On Sunday, Javier Calle made his first start in three months and his presence was certainly felt in New York City FC's 5-3 victory over Orlando City SC at Yankee Stadium.
Calle, who had just one cameo appearance on June 28 since suffering a quad strain on April 24 at Chicago, found the back of the net in the 53rd minute, tapping in Tommy McNamara's teasing cross from the right side.
Here is the story of his day in statistics, video, quotes and more.
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By the Numbers
- Scored his first goal for New York City FC and in MLS
- Made his first start since April 24
- Made his first appearance since June 28
- Had 30 passes
- Was second on the team with three crosses
Calle said:
"I've been working towards being able to play again and today was my chance. ... This is the second game I've played in this position and that's the position where I'm closer to the goal and that I'm most familiar with. I think I need to keep taking advantage of opportunities to keep scoring."
In the coach's words:
"He’s a very, very special player in my opinion. He’s a guy we did quite a bit of work around more than year ago -- watched a lot on video, watched him live. He’s a player we’re extremely high on and I think we saw a bit of it tonight. I’m hoping as we go forward and as he gains fitness and stays healthy hopefully you should see what I think should be a top, top player in our league."
