When Orlando City rookie Jordan Bender has the ball at his feet, he’s consistently driven by a part of his South African heritage.
Bender’s father and grandfather were both players in South Africa, and all three were raised on the country’s particular style of play — known as kasi flava. It’s a free-wheeling, flashy way of handling the ball, requiring a player to dance around opponents.
The rookie combines kasi flava with the influence of his favorite player Neymar, a Brazilian known for his tricky, sensational technique.
“It’s about doing whatever you want to make other people happy, to make yourself happy,” Bender said.