With the stadium packed and the crowds roaring, Oveido-native and Orlando City Academy product Tommy Redding walked onto the field as a member of the starting lineup in Orlando City’s 2-2 draw against Real Salt Lake. For Redding, who only has two previous MLS appearances, the chance to appear in the club’s home opener and be a part of team history meant a lot.
“I thought it was amazing,” Redding said after the game. “Especially for me, growing up around here, playing in the Citrus Bowl while it was full was an amazing experience for me.”
Today, Redding and his teammates played in front of a crowd of over 60,000 people. But Redding admitted that he never thought Orlando would become a soccer city. “Growing up around here, soccer was always very small,” Redding said. “As soon as Orlando City came, it just exploded.”
Redding and his teammates were just as amazed as the fans at the final score. With two goals in the 94th minute of the game, Redding said it didn’t feel real. “I honestly couldn’t believe it,” Redding said with a smile. “It’s like maybe this is like a game of FIFA or something. It just didn’t make any sense to me.”
The Orlando City lineup was shaken up a bit with the absence of star midfielder Kaká, but Redding thinks the team proved that they have quality depth. “I think all of us worked as hard as we could,” Redding said. “We play really good soccer. And even when we don’t, we push and find ways to get a result.”
