past, before slotting home with his left foot.

In the second half, Danny Mwanga, the beneficiary of a turnover, made it 4-0 in the 64th minute, faking the goalkeeper to the ground and firing left footed into the empty net. Mwanga had two other nice opportunities to score, notably trying to chip the keeper on a break, but he didn’t quite get the try high enough and it was saved.

FC Dallas managed to hit the post with a header off a cross late in the second half, but otherwise didn’t get many looks at goal. Some said the player was none other than former Lion Long Tan, but I did not receive confirmation of that. Goalkeepers Donovan Ricketts and Earl Edwards Jr. had little to do today.

The most important takeaway is that Kaká got on the field, despite one nervous minute when the entire Orlando City bench audibly gasped after Kaká was fouled hard. The Brazilian seemed to have good chemistry with Molino and Paterson and that will only get better.

“The first game you always have motivation and is something special, and now every game will be better,” he said. “Every game we need to do better things. I think today we did better than the last game.”

Other takeaways from the game:

  • Molino looks like he’s been playing with Kaká for more than two weeks. The two seemed to have a good understanding where the other would be.
  • Heath paired veterans and young players in his central defender pairings. Aurelien Collin played alongside Conor Donovan on the first unit and Gustavo played next to Tommy Redding in the second half.
  • Paterson was very active in his second stint with the club, creating several chances. He scored, drew a penalty, pushed a shot just inches wide, and had another attempt saved. It was a top performance.
  • Harrison Heath played left wing in the second half and Darwin Ceren played attacking midfield. There were obviously absences. Carlos Rivas (shoulder) is banged up, Lewis Neal did not play, and we still haven’t seen Cyle Larin or Bryan Rochez. Akeil Barrett played right wing with the second group. Sidney Rivera also didn’t play.
  • Rafael Ramos was less visible today than in the 1-1 draw with D.C. United. He had trouble finding space and took out his frustrations after losing the ball with a hard challenge that drew a yellow card and could easily have been a red on another day or with another referee.

Orlando City Starters (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Donovan Ricketts.

Defenders: Luke Boden, Aurelien Collin, Conor Donovan, Rafael Ramos.

Defensive Mid: Amobi Okugo, Cristian Higuita.

Attacking Mid: Kevin Molino, Kaká, Tony Cascio.

Striker: Martin Paterson.

Goals:

Orlando City: Tony Cascio (13′), Martin Paterson (20′), Kaká (33′ – pen.), Mwanga (64′).

FC Dallas: None.

Yellow Cards:

Orlando City: Rafael Ramos (28′).

FC Dallas: (They got two, one was on No. 39. The other might have been on Danny Garcia. Yeah, it was like that out there.)

Red Cards:

None.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/9/25

Thomas Williams departs via trade, World Cup hydration breaks, UEFA Champions League previews, and more.

Published

6 hours ago

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December 9, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. The 2025 MLS season is officially over, which means it’s time to start looking ahead to 2026. The start of next season is still over two months away, but there are still plenty of things going on in the soccer world during the meantime. We’ve got a lot to discuss this morning so let’s get right into the links.

Thomas Williams Traded

Orlando City announced on Monday that it has traded Homegrown center back Thomas Williams to Nashville SC. In exchange, Nashville sent Orlando its first-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft and will also send up to an additional $100,000 in General Allocation Money if certain performance incentives are hit. That first-round pick is the 20th overall selection in the draft, meaning that Orlando now has the fifth, ninth, 14th, and the 20th overall picks, for a whopping four first-round selections. Williams’ departure means that Orlando will likely need to sign a fourth center back to join Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and David Brekalo, although whether that happens in the draft or via the transfer window/trade market is anyone’s guess.

World Cup Will Have Hydration Breaks

FIFA has announced that every game in the 2026 World Cup will be paused for three minutes during each half for a hydration break, regardless of weather conditions. The break will occur 22 minutes into each half, and effectively splits the game into four quarters. After some games in the Club World Cup were played in over 100-degree heat, the decision to include water breaks was made to prioritize player safety, and the choice to have breaks even in games where conditions don’t call for one is intended to ensure competitive balance. The decision is a sensible one when it comes to player welfare, but don’t be at all surprised when FIFA uses the three-minute time frame to run advertisements, because I guarantee that’s what will happen.

UEFA Champions League Returns

The UEFA Champions League is back for its sixth round of league phase matches this week, and there are several eye-catching matchups on the docket. Today’s action is highlighted by Liverpool traveling to the San Siro to face Inter Milan, and the Reds will be hoping for a repeat of the Round of 16 tie between the two teams back in 2021-2022, when they beat the Italians 2-0 in Milan. Meanwhile, Chelsea will hope to build off an impressive 3-0 win over Barcelona on matchday five, when the Blues travel to Bergamo to face Atalanta. The tentpole match on Wednesday sees Real Madrid host Manchester City, with the match marking the fifth straight season that the teams have played each other in the Champions League.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The January transfer window will be here before we know it, and as expected, the rumor mill is firing on all cylinders. Up first, Napoli is said to be increasing its efforts to sign Kobbie Mainoo on loan next month, as the Italian club needs capable bodies in a midfield that’s been wracked by injuries. Atletico Madrid is reportedly interested in signing Valentin Barco from Strasbourg, but Chelsea may have an advantage in landing his signature due to the fact that Strasbourg and Chelsea are sister clubs. AC Milan is said to be planning to use Luka Modric’s connection to Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to help sign the Ukrainian shot stopper if current goalkeeper Mike Maignan leaves at the end of the season. Finally, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Manchester United are all said to be interested in signing Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, but the French club wants a fee in the area of €60 million.

Free Kicks

  • Here’s a peek at some of the off-season renovations underway at Inter&Co Stadium.
  • The NWSL will be hosting a combine for the first time.

🔵 Sources: Sporting KC has acquired GK Stefan Cleveland from Austin FC.Deal is worth $50k GAM. Cleveland has signed a new contract with SKC.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-12-08T16:13:32.116Z

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City Sends Defender Thomas Williams to Nashville for First-Round Pick

The Lions deal their Homegrown center back to Nashville for a first-round 2026 draft pick.

Published

22 hours ago

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December 8, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City announced today that the club has sent Homegrown center back Thomas Williams to Nashville SC in a trade for the Tennessee club’s first pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. The deal could also net Orlando City up to an additional $100,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) if Williams meets certain performance metrics.

The pick acquired is the No. 20 overall selection in the Dec. 18 SuperDraft, giving Orlando four picks in the draft’s first round. The Lions hold the No. 5 overall pick (from the LA Galaxy), the No. 9 selection (from the Houston Dynamo FC), their own pick at No. 14, and now the No. 20 slot from Nashville.

The club signed Williams, 21, to a Homegrown Player contract on June 15, 2021, making him the 11th Homegrown signing in OCSC history. He was just 16 years old at the time and already stood 6-foot-4. He was the club’s youngest Homegrown signing to that point at just 16 years and 10 months, surpassing Tommy Redding (17 years, one month, 15 days). Orlando City picked up Williams’ contract option in 2024 and apparently saw enough in his development to sign him to a new contract through 2026 on Jan. 22 with an option for 2027.

In 2025, Williams spent most of his season with Orlando City B, where he played in 24 games, (all starts), logging 2,117 minutes with the Young Lions. Defensively, he recorded 44 clearances, 35 tackles, 31 interceptions, 25 blocks and 33 aerial duels won in MLS NEXT Pro. He committed 27 fouls while picking up seven yellow cards and suffering seven fouls. He passed with 91% accuracy while completing three key passes and contributing one assist, and he took 14 shots with six of them finding the target. For the senior side, Williams was limited to one appearance from the substitutes’ bench for a total of 10 minutes against CF Montreal in the regular season, and he did not appear in any other competitions. He contributed three clearances, one tackle, and one interception on defense while also committing a foul. He completed his lone pass but did not record any offensive statistics.

Williams did not appear with the first team in MLS play in 2024 or 2023, but he made four appearances (two starts) in 2022, logging 181 minutes without a goal contribution. He made his MLS debut with Orlando City on April 16 of that season, when he played one minute off the bench in the Lions’ 2-0 win at Columbus. He entered during stoppage time and did not even register a touch of the ball. His first start with the senior team came just days later, when the Lions hosted the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the U.S. Open Cup — a game Orlando won 2-1 on April 20. In all, Williams was on Orlando City’s team sheet for 24 league matches and two USOC games. He played in just the one game vs. Tampa Bay, going 90 minutes; recording no goals, assists, or shots; passing at an 89% success rate; and committing one foul.

What It Means for Orlando City

At just 21 years old, there is still a ton of time for Williams to develop into the center back Orlando City envisioned when the club signed him as a Homegrown Player, but if he does, it will be somewhere other than in Orlando. Williams has been an inconsistent performer at the MLS NEXT Pro level over the past few seasons, but some of that can be attributed to the number of different lineups and center back partners he’s played with over that time. It became clear that Orlando City’s current coaching staff did not trust Williams enough to give him first-team minutes when Kyle Smith started filling in when the Lions were down more than one center back from the group of Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and David Brekalo.

What this move might do, aside from potentially bringing in a player in the draft who can help the club for years to come, is force Orlando City to sign a capable fourth center back, which is something that the club has seemed loathe to do while Williams was waiting in the wings with OCB. Not having that fourth guy hurt the team in the Leagues Cup third-place match against the LA Galaxy in 2025, and it could have bitten the team at any time if injuries would have hit that position group hard. A veteran MLS center back who is willing to play a role off the bench would be a strong addition to the team’s defensive corps, given the propensity of Jansson and Schlegel to get suspended through yellow card accumulation or the occasional straight red card.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/8/25

USMNT World Cup group is set, the bad guys win MLS Cup, Americans abroad, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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December 8, 2025

By

Image of Alex Freeman celebrating his first goal against Uruguay in the USMNT's 5-1 win in Tampa.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Rich Story / Getty Images

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work while covering high school basketball and wrestling this week. Let’s wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride defender Zara Chavoshi, who turned 23 Saturday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

World Cup Draw Reveals Favorable Group for USMNT

The FIFA World Cup draw was completed Friday in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Men’s National Team will face Paraguay, Australia, and the winner of UEFA Path C which will be decided between the winners of Turkey vs. Romania and Slovakia vs. Kosovo. FIFA also announced the match times, location, and full schedule for all the 2026 World Cup matches. The opening World Cup match for the USMNT will be June 12 against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. The Yanks will play again June 19 against Australia at Lumen Field in Seattle, before facing the UEFA playoff winner on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium.

As for the cohosts, Mexico was drawn with South Korea, South Africa, and the UEFA Path D winner between the victors in the Czech Republic vs. Ireland and Denmark vs. North Macedonia matches. Canada will face Qatar, Switzerland, and the UEFA Path A winner between whoever survives the bracket with Italy vs. Northern Ireland and Wales vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Inter Miami Wins MLS Cup

Inter Miami defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 Saturday at Chase Stadium to win its first MLS Cup, because sometimes evil triumphs over good. Miami went ahead early on an own goal by Vancouver defender Edier Ocampo. In the second half, the Whitecaps’ Ali Ahmed scored the equalizer, but Rodrigo De Paul pulled Miami back in front at 2-1. In stoppage time, Tadeo Allende added an insurance goal for Miami. Lionel Messi had two assists and was named the MLS Cup MVP. It’s the third consecutive year Miami has won a trophy since Messi’s arrival, taking the Leagues Cup title in 2023 and the Supporters’ Shield in 2024. The Whitecaps’ stellar MLS Cup playoff run ended with questions surrounding the club’s future. The Whitecaps remain for sale, but according to The Athletic, the club may relocate if it can’t secure a new lease at BC Place.

Americans Abroad

It was another busy weekend for Americans abroad in Europe. Weston McKennie added an assist for Juventus, but his side fell 2-1 to Napoli. Brenden Aaronson came off the bench in the second half, played 25 minutes, and notched an assist in Leeds United’s 3-3 draw against Liverpool. Malik Tillman played 81 minutes but Bayer Leverkusen fell 2-0 to FC Augsburg. Joe Scally played 90 minutes as Borussia Monchengladbach beat Mainz 1-0. In France, Tim Weah played 90 minutes but his side fell 1-0 to his former team Lille. Mark McKenzie played a full 90 as well, as Toulouse beat Strasbourg 1-0. Today, Christian Pulisic and AC Milan will face Torino in Serie A league action.

San Diego Wave FC Wins World Sevens Tournament

The San Diego Wave defeated Tigres 3-0 Sunday at Beyond Bancard Field in Fort Lauderdale to win the World Sevens Soccer Tournament and take home $2 million in prize money. Adriana Leon scored two goals in the match. The Wave went undefeated in the tournament, winning five matches and scoring 14 goals while conceding only three. The Wave defeated Deportivo Cali, beat Club America in a penalty shootout after a scoreless draw, and beat Nacional in the group stage, while cruising to a 5-1 win over Flamengo in the semifinals. The Wave weren’t the only NWSL side in the competition; the Kansas City Current also participated but were eliminated in the group stage.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City forward Marco Pasalic’s Croatia side will face England, Panama, and Ghana in Group L of the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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