MLS: Orange County (Florida) approves funding for Orlando Stadium, a condition of league entry

The Orange County Board of Commissioners (Florida), whose county seat is in Orlando, approved by five votes to two the allocation of Tourist Development Tax (€15 million) for the construction of a "downtown, multi-purpose," football stadium, said the MLS (Major League Soccer, North American Professional Football League), on the 10/22/2013.

The presence of a dedicated soccer stadium was seen as the last obstacle to the application by Orlando to join the MLS in 2015. The vote, which was the last step of the financing plan for the stadium allows Orlando City SC executives to continue negotiations with the MLS.

The city of Orlando unanimously approved the financing of the stadium, on the 07/10/2013.

• Orlando City, created in 2010, operate in the USL Pro, the equivalent of the U.S. 3^rd Division.
• The club belongs to a group of 13 owners, including Flavio Augusto da Silva, founder of the ESL (English as a Second Language) programme "Wise Up", who are partners of the Confederations Cup 2013 and the 2014 World Cup.
• Phil Rawlins, president and co-owner of the club, is a former director of…