Over the weekend, Orlando City held their third-ever open tryouts at the Seminole Soccer Complex (SSC) in Sanford, Fla. With over 200 players attending, the Lions coaching staff, in accompaniment with Orlando City Youth Soccer coaches, watched a wide array of players chase their dreams of possibly getting a call back and train with the pro squad.

“A lot of people think of open tryouts as a money making scam, others think it’s a waste of time, but we take this very seriously,” Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath said. “You never know if there’s a player that fell through the cracks. We want to find that guy.”

Players began arriving Saturday a little after 5:45 a.m. in one of the coldest mornings of the 2013 winter season in Central Florida (41 degrees was the reported temperature at 6 a.m.). The 200 plus players then anxiously waited for the 8:30 start time, which was initiated by Heath and the Orlando City coaching staff.

Ten teams then began playing each other in simulated game-type situations, with a full 10 fields at the SSC being used simultaneously. After a full two hours of evaluating, Heath gathered everyone together to recognize their efforts and what he saw out on the pitches.

“I had a pleasure seeing all of you play today,” he said. “I want you all to know that it was a good showing today and I look forward to (Sunday). Continue to play hard and you never know what will happen.”

For more recaps on the 2013 open tryouts, be sure to stay tuned to Orlandocitysoccer.com throughout the preseason.