When Orlando City puts out the call, the supporters’ come out and do their thing. That’s what happened on Tuesday night when newly acquired striker Dom Dwyer landed at Orlando International Airport (MCO). More than 500 fans waited for Dwyer outside of the gates, ready to greet their newest player with scarfs and hats and lots of cheering.
“It’s quite amazing, to be honest,” Dwyer said at his press conference on Wednesday morning. “I knew I wanted to come back here and last night really assured it for me. Arriving to the airport to that was amazing. Welcomed by an amazing supporters’ group. Something I got a little taste of a few years ago, and now they’re on the big stage, and I’m here. I’m home.”
The club announced the acquisition of Dwyer from Sporting Kansas City through Facebook Live on Tuesday. Dwyer had previously played for the club on loan from Kansas City in 2013, when the Lions were still a USL team.
For club CEO Alex Leitao, Dwyer’s greeting at the airport was one of the more special moments in his career. It was a sign to him-- and to the world-- that soccer has arrived in America.
“I want to just talk about what happened last night,” Leitao said at the start of the press conference. “I’ve been in this game for a long, long time. I’ve been passionate not just for soccer, but for soccer in the U.S. I also believed that one day this game would be massive and the biggest market in the world. And yesterday, I realized that I was right. Honestly. We have soccer in America. What happened in the airport last night gave me the assurance that everything we’ve been doing so far is great, is right. We are on the right path.”
Dwyer missed the match between Orlando City and Sporting Kansas City earlier this season due to suspension, but he said that the crowd was all his teammates could talk about. Orlando City fans are feared throughout the league-- but now he has the country’s most talked-about supporters behind him.
“It’s amazing,” Dwyer said. “I was actually suspended for the game when Kansas City traveled here this year. And when I was back in the locker room on Monday and they all came back, they were all constantly talking about how amazing the atmosphere was, how ridiculous the fans were, how it was an intimidating place to play. So to have all that on my side now is amazing. The fans are really what makes this club super special. You asked why Orlando is my home-- the fans are just special. It’s a different place to play. I just want to repay everyone’s love and appreciation with what I do best.”
Dwyer could appear for the team as early as Saturday’s match on the road against Atlanta United. But the team won’t return to Orlando City Stadium until August 19th, when the Lions host the Columbus Crew. That will be the supporters’ first opportunity to catch a glimpse of Dwyer in purple and see what he can do in his new home.
