The calendar is turning to March, which means a lot of things on the basketball and Orlando calendar.
What will likely be Orlando’s final spring training for the foreseeable future opens up at Disney and in Kissimmee. The American Athletic Conference Tournament will tip off at the Amway Center next week. The Orlando Magic will be knee deep into their last gasps of a Playoff push, playing meaningful basketball in March for the first time in four seasons.
The calendar in March also means one thing begins to take over. And judging by how it took over last year, it could still be the biggest thing going on in Orlando.
This Sunday, Orlando City will open up its second season in MLS with an already-announced 48,000 tickets sold for the opener against Real Salt Lake for the 2 p.m. kickoff. It should be another exciting and exhilarating moment for a franchise that has already has some big moments in a short time in MLS.
The Orlando City aura does not seem to have worn off much as the team enters this second season. But expectations certainly have risen.
There was a fair amount of change to the roster with some fan-favorite players departing and some shifting within the front office. Still the team seemed to build some depth, hoping young players like Rafael Ramos, Cyle Larin and Crisian Higuita have matured some, hoping for the strong return of Kevin Molino from injury and hoping veterans like Joe Bendik, David Mateos and Brek Shea can fill in roles.
And then, of course, there is Kaka in the middle.
This is a team with clear Playoff aspirations and expectations and nothing less.
To get ourselves prepped for the season we reached out to Gavin Ewbank of The Mane Land for the latest edition of the Orlando Magic Daily Podcast to preview the upcoming season. We talked about the changes and expectations for the team and Orlando City’s growing place in the Orlando sports marketplace.
On This Episode
- Why did Orlando City part with fan-favorite Tally Hall and make some of the changes they made this summer?
- How important will depth be for this team with international call ups and the grueling MLS schedule?
- Does Orlando City have the talent to make the Playoffs? What is it about parity in the MLS?
- What happened with the Antonio Nocerino signing and what impact can he bring?
- Can fan interest and energy around the team continue?
- Where does Orlando City fit into the Orlando sports market? How do they compete or complement the Orlando Magic?
- What has made Orlando attractive to sporting events?
- An update on the Orlando Magic as they get ready to head out West
- How do the Orlando Magic learn to close games?
Many thanks to Gavin for joining me on the podcast. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @gavinewbank and The Mane Land on Twitter @TheManeLand for some great Orlando City coverage.
Orlando City kicks off its second season in MLS on Sunday against Real Salt Lake at 2 p.m. in front of likely 50,000-plus fans at the Orlando Citrus Bowl.
