Photo by Adam Hunger/USA Today Sports

By MICHAEL WALLACE

In Orlando City’s first trip to Yankee Stadium, Cyle Larin almost single-handedly silenced a raucous Yankee Stadium crowd and spoiled Andre Pirlo’s debut.

Larin netted his first career hat-trick and scored all of Orlando’s goals in their 5-3 loss to New York City FC Sunday, earning honors as SBI’s Rookie of the Week.

For most of the second half, the game seemed to be NYCFC versus Larin as the Canadian youngster equalized twice after NYCFC had taken the lead. Five minutes after halftime, Larin used two skillful headed touches to charge ahead and gain position on defender Jefferson Mena before slotting home a left-footed shot in the bottom right corner of the net. Eleven minutes later, Larin picked on the debuting Mena again, losing his marker and finishing a low Carlos Rivas cross into the same corner, leveling the match at two apiece.

Larin gave Orlando City one last fighting chance in the 85^th minute. His third and final goal was also his most spectacular, trapping a Kaká pass at the edge of the box, pulling the trigger early and lifting the ball with his right foot across the face of goal, past a diving Josh Saunders and into the top right corner.

The hat-trick is just the eighth by a rookie and third for an expansion team in MLS history. Larin needs just two more goals in Orlando’s remaining 13 games to match the MLS rookie record for goals in a season.

Larin beat out Chicago’s Matt Polster, San Jose’s Fatai Alashe and Seattle’s Cristian Roldan for this week’s SBI MLS Rookie of the Week crown.

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What did you think of Larin’s performance? Any other rookies stand out to you this weekend?

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