On Sunday, Orlando City fans from across the country and around the world poured into the Citrus Bowl to cheer on the Lions in their season opener against Real Salt Lake. With the drums pounding and the purple flags waving through the air, the fans supported their team through to the end. Head Coach Adrian Heath credits them with the result.
“The supporters got us over the line,” Coach Heath said in an interview on Monday. “That’s why I say how important supporters are for sport. Because without that emotion in the stadium, without that noise, without that drive from the people driving the players on, we wouldn’t have gotten the point.”
Orlando City fans succeeded in filling the Citrus Bowl again this year, with opening day attendance at 60,147. For the entire 90 minutes, the energy from those fans carried the players on the field. The fans who stayed till the final seconds were rewarded with a draw that Coach Heath admits felt like a victory. “It’s like you’ve won the game.”
Last year, Orlando City managed to earn a draw in their MLS debut with a goal in the final seconds from Brazilian midfielder Kaká. This year, the team needed not one, but two goals in the final minute. When Adrian Winter’s ball found the back of the net, earning the draw, the fans roared in triumph.
“It was a wild one… It was one for the supporters as well as the players,” Coach Heath said. “It’s one that will live long in the memory.”
