The Future of Soccer: Tampa Bay Sun FC Gameday with Rising Stars

The Tampa Bay Sun Football Club is set to kick off its highly anticipated first season this Sunday night at Riverfront Stadium in Tampa.

This professional women’s soccer team will take on the Dallas Trinity, with the match starting at 6:30 p.m.. 8 On Your Side caught up with a few aspiring pro soccer players to explore how this historic moment in Tampa’s soccer scene is impacting them.

“It’s super exciting because sometimes you can just think to yourself, ‘this could be us one day,’” shared youth soccer player Lizzie Marticke.

Natalie Feltham, Felicity Feltham, Eva Rodriguez, and Lizzie Marticke, all elementary school students, are teammates on a local club soccer team. They spent their gameday morning researching their favorite players on the Tampa Bay Sun roster.

“I looked up Viv,” said Marticke. “She plays defender and she’s really aggressive, and that’s what I do when I’m on defense.” “I was looking up Riler Parker,” added Rodriguez. “I found out she’s a forward like me. She attended the University of Alabama and is now 24 years old.”

Fans heading to the game can enjoy a free water taxi ride from Armature Works to the stadium, where thousands are expected to rally behind the Sun.

Adding to the excitement, the team will make a grand entrance, arriving at the game by boat via the river.

With high expectations, Tampa Bay Sun FC is gearing up for a sold-out crowd for their inaugural match. Click here to purchase your tickets and be part of history. WFLA initially published the story.

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