Orlando Awarded Major Arena Soccer League Franchise
KISSIMMEE, FL - Professional soccer will now be a year-round activity in the Orlando metropolitan area. The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) and Orlando Professional Indoor Soccer LLC announced the formation of a new team at a press conference today at Silver Spurs Arena. The new team will be part of the MASL’s 2018/19 alignment and will play its 12 home games at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee beginning in early December.
“The MASL is extremely excited to welcome the Orlando team to our league,” said MASL Commissioner Joshua Schaub. “The MASL views Orlando as a prime soccer market and a perfect match for the MASL. The league looks forward to many exciting years ahead in Orlando as we continue to introduce arena soccer to Florida and expose our international league to new markets. Fans can look forward to an extremely fast paced and physical brand of soccer.”
The team announced the hiring of Chris Kokalis to serve as General Manager of the Central Florida franchise. Kokalis is a veteran general manager who has worked in indoor football and arena soccer and is eager to build the Orlando team from the ground up. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to create something special in this market and I think Orlando is in for a treat when they experience arena soccer for the first time in person.”
Experience Kissimmee and Park Inn by Radisson were announced as the team’s first sponsors.
Fans can now go to the team’s temporary website MASLOrlando.com and enter in a Name the Team contest. The first person to submit the name that is ultimately selected will win season tickets for 2018/19 season. Everyone who enters will have a chance to win a pair of tickets to a future game. Voting ends Friday, April 13th at 5pm.
Arena soccer is played on artificial turf, enclosed by boards, with five players and a goalkeeper on the field at a time for each team. MASL games averaged 13.64 goals per game during the 2017/18 season. The MASL is a coast-to-coast league that feature teams across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The 2018/19 season will feature a 24-game schedule, a two-game increase from last season, with play kicking off in early December and continuing through mid-April. The Orlando team will have a natural rival in the Florida Tropics, who will be entering their third season in Lakeland’s RP Funding Center.
Season tickets will go on sale immediately starting as low as $10 per game on MASLOrlando.com.