“The Running of the Wall” and the re-awakening of Orlando’s fans

In a wild scene, Orlando City fans rushed across the stadium to cheer their team in the penalty shootout. Orlando fans are having their moment.

It was easy to miss that Wednesday was one of the biggest victories in Orlando sports history.

For whatever reason, MLS, Orlando City and the whole sporting world do very little to publicize the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a single elimination tournament that features virtually every professional soccer team in the United States.

The Lions were taking on their sister team, NYCFC, at Exploria Stadium for the tournament quarterfinal in front of a general admission crowd.

Tickets for the game are not included in season ticket packages and stadium security did its best to keep fans facing the hard cam to give the appearance of strong attendance. Only 7,227 fans were in attendance according to Orlando City, well below their average of 23,008 fans.

This game was not treated as the monumental game it was.

The fans in attendance did not care. They treated it like the tournament game it was and brought the intensity it deserved. So much so, the visiting team tried to keep them away from its biggest moment.

As the game got set to go to penalty kicks, the visiting NYCFC chose to kick the penalties toward the south end of the stadium — away from the vaunted Wall supporter’s section that was still fairly full and boisterous throughout the game.

In the time it took for the officials to set up for the shootout, fans started running through the concourse. They were going to fill up the vacant south end of the stadium and make their presence known.

It was an event that has become known as “The Running of The Wall.”

Orlando City’s CEO, Alex Leitao, was among the supporters who moved to the south end. He was the one that gave security the go-ahead to let the fans in before joining them himself.

In sudden death, Uri Rosell stepped up and made his kick before backup keeper Adam Grinwis made an incredible save to send Orlando City to the U.S. Open Cup semifinal against Atlanta United on August 6 at Exploria Stadium.

Orlando City fans have always brought passion. Those who stand in the Wall show up for every game loud and ready to make their mark. That has been the case throughout Orlando City’s existence. Even as the team has struggled.

The Wall has always represented the passion that Orlando sports fans have for their teams — even if they lie dormant. Soccer brought the noise out that this city had not seen on a nightly basis since the early Magic days. They will never go away and will remain one of the best supporters sections in MLS.

But the Lions have had their ups and downs. They are still sitting outside the playoff picture and have yet to make the postseason. It is hard not to notice the stadium sitting a little emptier than it was a few years ago.

Like so many teams in Orlando, Orlando City has to prove it is worth the investment with so many other things to do in this growing town.

But what happened Wednesday night will be a defining moment for the Orlando City franchise. Like The Fat Guy taking a lap around the Orlando Arena, this was an organic fan moment that showed just how passionate this fan base is.

Orlando fans are such a big part of the story of sports’ success in this growing town. They have made this city a sports destination. And they are having their moment.

The Orlando Magic saw just what happens when you awaken the passion in the fan base.

The Magic’s 22-9 finish to the season caught a lot of people by surprise. But as the team was starting to churn, fans at the Amway Center started to arrive and started to be louder than they have been really since the Magic moved into the new building.

In a 17-point second-half comeback victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, coach Steve Clifford said before going into his press conference that his team experienced the lift Orlando Magic fans could give them for the first time. It was key to that victory that charged the team down the stretch.

When the Orlando Magic reached the playoffs to play the Toronto Raptors, the Amway Center was as loud as it has ever been. Raptors coach Nick Nurse said after Game 3 that his team could barely hear him in the huddle.

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The fans packed Wall Street in Downtown Orlando for Game 1 and the place was euphoric after D.J. Augustin hit the game-winning shot to give the Magic a brief 1-0 lead.

Orlando fans have flocked to UCF too during the UCF Knights’ stellar run of the last two years.

The once sleepy atmosphere at Spectrum Stadium has turned into one of the best in all of college football, replete with new traditions and experiences. The Knights are a team with some staying power as the sleeping giant has awoken in that sport.

If Orlando City makes a run for the MLS Playoffs — the team is currently two points outside the final playoff spot entering Saturday’s game against the Columbus Crew — the rest of the stadium will surely fill in and match the passion from the Wall.

The sleeping giant that is Orlando sports fandom has seen itself awaken again through the last year.

On-court and on-field success matters in all of that. These teams have brought about civic pride because they are winning.

Even Orlando City saw some slipping — not from their most passionate fans — as the team struggled. But that will quickly change if the team makes a push for the playoffs for the first time since joining MLS.

And for that August 6 game against Atlanta United, there should be a packed house for the semifinal. Now that everyone is aware of how special and intense these games can be.

Orlando fans are experiencing a nice embarrassment of riches at the moment. The MLS All-Star Game is on its way at the end of the month on top of everything else.

The city is having its cake and eating it too. Provided everyone can get around the concourse to see the action.