It was a gorgeous night for a season-opening Orlando City match when the Lions took the pitch Saturday night to square off against the New York Red Bulls at Exploria Stadium. The assembled 24,088 fans packed into the Purple Palace were not just ready to cheer on the team — they also wanted to celebrate.
That happened before the match, as the club raised a championship banner honoring Orlando City’s run to the 2022 U.S. Open Cup title to the stadium’s rafters — high above the supporters section. The new banner nestled cozily between the club’s USL Pro championship banners from the Lions’ pre-MLS days.