Ready to kick it off
Pride to open regular season at home vs. Spirit
After an improved run in the NWSL Challenge Cup, the Orlando Pride are eager to kick off the start of their first full regular season since 2019.
The team returns to the pitch on Sunday against the Washington Spirit at Exploria Stadium, rematching with the team against which they earned their sole win of the Challenge Cup tournament. The match will kick off at 6 p.m. ET with a live broadcast on Paramount+.
Following steady growth throughout the Challenge Cup, midfielder Marisa Viggiano says the team feels prepared to compete in the regular season.
“Going into the four games we really just wanted to see progression from each game, each match,” midfielder Marisa Viggiano said. “I think that was a great way for us to do that, and now we’re just headed into Sunday using what we learned from those four games to prepare us.”
The teams’ first meeting of the year was a hard-fought win for the Pride, who earned an early lead after striker Sydney Leroux punched in her first goal of the season.
Despite their early goal, the Pride spent most of the game on the defensive end, holding off a battery of 19 shots from Washington. Keeper Ashlyn Harris made nine saves in the run of play and saved a penalty kick to secure the victory.
As the Pride approach this Sunday’s match, coach Marc Skinner said the team is focusing on cutting off the team’s offensive production through its forward line.
Ashley Hatch and Andi Sullivan are consistent threats on the attacking end while rookie Trinity Rodman has quickly emerged as one of the toughest players to guard in the league. The Spirit offense typically strikes by exploiting gaps on the run.
The team will be further challenged on the defensive end due to the absence of Ali Riley, who matched up with Rodman for most of the last game. While Riley recovers from a right hamstring injury, the Pride will either look to rookie Courtney Petersen to hold down the position or pull a player like Gunny Jónsdóttir out of position to cover left back.
“I think you’ve always got to be cautious of the way that they can attack,” Skinner said. “They have [forwards] that cheat in cheating positions, so you have to be very, very aware on the transition. For us, I think as we get better understanding of who we are as a football team with the ball, we’ll start to create better connections and know how to exploit Washington.”
The Pride are also continuing to work on igniting their dynamic forward line as they enter the regular season. The team had two scoreless finishes in the Challenge Cup, scoring three goals across the tournament.
Although she assisted Leroux’s game-winner against the Spirit, star striker Alex Morgan has yet to score for the club
STEPHEN M. DOWELL/ ORLANDO SENTINEL and fellow stars such as Marta are still waiting to net their first of the year.
Skinner said he felt encouraged after his team produced consistent scoring opportunities throughout the tournament despite struggling with finishing. The coach emphasized finishing drills throughout the two-week break between the tournament and the regular season, but he said the veteran strikers also took it upon themselves to improve team scoring.
Throughout recent training sessions, Skinner said he saw the striker group working together regularly to hone their connection in the final third.
“I think as those relationships progress and flourish, you can see a lot more interaction and the goals that will follow that,” Skinner said.
As they approach this weekend’s match, the Pride are aiming to create a foundation for success after two difficult seasons on and off the field.
The Pride struggled to field a steady lineup throughout their last season in 2019, and a packed international summer that includes the Olympics will only serve to disrupt the team even more throughout the year.
Skinner and Viggiano said the team is focused on creating an accordant style of play that can accommodate player absences throughout the year.
“It’s a really long season,” Viggiano said. “So having that consistency in our play is going to be very important.”