While New York City struggle over star signings, the other Major League Soccer expansion franchise has followed a smooth path to the big time

A klaxon goes off intermittently in the offices of Orlando City soccer club. “That indicates another season-ticket sale,” explains Lenny Santiago, the club’s vice-president of communications. “We like to keep everybody engaged and on topic. It’s fun but has a serious message.”

Santiago was speaking in October, more than five months before the big Major League Soccer kick-off for the Lions. But the klaxon had already sounded 6,000 times in the club’s attempt to emerge from the ranks of the USL Pro League and compete alongside the likes of Los Angeles, Seattle and New York.

On the main wall of the Orlando office, a huge digital clock counts down the days, hours and minutes to their opening fixture, at home to fellow new boys New York City FC on 8 March. It promises to be a purple-letter day in Orlando at the recently revamped, 65,000-seat Citrus Bowl – the Lions’ temporary home while their purpose-built stadium is under construction.

Purple is definitely the new colour of distinction in The City Beautiful, rivalling Orlando Magic blue for prominence before a ball has been kicked in anger. That is all down to a blanket marketing campaign by the team’s front office, which has plastered billboards, shops and the airwaves with their bullish message: “Defy Expectations”.

With the team now less than eight weeks from their MLS debut, it has been a startling transformation. This time last year, Orlando had been confirmed as major league worthy, with the commitment to build a soccer-specific arena. But that was about all.

They had just 20 full-time staff and a playing roster built for USL Pro competition. They had no ground – the Citrus Bowl was under reconstruction and their temporary home was a part-time set-up seating just 5,000 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex – and temporary offices in the suburb of Winter Park. More importantly, the club lacked a general manager to steer them through the vagaries of roster construction and salary cap constraints.

However, they did have many of the cornerstones, including founding president Phil Rawlins, original head coach Adrian Heath and a fully committed majority owner in the Brazilian millionaire Flavio Augusto da Silva. The 12-month countdown was up and running, checking off a series of markers lining the road to major-league status.

Marker One

Paul McDonough was hired as vice-president of soccer operations (a nominal general manager). A former college coach and then an agent for the Wasserman Media Group, McDonough was charged with building a scouting and recruiting network that will give Heath the players to be play-off competitive from day one – the club’s stated aim.

McDonough said: “I think my background is unique. I built teams in college so I could construct them from a tactical basis and then I had four years in the agency world, representing players like Brek Shea and Teal Bunbury. Marrying the two elements helps me a lot.”

Established as Heath’s right-hand man, McDonough knew a viable squad was item No1, 2 and 3 on the agenda. Rawlins explained: “We always knew we would need a general manager, or director of football in British parlance, so we set about trying to find someone who understands the US college system but is also an out-and-out football guy. Paul is critical to putting a squad together.”

Marker Two

Prior to the start of their last USL Pro campaign, City announced their first MLS signings, the key handful who would form the core of the 2015 squad. They included Trinidad and Tobago international Kevin Molino – who scored a USL Pro league-record 20 goals – El Salvador midfielder Darwin Ceren,and two USA Under-18 defenders, Tyler Turner and Tommy Redding.

By the end of October, the Lions had added veteran British defender Luke Boden, Heath’s 18-year-old son Harrison and two teenage Portuguese players, Rafael Ramos and Valdomiro ‘Estrela’ Lameira, from Benfica, setting up a youth movement of significant proportions. This team had better not win too much too soon – not many of its players will be able to have a celebratory drink.

Marker Three

Kaká poses for a photo as he arrives at Orlando International Airport in June. Photograph: John Raoux/AP

With exquisite timing, City announced their first designated player at the height of World Cup fever from Brazil 2014. It was the Brazilian legend Kaká, returning to the Americas from Milan at the age of 32. The Samba nation’s answer to David Beckham, Kaká’s signing created a storm of interest in his home country, with Orlando benefitting from more than 100,000 likes on their Facebook pages and thousands of new Twitter followers – this is fairly apt, as Kaká was the first sports star to top 10 million followers in the Twitterverse.

Loaned back to his hometown club Sao Paulo for the latter half of 2014, Kaka defied critics who feel he is past his sell-by date – having been left out of the World Cup squad – by being recalled under new Brazil coach Dunga for two autumn friendlies. The 2007 World Player of the Year will be the highest-paid player in MLS in 2015 at almost $7.2m a year, but he could well bring in that much annually from merchandise and other sponsorship deals, especially from Brazilian interests in the US.

Rawlins says: “Kaka is a guaranteed international superstar. He is respected across the game and around the world and he’s going to be a great advocate in signing even more great players for Orlando.”

Marker Four

The USL Pro season finished in unexpected style, with table-topping Orlando going out in the first round of the playoffs. But, in a way, that merely cleared the decks for more serious business. Free agency was just around the corner and both Heath and McDonough knew the squad was nowhere near ready. One international icon and, basically, a bunch of kids does not an MLS roster make.

McDonough went to town in his contacts book and, in early December, City announced three key signings – the All Star centre-back Aurélien Collin from Kansas City and goalkeeper Tally Hall from Houston, plus Philadelphia midfielder Amobi Okugo, three tried-and-tested league veterans to build around Kaká, all with plenty left in the tank.

Heath said: “We think we’ve signed some of the best players in their respective positions in MLS. All three are guys we’ve wanted for a long time and we know they’ll be huge assets, helping to make us competitive from day one.”

Marker Five

While the team takes shape, the club must continue to build its off-field profile. Rawlins has set his stall out to be a community-orientated club and their interaction with the city in general and their fanbase in particular is crucial to a long-lasting relationship. A big event was therefore called for, and it duly arrived in mid-October.

The agreement for Orlando’s new stadium is part of the redevelopment of the blighted Parramore district and has been a solid partnership with both the city and county. The groundbreaking was therefore a joint celebration and several thousand fans turned up for the “March along Church Street” to the prospective site, a ritual the club aims to repeat every matchday. For the ceremony, things took on a carnival atmosphere – the club imported 24 tons of purple sand, while #WeDigPurple Instagram messages popped up on billboards throughout Orlando.

On the day, Rawlins said: “Today marks more than a mere stadium groundbreaking, it marks the beginning of a new era for the community, our fans and team. We are immensely proud to be a part of such a transformational project that will set the cornerstone for development in the Parramore community and we look forward to contributing to this area’s growth into the future.”

Mayor Buddy Dyer added: “An MLS club is much more than another professional sports team calling Orlando home. It’s about drawing more international tourists and uplifting our economy, bringing jobs and opportunity to our residents and businesses; it’s about a diverse community coming together to cheer on a hometown team; and it’s about pride and love for your community.”

Marker Six

The Expansion Draft gave Adrian Heath much to think about. Photograph: Ben Radford/Getty Images

As 2014 drew to a close, things were gathering real pace in the race to major status and, for both the Lions and New York City, the Expansion Draft was a huge part of that momentum. It presented an opportunity for each to add 10 players from the rest of the league in a convoluted process that involved selections, de-selections, trades, transfers, horse-trading and various other dealings.

In City’s war-room, the three-man selection committee was led by McDonough, alongside Heath and recently-joined assistant coach Mark Watson, formerly head coach at San Jose. Watson adds real-time MLS coaching savvy and valuable back-up to Orlando’s brain trust. There was an amazing buzz about the offices and a huge air of expectation. “If we get four good pieces, I’ll be happy,” said Heath.

Rawlins was positively giddy with excitement in the background as the minutes ticked down to the appointed hour; Mayor Dyer was an interested observer, alongside other club insiders. “Go Orlando!” cheered the president, amid an array of last-minute banter and light-hearted jokes

The other 18 teams also checked in with league HQ, as each was allowed to withdraw an “unprotected” player when one of theirs was chosen (to a maximum of two). You could sense the jockeying for position and tactical manoeuvering off-stage. The Lions won the draw to pick first through each of the 10 rounds back in September and it quickly became clear that Heath and Co had done their homework. They knew their man in each case, and none of New York’s selections threw them off track.

Within the hour, 10 new names were written on the whiteboard alongside the club’s existing roster. “Hold on, though,” warned Heath. “Not all of these guys will be coming to Florida.” Indeed not. In the course of the draft, Orlando had been bartering with several other clubs, and three selections were already earmarked for trades, earning City an extra pick in this season’s SuperDraft and next year’s, as well as repaying Kansas City for the Collin trade.

Two-time MLS goalkeeper of the Year Donovan Ricketts was the top choice, adding significant presence to the backline, while the club was also delighted to pick up Colorado midfielder Tony Cascio and positively cock-a-hoop at landing Lewis Neal, the veteran former Stoke midfielder who moved to the US in 2011 and scored City’s first USL Pro goal before joining DC United in 2012. Now he is coming “home” to Orlando for the next step in the process.

“I am delighted,” insisted Heath. “We got most of the players we wanted. We have plenty of young talent but we needed to put some battle-hardened MLS-proven players around them.”

McDonough was visibly elated – if drained – by the whole process. “It has been a real education,” he admitted. “There are wheels within wheels in this process and so much that goes on behind the scenes. We were here until late last night and our minds were made up, then we got a call telling us Donovan was available and, by the time we finished dinner, we were convinced he was our guy.”



Marker Seven

While the roster is taking shape, so is the front office. From just 20 staff at the beginning of the year, the number is now around 70, with the ticket sales and corporate partnership departments booming. The club is not just recruiting major league talent on the field, either. Brett Lashbrook, a former special assistant to MLS commissioner Don Garber, was brought in as chief operating officer in 2013 and is now joined by Rob Parker (formerly of the Philadelphia Union) as vice-president of corporate partnerships; Chris Gallagher (ex-New York Yankees, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins) as VP of ticket sales; and Forrest Eber (previously with the US Soccer Federation) as chief financial officer.



“We had the structure in place as an organisation from Day One,” explained Rawlins. “Even in the early years, we were well staffed for a minor-league club and we had the departments in place. Reaching the MLS was always our goal and what we have really done is just add depth to the various departments. We are putting the flesh on the bones.

“We have sold more than 9,500 season tickets and will cap them at 14,000, which I’m confident we will achieve and, from memory, will put us in the top five in the league. Corporate partnerships are also vital as they allow us to bring in a lot of new sponsors who want to be part of the major league journey and be in on the ground floor.”

Marker Eight

Brek Shea in action for the USA, in Mexico in 2012. Photograph: Tony Quinn/ Tony Quinn/ISI/Corbis

With the Expansion Draft concluded and the roster now numbering 19, Heath was looking to add extra top-line talent that would give his squad competitive balance and a cutting edge. His coaching style is all about ball possession and quick movement, making the opposition chase and have to defend multiple threats.

He is a disciple of the Arsène Wenger approach and of a fluid 4-2-3-1 formation, with Kaká at the centre of the midfield trio, but he still lacked goal-scoring bite. In two quick moves, that problem was addressed. As well as having the highest-paid designated player, the Lions will have the youngest, after signing the 19-year-old Honduran phenom Bryan Rochez to a five-year contract. They followed up with a potentially crowning move, bringing USA winger Brek Shea back from a frustrating two years with Stoke to provide instant name recognition and, more importantly, proven MLS scoring skills.

At 24, Shea is still in the prime of his career and with 27 international caps and 19 goals for Dallas as a youngster, his arrival completed an intense 12 months of team-building. Rawlins said: “Brek is one of the key finishing touches to a high-quality, competitive squad that Paul and Adrian have assembled. His pedigree, success in MLS and on the international stage pair well with the experience, youth and talent already here.”

“I can’t speak enough about the talent and passion Brek brings to the squad,” added Heath. “Having had a chance to watch him train with us over the summer, I was impressed with the calibre of player he is and his desire to win. Those qualities fit well with our style and the other players on our squad. We still have a lot work to do to prepare for the season – but we have a talented roster with which to start.”

The present

That brings us to this week’s SuperDraft, on Thursday. It is the final signpost on the road to major-league status for Orlando City, a chance to add three players from a rich crop of college talent itching to break into the MLS ranks. It will mark a watershed for Rawlins and Heath in particular, a terminus in their seven-year journey together from a fledgling team among myriad minor-league wannabes. From here, the next highway has no markers and no maps, it is all uncharted territory.

“We realised we had taken things to a whole different level when we signed Kaká,” says Rawlins. “When we brought him off the plane at the airport in the summer and saw the fan and media frenzy that it sparked, we knew we were moving towards something special. We have come a long way in a relatively short time, but that was probably the biggest jump of all.”

Heath agrees: “When you stop to consider what we have achieved so far and the way it has worked out, it has been a whirlwind experience, and Kaká joining was huge for us. We needed that boost both in our general profile and in terms of the squad. It provided a key piece of validation. Now we’re ready for what it takes to be a major league team.”

Fittingly, the SuperDraft serves as the culmination of the pair’s personal MLS pilgrimage – with a reference to arguably the greatest British sitcom, Only Fools And Horses.

Rawlins explains: “I think it will be the most emotional moment for us. Most of the things this past year we’ve experienced before or learned as we’ve gone along. The SuperDraft will be different. Adrian and I have been to the last five, looking in from outside and saying, ‘One of these days that will be us in there, in the position of having the first pick.’

“It feels a bit like Del Boy and Rodney in Only Fools And Horses, with Del Boy saying ‘One of these days, we’ll be millionaires.’

“Well, come the SuperDraft, we will definitely feel like millionaires.”

