Frustrated Pride try to plan for big game
Orlando Pride coach Tom Sermanni is playing a numbers game and right now, the odds are not in his favor.
Seven players are away for the Tournament of Nations, including Alex Morgan and Marta.
With the tournament wrapping up late Thursday night, there’s no guarantee any of them will be fit to play Saturday against Chicago.
“I've got absolutely no idea at this stage,” Sermanni said. “They've all got games [Thursday]. Five of the seven have played significant game time up to now. If they play full games today on the West Coast and have to travel back on a red eye tonight or tomorrow and get in tomorrow evening, I think it's going to be very difficult to play on Saturday night.”
The international break arrived at an inopportune time. Orlando is in the middle of trying to make a playoff push. An upcoming compact schedule doesn’t help, either. Sermanni feels his team and others are being put in a precarious position.
“If we go back 20 years, the game would simply have been postponed and fixed at a time when both teams are at full strength or a have a chance to be at full strength,” he said. “So actually, the situation that we're in now from our club's perspective is quite ridiculous and puts us in a difficult situation.”
The break has handcuffed Sermanni in training.
The players left behind are working on individual parts of their game. However, the smaller numbers come at a price. Orlando hasn’t been able to have a full scrimmage. Instead, the team is practicing on a narrower pitch and facing each other 7-on-7.
“We can't work on as much as we would like to because a lot of our team is missing,” midfielder Kristen Edmonds said. “But we're trying to get as much done as we can without them here so when they come back this weekend, we can just all gel back together like we were before they left.”
Chicago has been impacted by the break, too. The Red Stars have four players representing the U.S. women’s national team. A difference between Chicago and the Pride are the number of outfield players away.
All seven for Orlando are outfield players compared to Chicago’s three, including star forward Christen Press.
“Chicago is a good team overall, so we definitely have to prepare for them whether Christen is playing or not,” Edmonds said. “But a lot of our players are missing as well, so we're both kind of at a disadvantage with players gone. We're all going to be on the same playing field come Saturday. We just have to be ready.”
Sermanni fears any injury leading up to the game. Due to lack of depth, Orlando can’t afford to lose anyone who wasn’t called up. The Pride’s bench is going to be limited, too. Sermanni is playing a numbers game he might not be able to win.
“I've got every confidence in the players that are here, but it's down to a question of numbers,” he said.
“It's not so much the depth or the quality of the squad that we're talking about, it's the actual numbers of the players that we've got to get a side on the field and to have players on the bench that are fit enough and healthy enough to come on and make an impact.”