Orlando City SC is not done expanding. The rumors going around the end of the NWSL season is that a woman’s team will come to Orlando.
Women’s soccer will soon be taking over Orlando. In October, the U.S. Women’s National Team will play Brazil in a friendly that is expected to fill up the Citrus Bowl in a way their friendly did two years ago (the highest attended game that year).
The soccer market in Orlando has clearly grown as Orlando City continues to be second in MLS in attendance despite the team’s struggles on the field. The expansion shine remains.
Sunday’s win over Sporting Kansas City saw something of a marriage of the two. Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux were in Orlando to support their significant others (Morgan is married to Servando Carrasco of Orlando City and Leroux is dating Kansas City’s Dom Dwyer) and took in the game. They will be the ones on the field in a bout a month.
With the NWSL season ending though, the rumblings have begun for future plans for the league. It obviously is looking to capitalize on the success and popularity of the women’s game after the FIFA Women’s World Cup this past summer.
The NWSL semifinals were the lead in to Sunday’s Orlando City-Sporting Kansas City game on FOX Sports 1. FC Kansas City, featuring Lauren Holiday and Heather O’Reilley, and Seattle Reign, featuring Hope Solo and Megan Rapinoe, both won 3-0 to meet in the final on Oct. 1.
There appear to be plans to expand the league and Orlando is squarely in the crosshairs after the city’s runaway success as a soccer town.
Dan Lauletta of Equalizer Soccer reports NWSL is having a board meeting sometime in early October and that expansion will be on the table with Orlando a likely candidate:
I'm told the next #NWSL board meeting will include some sort of vote on expansion. Orlando said to be in the mix. Nothing definitive though
— Dan Lauletta (@TheDanLauletta) September 10, 2015
Orlando City has addressed the issue, telling The Guardian (h/t Allen Etzler of The Mane Land):
Considering the massive support for top-caliber soccer in Central Florida, we continue to evaluate all opportunities to bring the highest levels of the sport to the market in the future. We hope to have more information to share in the coming weeks.
Orlando City SC is quickly becoming a major outfit in the American soccer scene. After rising from USL Pro, Orlando City has made it known it would like to have its own USL Pro affiliate now that it is in MLS. That team will likely end up in Daytona, by all accounts, reaching a different area of Central Florida.
Adding a NWSL team would continue to add to the Orlando soccer library. And, especially once the team moves into its new stadium, it will surely be a great tenant to fill dates in the gleaming new stadium. Fans will really support the team too, they have proven that much with the U.S. Women’s National Team games that have come through already.
Orlando City has been nothing but ambitious. They are already growing their brand in numerous ways. Having an Orlando City SC women’s team in the NWSL would be a great way to continue growing the sport and building a bigger soccer name.
