Orlando City captain Kaka tells teammates it's time to get to work

Orlando City is in the throes of its first Major League Soccer season. The club started its inaugural campaign well enough, but it's now smack dab in the middle of a midseason slump, having lost six of its last 10 league matches

With games and time growing sparse, club captain Kaka says it's time for he and his teammates to step it up as they fight for a coveted playoff spot. It's a challenge he relishes, too.

"It has been a tough period for us, but I love this kind of crisis because it means you have to find a solution," Kaka told reporters Thursday. "Our target is still the playoffs. We have to believe (it is possible) and that we can find a solution."

The Brazilian international has played a huge part in Orlando's early success, notching nine goals and four assists in 24 appearances for the Lions. He has been the focal point for much of Orlando's offensive movement, such that when teams close Kaka down, Orlando tends to run out of attacking ideas in the final third.

"We are a team, so if there are three players marking me, someone else in our team is going to be free, so we have to find this kind of solution," Kaka explained. "Everybody needs to know exactly what they have to do.

"Mostly, I think we have lost some confidence, which happens when things don’t go well for a period. So it is important for them to know that even if they make mistakes, it happens; it is not the end. It is nice when you can teach them some things like this. I tell them: you learn about yourself in a tough period."

Still, Kaka says he's not going to shy away from the responsibilities that come with being a big-money Designated Player, a captain, and the club's marquee man.

"I think I have an important responsibility for this, to carry the team and find ways to lift the players," he said. "For me, it is a time to prepare better and be more vocal. Most of the guys are young and have never had this situation before, but I tell them that this experience is a great opportunity to learn and push through.

"At this moment, I think I have to speak a little bit more. I don’t like to speak too much, but I want them to know and see what I am doing, what I am trying to do. Even if I have won many things in soccer before, I still want to win here, and this is the time to say something now."

It's not all doom and gloom for the Florida-based outfit. Orlando currently sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, two spots out of the playoffs, but is tied with the Montreal Impact (sixth) and fellow expansion side New York City FC (seventh) with 28 points.

Montreal has four games in hand on the other two, but Kaka says that's all part of the challenge.

"It is good to be part of this, with new things and new challenges. I have never really been in this situation before myself, so it is good for me as well. But things like this make me stronger. We have to be strong mentally to be supportive of the team and your teammates."