Soccer reigns supreme with some 4 billion fans worldwide. Stateside, the sport has bested baseball and American football as the most played sport by youths in the country.

In support of the growth, an east coast Florida man is banking on a zoning change that would allow him to convert and old Okeechobee cattle pasture into a massive soccer complex complete with a 2,500-seat stadium, a hotel, restaurant and dormitory-type housing for young soccer fans.

Okeechobee is a south-central Florida town known for its old charm, close knit community and proximity to its namesake lake.

The small, rural town is rooted in ranching, farming and fishing. That's why those neighboring a 27 acres of land owned by Lake Club Fields LLC aren't exactly brimming over with Southern hospitality when it comes to

See Full Page