Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Central Florida Sports Commission President and CEO John Bisignano, and the Orlando City Soccer Club announced their bid Monday to host one of the world’s largest soccer events – Copa America Centenario USA 2016.
The tournament consists of six teams from the Confederations of North America, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football, and ten teams of the Confederacion Sudamericana de Fútbol: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venzuela.
Usually, the bids are sent on a flash drive and in a folder through the mail to the Federation’s headquarters. Orlando City wanted to ensure that US Soccer noticed their bid by encasing the documents in aluminum metal, with etchings of a packed stadium panoramic from the inaugural March 8th match against NYCFC as well as the typeface “Orlando | we’re fluent in fútbol.”
And as an extra measure to impress the judges, two of Orlando City’s standout academy players hand delivered the bid to the US Soccer Federation’s office in Chicago. One of the academy players, Gorka Aperribay, has committed to play for UCF’s soccer program. Along with Aperribay to deliver the bid, Orlando City academy player Natalie Michelle Fouque has committed to play for Villanova University in Pennsylvania and their soccer program. To top it all off and establish momentum, Orlando City photographed Aperribay and Fouque with the aluminum cases at different sites and started #DefyExpectations on their social media accounts as the bid made its way through Chicago.
The motive to host the cup is high, as economic impact to the region would be an estimated $30-$50 million, making it the largest sporting event Central Florida has hosted since the 1994 World Cup. The event will draw approximately 10,000 international travelers that come to watch their country participate in the match, adding to the more than 45,000 room night stays at local hotels that may come as a result. Foreigners are also likely to return to the Orlando metro-area in hopes of enjoying attractions and other events that the region offers.
The newly renovated Orlando Citrus Bowl, with capacity for upwards of 70,000, will host the cup should Central Florida earn the bid. Now that potential host cities have submitted their bids, the decision-making process will begin, with eight to thirteen stadiums coming out as recipients for the cup in May.
