On Monday afternoon, the City of Orlando board of commissioners held a vote on the first hindrance of Orlando City Soccer Club’s entry into the Major League Soccer division –- a new stadium.
In a unanimous 7-0 vote, City of Orlando approved the funding to build a soccer stadium specific to Orlando soccer. The stadium is to be built by 2015 and is the first step in ensuring the club a spot in Major League Soccer, the highest professional soccer league throughout the United States and Canada. The vote for the pending approval of the Orange Country Commissioners will take place on Tuesday, October 22.
The Stadium will cost approximately $84 million, $20 million of which will be granted by the City of Orlando. Don Garber, the MLS commissioner, stated clearly that in order to be granted approval for entry into the league, Orlando would need to have its own soccer-specific stadium. Garber stated that Orlando City would likely be among 3 of the 4 teams he intends to add to the league by the end of the decade.
Orlando City have won two USL Pro titles, the latest in 2013 against the Charlotte Eagles in a thrilling 7-4 victory in which a record 20,886 people came to witness.
