Revamped roster helps boost Pride
Orlando Pride coach
and his players were frustrated by their lack of fire power and inability to contend for a playoff spot during the 2016 season, their first in the National Women’s Soccer League.
The coach vowed the expansion side would learn from mistakes and revamp the roster, seeking talent to bolster all positions and generate more scoring opportunities.
The Pride (4-5-3, 15 points) are in sixth place in the NWSL standings, but the revamped roster and upgraded talent gives Orlando a much stronger chance to make a playoff push.
“I think if you look at personnel, we’ve made significant changes,” Sermanni said.
“... I think we’ve made some really good acquisitions. If you look at who we signed:
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Every one of them has been good for us.
“We haven’t signed any duds so far . ... It isn’t easy to do, in the game, to actually do that, so I think we’ve done a good job of strengthening our team and bringing good quality players into our starting XI.
“With that quality … we’ve created many more chances than we did in games last year when every game was a real battle.” Pride forward
said the team can feel the difference in the quality of players now on the roster, with the athletes constantly pushing each other to improve.
Last year scoring chances were rare and the team knew it. This year, Spencer said the players feel they are constantly a threat to score and in a position to win more games.
“We’re knocking on the door, and I feel like we’re about to have a breakthrough,” she said. “It’s coming.”
With the NWSL transfer window closing Wednesday and the club 12 games away from the end of the season, take a closer look at the players the team acquired and how they have performed:
Orlando Pride staff scouted Camila in Brazil, where she competed as a defender, and thought she had potential. She has wildly exceeded expectations as an offensive catalyst, bringing speed to the pitch and ability to quickly score if given any space. She has three goals and three assists this season.
The rookie has seen limited action, but Evans has delivered one goal and appeared in eight games. She is dangerous near the goal and could be a super sub for the Pride moving forward.
The softspoken rookie joined the team after graduating from UConn in May. She has quickly found a spot for herself in the lineup, proving she can log extended minutes and battle to retain possession. She broke through for her first goal, a game-winner, during the Pride’s inspirational 3-2 victory at Sky Blue FC last week.
The Australian national team defender won an NWSL title last season as a member of the Western New York Flash, a franchise that has since changed ownership and has been renamed the North Carolina Courage. Kennedy has played in all 12 of the Pride’s games this season, bolstering an improved backline. She also scored one goal during Orlando’s win at Houston.
Krieger, a U.S. women’s national team standout, was expected to be a team leader and join Ashlyn Harris as a face of the franchise while Alex Morgan spent the first half of the year in France. Krieger exceeded high expectations, leading an improved defense and showing remarkable speed while contributing to Orlando’s attack.
It took a few games to get warmed up, but Marta has shown the nifty footwork and aggressive play that helped her become a five-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner. She leads the Pride with six goals and three assists. Her infectious laughter plus the joy she brings to the pitch and eagerness to set up her teammates for goals has bolstered the Orlando offense.
Ubogagu, known as Chi by her teammates, played for the Houston Dash last season and is another player who has proven she is capable of scoring. She has two goals and one assist in eight games this season. She’ll have to keep showing off her playmaking ability to earn minutes now that Morgan and Hill have joined the club.