Three hours before the game, fans were setting up at The Wall. They waited patiently, checking out their new view, their new home, ready to cheer on their Lions. A Tifo unfurled at the beginning of the match, calling the new stadium a gift from the gods. From the first whistle to the last, the drums were roaring, the fans were chanting, and all anyone could see was purple.
“It was loud. It was loud. I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Striker Cyle Larin said with a smile after the match. “They were there from the first to the last minute.”
The fans didn’t rest, making it hard for New York City FC to get their game together. When NYCFC lined up for a corner, the players could barely hear each other. Even NYCFC’s Head Coach Patrick Viera noted the impact that the fans had. Orlando City Head Coach Jason Kreis agreed.
“Spectacular. Absolutely spectacular,” Kreis said. “Not that it surprises me, every time I’ve been at a game in Orlando I’m absolutely wowed by the fans. Tonight was no different. And I think they are a huge, huge part of the three points.”
For the players and the coaches, it was critical to bring this win home for the fans. That was the most important part of their night, and they were thrilled to be able to deliver.
“It was everything plus more. The fans were incredible, I’m just glad we got the result they deserve,” Giles Barnes said after the match. Barnes’ only joined the Orlando City roster roughly a week ago, but he stepped up for the Lions and the fans rewarded him. Barnes has played in some of the best stadiums across the country, playing in cities like Portland and Seattle, but this he said is the best atmosphere he’s ever seen.
“Number one. Definitely, without a doubt,” Barnes said. “It was incredible.”
In many ways, the evening couldn’t have gone better for the Lions. They won their season opener; they earned their first shutout in front of a sold-out crowd. The players worked with a sense of ‘togetherness’ that leaves the future bright for this team. And now, players and fans alike have a place to call home.
“Obviously extremely pleased to get a result, extremely happy to give the fans something to be excited about,” Kreis said. “The crowd was absolutely fantastic, the stadium is fantastic, the field was great. The level of work and commitment and togetherness by our team was off the charts.”
And in a few weeks, we’ll get to do it all over again. This is only the beginning.
Welcome home.
