On October 25, the U.S. Women's National Team will return to Orlando to face Brazil in a friendly. It will be the ninth match in what has been an immensely successful run for the team in the City of Orlando.
It all started in 1995. After playing a friendly against the Orlando Lions women’s team, some of which had previously played for the national team, the U.S. took on Denmark in their first friendly in the city – winning 7-0 in front of 2,238 fans.
Shortly after, in 1996, the National Team returned to Orlando for two matches during the Summer Olympics. The U.S. beat Denmark on July 21 3-0 in front of sizable crowd of 25,303 fans, and followed that up with a 2-1 defeat of Sweden in front of an even more impressive 28,000 fans. The team would go on to win the gold medal.
USWNT Stars Look Forward To Playing In The Orlando Citrus Bowl
The largest crowd to see a U.S. Women's National Team game came on August 2, 1998 vs. Canada. The 4-0 win over the Canadians was half of a double header with the 1998 MLS All-Star game witnessed by 34,416 fans.
October’s matchup will mark the third consecutive time Brazil has been the team’s opposition. The first time both sides played was on May 22, 1999, where the U.S. won 3-0 in front of 10,452 fans. Despite the fact that the Women's National Team had played in the city eight times in the past four years, it would be another 14 years before the U.S. Women's National Team would return to Orlando. On November 10, 2013, they again defeated Brazil, this time 4-1 and in front of 20,274 spectators.
In total the U.S. Women's National Team has played in Orlando nine times against international competition. Seven of those nine took place at the Orlando Citrus Bowl with the other two coming in early 1999 at Sylvain Lake Training Center. The team has won each of the nine games they’ve played in the City Beautiful.
There is one little known connection between Orlando City SC and the USWNT. The Lion’s training facility at Lake Sylvan was actually built in 1993 for the U.S. Women's National Team. It was the home training base for the women during the 1996 Summer Olympics where they won the gold medal, and then again for the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, held in the United States, where the women famously beat China in the final.
With soccer at its highest point in Orlando’s history, the U.S. Women's National Team returns once again in an attempt to preserve their perfect record in the city. They will also be looking to set a new attendance mark while playing at the Citrus Bowl. It will be a special Sunday in October when the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup champions once again return to one of their favorite locations, Orlando.
February 24, 1995 vs Denmark W 7-0 2,238
February 10, 1996 vs Denmark W 2-1 2,130
July 21, 1996 vs Denmark W 3-0 25,303 Olympics
July 23, 1996 vs Sweden W 2-1 28,000 Olympics
August 2, 1998 vs Canada W 4-0 34,416
January 27, 1999 vs Portugal W 7-0 Closed Door training center
February 24, 1999 vs Finland W 3-1 Closed Door training center
May 22, 1999 vs Brazil W 3-0 10,452
November 10, 2013 vs Brazil W 4-1 20,274
