Orlando City SC’s Major League Soccer team and English Premier League side Stoke City will play a friendly match on Wednesday at Titan Soccer Complex in Melbourne, Fla.
“This is another great opportunity to provide our fans in Orlando and Melbourne with an international soccer experience this summer with some of the world’s top athletes at Eastern Florida State College’s Titan Soccer Complex, which is the playing home for Orlando City B,” said Club Founder and President Phil Rawlins. “This is one of the many benefits gained through our partnership.”
Orlando City and Stoke City last month announced a formal affiliation, which includes player exchange opportunities, sharing scouting and player recruitment systems and cross-promotional marketing opportunities.
The teams played a friendly match on July 28, 2012, when Orlando City was in the United Soccer League (USL). City has played 15 friendlies in its history, including four friendly matches against EPL teams. Most recently, the Lions hosted West Bromwich Albion on July 15, 2015.
Stoke City is the second oldest professional soccer club in the world with 153 years of existence. The Potter’s recent successes, including reaching the 2011 FA Cup final and establishing themselves as a top 10 team in one of soccer’s top leagues in the world for the past eight years, have been aided by their exceptional scouting network – recruiting the talents of Austrian national team striker Marko Arnautović, England national team goalkeeper Jack Butland, Dutch national team defender Erik Pieters, United States Men’s National Team defender/midfielder Geoff Cameron and French midfielder Giannelli Imbula.
Information and article written by Orlando City Soccer Communications Department.