Forward Alex Morgan
Morgan returns to cap Orlando’s tough stretch
is set to make her Pride season debut tonight when Orlando takes on the Chicago Red Stars.
Orlando Pride coach Tom Sermanni spent Friday morning sitting on a picnic table, staring at a laptop while his staff led players through a light training session on a nearby field.
Sermanni will have the luxury of pairing U.S. star Alex Morgan and Brazilian star Marta on the pitch for the first time today at Orlando City Stadium, but he still needed every second he could get studying the Pride’s (4-4-3, 15 points) opponent: the surging Chicago Red Stars (6-3-2, 20 points).
The Pride, who are No. 6 in the 10-team National Women’s Soccer League table, are hoping to close a challenging three-game week with a victory over the Red Stars, who are No. 2 in the NWSL table.
Orlando opened this taxing stretch with a disheartening 2-0 home loss to struggling Houston June 24, prompting Sermanni to question his players’ effort and energy.
The Pride responded Wednesday by rallying for a 3-2 win at Sky Blue FC, a formidable team that had defeated Orlando earlier this season.
The final test is against a balanced and experienced Chicago lineup led by U.S. women’s national team veteran Christen Press. The Red Stars were riding a sixgame unbeaten streak until they fell 2-1 to Seattle late Wednesday night.
Sermanni said his players only needed a light conditioning workout Friday and his time was best spent finalizing the game plan he shared with the team after the training session. The Pride staff had looked ahead to the Chicago game and scouted the team extensively, but Sermanni still wanted a good look at the Red Stars’ most recent loss Wednesday at Seattle that didn’t kick off until 10:30 p.m. Eastern time.
“It’s always hard at the end of a week with three games, but [Chicago is] very well organized and a very tough team,” Sermanni said. “They are not a team that I would say plays a lot of build-up soccer; they’ve got a bit of pace up front with Christen Press, Jen Hoy and whoever else they play up [front.]
“They get it forward early, they pressure the ball well and physically they’re very strong.”
Sermanni said the Red Stars, who also are playing three games in a one-week span, benefit from roster continuity, something the Pride are still trying to develop during their second NWSL season.
“Their team is virtually a carbon copy from last year,” he said. “They’ve built up a great deal of continuity and consistency in the squad and that certainly is a big advantage.”
He’ll be able to counter with Morgan, who spent the first portion of the NWSL season competing in France and just recovered from a hamstring injury. Sermanni plans to ease the forward into the lineup as a substitute, ideally with about 30 minutes remaining in the match.
Sermanni rebuilt the Pride roster during the offseason with the hope of adding players who could deliver an offensive spark and Morgan only adds to the arsenal. Defenses can continue to focus on fivetime FIFA World Player of the Year Marta, but they will do so at the risk of leaving Morgan and other goalscoring threats open.
“It gives us extra firepower up front and the ability to use those strikers in the best way,” Sermanni said. “... With the type of players that we’ve got with that pace and that mobility, it’s great to have a mixture of those players on the bench because they can change games.”
While she may start as a super sub, defender Steph Catley said the Pride are eager to see Morgan back on the pitch as much as possible.
“Everyone knows her quality,” Catley said. “... It’s so nice having a player like that come back into the squad. It’s such a great addition and we’re really excited for her.”