The Florida Cup will make its debut at Orlando City Stadium in 2018, Returns to UCF, Al Lang and Central Broward Stadiums
Florida’s largest annual celebration of international soccer today announced the venues for the 2018 event – Orlando City Stadium, Spectrum Stadium at the University of Central Florida, Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, and Central Broward Stadium in Lauderhill, Fla. Florida Cup officials also announced a special pricing period for match tickets – fans who purchase tickets through Nov. 30 will receive savings of between 15 percent and 25 percent off standard ticket prices. To purchase tickets and take advantage of the special pricing period, fans should visit www.floridacup.com.
The Florida Cup will kick off its first two matches at Orlando City Stadium with the first ever meeting between Brazil’s SC Corinthians and Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven on January 10, and Brazil’s Clube Atlético Mineiro against the legendary Rangers FC from the U.K. on January 11. The 25,500-seat soccer-specific stadium is home to Orlando City SC of Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Orlando Pride. Tickets for the matches at Orlando City Stadium will go on sale Thursday, Nov. 9.
The Florida Cup returns to the familiar grounds of Spectrum Stadium at the University of Central Florida, with four matches being played there including the marquee matchup between the U.K.’s Rangers FC and Brazil’s SC Corinthians at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 13. On January 14, Colombia’s most successful club – Atlético Nacional – and its strong U.S. fan base head to Spectrum Stadium for its Florida Cup debut against Atlético Mineiro. Spectrum Stadium first hosted Florida Cup matches in January 2017, following a renovation project that widened the corners of the playing surface to accommodate professional soccer.
It will be a battle of loyal fans in South Florida as Barcelona SC, Ecuador’s most popular club and current semi-finalists in the Copa Libertadores, face Legia Warsaw, one of the most popular and loyally supported clubs in Poland, at Central Broward Stadium on January 13. The 8,000-seat venue in South Florida will be familiar to the squad from Guayaquil, who played there last year’s event. Barcelona will look for a better result this year in their first ever match-up against the Legionnaires.
Al Lang Stadium, home of the USL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies, will host the final match of the Florida Cup in St. Petersburg on January 20 when Legia Warsaw face Atlético Nacional of Medellin, currently the first-place team in Colombia’s top flight. The approximately 7,200-seat stadium will once again welcome the Florida Cup to the state’s Gulf Coast. Overlooking Tampa Bay, Al Lang will serve as the perfect setting for the conclusion of the 2018 event.
The annual tournament, which this year welcomes three historic European clubs and five premier contenders from South America. Commenting on the excitement around this year’s event and the special pricing period, Florida Cup CEO Ricardo Villar said: “As the Florida Cup has grown in participation and popularity, so has caliber of premier facilities that host these games. We are thrilled to bring our games to another new world class venue in 2018. The Orlando City stadium will host the first two matches of the 2018 event in their beautiful home, and it will be a great experience for fans and players. We are also thrilled to return to the familiar stellar grounds at UCF’s Spectrum Stadium, Central Broward Stadium and Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg. We are grateful for the outstanding partnerships with each of our venues, and together we are committed to delivering an unforgettable matchday experience for all our fans and players.”
In October, event officials announced that new for 2018, Universal Orlando joins long-standing sponsor adidas as a major partner of the Florida Cup. The Orlando theme park destination, home to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and the new water theme park Universal’s Volcano Bay, will serve as the venue for several large fan activations, including the Florida Cup Fan Fest, a celebration for fans featuring performances by internationally renowned artists.
2018 Florida Cup Tickets, Format and Schedule:
In addition to the special pricing, the Florida Cup is offering a Family Pack – five tickets to a match for the price of four. All tickets can be purchased through the event website www.floridacup.com.
Fans planning to travel to Central Florida for the 2018 event can purchase travel packages that include game tickets, accommodations at a Universal Orlando hotel and entrance to the theme parks through the Florida Cup’s official travel partner, Kaluah Tours at www.kaluahtours.com.
The 2018 Florida Cup will take place January 10 – 20, with each club playing two matches in a points format to determine the 2018 Florida Cup Champion – three points for a win, one for a tie and an additional point for a PK victory. The full schedule of matches can be found below and on www.floridacup.com.
Match Date Clubs City/Venue Tickets
Match 1 - January 10 SC Corinthians v PSV Eindhoven Orlando City Stadium On Sale Nov. 9
Match 2 - January 11 Clube Atlético Mineiro v Rangers FC Orlando City Stadium On Sale Nov. 9
Match 3 - January 12 PSV Eindhoven v Fluminense FC Spectrum Stadium Tickets Available
Match 4 - January 13 Barcelona SC v Legia Warsaw Central Broward Stadium Tickets Available
Match 5 - January 13 Rangers FC v SC Corinthians Spectrum Stadium Tickets Available
Match 6 - January 14 Atlético Nacional v Atlético Mineiro Spectrum Stadium Tickets Available
Match 7 - January 15 Fluminense FC v Barcelona SC Spectrum Stadium Tickets Available
Match 8 - January 20 Legia Warsaw v Atlético Nacional Al Lang Stadium Tickets Available
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For Florida Cup: Lenny Santiago |(386) 451-5809|lenny@lms-pr.com
