More than 2,000 fans packed the Citrus Bowl to welcome the U.S. Women’s National Team for an open training session ahead of Sunday’s friendly.
The following story is from Kiki Rossman-Reich who attended the U.S. Women’s National Team’s open training session at the Citrus Bowl on Saturday for Orlando Sports Daily.
It has been an exciting week for soccer fans in Central Florida and the timing could not have been better.
While we all know how this city has reacted to having an MLS team, there may still be questions to how fans will react to a NWSL team. One thing we already know for sure is Orlando was one of the top 10 viewing markets for all 52 matches of the women’s world cup this past summer.
If today’s open practice is any indication of how excited Orlando is to have a women’s soccer team than there is nothing to fear. Approximately two thousand people came out to the Citrus Bowl to cheer on the Women’s World Cup Champions.
Over 2,200 @ussoccer_wnt fans turned out for today’s open practice. Well played, Orlando! #orlandobelieves pic.twitter.com/WOq5q485om
— Citrus Bowl (@CitrusBowl) October 24, 2015
Fans were not disappointed with what they saw on the field.
The whole U.S. Women’s National Team took the field promptly at 11 a.m. and gave a hard 90 minutes on the field. During warmups, fans shouted various players’ names and then more would cheer along. A few players, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Abby Wambach and Megan Rapinoe got a little more buzz when they ran out onto the field.
Before any drills began, the whole team ran over to the fan cheering section to show their gratitude to everyone who came out to watch the practice.
The team was split up into two groups to run through several drills. USA chants began followed by the famous “I believe” chant, both of which echoed throughout the stadium.
Some fans were yelling out to specific players close to the sideline hoping to grab their attention.
One fan was successful in shouting at Ali Krieger, “Join the Pride!” Krieger responded with a smile and then responded, “It’s too hot . . . just look at me [as she wiped sweat from her face].”
Another fan had similar luck as Ashlyn Harris ran by. The fan shouted out “Come to Orlando!” and Harris responded with a smile and a huge thumbs up.
For Harris coming to Orlando would be sort of a homecoming for her as she is from Cocoa Beach just an hour outside Orlando, not to mention she has recently been photographed on numerous occasions cheering on her friend Brek Shea (Orlando City SC, Left Back).
Harris has been reportedly linked to the Orlando Pride as the team begins to assemble its roster.
On Tuesday, it was announced the National Women’s Soccer League added it’s 10th team, the Orlando Pride. More exciting news has followed with reports and some confirmation Alex Morgan will be following her husband’s (Servando Carrasco) footsteps to Orlando to play for the Pride. Carrasco is a midfielder for Orlando City Soccer Club.
With Morgan’s contract in the works to come play for the Pride it would not be out of the question to get a few more big name soccer stars to join.
For now however, Orlando will have the pleasure of watching the entire USWNT play vs. Marta and Brazil’s National Team on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Citrus Bowl.
