Orlando City: A Lot to Look Forward To in 2015

The last few years have been busy and exciting for Orlando City SC as the team has worked toward MLS expansion. In those nascent years the club achieved many goals and participated in several events, setting up its entrance into MLS. As we enter a new year, the club looks forward to an even more exciting 2015.

On Jan. 15 in Philadelphia, Orlando City will participate in its first MLS SuperDraft. After winning the right to select first during the Expansion Priority Draft in September, the club will have its choice of college players from around the country. Seemingly near the salary cap, the club is expected to select a player that has been signed to a Generation Adidas contract and therefore will not count against the cap during his initial deal.

In addition to the SuperDraft, the Lions will also be finalizing their roster during the first month of 2015. Club management has already confirmed that there will be multiple international signings in the coming weeks. One player that the club reportedly has already agreed to acquire is 20-year-old Colombian forward Carlos Rivas, but others are likely to follow.

The date every soccer fan in Central Florida has been waiting for is Sunday, March 8. At 5 p.m. that day, Orlando City will host fellow expansion club New York City FC at the Citrus Bowl for both teams' first ever MLS game. That game will be the culmination of four years of hard work from the front office, current and former players, and supporters alike.

After years of streaming games online, 2015 will finally give Orlando supporters the opportunity to watch games on over-the-air television. That's being made possible by the deal between the club and Fox 35/My 65 that was announced in mid-December. The club is also planning to announce deals for Spanish television and radio broadcasts.

While many of the things to look forward to in 2015 have to do with the club's inaugural season, one is looking toward the future. Ground has already broken on the new soccer specific stadium down the street form the Citrus Bowl that will house the team in future years, but in 2015 the stadium will begin to rise. Club Founder and President Phil Rawlins recently said the stadium will seem real once you can see the steel rising from the ground. That erection will occur in the coming year.

The last four years have been busy and exciting for Orlando City SC and its supporters. But with the club's first MLS season coming in just three months, 2015 will be the club's most exciting season yet. All the events Orlando City supporters have to look forward to will certainly give them all a happy new year.