ORLANDO, Fla. (January 25, 2017) - Orlando City SC’s preseason schedule is now available ahead of its third Major League Soccer (MLS) season beginning on Sunday, March 5, at 5 p.m. against New York City FC.
The Lions will play MLS and United Soccer League (USL) sides in a series of training scrimmages, including faceoffs against reigning Eastern Conference champion Toronto FC on Feb. 19, the Philadelphia Union on Feb. 15 and the USL's Tampa Bay Rowdies on Feb. 11.
City will close its preseason by facing the USL’s Saint Louis FC at Orlando City Stadium in a closed-door preseason friendly on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Training scrimmages differ from preseason matches or friendlies in that they may not adhere to FIFA regulations on game length and limits on substitutions, allowing teams to vary their lineups as they prepare for their respective campaigns.
Key 2017 Preseason Dates:
Wednesday, Jan. 25:Team departs to Jacksonville, Fla. for training
Sunday, Feb. 5: Team returns to Orlando, Fla.
Monday, Feb. 6:Training in Orlando resumes (schedule will be provided)
2017 Preseason Friendly and Training Scrimmages (subject to change):
Saturday, Feb. 4: Training scrimmage vs. Jacksonville University at Jacksonville University, 12 p.m. (Closed to the public)
Saturday, Feb. 11: Training scrimmage vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies at Sylvan Lake Park, 11 a.m. (Closed to the public)
Wednesday, Feb. 15: Training scrimmage vs. Philadelphia Union at Joe DiMaggio Stadium in Clearwater, Fla., 1 p.m. (Closed to the public)
Sunday, Feb. 19: Training scrimmage vs. Toronto FC at ChampionsGate, 3 p.m. (Closed to the public)
Saturday, Feb. 25: Official closed-door preseason friendly vs. Saint Louis FC at Orlando City Stadium, 5 p.m.
The build-up to Opening Day 2017 includes Orlando City’s third-annual Kickoff Week. Beginning on Saturday, Feb. 25, the Club will host its annual Purple Pride 5k and Open House Party at the new stadium, followed by the Kids vs. Pros game on Thursday, March 2, and the Pub Crawl on March 4. Details can be found at www.OrlandoCitySC.com/ockickoff.
