ORLANDO, FLORIDA – February 7, 2015 – Orlando City Soccer Club hosted a festive and vibrant open practice for fans Saturday night at the Orlando Citrus Bowl as the team continues to prepare for its inaugural Major League Soccer (MLS) matchup against New York FC on March 8.
Afterward, Season Ticket Members enjoyed a special autograph session with all Orlando City players. But Former FIFA World Cup player Kaká delivered an unforgettable night for fans. Refusing to stop at the session’s predetermined time, Kaká continued to sign autographs and pose for photos with every single fan that patiently waited for nearly two hours – creating lifelong memories for Lions fans of all ages.
The event, which was free to fans, provided an opportunity for everyone to enjoy a low-key soccer experience with family and friends. Thousands were on-hand to watch Coach Adrian Heath take the team through various exercises for nearly 90 minutes.
“We’ll have to play with different positions a bit, but the team looked good today,” said Coach Heath. “Our biggest goal is getting everyone more minutes on the field and keeping them healthy and mentally prepared.”
With a goal to reach 60,000 spectators for the March 8 matchup, the Lions have currently sold over 11,000 season ticket packages, and today, opened the sale of 2015 single-game tickets at the Citrus Bowl Box office. The team aims to top the sale of season-ticket packages at 14,000.
"It was a fun and exciting evening for the thousands of fans who came out tonight. The whole community has been such an integral part of this team and tonight's event once again proved that passion," said Orlando City President and Founder Phil Rawlins. "The Citrus Bowl looked great and our fans really enjoyed the new stadium. All in all it was a good dry run for March 8th when we take on NYCFC and make history as we #FilltheBowl. It'll be electric and we look forward to seeing everyone there."
