ORLANDO, Fla. – Thousands of fans painted the town purple, celebrating a major groundbreaking as Orlando City Soccer goes pro.
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The team, which begins playing in Major League Soccer in 2015, gathered with fans at Church Street Station at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The team and fans then marched to the stadium site at Church Street and Parramore Avenue for a formal groundbreaking at 6:45 p.m.
And soon, they'll march that route before every game.
"Four years ago, if somebody said to us we would be walking down the street with thousands of fans looking at building a brand new stadium going into Major League Soccer, that was our dream, but we didn't think it was going to become a reality this quick. Tonight is just another step along the way," said Adrian Heath, Orlando City Soccer coach.
More than 24 tons of purple sand were trucked in for the event, and fans took home small buckets of the sand as souvenirs.
According to the team's website, the team will use pictures of the ceremony that fans post to Instagram and put them on billboards across the city. Fans are encouraged to post the photos with the hashtag #WeDigPurple.
[PHOTOS: Stadium renderings]
"We've been fans since the very first day in 2011," said John Orrego, who bought season tickets for his children. "We're trying to get them to love the sport."
Some opposed the idea, saying it's a waste of money or soccer doesn't grab fans.
"It is the world sport. So people say it's minor but it's not, and I think Orlando City becoming Major is going to prove that," Hannah Sedigh says to those opponents.
"I keep saying this, I don't think people realize what's coming to this city until that night arrives," said Heath. "It's going to be the best thing that happens to this city and when it arrives, everybody will go, 'Can you believe people were opposed to this?'"
The current location is a block away from the original site, which was moved because an agreement could not be met with Faith Deliverance Church, which sits on the property.
Orlando City will play its first MLS season in the renovated Citrus Bowl before moving into the new soccer-only stadium, which will be ready for the 2016 season.