KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Kissimmee Fire Frogs are gone, and the Orlando City Soccer Club is moving to Osceola County.
- Osceola Co. Stadium to be home to Orlando City's lower-division team
- Soccer field, training complex will be at Osceola Heritage Park
- Training complex will feature fields, fitness center, among other features
The Major League Soccer team will still play at Exploria Stadium in downtown Orlando, but the Osceola County Stadium will be a new home field for Orlando City’s lower-division team.
Paul’s Deli, a business near the Osceola Heritage Park has signed baseball pictures mounted on their wall, but they don’t mind trading those in for soccer pictures instead.
“Very excited, very excited," said Joe Fuda, one of the deli owner's sons. "We love soccer here. We’re Italian, you know? What more can we say?”
This baseball park is transforming into a soccer field, and a training complex is also coming to Osceola Heritage Park. It's all ahead of the 2020 United Soccer League One season.
The Training Complex will feature four fields, a fitness center, a players’ lounge and a film room, among other state-of-the-art features.
Robb Larson, General Manager for Osceola Heritage Park, said with all of the events they put together in the year, Osceola County generates over $100 million.
“With the world of professional soccer and amateur soccer, who knows what type of events we will have here?” Larson said. “We look forward to 2024, the World Cup. We hope (it) ends up here in Orlando, and if it does we’re in a position to hopefully participate in that party.”
“The result is what’s happening here, and there’s much more of that to come in the future. Can’t wait for 2020 to get here,” Larson added.
Being so close to the Osceola Heritage Park, this family-owned business can’t wait for the game-time rush.
“You know, just bringing a lot of people, picking up sandwiches. Hopefully we can deal with some of the players. Some of the players come in, that would be exciting,” Fuda said.