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Orlando City SC’s Cyle Larin, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring against New York City FC during the second half of an MLS soccer game at Yankee Stadium in New York on July 26.Jason DeCrow/The Associated Press

With five goals in his past two games, the hottest player in Major League Soccer is 20-year-old Canadian Cyle Larin.

And Toronto FC, which is leaking goals at the moment, will have to deal with him when Orlando City SC visits Wednesday.

With just five points separating the second-place New York Red Bulls (9-6-5) and seventh-place Orlando (7-9-6), points are at a premium in the East. Toronto (8-8-4) stands fifth, with the top six making the playoffs.

With 12 regular-season games remaining, Larin has already tied former Jamaican international Damani Ralph's 2003 MLS rookie record of 11 goals.

"It's been a joy watching you," tweeted Ralph, who is now a player agent.

Ralph, a product of UConn like Larin, got his goals in 25 games. Larin, who played locally for Sigma FC growing up, has appeared in 16 games with 13 starts.

While he has been getting good service from the likes of Kaka, Corey Ashe and Carlos Rivas, Larin has a knack of ghosting into spaces and separating himself from defenders.

"He's been one-against-two at times in the [penalty] box, but he's been able to create that yard or that window where he's turned things on goal and found the net," said Toronto FC coach Greg Vanney.

"We have to have physical presence on him," he added. "One guy has always to have contact with him. It can't be two of us just marking the space in front and behind."

Larin, a six-foot-two 190-pounder from Brampton, Ont., ranks fourth in goal-scoring behind Columbus' Kei Kamara (15) and New York City's David Villa and Toronto's Sebastian Giovinco (both at 13).

Giovinco is making $7.12-million (all currency U.S.) this season while Villa is on $5.61-million and Kamara $536,667. Larin's salary is $167,000, according to the MLS Players Union.

The big rookie is good value in other ways.

Of Larin's 41 shots, 34 have come from inside the penalty box, according to MLS analyst Alex Olshansky. Larin's conversion rate is a remarkable 26.83 per cent, compared to the league average of 14.15 per cent.

Kamara's average is 15 per cent while Villa's is 15.29 and Giovinco's 11.30.

Larin can also finish in a variety of ways. Against New York City FC on July 26 he scored with his left and right foot and then completed the hat trick with a slight shimmy to freeze two defenders before delivering a right-footed bullet of a shot, with almost no back swing, just inside the penalty box.

Larin followed that with a pair of goals in a 5-2 win Saturday over Columbus in a game that saw goalie Steve Clark make two quality saves on the Canadian.

Orlando took its time introducing Larin into the lineup, using him just twice as a substitute in its opening five games.

Larin, the first pick in the 2015 SuperDraft, says he wasn't physically ready at the start of the season.

"I got in at the right time," he said in an interview. "Once I started, I didn't stop."

He also credits a pair of bright yellow Adidas Chaos boots, which he has been using since a June 6 game against Chicago. He has scored seven goals since.

Larin is just the third Canadian – after Dwayne DeRosario and Tesho Akindele – and second-youngest player – Vancouver's Kekuta Manneh was 18 when he did it last season – to score an MLS hat trick.

Larin says his favourite goal was his first, scored in his first start April 12 in Portland. The goal came in the 30th minute when Larin, separating himself from defender Nat Borchers in the six-yard box, twisted his body to chest in a cross from Kevin Molino.

The ball, autographed by the entire Orlando team, is sitting in the closet of the apartment he shares with teammate Pedro Ribeiro.

The weekend victory over Columbus snapped a four-game losing streak for Orlando.

Toronto's defensive woes, meanwhile, continued in a 3-1 weekend loss in New England. Toronto, which has given up 14 goals in its last four road games, ranks 19th in the league in goals allowed with 1.70 per game.

To make matters worse, U.S. international striker Jozy Altidore was sent off for kicking out at Revs defender Jose Goncalves.

Altidore, who will miss Wednesday's match due to the red card, scored both goals in Toronto's 2-0 win in Orlando in April.

While fullback Ashtone Morgan is healthy again and midfielder Collen Warner returns from suspension, Toronto appears to still be waiting on captain Michael Bradley (calf), striker Luke Moore (ankle) and defenders Nick Hagglund (appendix) and Clément Simonin (knee).

Larin scored in his BMO Field debut, a 4-0 Canada World Cup qualifying win over Dominica in June. He expects an even bigger contingent of friends and family to be on hand Wednesday.

"It'll probably be the most I've ever had at a game … I think it will be a good time," he said.

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