Orlando City Soccer Club (2015)
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| Full name | Orlando City Soccer Club |
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| Nickname(s) | The Lions |
| Founded | November 19, 2013 |
| Stadium |
Orlando City Stadium Orlando, Florida |
| Capacity | 25,500 |
| Owner | Flávio Augusto da Silva (majority) Phil Rawlins (minority) |
| Head coach | Jason Kreis |
| League | Major League Soccer |
| 2016 | Eastern Conference: 8th Overall: 15th Playoffs: Did not qualify |
| Website | Club home page |
| Active teams of Orlando City SC | |||
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| MLS | USL | NWSL | |
Orlando City SC is an American professional soccer club based in Orlando, Florida that competes as a member of the Eastern Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). Orlando City SC began play in 2015 as an expansion team of the league. The team is the first MLS franchise located in the state of Florida since the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny were folded by the league following the 2001 season.
On October 25, 2010, Phil Rawlins and his investor group of Orlando City Soccer Club, announced their intentions of joining Major League Soccer within the next three to five years. On February 28, 2011, Orlando City announced it met with commissioner Don Garber and league officials concerning expansion. Topics covered included the demographics of the Orlando marketplace, the local corporate and fan support for soccer, and developing a roadmap for a future MLS franchise in Orlando. Orlando City team officials met with Commissioner Don Garber again on November 10, 2011 for further discussions about joining the MLS as its 20th club – which ultimately went to New York City – in 2013.
On March 1, 2012. Garber visited Orlando to meet with city and county officials. He stated, "It's not a matter of if, but when," when addressing Orlando's chances of joining MLS. On August 31, 2012, Rawlins told the Orlando Business Journal the team could get the Major League Soccer approval as early as late 2013, and be ready to play in the league by 2014 or 2015. Rawlins said to make that happen, the league had asked the team to explore building a 22,000-seat soccer-specific stadium. "They didn't say we had to have a stadium built before we could join, but they at least would like a plan that it's happening."
On November 19, 2013, Orlando City SC was announced as the league's twenty-first franchise. On May 13, 2014, the team unveiled its new logo. On June 9, 2014, Orlando City SC announced a partnership with Benfica. As part of that partnership, Orlando City signed two players from the S.L. Benfica Juniors U-19 developmental team – Estrela and Rafael Ramos – to MLS contracts on August 7, 2014. On June 30, 2014 the team signed former Brazil international Kaká as their first Designated Player after his release from AC Milan, loaning him out to São Paulo FC until the start of the season.
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