The New York Red Bulls scored the most goals in the Eastern Conference a season ago in large part because Bradley Wright-Phillips ran wild to tie the MLS single-season scoring record.
That's again started to take form in recent matches, but one of this season's main imports is having a similar scoring impact for Orlando City. Kaka will return from suspension Saturday night at home as the clubs meet for the first time.
The Red Bulls (7-6-5) went their first 15 league matches without topping two goals, but they've done so twice in the last three games as part of a 3-1-0 stretch. Including two U.S. Open Cup matches, they've outscored opponents 17-7 over a 5-2-0 span, and New York is one of two teams in the East with a positive goal differential at plus-4.
Wright-Phillips, who had 27 goals last season, scored twice in last Saturday's 4-1 home win over New England and has three goals in his last three matches following a six-game scoring drought.
"We've just been a little bit sharper and now fine-tuned some of the movements," coach Jesse Marsch told the club's official website. "I've said all along, even when we weren't scoring goals in the stretch where we were losing a few games, that I wasn't worried. I wasn't concerned about the goal scoring. That was going to come."
New York will be without Gold Cup participants Kemar Lawrence (Jamaica) and Roy Miller (Costa Rica).
For Orlando (6-7-6), Brek Shea will be out for an extended period after undergoing sports hernia surgery this week. The midfielder last played June 24 and is expected to be back at some point this season.
Luke Boden will miss the match because of a red card, though that's surely preferable to Kaka. Cyle Larin (Canada) and Darwin Ceren (El Salvador) will return along with the club's Brazilian superstar.
Having Kaka, who missed last Saturday's 2-0 home loss to Dallas because of a red card, and Larin back probably can't be overstated. The duo has 15 of the club's 20 league goals scored by its own players. Orlando has benefited from three own goals, which means collective opponents stand as its next top scorer. Kaka has nine in league play and grabbed the attention of Marsch.
"I've been impressed with him in every way," he said. "I think he, even on days when his team hasn't been very good, he hasn't shown frustration in the game. He's made a big difference for them. He's made every play for them in many ways, so that's clearly going to have to be a focus for us."
Orlando crammed in a friendly against the Premier League's West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday, winning 3-1 behind goals from Kaka, Carlos Rivas and Bryan Rochez.
Including a pair of Open Cup matches, that runs its record to 6-2-4 in all contests since opening 2-5-3.
In terms of handling Wright-Phillips and fellow goal scorer Lloyd Sam, Orlando hopes recently acquired Corey Ashe can have an impact if he's selected for the starting 11. The left back came in a trade from Houston on Tuesday in exchange for a 2017 second-round pick and general allocation money.
"I'm familiar with both of them," Ashe told the club's official website. "It will be a bit of an adjustment, obviously not having played with Orlando, but good players find ways to overcome difficult situations so that's what I have to do."
