Orlando City SC acquired forward Ercan Kara from Rapid Vienna in Austria’s top league and he is set to join the Lions as a designated player.
Kara, 26, was signed to a three-year deal through 2024, with club options for 2025 and 2026.
– ESPN+ viewers guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more
– Futbol Americas on ESPN+: MLS, Liga MX, USMNT, El Tri
In three seasons with Rapid Vienna, also known as Rapid Wien, Kara scored 55 goals with 23 assists in 108 games across all competitions. The 6-foot-4 forward has also made seven appearances with Austria’s national team, making his debut last year in a World Cup qualifying game.
Our #️⃣9️⃣
Welcome to Orlando, Ercan 💪 #VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/zxbMheb364
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) January 27, 2022
“Acquiring Ercan is a great move for us and we’re really happy to get him to Central Florida,” Orlando City executive vice president of soccer operations Luiz Muzzi said in a release. “His size and strength make him a great target for us inside the box, but his skills make him a threat from outside as well. We think his versatility up top is going to open a lot of opportunities for us in attack.”
Orlando City scored 50 goals in the 2021 MLS regular season, 11th among all teams in the league. They were one of 15 teams in MLS with a positive (plus-two) goal differential.