Orlando City Stadium opened on March 5 (FrontRowSoccer.com Photo)
CHICAGO – Orlando City Stadium will host the National Women’s Soccer League Championship match Saturday, Oct. 14.
Orlando City SC majority owner Flavio Augusto da Silva, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and NWSL managing director of operations Amanda Duffy made the announcement during halftime of Orlando Pride’s home opener Saturday evening.
“We are thrilled to announce that Orlando City Stadium, a new state-of-the-art venue that has already become one of the best soccer settings in the country, will be the site of the 2017 NWSL Championship,” Duffy said in a press release. “The city of Orlando has proven its overwhelming support for the sport and for the Orlando Pride, and we are confident all the necessary components are in place for a successful and historic championship to conclude the league’s fifth season of operation.”
The stadium, which opened in March, is home to the Pride, Orlando City (Major League Soccer) and Orlando City B (United Soccer League).
“The appetite for soccer in Orlando is at an all-time high, and we are thrilled to contribute to this movement by bringing the NWSL Championship to Orlando,” da Silva said in a statement. “A huge driving force to invest in our stadium was to bring this community the best soccer opportunities possible, not only with our three teams, but with major events and matches around the world.”
The privately funded, 25,500-seat stadium features a natural grass playing surface and a four-sided canopy roof to keep noise in and weather out, as well as North America’s only safe-standing supporters’ section. It also features 49 rainbow colored seats in Section 12 as a tribute to the victims of the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub June 12, 2016.
The top four teams in the NWSL standings qualify for the playoffs and the higher-seeded teams will host semifinal matches the weekend of Oct. 7-8.