"I thought in the first half we did really well...We got ourselves in really good positions to try to score the goal but fell short. [Marta’s] unbelievable finish and goal just epitomizes her performance today. I thought she was tremendous. Then, same as a lot of other games — backs against the wall late on in the game, Chicago trying to push to get an equalizer — the team stayed strong and managed to get the three points over the line."



-Coach Seb Hines

Orlando Pride Head Coach

Around The Horn.

• The Orlando Pride officially clinched their spot in the 2024 NWSL playoffs earlier this week, sending the squad to the postseason for the first time since 2017. The Pride (14-0-5) secured a road win against the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday, extending their unbeaten streak to a NWSL-record 20 games dating back to last season. The Pride will look to keep their foot on the gas when they host Kansas City tomorrow at 8:00pm at Inter&Co Stadium.
• Support sports tourism in Central Florida and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission by bidding on more than 50+ items during the Celebrating Women in Sports Silent Auction! Bid on Autographed Sports Items, Exclusive Sport Experiences, Hotel stays, Concerts, Restaurant Packages, Entertainment, Travel, Fishing Charters, Health and Wellness Items, and more! Click here to start bidding now, the auction will close at 9pm EST on Friday, September 27.
• The UCF football team defeated Sam Houston last week 45-14 to begin their second season in the Big 12 Conference with a 2-0 record. The Knights now prepare for their first road trip and conference matchup of the season as they are scheduled to face TCU this Saturday at 7:30pm.
• Orlando City SC bounced back in its last match with a resounding 3-0 MLS home victory against Nashville FC. The Lions (10-10-7) currently hold the seventh place playoff position in the East with a four-point edge over Toronto. The Lions return to competition at Inter&Co Stadium this Saturday, September 14 to face the New England Revolution.
• The Orlando Magic announced the signings of multiple free agents who will join them for October’s training camp. Guard/forward Jarrett Culver, guard Myron Gardner and forwards Jalen Slawson and Tre Scott signed Exhibit 10 deals with the Magic, a person with knowledge of the terms told the Sentinel.
• The Orlando Solar Bears have announced multiple updates to the team's regular season schedule for the 2024-25 season. Single-game tickets go on sale for all 36 home games on Thursday, September 17, and all Solar Bears half-season and partial ticket owners will be contacted early next week to select their games. View the Solar Bears 2024-25 regular season schedule.
• The Osceola Magic, NBA G League affiliate of the Orlando Magic, have announced the team schedule for the 2024-25 regular season, and single-game tickets are now on sale. The Magic will kick off their season Friday, November 8 at Osceola Heritage Park when they host the Austin Spurs at 7:00pm.
• The Orlando Valkyries launched an online team store that is now live with numerous merchandise options available. Fans can shop a wide variety of official Valkyries shirts, outerwear, novelties and more! In addition to the launch of the team store, the team also announced that Valkyries season ticket holders can take advantage of a 15% discount.
• Feast on the 50 presented by SouthState Bank is returning to Camping World Stadium this year on Thursday, October 10 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Attendees can enjoy unlimited food and beverage, an incredible auction, and alumni clubs from our partner schools in the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 (as well as B-CU, FAMU, Rollins and USF) compete for the most spirited tent in the Official Alumni Village presented by MCO.

GO Sports is proud to announce five award winners that will be honored during the 2024 Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. Congratulations to Tiffany, Angela, Joanne, Grace and Pennie!

If you haven't purchased your table for 2024, reach out to Michael or Chase on our team today and join us to celebrate this year's class of award winners (announced at a later date) and hear from our 2024 featured speaker, Hall of Fame broadcaster and lead NBA Analyst for ESPN and ABC, Doris Burke. For more information, visit https://greaterorlandosports.com/celebrating-women-in-sports/

Michael Kalinich - michael@greaterorlandosports.com

Chase DeMayo - cdemayo@greaterorlandosports.com

Join the Orlando Pride this Friday, September 13 as they host the third-place Kansas City Current for Eras Night presented by Heart of Florida United Way at Inter&Co Stadium at 8:00pm.

Don't miss out on this unforgettable evening of soccer and community. Purchase your tickets now and be a part of this special event, starting at just $13!

In The News.

• Mission Resort + Club was ranked the #1 Best Collegiate Club Golf Course in the country by the PGA of America last week. Located in Lake County, its two courses, El Campeón and Las Colinas, offer two different experiences with unique architecture and scenery that you wouldn't expect to find in Florida. Read the full article and the list of courses.
• The Orange County Convention Center has announced its plans to build a new tasting room for food and beverage. City commissioners will consider a $1.48 million bid put forth to build out a 3,000-square-foot space in the west building. The room would serve as a space for clients to taste and experience the culinary offerings provided by the chefs.
• The first part of the 4Roots Farm Campus has opened, with a focus on providing workforce education. The 18-acre urban farm saw its Education Center open to Valencia College students who are in the school's Plant Science & Agricultural Technology program. The center includes a greenhouse and a walkable, edible food forest, which will serve as a classroom for students in the Intro to Sustainable Agriculture class.
• The Orlando Economic Partnership secured a $20,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation to develop an innovative online tool designed to compare Orlando's key business location factors with the 30 largest U.S. metro regions. This tool aims to reshape Orlando’s national reputation, attract investment, and fuel job growth and opportunities throughout the region.
• The arena that hosts Stetson University's basketball and volleyball games will now be called the Insight Credit Union Arena at Edmunds Center, the university announced last week. The arena currently seats 5,000 people, but just concluded phase one of a $7 million renovation that upgraded the seats, bathrooms, locker rooms, sound system and more.
• A permit application was filed with Orange County earlier this week for a new Hilton brand hotel to make its debut in Central Florida. A four-story, 124-room LivSmart Studios by Hilton hotel has been proposed near Horizon West's Hamlin Town Center development. LivSmart offers apartment-style hotels, designed to accommodate guest stays of 20 nights or more.
• Iradimed Corporation will soon double its number of high-wage jobs at its upcoming $20 million headquarters currently under construction near the University of Central Florida. The medical device firm held a ceremonial groundbreaking earlier this week for its 60,000-square-foot headquarters and plans to add 160 new jobs at the facility in May of 2025.

Visit Orlando's Magical Dining presented by Orlando Health is back and better than ever! Don't miss your chance to enjoy three course, prix-fixe dinners at a record-breaking 150+ top Orlando restaurants for just $40 or $60 per person, plus tax and gratuity. The lineup includes nine MICHELIN Guide honorees, as well as 24 venues participating for the first time.

A stellar mix of athletes, coaches and support team members has been tapped for induction into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class. The eight-member class represents six different sports and includes a seven-time NBA All-Star, a Super Bowl winner, women’s World Cup champion, a 14-time NCAA Track & Field Championship Coach, a World Golf Hall of Fame member, a four-time national champion cheerleading coach and the first-ever athletic trainer. The eight will be inducted in a star-studded ceremony to be held at the Kia Center in Orlando on October 16.

Stay Engaged.

• The Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park was named best dark ride during the Golden Ticket Awards presentation last weekend. This is the second consecutive win for Rise of the Resistance, which also won the award for best new attraction in 2020-21. The Golden Ticket Awards are run by industry magazine Amusement Today.
• Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights continues for the 33rd year of scares, complete with 10 haunted houses, five scare zones and live shows throughout. Single-night tickets for the after-hours event start at $82.99 per person, and the event runs on select nights in September and October.
• SeaWorld Orlando's Howl-O-Scream debuted last Friday night presenting scares in mythical, comical, agricultural and industrial ways. This is the fourth year for SeaWorld's Halloween fest, and the park has four new haunted houses in addition to seven scare zones across the property. Howl-O-Scream is an after-hours, extra-ticket event held on select nights through November 2.
• Country Thunder Florida returns to Osceola Heritage Park on October 18-20 this year featuring electrifying performances from Luke Combs, Bailey Zimmerman, Jon Pardi, and more. There are many different ticket options to choose from, ranging from single-day admission to camping over the weekend. View details about pricing and different ticket options here.
• The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is offering a reduced admission rate for some Central Florida residents for a limited time. The attraction's 'Mercury Offer' is a $19 one-day admission ticket ($14 for ages 3-11) on specific dates. Residents of Orange & Osceola counties can receive this deal Sept. 9-15, then Seminole county residents get the special rate from Sept. 16-22. Mercury Offer tickets must be purchased at the attraction's will call area.
• Do you work downtown? Join the Downtown Orlando Partnership this week for its inaugural Downtown Employee Appreciation Week presented by the Downtown Development Board! The free come-and-go event will reward downtown Orlando’s dedicated workforce with a fun-filled week of incentives, daily giveaways, live music, employee discounts and more.
• Florida residents can save up to $65 on select multi-day tickets at Universal Orlando theme parks when buying online. Click here for current offers.
• Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.

In The Community.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel, Senior VP Brent Nelson, Associate VP Chase DeMayo and Director Jordan Lyda attended the EA Sports Madden 25 Kickoff Challenge at Full Sail University earlier this week, pictured with Lisa Messina (Visit Orlando), board member Garry Jones (Full Sail), Theresa Kieu (Visit Orlando) and Keena Patel (Visit Orlando).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel gave a presentation to the Winter Park Rotary Club at the Hilton Garden Inn earlier this week.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel, and Senior VP Brent Nelson caught up with board members John Saboor (Full Sail) and Lisa Messina (Visit Orlando) at the EA Sports Madden 25 Kickoff Challenge at Full Sail University earlier this week.

GOSports President & CEO Jason Siegel was interviewed by WESH2 anchors Michelle Imperato and Stewart Moore after his visit to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

Corporate Partner Spotlight.

GO Sports is proud to welcome our newest corporate partner, Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Lake Buena Vista! For more information, click the logo above.

Thank you for supporting sports tourism in Greater Orlando!

Fun & Games.

• What's Happening: Orange County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Seminole County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Osceola County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Lake County Things To Do