Photo courtesy of Orlando City SC
By FRANCO PANIZO
MLS might be adamant about New York City becoming the next expansion team in 2016, but that is not stopping Orlando City from having high hopes of joining the league before then.
In their second fan forum of the year, Orlando City announced that they are still targeting 2015 as a start date to join MLS. Club president Phil Rawlins stated that MLS has told them that the proposed second team in the New York City market is no sure thing, and Orlando City even showed some early renderings (photo above) of what their proposed 18,000-seat stadium would look like.
“There’s going to be a limited amount of slots for MLS expansion,” said Rawlins. “We want to make sure Orlando is at the front of that list and we get one of those slots.”
Orlando City also announced that they hope to secure a stadium deal within the next six months and a pair of 2013 friendlies. The USL Pro club is set to host Michael Bradley and AS Roma on Jan. 2 and they will also take on a Brazilian side to be identified next summer.
Here are more stories from around the soccer world:
BRADFORD ELIMINATES ARSENAL IN CARLING CUP
If Arsenal was surprised when Bradford took the lead in their Capital One Cup quarterfinals match, they must have been in a complete state of shock when the game was over. Arsenal suffered a shocking penalty kick defeat to League Two outfit Bradford on Tuesday, falling 3-2 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw. Bradford went up in the 16th minute before Thomas Vermaelen equalized late to send the game into extra time and penalty kicks, where Bradford came out on top.
FULHAM WITHDRAW DEMPSEY COMPLAINT
Fulham have moved on from their Clint Dempsey saga. The Cottagers officially withdrew the complaint they made against Liverpool this past summer in regards to what they felt were inappropriate actions surrounding the transfer interest of Dempsey. Liverpool chairman Tom Werner issued a personal apology to Fulham, stating that his club was fully responsible for unprofessional behavior.
CORINITHIANS REACH CLUB WORLD CUP FINAL
Al-Ahly’s impressive run at the FIFA Club World Cup has come to an end while Corinthians have kept their dreams alive. Corinthians defeated the African club, 1-0, on Wednesday to advance to the FIFA Club World Cup final. The Brazilian outfit will face the winner of the other semifinals match between Monterrey and Chelsea.
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What do you think of Orlando City targeting 2015 as MLS start date? How surprised were you by Arsenal’s loss? Do you see Corinthians winning the FIFA Club World Cup?
Share your thoughts below.