Kaka will not make his debut for new MLS franchise Orlando City SC for several months yet but the Brazilian legend has this week helped the US team launch what will be their inaugural MLS jerseys.
Despite signing up to the franchise back in June the former AC Milan and Real Madrid maestro has spent most of his time playing in the white, red and black of his native Sao Paulo as part of a loan deal agreed soon after, but he swapped the famous colors of the Brazilian team for what Orlando hope will become their own well-known color - purple.
Purple and proud
The Adidas jerseys, which can be seen modelled by Kaka himself below, take on the regal theme that their lion nickname alludes to, with purple dominating the kit alongside hints of gold and white.
Unsurprisingly Kaka, as Orlando's and in fact MLS' highest earning player, features heavily in the promotional material accompanying the kit launch.
The purple motif sees Orlando City move away from their traditional colors as they continue their preparation for the 2015 MLS season and they will certainly stand out when they get there, with none of the other franchises in the top US league currently braving the bold choice.
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“We are very proud of the end result, and we can’t wait to see our team take the field next year.” - Orlando City founder and president Phil Rawlins
A new lion crest meanwhile is displayed proudly on the front of the jersey. The franchise is not ditching its previous history entirely however. Located on the inside of the jersey over the heart is the team's old logo while a crowd image can be found above the words 'Orlando City' on the back of the jersey - a reference to the franchise's USL championship titles.
Building for the future
Orlando City SC may now have a flashy new jersey but they still have plenty to do before taking their place in MLS.
Expected to fill the vacant position left by Chivas USA, OCSC currently only have nine players on their books with Kaka by far the biggest name signed on.
With first pick in the MLS expansion draft (Dec. 10) and MLS Super Draft (January 2015) they will hope to address that with some young talent. But if they are looking for more experience perhaps they could look to Anderlecht or Fiorentina - at least they know players at those clubs are comfortable performing in purple.
