Phoul Balls

Yes, I understand there is football on today, and the SEC Game of the Century of the Week (South Carolina at Georgia) kicks off soon. But is anybody playing for a championship today?

A purple clad team is playing tonight right in your backyard, Orlando, and either the Orlando City Lions or the Charlotte Eagles will walk away with USL Pro League trophy.

Game starts at 7:30 at the Citrus Bowl. Good seats are still available, but they're going fast.

"This isn't MLS soccer, so I can't imagine it will be any good," some will say. The fact is correct, but with all that's on the line for the lads in the game, you won't be able to tell the difference thanks to the intensity level the two sides will be playing at tonight. If you're wondering what this whole thing is about that led local leaders to offer up money to the team to build a soccer-specific facility should the MLS select Orlando to join it at the U.S.' highest level of professional soccer.

Plus, the soccer team is playing to extend the Orlando sports legacy of champions that began with the Orlando Predators taking the ArenaBowl in an upset in 1998 (then doing it again in 2000). The Orlando Jackals won some prehistoric roller hockey league in 1999, and the Orlando Solar Bears won the IHL's Turner Cup in 2001. While it couldn't rank as high as if the Orlando Magic had taken down the L.A. Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals, the Lions' 2011 USL championship did end a bit of a drought here in town.

Two years is drought enough. Go take it down, Orlando City. For one night, I'm "City 'til I Die!"