In Orlando, David Whitley noted Orlando City SC's 2-2-4 record "hasn't affected the box office" at the Citrus Bowl, as most of the 30,098 crowd for Sunday's 2-0 loss to Toronto FC "was chanting and cheering till the end." That is the "beauty of being on a honeymoon, though anyone who's been married knows those things don't last forever." Attendance is likely to "level off at about 25,000, but even the most blindly faithful fans are going to get itchy if Sunday is a sign of things to come" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/27).
BIG APPLE BOOST: In N.Y., Kristian Dyer noted the Red Bulls' 3-3-0 start has "turned down the volume on a protest movement that continues to press for the team to be sold." Even with the "tumult of the off-season," the departure of F Thierry Henry and a new rival in the market in NYC FC, the Red Bulls "have sold more than 10,000 season tickets this season, a team record" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/26).
PARTY ON, GARTH: Sounders GM & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey last week said that the club "plans on opening the full capacity of CenturyLink Field for a 'couple of games' this season." In Seattle, Matt Pentz noted Lagerwey was "less sure" of whether the Seahawks' schedule release will "affect the Sounders' late-season home dates or whether the team will be forced to play any home games with football lines on the field" (SEATTLE TIMES, 4/25).
