ORLANDO, Fla. (April 22, 2017) - Orlando City Stadium will host the 2017 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Championship match on Saturday, Oct. 14. Orlando City SC Majority Owner Flávio 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.
“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. “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.”
Orlando City Stadium opened in March 2017 and is home to Orlando Pride in the NWSL, Orlando City of Major League Soccer (MLS) and Orlando City B of the United Soccer League (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," Amanda Duffy said. "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 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,” da Silva added. “The team is entering its second year in the league and we’ve recently brought two outstanding athletes in Marta and Ali Krieger to enhance the team’s competitiveness. We expect a great season for our fans.”
Orlando 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.
