Pride eager to build on critical home victory
They didn’t call it a must-win game before kickoff, but Orlando Pride players later admitted it felt like one.
Entering Saturday’s matchup against the Boston Breakers, the Orlando Pride knew they had to get a win.
The team had won just once all season and Orlando desperately needed points.
“We came off a tough loss in New Jersey, so turning around, we had no excuses,” midfielder/defender Maddy Evans said. “We had to get to work and we knew what we had to do against Boston . . . . We had a great game plan, so getting that win was absolutely critical.”
Coming off a 2-0 win over the Breakers, the Pride are confident that they have finally gotten the 2017 season on track.
Orlando is now just four points away from a playoff spot.
“We played probably some of the best football we’ve played this year against Boston,” Pride defender Steph Catley said. “Obviously, it’s a really good result, and I think we’re playing some really good football at home and protecting our home.”
Despite the rough start to the season, the Pride worked to never lose faith in themselves.
“We haven’t lost our confidence at all the whole season, even, you know, when the results weren’t going our way,” Pride defender Alanna Kennedy said. “But yeah, I think the weekend’s game and the result that we got was just an extra boost.”
With a week off from playing and several players called up for national team competition, the Pride are happy to have some time to recharge.
“We’re just having a little bit of time to ourselves for a couple days to refresh and get our minds and bodies right,” Kennedy said. “But we’ll definitely come back in next week and just look to keep the momentum and, you know, work hard in training. We always work hard so that’s important for us.”
Orlando will not play again until June 17, and the team is happy to start the break with a positive attitude, thanks to the win over Boston.
“It would’ve been a bit of a downer losing at home and going into the break without points,” Catley said. “But now we can really build on that game and watch the game over and look at what we did well, look at what we can improve on and go into the break with a lot of confidence.”
A big part of the reason the Pride have been able to turn around their season is the team’s performance at home.
While Orlando hasn’t won on the road this year, the team has yet to lose a game at home.
The team has earned seven of its nine points at Orlando City Stadium.
“There’s something so welcoming and exciting about playing at our stadium,” Catley said. “Obviously, no travel and the buildup at home helps, but everyone gets their home ground, so we’ve just got to make sure that we learn how to win on the road and start getting points there as well.”
While not having to travel always helps, the Pride also credit the team’s fans for their home success.
“Our fans are just so incredible and you saw that game, it was pouring rain and we have people who are cheering for us from the beginning,” Evans said. “That’s just that 12th man that we have and that we talk about . . . . We’re so lucky to have that here and it’s definitely a home field advantage. We want to protect this house and protect our field and make sure that we’re giving our fans and everyone a good show as well.”