The future of women’s soccer was on view in Orlando on Saturday night as a record 23,403 fans flocked to the Citrus Bowl for the inaugural home outing of the Orlando Pride in a part of Florida that is rapidly becoming synonymous with the beautiful game.



It was the future of a league, of a new team, of fans new to the sport and even of a possible matrimonial tie-up as one of the men’s team’s most recognizable supporters was joined by a female counterpart in a development that is sure to please unicorn-lovers everywhere.

The key feature was the highest attendance in the short history of the National Women’s Soccer League, as the crowd topped the previous best of 21,144 for the Portland-Seattle game last July. All week, the Pride – backed by the formidable marketing machine that is Orlando City SC – had flirted with the idea of a record turnout, and it was duly confirmed by press release almost three hours before kick-off with the sale of the 21,145th ticket.

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The fact the Pride won a thrilling game 3-1, to offset the opening week defeat at Portland, was almost incidental to the big picture of growth and potential for the NWSL. Here was a fledgling league basking in the added credibility of a game featuring 17 internationals as well as big-name recognition in the shape of US World Cup stars Alex Morgan (for Orlando) and Carli Lloyd (for Houston).

It was a veritable pot-boiler of a home debut in competitive terms, given added spice by the fact both teams are part of the trio in the league backed by MLS ownership, which seems an increasing pointer to future expansion in a national landscape that increasingly values Futbol as well as football.

The jubilant crowd had to wait until the 46th minute for the first goal – an unfortunate deflection off Houston’s Brazilian midfielder Andressa – but were then treated to two more as Briton Lianne Sanderson fired home a cheeky quick free-kick and Morgan delighted the home faithful with an instinctive finish from Steph Catley’s low cross. Andressa got a slight measure of revenge with a gorgeous 25-yard drive 15 minutes from time and Pride keeper Ashlyn Harris had to distinguish herself with several sharp saves to preserve the team’s historic first win.

But for all the intensity and action on the pitch, it was the focus on the fans that paid most dividends, and held most fascination for those who like to chart the impending upward trajectory of soccer in the US, most notably in a women’s professional game that has struggled through three incarnations in just the past 13 years.

The arrival of Orlando represents an immediate boost to a league that, while now firmly established, still averaged only 5,000 per game in 2015, a pale return considering the 27,000 or so that regularly turned out for the national team last year. Week one’s figures showed an average closer to 8,000, though, and Orlando’s debut crowd will now push that even higher.

Whisper it quietly, but the women’s game seems to have discovered real traction, and commissioner Jeff Plush was keen to point out the possibilities before the game. “It is exactly what we anticipated, frankly,” he said. “There is a lot of excitement around this market and it is very significant. We are proud of being in our fourth season as a league and we recognize the potential this represents.

“Not everyone can do what Orlando did overnight, but we are showing it is still attractive to come to the US to play. And we are also showing it is about the pride of a city and the community leaders. It is certainly a blueprint for others to follow.”

In the stands, the largely purple-clad fans were equally bullish about seeing a third professional team makes its debut in the area in the space of 13 months following City’s MLS opener last year and the inauguration of Orlando City B last month.

The mixture of supporters was noticeably led by a large contingent of the Ruckus and Iron Lion Firm, the usual denizens behind the south goal and at the extensive parking lot tailgate, but there were plenty of others, too. The purple-and-blue colours of the Pride were certainly to the fore in plenty of instances, and there was even a certain amount of role reversal going on. While girls staged the usual pre-game kickabout in many instances, it was the menfolk manning the barbecues and grills, taking a gender back-seat to represent the occasion.

True, many of the Pride scarves on display were there as a result of a typical guerilla social media campaign by the team the day before the game. In taking (another) leaf out of the Orlando City playbook, team staffers had been out at 5am placing the scarves in prominent spots around the city, urging the finder to ‘Take Me’ and come along in support of the team. Twitter and Facebook then broadcast clues to the locations of all 5,000 scarves.

Marketing man James Pellington – son of founding owners Phil and Kay Rawlins – explained their rationale. “We have gone back to a more grassroots approach,” he said. “The Pride is a whole new identity for us, hence the use of social media. It is an extension of what we have done in the past. We have approached it a bit differently because it is a different demographic.”

Different it certainly was. Walking the tailgate zone beforehand it was instantly clear this was a variation on the usual Orlando theme. Gone were the more strident overtones (plus the flags, flares and chanting) of the men’s support; instead, there was a more laid-back and affable air. “It seems estrogen is friendlier than testosterone,” as Ruckus member Colin Bowman observed.

Among the female supporters, the accent was both giddy and pointed. Lindsay told me: “It is huge for us. It is a great opportunity to really get behind women’s sports, and I think Orlando can do it better than anyone else. Soccer provides real role models for kids and, in this case, practical opportunities for young women.”

Kim had an alternative view. “I don’t like men and I don’t go to Orlando City games,” she openly insisted. “But this team will be real bad-ass. It’s just awesome.”

In crossover terms, there was no mistaking the extra dimension brought by another Orlando fan favourite in the shape of Danny Voss. Voss is immediately recognisable for his purple unicorn outfit and is a staple of the tailgate scene. On Saturday night he was joined by a unicorn in pink. A Mrs Unicorn, perhaps? “Sshh. Not yet,” Danny insisted. The lady in pink identified herself as Julia and admitted that, yes, they were dating. “We figured the women’s team needed support in their own way,” she added. “So Danny’s family made this for me. This is probably a more laid-back crowd, but I think it’s the most fun I’ve had yet.”

Inside the stadium, the decibel level wasn’t far below that of the men’s team, even if the sound was more high-pitched. The drumline of The Wall was less prominent but the arena as a whole needed less orchestration to join in. A yellow card for Houston’s Ellie Brush in the 23rd minute for a foul on Morgan drew a huge cheer, while every venture into the Dash penalty area elicited loud indications of expectation.

In the second half, with the home side firmly in control, the crowd’s ecstatic cheers of “Orlando!” and echoing “Pride!” filled the Bowl in the best way possible, and both teams lingered long on the field after the whistle, soaking up the atmosphere of the league’s record attendance. The Pride concluded with a long victory lap, cheering the fans in return, then running to embrace Phil and Kay in a scene more fitting of a title victory than an inaugural win. Tears were definitely shed.

Numerous players were still meeting and greeting with fans fully 30 minutes later, signing autographs and taking selfies to mark the occasion.

Head coach Tom Sermanni insisted: “I think this has taken the league to a new level. It wasn’t just the number of people, it was the passion in the crowd, the colour and the way they supported the team. It was absolutely phenomenal. Hopefully we did enough tonight to encourage them to come back and watch the rest of the games.”

“Scoring front of this crowd is something I will always remember,” Morgan added. “The way the crowd got behind us at 2-0 up, it just felt like everything was going our way. I knew it was going to be exciting and challenging, and it has been exactly that.”

The final word, fittingly, belonged to Kay Rawlins who, together with the indefatigable Phil, has now overseen five debut fixtures for their various US teams, starting in 2008 with the Austin Aztex and progressing through four USL seasons with Orlando City before their MLS bow. Now with OCB and the Pride all in the Orlando stable, it has been a long journey from the Rawlins’ humble home of Stoke-on-Trent.

“It looks and feels very similar to the experience we had with Orlando City last year,” she insisted. “We have been blessed with some incredible support and it doesn’t, honestly, feel like a surprise any more. This community has become a big part of who we are and what we do and I think the appetite for women’s soccer is there for all to see.”