Sporting Kansas City’s trip to Orlando to play Orlando City will be strange for the players and fans. Graham Zusi and Dom Dwyer are returning to their home.
When Sporting Kansas City is introduced Sunday for its lone trip to Orlando, the Wall might have a different response than they would for the typical visitors. Booing just does not feel completely right for a few of the players on Sporting Kansas City that helped build Orlando as a soccer community.
The Lions and Sporting will always have a special relationship together. In Orlando City’s second year of existence, they created a minor league partnership and accepted players from Sporting Kansas City on loan.
The biggest of those players was struggling striker Dom Dwyer.
All Dwyer did when he came to Orlando was set the USL Pro record for goals (since broken by Kevin Molino) in less than a season — 15 goals in 13 games. He played so well, Sporting Kansas City called him back up and he immediately started producing for them.
When Orlando City needed some scoring punch for its USL Pro championship game, they got a one-game loan and Dwyer recorded a hat trick in front of 20,000-plus fans and the most attended minor league game in U.S. sports history.
Quite realistically, Dwyer’s natural scoring ability and what he accomplished helped build the groundswell leading to the MLS promotion, as Scott Carnevale of O-Town’s 11 writes:
Not only was Dwyer able to win games, but he made them exciting to go to. For most of the games this season, the Orlando City games have been boring. Sure, in the stands, screaming and dancing and signing, it is a blast. But from watching at home, Orlando City is boring. They have lost the magic touch that Dom Dwyer brought this team, his down to earth personality, his top notch work ethic that makes everyone else on the field better. This is what Orlando City is missing.
Orlando City games are definitely different. The level of competition and talent has increased. Dwyer alone would not solve things and bring back those old days. But there was definitely something different about those games and those days.
Dwyer has been a smashing success since then in MLS. This year, he has scored nine goals. He had 22 goals last year. He has 33 goals in 73 MLS games since 2012. This is a guy who just knows how to put the ball in the back of the net.
Yet, he is always going to have some pull to Orlando.
Orlando City manager Adrian Heath has already been fined for suggesting his team would acquire Dwyer. Something about anti-tampering laws. And it does not seem likely Kansas City is about to let him go.
On the other side, Graham Zusi is involved in Orlando soccer at a much more grassroots level.
Before the Lions even came into existence, Graham Zusi was developing on Orlando’s soccer fields. His family was at the county commission hearing discussing funding Orlando City’s stadium.
Zusi grew up in Longwood and has risen to the MLS level and as a fixture on the U.S. National Team. The whole Zusi family will be at the Citrus Bowl on Sunday. Many of them will wear blue, for at least this game.
The rumors the Lions might try to acquire Zusi has definitely reached his ear, but as he told Paul Tenorio of the Orlando Sentinel, he is happy to be in Kansas City.
“I’ve been asked that question a lot of times. I think I’ve always answered it the same way. I really like the idea of playing with one team my whole career. It’s something I’ve really respected when I see other players do it; I just really like that idea. At the moment, I’m extremely happy where I am and hopefully that remains the case. But I think I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’ve thought about that.
“The idea of playing in front of your home fans where you grew up, there is something kind of warming about that as well. I’ll leave it at that. I don’t want to say too much. I love the idea of playing for one team, but if it had to be anyone else, it’s a pretty fun thought.”
It would be fun indeed.
Orlando City is still in its infancy as a MLS franchise. But it is already pretty clear it has established some sort of history with players who have come through the system and come through the area.
Just on Sunday they will be on the opposite side of the field. A true celebration of Orlando’s growth as a soccer market.
[…] story heading into Sunday’s game between Orlando City and Sporting Kansas City is the return of several players with Orlando ties. Alicia DelGallo of the Orlando Sentinel writes Orlando City too is looking forward to seeing the […]