Exploria Stadium set to host English Premier League’s Fulham FC and Aston Villa FC for Summer Series
Exploria Stadium is set to host English Premier League clubs Fulham FC and Aston Villa FC tonight, marking the second time Orlando welcomes teams from England’s foremost soccer league.
Kickoff for the Summer Series matchup is 7 p.m., and the game will air on NBC’s Peacock.
Orlando City season ticket holders will be automatically enrolled for presale tickets. All other fans can declare interest at premierleague.com/SummerSeries.
The Summer Series, in its inaugural year, is an eight-day preseason competition, featuring six teams from the Premier League. They will play nine games across the United States prior to the commencement of their regular season Aug. 11.
The friendlies, which continue until Sunday, include Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea and Newcastle United at stadiums in Atlanta, Harrison, N.J., Philadelphia and Landover, Md.
Tickets for all matches will be available for presale on Tuesday and general sale on Wednesday.
The match between world-class players provides another opportunity to popularize soccer in the Central Florida area, following Orlando City’s friendly against Arsenal FC last July which ended in a 3-1 loss.
In addition to the tournament, the Premier League will collaborate with youth soccer organizations in each host city to promote the sport.
“We are delighted to be bringing six clubs to the USA in July for the first-ever Premier League Summer Series,” said Premier League chief executive Richard Masters via statement. “Our clubs have incredible supporters in the US, who passionately follow their teams throughout the season. We have seen this dedication first-hand from the tens of thousands who have attended our Mornings Live fan events and are excited to be building on this by bringing live Premier League action to five cities this summer.”
The Summer Series is the Premier League’s second tournament outside of England and the first in the U.S. The Premier League Asia Trophy is a biennial, preseason competition, established in 2003.
“[The U.S.] is a nice atmosphere, the people always come out in numbers and the support is brilliant,” said Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey via statement. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
The competition also garners new attention for Orlando City and Orlando Pride, who will welcome an international crowd.
“We’re excited for another opportunity to showcase this incredible venue that we call home in front of an international audience,” said Jarrod Dillon, City and Pride president of business operations, via statement. “We look forward to welcoming fans of these two great clubs to Exploria Stadium this summer.”
