Orlando City announced its preseason schedule this week, which included the surprise of a new preseason tournament held at Orlando City Stadium. This is not the first MLS preseason tournament the Lions have taken part in, as they played in the Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston in 2015, but it’s a return to preseason MLS action in Orlando.
Before Orlando City came into existence in October 2010, the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic was held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex the same year. With many teams deciding to train during the preseason in Central Florida, as they still do, the tournament was a way to help those teams prepare for the upcoming season.