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MLS Orlando City SC

Orlando City's First Quarter of MLS Delivers Worldwide Exposure, Drives Economy for City

April 9, 2015 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Orlando City SC News Release


Orlando City's First Quarter of MLS
Orlando City's First Quarter of MLS
(Orlando City SC)

ORLANDO (April 9, 2015) - Orlando City Soccer Club has captured the heart of Central Floridians and piqued the interest of international soccer enthusiasts--planting the state of Florida at the epicenter of soccer fandom around the globe in the past quarter.

"Our city once again has proven why it is the 'Soccer Capital of the South' through massive fan turnouts for events, a growing global spotlight on our city and the increased number of soccer-related activity over the past three months in Central Florida," said Orlando City President and Founder Phil Rawlins. "We are grateful to work with city officials, community partners and local businesses to continue building upon this momentum, delivering the resulting economic benefit to our entire community."

Orlando City Matches at the Orlando Citrus Bowl

The pinnacle of its efforts took place on March 8, as the Lions #FilledtheBowl with over 62,000 supporters at the Orlando Citrus Bowl for the team's inaugural Major League Soccer (MLS) match. Fans travelled from neighboring cities in Florida, nine countries and 37 states within the U.S. to witness the historic event.

Collectively, City's first three home games have drawn over 10,000 fans from 47 states across the country, as well as from 27 countries around the world - attracting new visitors to the region who stay in local hotels, and spend money in local restaurants, stores and attractions.

Overall, City's three home MLS matches at the Orlando Citrus Bowl have drawn 126,404 supporters to the newly renovated venue (62,510 for New York City FC, 31,072 for Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and 32,822 for D.C. United).

International Broadcast Exposure

Beginning with the March 8 inaugural match, Orlando City SC has put one of the world's most visited cities further into the global spotlight. Each match is broadcast in 100 countries and in 30 languages across North America, Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa by Sky Sports (U.K.), Eurosport (Europe), Sport TV (Brazil) and others.

Ancillary Events hosted by Orlando City

With every event such as the Soccer and the City fashion show, Pub Crawl takeover of downtown Orlando and Purple Pride 5K in Lake Eola featuring thousands of runners, Floridians yearned for the start of an MLS journey in their own backyard--and that momentum helped spur economic development in the City Beautiful.

Even as the season is underway, when the team is on the road for a match, the fan passion continues to stimulate the economy as thousands fill partnering bars for team-hosted watch parties.

Other Premier Soccer Events

Orlando City continues to pursue additional events for the region, recently announcing a friendly between the Mexican Men's National Team and Costa Rica on June 27th at the Orlando Citrus Bowl. The Mexican National Team is one of the country's top sporting attractions, averaging over 50,000 fans from over 30 states per game, regardless of the location. In addition, Orlando City, in partnership with the City of Orlando and the Central Florida Sports Commission formally submitted a bid to host the Copa America Centenario USA 2016, a tournament that will feature top teams from CONCACAF--the conference of North American, Central American and Caribbean countries; and 10 teams from CONMEBOL--the South American confederation.

Orlando City's efforts began in January when it partnered with Disney Sports to host the 2015 Florida Cup - bringing two German and two Brazilian powerhouse teams to Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for a thrilling double-header tournament that was televised around the world. City also hosted training for a number of top national teams including the Canadian Men's National Team (twice), the Icelandic Men's National Team, and the U.S. Women's U-18 National Team. Lastly, Orlando City hosted the Generation Adidas Cup tournament in February. This event featured Youth Academies from multiple MLS Clubs from around the country.

"We will continue to pursue opportunities that will draw world class soccer to our region," concluded Rawlins. "These events will not only increase the entertainment options for our soccer-rabid fans, but also attract tourists and deliver more economic benefit to our region, further enriching our community."

Orlando's next match will take place against the Portland Timbers on Sunday, April 12. Kick-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET at Providence Park.

The Lions' next home game will be against Toronto FC on April 26 at the Orlando Citrus Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.

To purchase season, group or individual tickets, visit www.OrlandoCitySC.com or call 855-ORL-CITY. Also, follow the latest Orlando City news and updates via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube .

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Orlando City's First Quarter of MLS
Orlando City's First Quarter of MLS
   



Major League Soccer Stories from April 9, 2015


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