Orlando City loses Kaka for six weeks

Orlando City’s acquisition of Giles Barnes looks particularly prescient right about now.

Kaka is set to miss six weeks after picking up a hamstring injury in Sunday’s season-opening 1-0 win over New York City FC.

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While Barnes isn’t a like-for-like replacement for the former Ballon d’Or winner, he was the focal point of an MLS attack for several years in Houston before a midseason trade to Vancouver last season.

From The Orlando Sentinel:

“He’s a great player and he’s a loss, certainly, but Giles [Barnes] came in and did extremely well,” Lions centerback Jonathan Spector said. “That’s one of the great things about this team, we have so much strength and depth. When someone like Kaká goes down and someone like Giles Barnes comes in. . . . I think we are in a really good position.”

Kaka has 19 goals and 15 assists in 55 MLS appearances, and will certainly be missed, but the England-born Barnes has 19 caps for Jamaica, and brings 33 MLS goals to the lineup.

Orlando City faces a short respite of schedule with New England, Columbus, and Philadelphia before the Red Bulls, Galaxy, and New York City (again).

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