Orlando City's supporters' section The Wall will be sold out for the team's season opener Feb. 25 against the New York Red Bulls, the club announced Thursday.
"Our supporters have answered the call and continue to show why they are the best in Major League Soccer,” Orlando City President of Business Operations Jarrod Dillon said in the club statement. “The home opener always has a special energy about it and our supporters and Season
Orlando finished 17th in leaguewide attendance last year according to SoccerStadiumDigest figures. The club averaged 17, 261 fans per game in 2022, up from 15,418 in 2021.
Last year's home opener against CF Montreal was a near sellout of 21,283 fans. The Wall was packed to the brim to witness a 2-0 victory over the Quebec side and the debuts of new stars Facundo Torres and César Araújo.
This season's opener should be even more of an occasion. Orlando's busy offseason has brought a new level of intrigue and expectation to head coach Oscar Pareja's squad. Feb. 25, fans will potentially see the debuts of new Designated Player Martín Ojeda and U22 signings Gastón González and Ramiro Enrique.
The team itself could be set up to play an exciting brand of soccer, as well. The new additions give Pareja the options to deploy a possession-based, offensive system that could utilize the attacking talent on hand to create countless scoring opportunities.
Orlando opens the season against one of the other best teams in the Eastern Conference. The New York Red Bulls made the playoffs last season, but fell in the opening round to FC Cincinnati. The endlessly consistent Red Bulls kept a bulk of last year's core, and they added a new club-record DP striker in Dante Vanzeir from Belgium
The Lions have often struggled against RBNY --- including a 3-0 humiliation at Exploria Stadium last season --- but opening day will provide an early preview of two teams vying for silverware this season.