It is a big thing for America to have Orlando City SC.
For those who have listened to my show (Vuvuzela – Tuesdays on Blog Talk Radio 6.30pm est) you will know that I have been advocating Orlando City for a while. I’ve also said for a while that the next team to join the MLS (Major League Soccer) should be Orlando City and not New York Cosmos.
Why does Don Garber want to create another team when there are others that are established and can be brought up to the next level?
It’s also no secret that Orlando City have been pushing for the last year to get into the MLS. Anyone who reads about them and sees what they are doing knows that they have their stuff together. They have a youth system and a connection to Sporting Kansas City. So they have both ends of a great club plus they made it far into the US Open Cup.
That’s just what we see on the surface.
A further look into the situation shows that they have three supporter groups: the Ruckus, the Iron Firm, and Orlando Natural Riddim Section. For a lower division club, that’s a good thing and impressive. Now Ruckus is the parent group of Iron Firm (they broke off of the Ruckus years ago). And the club has its own mobile app.
I have to realize that MLS has it’s own mobile app for games, (which to be honest isn’t that good) but still any professional club has it’s own mobile app for games to add to the experience. Think about that, they are already thinking big and that the New York Cosmos should be watching Orlando City.
Now the stadium is based on the MLS awarding them the next franchise up in the future. My biggest fear is that Garber has another jonesing for Miami folks. It could happen, he created New York Cosmos instead of bringing up Orlando City. And the argument that the Cosmos bring foreign investment, so does Orlando City. It’s a moot point. Yeah, I know, I just used a Friends reference, but how many times can you use a popular culture reference with football.
I know Beckham will be great for the MLS again but at what point do we need to force him back into the league?
I am a Beckham fan but I’m more of a stability fan. Many people know that Miami is a horrible sports town, not by club or team, but by fans. They very rarely go to the games anyway and they have one team, the Miami Heat who are very successful. The old Miami Fusion team fell apart, not only because of the fans, but poor ownership. So Beckham wants to go there and the MLS wants another team there? I so hope that Becks is bending the ear of Elton John.
November 19th, 2013 MLS made the 21st team in the league for 2015 bringing them in with the moneybags Cosmos. This is a good thing because Don Garber has said that the next phase of the league is back into the south-west of the country. There’s so many talented players in the southern region of the country and the Florida teams aren’t the last in. We’ll have two more teams after this, maybe Atlanta and San Antonio.
Article written by Stephen Brandt
