Orlando City Stadium has been selected as the site of this year’s NWSL Championship game, which is scheduled for Saturday, October 14.
Orlando City SC majority owner Flavio Augusto da Silva, City of Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer and NWSL managing director of operations Amanda Duffy made the announcement during halftime of Orlando Pride’s historic home opener on Saturday evening.
Orlando City Stadium opened in March 2017 and is home to Orlando Pride in the NWSL, Orlando City of MLS, and Orlando City B of the USL.
“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,” said Amanda Duffy. “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 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,” said da Silva. “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 on June 12, 2016.
“Investing in our women’s team is a top priority for our Club this year,” added da Silva. “The team is entering its second year in the league and we’ve brought two outstanding athletes with Marta and Ali Krieger recently to enhance the team’s competitiveness. We expect a great season for our fans.”
Orland Pride, Orlando City and Orlando City B Season Ticket Members will receive exclusive ticket information at a later date. All fans interested in attending the Championship match can sign up at www.orlandocitysc.com/pride/final to receive the latest updates.
At the conclusion of the regularly-scheduled NWSL season, the top four teams in the NWSL standings qualify for the playoffs and the higher-seeded teams will host semifinal matches on the weekend of Oct. 7-8.