Toronto FC, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo along with Orlando City (USL Pro) to play at Walt Disney World

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Defending MLS Western Conference Champion FC Dallas, the Houston Dynamo and Toronto FC as well as USL PRO upstart, Orlando City  are set to  play in the second annual Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic Feb. 24 and 26, at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World.

First-year Toronto FC head coach Aron Winter will be in his first preseason with the Reds when they travel to Disney. Winter, a former Dutch National Team member and UEFA Cup champion as a player with Ajax, joined Toronto after a three-year stint as an Ajax first-team assistant. Leading Toronto this season will be two-time MLS Cup MVP Dwayne De Rosario who tallied 15 goals last season, midfielder Julian Guzman and emerging keeper Stefan Frei.

On Thursday, FC Dallas will face Orlando City at 6 p.m. followed by Toronto FC against the Houston Dynamo at 8 p.m. Both games will stream live on MLSsoccer.com, each team’s website and USLsocccer.com.  Saturday’s games will stream live on ESPN3.com with Thursday’s losing teams kicking off at 6 p.m. and Thursday’s winners meeting in the championship at 8 p.m.

Fresh off its best season in club history, 2010 MLS Cup runner-up FC Dallas is led by coach of the year Schellas Hyndman. Under Hyndman, Dallas posted a 19-game unbeaten streak and advanced to the championship game for the first time in club history. This year, Dallas looks to make another run at the league title that has eluded them with League MVP David Ferreira playing in the midfield and veteran keeper Kevin Hartman leading the team. Hartman and the squad set a club record for fewest goals allowed last season, allowing 28 goals in 30 games.

The Houston Dynamo hope to return to MLS dominance having won back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007. Led by star forward Brian Ching and rising U.S. national team midfielder Geoff Cameron, Houston recently added two of college soccer’s standout performers in this year’s MLS SuperDraft– defender Kofi Sarkodie from NCAA Champion University of Akron, and forward Will Bruin, who scored 18 goals in 20 games for Indiana University last season.

Orlando City will be using the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic as preparation for its upcoming club debut in the USL PRO season beginning April 2nd. The USL PRO League was created following the recent merger of their First and Second Divisions. Adrian Heath, a two-time Football League Division One (now the English Premier League) winner as a player with Everton, will be managing the Lions as they take on some of the MLS’s marquee clubs.

“Soccer players and fans will have plenty to be excited about with the return of three MLS teams and Orlando City to the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic,” said Disney Sports Area Manager Patrick Dicks. “These games will not only be vital to teams as they prepare for their upcoming seasons but will add to the elite soccer competition we continue to have at ESPN Wide World of Sports.”

Daily tickets are available for $14.50 and will include admission to the complex for both games. Tickets can be purchased on-site at the complex box office or through Ticketmaster.

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which hosts more than 300 events a year, is the leading multi-sport venue for amateur and professional sports in the United States, accommodating 60 different sports and athletes from more than 70 countries. Designed to take youth sports to the next level, the 220-acre facility features: HP Field House, a 165,000-square-foot field house which seats 5,500 for basketball; Champion Stadium ballpark (cap. 11,500); Hess Sports Fields, which include multiple baseball, softball and soccer fields; Jostens Center, an 80,000-square-foot multi-sport fieldhouse; and the  Innovation Lab,  a real-world testing ground for the ESPN Emerging Technology group  to develop ground-breaking on-air products like Ball Track and ESPN Snap Zoom.  In addition, the complex features 56 high-definition cameras (42 robotic, 10 handheld and four studio) and 40 high-definition video screens, including three jumbo screens, that can capture and display footage from any event taking place at the complex. The camera and video screens, as well as a 20-zone audio system, are controlled through the state-of-the-art Production Center that features eight edit bays and links to ESPN facilities in Bristol, Conn., New York and Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.wdwnews.com for releases, photos and videos.  Follow us on Twitter at @DisneySports.