During the days leading up to the Orlando Pride’s first home opener, the team wasn’t sure what to expect.
Midfielder Kristen Edmonds recalls the support generated by the #FilledWithPride campaign to fill what is now called Camping World Stadium, but she still wasn’t sure how it would translate to match day. So when Edmonds drove up to the college football stadium with her family, she was struck by the environment — police blockades to direct traffic, crowds of fans tailgating in the parking lots.
“The excitement overall was unreal,” Edmonds said. “You could kind of just tell that people were embracing us before we even got onto the field.