WEB EXCLUSIVE

The​ ​tension​ ​builds​ ​ ​as​ ​Gennaro​ ​Gattuso​ ​receives​ ​the​ ​ball​ ​within​ ​scoring​ ​distance,​ ​two defenders​ ​hounding​ ​him​ ​down​ ​from​ ​the​ ​back.​ ​He​ ​looks​ ​up​ ​to​ ​find​ ​a​ ​connection​ ​to​ ​Kaká​, ​who makes​ ​a​ ​diving​ ​header​ ​to​ ​place​ ​it​ ​in​ ​the​ ​back​ ​of​ ​the​ ​net.​ ​The​ ​crowd​ ​goes​ ​wild​ ​as​ ​he​ ​rolls​ ​out​ ​of the​ ​leap​ ​and​ ​onto​ ​Gattuso’s​ ​back,: ​a​ ​celebratory​ ​dance.

This​ ​was​ ​the​ ​goal​ ​that​ ​first​ ​placed​ ​the​ ​spotlight​ ​on​ ​the​ ​legendary​ ​soccer​ ​player,​ ​Ricardo Izecson​ ​dos​ ​Santos​ ​Leite,​ ​better​ ​know​ ​to​ ​the​ ​world​ ​as​ ​Kaká.​ ​He​ ​has​ ​a​ ​certain​ ​attitude​ ​in​ ​the​ ​way he​ ​plays​ ​that​ ​makes​ ​him​ ​stand​ ​out​ ​from​ ​the​ ​rest,​ ​ ​a​ ​certain​ ​aspect​ to how ​he​ ​glides​ ​through​ ​defenders like a​ ​knife​ ​through​ ​butter​ ​and​ ​strikes​ ​the​ ​ball​ ​into​ ​the​ ​back​ ​of​ ​the​ ​net​ ​with​ ​no​ ​mercy.

This​ ​dynamic​ ​attacking​ ​midfielder​ ​recently​ ​made​ ​the​ ​decision​ ​to​ ​retire​ ​from​ ​Major​ ​League Soccer​ ​after​ ​three​ ​long​ ​seasons.​ ​His​ ​inspiring​ ​work​ ​ethic​ ​has​ ​made​ ​people​ ​around​ ​Florida​–​and even​ ​around​ ​the​ ​world​–push​ ​themselves​ ​to​ ​play​ ​better,​ ​to​ ​act​ ​better​ ​and​ ​to​ ​live​ ​better.

He​ ​first​ ​started​ ​his​ ​career​ ​playing​ ​at​ ​Sao​ ​Paulo,​ ​at​ ​the​ ​age​ ​of​ ​18.​ ​He​ ​scored​ ​12​ ​goals​ ​in​ ​a series​ ​of​ ​27​ ​games,​ ​earning​ ​his​ ​way​ ​onto​ ​the​ ​starting​ ​line-up. He​ ​progressed​ ​on​ ​to​ ​play​ ​in​ ​Milan, Real​ ​Madrid​ ​and​ ​got​ ​called​ ​up​ ​to​ ​play​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Brazilian​ ​National​ ​Team​ ​in​ ​2001.

Kaká​ ​signed​ ​into​ ​Orlando​ ​City​ ​in​ ​2015,​ ​jumpstarting​ ​this​ ​new​ ​team​ ​into​ ​their​ ​first​ ​season. He​ ​led​ ​his​ ​team​ ​to​ ​12​ ​wins​ ​and​ ​11​ ​ties.

The​ ​international​ ​exposure​ ​from​ ​his​ ​home​ ​country​ ​of​ ​Brazil​ ​and​ ​other​ ​international​ ​fans brought​ ​new​ ​crowds​ ​and​ ​people​ ​into​ ​the​ ​soccer​ ​community​ ​here​ ​in​ ​Central​ ​Florida.​ ​​ ​Hoards​ ​of people​ ​of​ ​all​ ​ages​ ​rushed​ ​into​ ​the​ ​Citrus​ ​Bowl​ ​to​ ​watch​ ​Kaká​ ​lead​ ​the​ ​team.

Because​ ​of​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​money​ ​that​ ​the​ ​popularity​ ​of​ ​the​ ​team​ ​accumulated,​ ​they​ ​built an​ ​entirely​ ​new​ ​stadium​ ​in​ ​central​ ​Florida,​ ​just​ ​for​ ​the​ ​new​ ​team.

We​ ​can​ ​thank​ ​Kaká​ ​for​ ​inspiring​ ​many​ ​young​ ​and​ ​old​ ​players,​ ​pushing​ ​them​ ​to​ ​play better,​ ​and​ ​to​ ​lead​ ​both​ ​on​ ​the​ ​field​ ​and​ ​in​ ​life.