Opening Match
Orlando City started off their 2016 campaign with a bang. There were plenty of events leading up to the kickoff of the first match, including the Purple Pride 5K and the 2nd Annual Orlando City Pub Crawl. The match filled Camping World Stadium with over 60,000 people, filling the bowl for the second year in a row. And the match itself was filled with excitement-- after going down 2-0 to Real Salt Lake, Orlando City came back in stoppage time to score two goals in a single minute and earn a draw. Those last-minute goals and burst of excitement would set Orlando City on course for 2016.
Kevin Molino Scores First Goal
Kevin Molino missed the better part of Orlando City’s inaugural MLS season due to injury-- he came into 2016 ready to fight and prove himself. Molino found his first MLS goal in the April match against the Portland Timbers. After drawing a penalty kick, Kaká handed the ball to Molino, trusting him to take the kick. Molino took the kick and placed the ball into the back of the net. The goal sparked Molino’s 2016 season, where he scored 11 goals and earned 8 assists.
Tony Rocha Gets Signed To MLS Contract
Orlando City signed Orlando City B player Tony Rocha to an MLS contract in August 2016. The signing shows the strong relationship between Orlando City and Orlando City B-- the MLS squad was able to draw from the USL squad when they needed depth and strength in their roster. Rocha earned eight appearances and two starts with the MLS squad during the 2016 season. He expressed his excitement after starting in his first MLS match. “It’s been amazing to move up from the B team to the A team,” Rocha said. “And to get minutes in this MLS game, I’m thankful and really grateful for this opportunity. I want to build on it.”
New York City FC Match
As one of Jason Kreis’ first matches as Orlando City Head Coach, he faced off against his former squad, New York City FC. The match was critical to shaping some momentum for Orlando City at the end of the season. Orlando City won 2-1, with Kaká scoring both goals. He opened up scoring in the 32nd minute, and even when New York City was able to counter with a goal of their own in the 55th minute, Kaká was able to shut down their momentum with a goal in the 63rd minute that would seal Orlando City’s victory. The game was critical in helping Orlando City finish off the season strong, and helped Kreis prove himself to hometown fans as he started his role as head coach.
Seat Installation In New Stadium
At the start of November, Orlando City hosted MLS Commissioner Don Garber at the city’s new soccer-specific stadium to dedicate the first seats in the team’s future home. The event was marked with a lot of emotion, as Orlando City majority-owner Flavio Augusta da Silva spoke about growing up poor in Brazil and building his own soccer stadiums with his friends on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. Garber said that the new stadium was an important moment for MLS as a whole, as well the Orlando City organization. “Without doubt, this is a watershed moment for our league in many different ways,” the Commissioner said. “This team has over-delivered on all expectations in terms of its popularity and everything it is doing to grow the sport in this region.”
