ORLANDO, Fla. — Twenty years ago, MLS was a new league many thought wouldn’t survive. Four days ago it was locked in a labor struggle many thought would end in a strike. But on Sunday, New York City FC and Orlando City SC made their debuts with a 1-1 tie, and a huge statement for how far the league has come.
Granted, the play on the field — despite David Villa captaining NYCFC and Kaka scoring for Orlando — made a statement about how far both new sides have to go. The game was choppy and sloppy, but before a sellout crowd of 62,510 at the Citrus Bowl, it didn’t lack for buzz or drama, up to Kaka’s 91st-minute equalizer.
“Really pleased with the work rate the guys put in,’’ NYCFC coach Jason Kreis said. “On the soccer side, we showed we need some improvement. We got much better in the second half when we calmed down. It’s inevitable. You have 63,000 fans that are so loud it makes the team extremely handcuffed that has to play in front of those fans.
“It’s a question of when you can calm yourself down and how many guys are feeling it. It did take a little longer than I would’ve liked, but … that’s life.’’
It was choppy and uneven, with NYCFC unable to get the ball to Villa until he and Mix Diskerud combined on a 76th-minute tally. But despite playing a man up after Orlando’s Aurelien Collin got sent off in the 83rd for coming in over the ball on Villa, they couldn’t hold on, conceding a free kick and ensuing goal by Kaka.
“We did a good job. It was a shame we didn’t get more points. Think it took us a while to get into the game in the beginning,’’ said Villa, largely quiet except for setting up the goal and drawing the red card.
“You feel like you should be able to win the game when they’re only 10 men and we’re a goal up,’’ Diskerud said. “They had a lot of free kicks and 25 yards out, a bit too many. If Kaka gets four or five chances from there, he’ll eventually score. But we probably could’ve been a better job riding the game out, using time on the ball.’’
That’s one they’ll likely regret. Despite being outshot 15-8, and seeing goalkeeper Josh Saunders make a pair of key saves — despite two collisions that opened a bloody gash on his head — NYCFC had a chance to steal the game. Diskerud took Villa’s pass and bent a curling ball far post, running toward the traveling supporters and motioning to the NYCFC badge on his jersey.
“I decided before the game if I scored I’d run toward the fans who are here,’’ Diskerud said. “They deserved it.’’
But they couldn’t close the deal, after Ned Grabavoy fouled Kevin Molino about 25 yards out. Kaka, the only Ballon d’Or winner for FIFA’s best player to play in MLS, ripped a free kick that deflected off Jeb Brovsky and caught Saunders flat-footed.
“It’s tough to take, a free kick that late in the game,’’ Saunders said. “They had a couple opportunities, and if you give Kaka that many opportunities, he’s going to put one on frame or he’s going to score. So it was an unfortunate deflection.’’
Saunders got his head knocked into the crossbar in a 14th-minute collision with Seb Hines and was down for three minutes, coming up with a bloody gash in his head. He came out to challenge Carlos Rivas on a breakaway, taking a knee to the chest and seeing his cut open up again.
“Tough fall, but one of those things you just commit yourself and go for it,’’ said Saunders, who never considered coming out, and praised the atmosphere — mostly. “I thought the fans were excellent. But I’d ask that they show a little more discretion with throwing stuff on the field. You never want to see that.’’
But for the most part the game was everything MLS and U.S. Soccer wanted to see.
“Fantastic. It’s an extraordinary day,’’ USSF president Sunil Gulati said. “I don’t know [if it’s something I could] expect. Hope for, dream of, sure.’’
MLS commissioner Don Garber added: “This is pretty darn special. These are the days that make all of us at the league and everybody who loves the game really pleased. … I never did [expect this] frankly. We’ve got something special going on here.’’