ORLANDO, Fla. – Dec. 16, 2015 – Defying expectations has never been more accurate for Orlando City SC, who took Major League Soccer (MLS) by storm in 2015.



The Club can add another milestone to its epic inaugural year.



It is ranked No. 2 in Google’s Year in Search of Top 10 Trending Soccer Teams of 2015 in the United States, trailing only FC Barcelona, Google announced today. The only MLS team in the top 10, Orlando City was ranked ahead of high profile clubs from around the world including Arsenal FC, Manchester United, Real Madrid and several others.



“This is one of the proudest moments for our front office staff, technical team, players and fans,” said Club President and Founder Phil Rawlins. “It’s a testament to the hard work we’ve all done to elevate this team and capture the hearts of a growing global fan base, and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of our soccer community.”



There were several moments in 2015 that kept the Lions trending online this year.



Whether it was the execution of the integrated marketing communications campaign #FillTheBowl that motivated 62,500 fans to sell out the Club’s inaugural MLS match at the Orlando Citrus Bowl, or team captain Kaka’s late equalizer that brought the Bowl to its feet in the 90th minute of the NYCFC match, this year’s opening day will forever be remembered as one of the greatest moments in Orlando City history that surely led to widespread internet attention.



The official move Club Owner Flavio Augusto da Silva made to privately fund 100 percent of the Club’s new soccer-specific stadium in the heart of Orlando—one of the rising cities for millennials in the U.S. with a succesful tourism infrastructure—also re-ignited passions across fans for senior leadership’s commitment to their team of choice halfway through the season.



“There were several crucial moments in 2015 that kept Orlando City in the headlines on and off the pitch, and we made sure to capitalize on them from a marketing, digital and communications point of view,” said Orlando City’s VP of Marketing Teresa Tatlonghari. “We are proactive in our approach to reaching our goals to be a globally recognized brand, and our strategy has been led by the ongoing effort to create an identity that’s loyal, passionate and authentically representative of our multicultural and dynamic network of supporters and partners.”

On the pitch, several outstanding performances also made trending headlines. The Lions’ first home win – a 4-0 victory over the LA Galaxy – was one of the most entertaining performances to occur at the Orlando Citrus Bowl during the opening stages of the inaugural season, as City produced the largest margin of victory by an expansion team against a defending MLS champion in league history.



Venturing into one of the most intimidating environments in the league against the Portland Timbers as a young expansion team was no easy task and a highly anticipated game across the league.



With the Lions put to the test, Cyle Larin stunned the sell-out crowd with his first professional goal, using his chest to produce one of the most creative finishes so far this season, kick-starting his Rookie of the Year worthy campaign #Larin4ROY—which later turned into a reality as the 20-year-old won the MLS award for Rookie of the Year, and again, gave the Club international visibility.



The full list of teams who made Google’s Top 10 Trending Soccer Teams is as follows: FC Barcelona, Orlando City SC, Arsenal FC, Manchester United FC, Chelsea FC, Real Madrid CF, Boca Juniors, Corinthians, Chivas and AC Milan. All global professional soccer teams were eligible even if they are no longer a team. The top "trending" teams are the searches that had the highest spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2015 as compared to 2014.