For Orlando City fans, November 19th will always remain an important day in Club history.
After a three year roller-coaster ride, filled with peaks and valleys, November 19th marked the culmination in City’s quest for approval from MLS.
In typical Orlando City fashion, the Lions’ “Major” announcement featured a massive party with thousands of people gathered on Church Street – one of the more storied districts in the City Beautiful.
It was a signal that Orlando City was more than a fad - it was here to stay.
Since that landmark day, Orlando City’s momentum has only grown. With the Club and the entire city counting down the days to first-kick in MLS, let’s take a look back at several key OC moments that have occurred in the past year.
"Viva Molino!"
On January 10, City signed its first MLS player – Kevin Molino. In all competitions in 2014, Molino scored 29 times, including a record-breaking season in USL PRO consisting of 20 goals in 28 matches.
Local Boy Tommy Redding
On March 12, Oviedo, Fla. native Tommy Redding was signed as the Club’s first MLS Homegrown player. Despite being courted by several premier European teams, the U.S. youth international elected to join his hometown Club.
Prior to the start of the 2014 USL PRO season, City also added U.S. youth international Tyler Turner and El Salvador National Team captain Darwin Cerén to its MLS roster.
“Paint the City Purple”
To celebrate the launch of Orlando City’s MLS logo, the Club embarked on a campaign to “Paint the City Purple,” commissioning eight murals local artists throughout the city!
Downtown Stadium Renderings
On June 10, Orlando City Founder and President Phil Rawlins, City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs unveiled renderings for the new downtown soccer stadium. The state-of-the-art venue is set to open in 2016 and will be one of the loudest stadiums in MLS!
"Orlando City Signs Kaká!"
On July 1, Orlando City made global headlines by signing one of the most decorated players in soccer history, Kaká.
The former FIFA World Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year and World Cup Champion agreed to a multi-year deal with the Lions to become the Club’s first MLS Designated Player, marking a historic moment in City’s history.
“Soccer Capital of the South!”
During the summer, over 30,000 fans attended City’s World Cup Watch Parties, including a crowd of 11,000 who were on-hand to welcome to Kaká – cementing Orlando's reputation as the “Soccer Capital of the South.”
Best U.S. Team through First 100 Games
On August 31, the Lions produced a convincing 7-0 win over the Dayton Dutch Lions at home – earning its 66th victory in four years. The win propelled City’s all-time record to 66-12-22 (W-L-T) – the best of any American professional soccer club during its first 100 games– etching Orlando City’s name in U.S. Soccer’s record books.
Groundbreaking
Just last month, Orlando City broke ground on the new downtown soccer stadium. This wasn’t your typical groundbreaking, as City’s ceremony included 24 tons of purple sand and the first “March to the Match” – featuring thousands of Orlando City fans parading down Church Street.
Jersey Unveil
City unveiled its inaugural MLS home kits on November 5 at Orlando Health’s downtown campus. While maintaining City’s prominent color purple, the new jersey showcased modern features that incorporated the Club’s history.
Orlando Health’s logo was also highly visible on the front of the jersey. The healthcare leaders extended their partnership with Orlando City on November 18, becoming the first jersey partner in MLS history to commit to an expansion club prior to being accepted into the league.
The jersey unveil also marked the launch of Orlando’ new ad campaign, which includes dozens of new advertisements and billboards that will canvas the City Beautiful.
The Future:
As the clock continues to wind down, the next few months will provide several important opportunities for the coaching staff to construct the Lions’ roster as City continues to prepare for opening day.
Beginning with today’s Dispersal Draft, the MLS Expansion Draft on December 10th and the MLS SuperDraft in January 2015 will each play an important role in the Lions’ inaugural campaign.
