Matches at Disney part of two-city Cup event involving championship teams from elite FIFA nations; Tournament puts Central Florida on the global soccer stage

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Nov. 4, 2014) – Four Brazilian and German soccer powerhouse teams will face each other in Central Florida for a unique “clubs for nations” tournament. The Florida Cup, created by 2SV Sports, will involve world-class soccer matches hosted by Disney Sports and Orlando City SC  on January 15th, 2015, at  ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in addition to matches in Jacksonville. Tickets for the matches at Disney start at $35 and are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

The following teams representing the most successful nations in the FIFA World Cup will play each other in a special double-header at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Central Florida before competing in Jacksonville:

• Two-time FIFA World Champion Corinthians (BRA),
• Champions League club Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER),
• Four-time Brazilian Champion Fluminense (BRA), and
• Three-time German Champion 1. FC Köln (GER).

“Orlando City is delighted to help bring premier world class soccer to Central Florida, reinforcing our commitment to fans and the community while further strengthening the region’s reputation as the ‘Soccer Capital of the South’ just a few weeks before our historic debut in Major League Soccer,” said Orlando City SC Founder and President Phil Rawlins.

The Florida Cup expands the growing list of premier soccer events staged at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and adds to the complex’s rich history of hosting major sports events. The complex’s portfolio of pro and youth soccer events has included AS Roma off-season training, the Disney Pro Soccer Classic, the 2014 Orlando City SC regular-season home games, the Disney International Cup and the Disney Soccer Showcase, among others.

“The Florida Cup represents yet another opportunity for soccer fans to experience world-class international soccer at an intimate, family-friendly venue such as ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex,’’ said Disney Sports business manager Patrick Dicks. “This will be international soccer at its best and a fan experience to match.”

“The idea behind creating the Florida Cup was to identify an ideal time of year when these top clubs could combine their need for a quality pre-season training camp with some competitive matches, while also building awareness for their brands in key international markets, such as the US,’’ said 2SV Sports president and former soccer player Ricardo Villar. “I think the Florida Cup embodies all of those things through our local sports infrastructure, key partners and innovative tournament format. We hope to continue to grow the event in 2016.’’

The Brazilian and German teams will arrive for preseason training in early January to prepare for the tournament.  They will face each other on January 15 at Disney and then travel to Jacksonville for another double-header on January 17. Every match win delivers three points, with one point for a tie in regulation and one additional point for a penalty shootout victory.

At the end of the tournament, a champion will be crowned and the points will also be aggregated for each nation to determine a national victor as well.  Therefore, every single match represents precious points for club and nation, with the pride of two rich soccer cultures at stake.

The event will also include a panel discussion on Jan. 14 involving representatives from Brazilian and German clubs and leagues, as well as Orlando City SC. A variety of soccer-related topics will be discussed, including youth development, sports marketing, global league structures, among other topics.

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