The USMNT on Friday beat Panama 4-0 before an "announced sellout crowd of 25,303" at Orlando City Stadium, according to Alicia DelGallo of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. The team held its final World Cup qualifier home match there in "hopes it would provide a friendly atmosphere and it did." Chants of "U-S-A" "drowned out a sizable Panamanian contingent in attendance and the supporters section of the stadium remained standing the entire match despite being converted into a seated area for the night." During the broadcast, ESPN's Ian Darke said, “I think the USA will be returning to Orlando" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 10/7). In Orlando, Mike Bianchi wrote U.S. Soccer officials "got exactly what they wanted on Friday night." They "wanted Orlando City Stadium to transform itself from the rowdy, rambunctious Purple Palace into a rollicking, frolicking Patriotic Pavilion on a night when the Americans needed their fans the most." The game was "two unbelievable, inconceivable hours of star-spangled banter." Every time the U.S. scored, fans "hugged, high-fived and waved Old Glory." There have been times during key home qualifying matches when Team USA has "been made to feel like it is playing on foreign soil." This is why coach Bruce Arena before the match "sent out an S.O.S. to Orlando soccer fans." He "got his wish and afterward strongly hinted Orlando should be in the U.S. national team’s regular rotation" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 10/7). YAHOO SPORTS' Eric Adelson wrote this "wasn't Columbus or Portland or San Jose." Adelson: "This was Central Florida." USMNT MF Dax McCarty said, "Never in a million years did I envision this. ... My hope is this can start to be like Columbus and we will come here every round of World Cup qualifying, because it’s gonna become a fortress for us" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 10/7).
