Today will be the biggest day
in the Orlando Pride’s short history as they face Portland in their first playoff game.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Today will be the biggest day in the Orlando Pride’s short history.
The stakes have never been higher as they enter their first playoffs to face the Portland Thorns, a team that has bested them in every meeting yet. For the Pride, a knockout match some 3,000 miles from home against such a strong team is a daunting task, to be sure.
But despite their previous meetings with the Thorns — three losses and one draw — the Pride feel confident in their approach to their NWSL semifinal.
Their most recent meeting against Portland one month ago was their best result, a scoreless draw against a team that has led the league in shutouts.
“They have great team-defending,” Pride defender Ali Krieger told the Orlando Sentinel on Friday. “They get everyone in behind the ball and it’s a testament to their goals against this year, which they haven’t had many.
“So that will be part of it — having to break them and to be patient in the attack is something we’ll
have to do a little bit better. That’s where we were a bit successful at our home a few weeks ago.”
The Pride enter the NWSL semifinal as the No. 4 seed after a slow start to the season, but if there’s reason for optimism, it may be their form during the past two months of the season. Their last loss came on July 22 and they’ve seemingly hit their stride, entering the postseason unbeaten in their past nine matches.
Pride coach Tom Sermanni is also quick to point out two of the Pride’s losses to the Thorns have come in the first games of the season — well before the team has gotten into a rhythm for the season.
“I think that statistic is a little misleading,” he said Friday, dismissing the Pride’s record versus Portland.
During their late-season surge, rhythm and consistency have been the key factors — so much so that Sermanni didn’t opt to rest his starters in the final match of the regular season, despite already having clinched a playoff spot.
But it came at the cost of Camila, the versatile, attacking utility player who has featured in all 24 matches this season. She tore her ACL last week in that match, forcing the Pride to look at their bench for another option during playoffs.
“It’s honestly so sad because some of us have been in that position and I know how difficult that can be from personal experience,” Krieger said of Camila’s injury. “She’s gotten us to where we are now and she’s been a tremendous teammate, an incredible player for us.”
“The fortunate thing is we have players who can step up in those positions. Obviously they’re not going to be Camila, but they will bring a different aspect that is much needed. We have trust in every single one of our players as teammates and as professionals.”
Forwards Jasmyne Spencer and Rachel Hill, who have both frequently come off the bench as substitutes this season, figure to be options for Sermanni today.
The Pride are keenly aware the odds are stacked in the Thorns’ favor. Providence Park features artificial turf while the Pride train on and are accustomed to natural grass. Portland regularly has the largest, loudest home crowd in the league with an average attendance of more than 17,000, which Thorns players frequently cite as a motivating factor. And Sermanni has even raised the specter of referees getting overwhelmed here, calling upon the officiating team to protect players and avoid allowing the match to get out of hand.
“They’re used to winning games and they’re particularly used to winning games here,” Sermanni said of the Thorns. “So we’ve got to overcome all of that to get a result.”