New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC Bolster Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic Field
The New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC have joined the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic field at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and tickets are on sale now.
The Red Bulls are coming back to the February event at Walt Disney World in suburban Orlando after winning the event in 2010, while Toronto FC has been a regular participant in the event.
The Red Bulls and Toronto FC join Sporting KC, Philadelphia Union, Columbus Crew, Montreal Impact and Orlando City soccer clubs in the eight-team field. Teams will begin arriving in Central Florida on Feb. 19 for three weeks of pre-season training camp and competition, culminating with the Disney Pro Soccer Classic title game on Mar. 1.
In 2013, the New York Red Bulls won their first MLS Supporters’ Shield, given to the team with the most regular season points in the league. Led by international standouts Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill, along with Winter Park, FL native Dax McCarty, the Red Bulls have qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs 10 of the last 11 seasons.
Toronto FC is looking to rebuild this season under second-year head coach Ryan Nelsen. Toronto FC is led by forward Robert Earnshaw, who scored eight goals last season and they have recently announced the signing of England International Jermain Defoe from Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League and US Men’s National Team midfielder Michael Bradley from AS Roma. Hopefully all of them will be featuring at Disney next month!
The eighth team in the tournament hasn’t officially been announced yet but will hopefully be the Tampa Bay Rowdies. We’re still waiting for their new management team to confirm but if it happens, it will be a chance for fans to rekindle the I4 Derby matches and enjoy some friendly banter. It will also be a chance for both clubs to see how far they have progressed over the last year as well as an important step for Orlando City Soccer to see what they will be up against when they join Major League Soccer in 2015.
Entering its fifth year, the Disney Pro Soccer Classic is designed to boost interest in soccer throughout Central Florida and establish the area as a prime training and competition destination for pro soccer clubs. Last year, the event at Disney attracted fans from across the U.S. and Canada and gave them a unique opportunity for an intimate fan experience at a world-class facility.
The tournament is just one of more than a dozen popular soccer events held annually at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which is the leading multi-sports venue in the nation and the official preseason training home of the AS Roma soccer club.
For more information on the Disney Pro Soccer Classic, visit www.espnwwos.com/prosoccerclassic. Tickets for the event are on sale today through Ticketmaster.com, search “Pro Soccer Classic” or by calling 800-745-3000.
