Orlando City
A taste of football life in USA
Orlando City announced itself to the footballing world this summer when the club agreed a deal to sign Brazilian superstar Kaka. Like New York City FC, who have announced flagship signings themselves in David Villa and Frank Lampard, Orlando will take their place among the American elite in next season’s MLS.
So, on a recent family holiday I decided to have a look at the club and took my place in the press box for the United Soccer League Pro game against Dayton Dutch Lions. The match would be Orlando’s 100th at this level.
I find the staff at the club very hospitable and helpful, even if the club’s press officer did find it highly amusing that my club Lincoln City, in his words, played in “that Blue Square thing”. He’s a couple of years out in terms of sponsorship, but I’m impressed he’s familiar with England’s fifth tier. As I wait for kick off, fans congregate in designated drinking zones close to the car park, while merchandise is sold in various tents outside the stadium.
My disappointment that former Lincoln loanee Anthony Pulis (son of Tony) is out through injury is soon dispelled on realisation I have access to a free bar, and in true American fashion a seemingly endless supply of a variety of pizzas. While the players are put through their prematch warm-up paces, manager Adrian Heath (yes, the former Stoke, Everton and Burnley midfielder) strolls across the pitch to a hero’s ovation and takes his place in the dugout.
Next up it is time for the national anthem, sung flawlessly on the pitch by a 13-year-old girl. The crowd falls silent, each supporter with one hand over their heart, while those still awaiting entrance to the stadium pause, motionless until the singing has finished.
Kick-off time now, the crowd has a kind of League 2 or Conference feel to it, which of course I am used to. Fans are housed in open terraces behind each goal, while covered seating stretches the majority of the length of both sides of the pitch. The attendance, which for reasons unknown isn’t recorded to an exact figure, is said to be in the region of 4,400.
Passion runs high among the singing section of the crowd who stand behind the goal to my right, and, assisted by a drummer and occasional trumpet, belt out favourites such as “Na na na na-na-na na City” to Hey Jude and “We’re the Orlando Army” to Seven Nation
Army.
It doesn’t take long for Orlando to take the lead with Kevin Molino firing them ahead on six minutes. Cue wild celebrations and a smoke bomb behind the goal.
Moments later, as Dayton mount their first attack, one home supporter repeatedly tells an opposing striker he is horrible. The same fan gets a little too excited after half-time, meanwhile, telling Dayton’s goalkeeper that he is “adopted, will need a jock strap after the game, and that he sucks at soccer”. Different, but entertaining
nonetheless.
With decisions now going against the home side, the fans resort to chants of “Who’s your father, referee?” a la English football. Frustrations are short-lived, however, as two goals in quick succession through Guiseppe Gentile and Molino make it 3-0 at the break. There is a clear gulf in class between the sides, made most notable through Dayton’s goalkeeper who makes a series of unorthodox saves, but then again it is top versus bottom in terms of league position.
Orlando attack relentlessly in the second period and are out of sight within 25 minutes of the restart through goals from Austin da Luz (47 and 69), Molino’s hat-trick (57), and Adam Mbengue (60). Although the USL is the third tier of football of sorts in America, (behind MLS and NASL (North American Soccer League) on this showing Orlando shouldn’t have too many concerns about the step up.
I thought I had escaped the in-your-face culture of American advertising for an evening, only to be informed by the Tannoy system that “this first substitution is brought to you by Metro PCS”. Oh well. Unlike matches in England the Tannoy system also announces each yellow card given out, much to the delight of the crowd.
As Da Luz makes it seven on 69 minutes, one supporters group perhaps gets a little carried away and tweets that Orlando are leading by one touchdown to
zero.
Fifteen minutes from time fans are asked to vote for their man of their match via the club’s official game-day app, the result of which is announced ten minutes later and is, unsurprisingly, hat-trick hero Molino.
Orlando declare at seven and see out the match without any serious threat to their goal. The players are applauded off to a rapturous reception, while Heath makes his way over to salute the faithful, punching the air in delight. The fans then slowly stream out of the ground to chants of “Viva Molino”.
Once the stadium has emptied, we attend Heath’s post-match press conference, in the locker room. Imagine those American high schools on films and that’s pretty much it.
The win puts Orlan- do within a point of the ‘regular season’ Commissioner’s Cup title (before the league’s top eight sides are forced to play off for the Championship Series). It’s all pretty trivial for the club, however, as even if they had finished the season bottom of the table, admission into MLS was already assured.
Orlando’s current home may be the ESPN Wide World Of Sports (a part of the Walt Disney World Resort), but their imminent progression shows they certainly aren’t a Mickey Mouse football club.
The club will move to the downtown Citrus Bowl for their inaugural MLS season while their purpose-built 20,000 capacity Orlando City
Stadium will be completed by 2016. Close to 8,000 season tickets have already been sold for next season, and once David Beckham’s eagerly anticipated Miami franchise comes to MLS fruition, the Florida derby could, in time, become one of the greatest rivalries in American sport.