Pride working to eliminate mistakes
It has been a rough start to the 2017 season for the Orlando Pride. Coming off a 3-1 loss to the North Carolina Courage, the team has scored just two goals this season and is sitting at the bottom of the NWSL standings with just one point.
Despite having yet to earn a win, the Pride are looking to build off their strengths.
“I feel we’ve done a lot of good things in all the games that we played in and there are just certain areas that we’re being punished for at the moment and that happens sometimes in a team,” coach Tom Sermanni said. “For long spells in games, we’ve been the dominant team. … We’ve created probably more chances in the first three games than we perhaps created in half a season last year.”
While Orlando has created a lot of chances, finishing has been a major issue so far this season. The Pride have taken the fourth-most shots on goal in the league but are tied for third-fewest goals scored. But after an offseason with a lot of roster turnover, the team is hoping once everyone has settled into their roles, the offense will improve.
“We’re getting close, it’s just, you know, it’s a new system, it’s a new team, a lot of players are different,” defender Monica Hickmann Alves said. “It’s a challenge this year and we need time. We just need the time.”
The Pride also are looking to address their defensive effort. The team has already allowed six goals and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris faced goal against
“It’s down to us coaching it, but it’s also down to the individual to be just a little bit more disciplined in that defending area and some of it is down to the fact that we’re not quite as alert on transition when we lose the ball,” Sermanni said. “That’s a team thing and things that we need to look at both on the video and in practice to make sure that we stay switched on and make sure we stay tight defensively.”
The defensive lapses, however, have not convinced Sermanni that any serious changes to the team or the lineup are needed.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily a structural thing within the team, so I don’t think we need to go around looking at changing the system or doing something generally different,” he said. “If we could rectify those two things, a bit better in transition and individually a little bit more switched on in how we defend, then I think we 13 shots on North Carolina. should be OK.”
The Pride have faced a tough schedule so far, playing two of their first three games away from Orlando, and will be back on the road this weekend to play FC Kansas City. But the team is not using its number of road games as an excuse for its record.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to play 10 teams and 24 games, whatever order they come in,” Sermanni said. “Playing on the road really should be no different than playing at home.”
FC Kansas City has also gotten off to a bad start. The Blues have scored just two goals and been shut out in their last two games. The Pride are confident that they can get their first win of the season this weekend.
“They’ve had some injuries, they’ve had some changes in their squad,” Sermanni said. “They’re the type of team that if we look at on paper, it’s the kind of game that we should be going out there and looking to get three points from.”