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View Full Version : Orlando City coming to MLS?



Haddy
10-21-2013, 09:58 PM
Apologies if there's another thread. I searched with no luck.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/10/21/report-mls-will-move-very-quickly-expansion-process-should-final-orlando-cit (http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/10/21/report-mls-will-move-very-quickly-expansion-process-should-final-orlando-cit)

Tomorrow night is pretty much the last hurdle. Seems like the league is backing them and all that's needed is the county to approve the final $20 million needed to fund a SSS.

Here's a rendering of what a hopeful architect posted online and quickly removed:

http://www.trbimg.com/img-5249a281/turbine/os-20130930-001/580/580x362

http://www.trbimg.com/img-5249a284/turbine/os-20130930-002/580/580x362

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/blogs/political-pulse/os-architect-releases-rendering-of-orlandos-proposed-soccer-stadium-20130930,0,6789138.post

Ivy
10-21-2013, 10:23 PM
Beauty stadium, but alittle exaggerated. Remove the upper section of stands, and it'll be more realistic. Overall, I like it.

__wowza
10-21-2013, 10:29 PM
moved to TFC/MLS news section.

QBall
10-22-2013, 01:09 PM
Orlando is such a huge tourist town it's sometimes hard to imagine there's enough of a permanent population to create enough demand for MLS (kind of like Las Vegas). I guess if they can support an NBA team then maybe MLS can work there. Should we start wagers now on whether Orlando makes the playoffs before TFC? Needless to say I would have lost money if the bet was with Vancouver and Montreal prior to entering MLS.

james
10-22-2013, 02:22 PM
Nice stadium plan. But questions always are is Miami a better move? St.Louis? Detroit? San Antonio? Atlanta? who the hell knows really at this point it's anyone's guess. All pro teams in the mid to North side of Florida places like Orlando have a basketball team, Tampa has a hockey and Football team while neighbouring St.Petersberg have baseball team and further North Jacksonville has a NFL team but all these cities and all the teams (maybe minus the Tampa Bay Bucs) in that area have had seasons where the stadiums have been half empty on a normal basis but have also had seasons where they have been selling out most games. Overall I think if the team can win a lot the fans will show up, if the team struggles even just for a couple of seasons it might be a very had time selling tickets (even we have a very hard time selling tickets now, but to be fare we also had 7 years of pure shit).

Haddy
10-22-2013, 04:01 PM
Nice stadium plan. But questions always are is Miami a better move? St.Louis? Detroit? San Antonio? Atlanta? who the hell knows really at this point it's anyone's guess. All pro teams in the mid to North side of Florida places like Orlando have a basketball team, Tampa has a hockey and Football team while neighbouring St.Petersberg have baseball team and further North Jacksonville has a NFL team but all these cities and all the teams (maybe minus the Tampa Bay Bucs) in that area have had seasons where the stadiums have been half empty on a normal basis but have also had seasons where they have been selling out most games. Overall I think if the team can win a lot the fans will show up, if the team struggles even just for a couple of seasons it might be a very had time selling tickets (even we have a very hard time selling tickets now, but to be fare we also had 7 years of pure shit).

All those other cities haven't been able to get their ducks in line on a new stadium. Miami is really struggling on it, even with the allure of Becks as a potential owner. The reality is, Orlando has an established club willing to try a higher level, with an owner that has deep pockets and fancy friends, and politicians who are willing to help pay for a stadium now instead of later. I'm not saying MLS in Orlando will work over the long haul...but Orlando earning MLS membership asap is definitely working.

Yohan
10-22-2013, 09:09 PM
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/22f5d90b95684b7e9aae248743eb5ecb/SOC--Orlando-MLS

Last bit of stadium deal hurdle gone. Orlando should be in as expansion team soon.

Haddy
10-22-2013, 09:20 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSaVAiNHsvk#t=144

habstfc
10-22-2013, 10:48 PM
Orlando is such a huge tourist town it's sometimes hard to imagine there's enough of a permanent population to create enough demand for MLS (kind of like Las Vegas). I guess if they can support an NBA team then maybe MLS can work there. I have the same questions. We went to Orlando last Christmas break and its so obviously a tourist town. We actually went to a raptors game there( they won). We got very good seats on stubhub for 40 bucks or something like that. Even with all the Toronto fans there it wasn't sold out. I had my TFC hat on probably almost everyday and you'd think someone would have said something if it was such a soccer town. Somebody from Toronto started a conversation with me at Disneyworld about TFC but that was it. I'm not convinced it will work there. 2 or 3 crappy seasons and could be disastrous.

Redcoe15
10-22-2013, 11:25 PM
Oh great! Beautiful game, meet butt ugly stupid town! :prrr:

Cashcleaner
10-22-2013, 11:46 PM
I have the same questions. We went to Orlando last Christmas break and its so obviously a tourist town. We actually went to a raptors game there( they won). We got very good seats on stubhub for 40 bucks or something like that. Even with all the Toronto fans there it wasn't sold out. I had my TFC hat on probably almost everyday and you'd think someone would have said something if it was such a soccer town. Somebody from Toronto started a conversation with me at Disneyworld about TFC but that was it. I'm not convinced it will work there. 2 or 3 crappy seasons and could be disastrous.

Yeah, I'm a bit leery about this as well. I mean, Florida as a whole has seen so many soccer clubs come and go over the years, is there really a permanent local fanbase to support a team?

Of course, if the club and MLS were really shrewed, they would want to really sell the angle of Orlando being a great away game destination for the rest of the league and that may mitigate attendance numbers. MLS executives and owners don't care if you're a home or away fan - a ticket sold is a ticket sold.

Yohan
10-22-2013, 11:58 PM
Yeah, I'm a bit leery about this as well. I mean, Florida as a whole has seen so many soccer clubs come and go over the years, is there really a permanent local fanbase to support a team?

Of course, if the club and MLS were really shrewed, they would want to really sell the angle of Orlando being a great away game destination for the rest of the league and that may mitigate attendance numbers. MLS executives and owners don't care if you're a home or away fan - a ticket sold is a ticket sold.
depends on whether you believe the numbers from this article
http://orlandocitysoccer.com/news/?article_id=1557

Yohan
10-23-2013, 12:08 AM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BXOS4KDIcAEioaN.jpg:large

pekduck
10-23-2013, 12:23 AM
cheap road trip destination with low fares and accommodation year round

away trip whenever it's in the league (and provided, if our team turns around)

Redcoe15
10-23-2013, 04:18 AM
I wouldn't step foot in Orlando or anywheres else in Florida for that matter. That state makes Ohio look sane and rational and intelligent by comparison.

nascarguy
10-23-2013, 08:49 AM
it would make a great road trip win, lose or draw we need to do this trip and do not forget the game is only 90min the trip would be 2 nights

Yohan
10-23-2013, 04:55 PM
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/10/23/jeff-bradley-orlando-city-president-phil-rawlins-talks-about-mls-expansion

Q&A with Rawlins

Downtown location for SSS. Going to be sweet

TFC1154ever
10-23-2013, 06:02 PM
What is the seat capacity suppose to be?

Yohan
10-23-2013, 06:12 PM
What is the seat capacity suppose to be?
18-19k is what I'm hearing

Ivy
10-23-2013, 07:39 PM
Good for them, they seem to have a good strong organization.

Ill make the trip down there for an away game - then go to a beach after.

Haddy
10-23-2013, 09:53 PM
Downtown location for SSS. Going to be sweet

Steps from the basketball arena, a short walk west along the same street to the Citrus Bowl. Not bad at all.

Somebody dropped in the Rapids stadium in the example below. But that is the correct spot.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M2tFDIiqgpk/UdwXB-mMnUI/AAAAAAAACd4/ISJyjVEKs7Q/s1600/Orlando+City+Soccer+Club+New+Stadium+Florida.jpg