Kyle has emerged as leader
Midfielder says fun has fostered winning
Orlando City defender Conor Donovan couldn’t resist the urge to distract Orlando Pride midfielder Kaylyn Kyle.
Donovan waved his arms and made a face as Kyle tried to field questions from reporters, lingering with a group of Orlando City B players until he successfully triggered a laughing fit.
Those types of moments, Kyle says, give the Orlando Pride an edge.
“It’s been unbelievable,” she said of what it has been like for Pride players working alongside Orlando City and OCB athletes. “To be able to train on pitches like this. We eat breakfast and lunch [together]. It is a big family. Everyone goes out to each other’s matches.
“... It’s nice to have that support. It’s nice being able to even talk to one of the men’s [team] players and seeing what their thoughts were on the game or what you could switch up or what you could change because
they’ve played at a really high level as well. So it’s really cool to see that kind of aspect of it.”
Kyle quickly recognized coach Tom Sermanni was building a talented and experienced National Women’s Soccer League expansion team in Orlando, but her concern just before the start of preseason camp was figuring out how the team could quickly bond so that it could handle adversity.
She credits a combination of open-minded Pride players pushing each other in training and having fun together off the pitch, the family atmosphere fostered within the Orlando City Soccer Club and Sermanni’s crafty game plans for helping the Orlando open the season with a 4-3-0 record and 12 points. The record puts Orlando in a tie for fourth in the NWSL standings.
“I don’t think anyone would have thought we’d be sitting [fourth] right now,” Kyle said. “I think Tom’s done a great job of managing players and managing minutes and making subs at the right time. I think for us it’s just continuing to chip away at things. There’s a lot of stuff we still need to work on.”
After coping with national-team call-ups and injury problems, the Pride suffered a 2-0 loss at FC Kansas City on Saturday. The team now has a bye before playing at the Western New York Flash at 7 p.m. June 11.
It will give the Pride time to recover from injuries and continue bonding on the pitch.
Sermanni is equally quick to credit Kyle for her role in helping the group come together.
“I think she’s had a terrific season so far,” he said of Kyle, who has more than 100 caps with the Canadian national team. “I think the fact that she’s come into this environment and really embraced the environment and had that extra ... leadership role, I think hopefully it’s given her even more confidence. And she’s been a very dominating factor for us in midfield.
“... We’ve got a very kind of experienced midfield as well and it’s good to have players like Kaylyn in there that can help other players.”
On a team with many potential leaders, Kyle still manages to stand out as a veteran voice for younger athletes on the roster.
She said she encourages less experienced players to enjoy their time on the team and ask a lot of questions.
“When I was a younger player, I’d always ask the senior players a lot of questions if I didn’t know something tactically or technically,” she said. “It’s just making yourself vulnerable and just being present in the training sessions. I think they’ve done an incredible job of just wanting to grow ... as players.”
Kyle said while many of Orlando’s well-known players were expected to thrive, it has been a joy to watch lower-profile athletes like rookie Sam Witteman and Jasmyne Spencer shine.
“I think Sam’s really comfortable and knowing her role,” Kyle said. “So that’s been really cool to see. She went out in her first game against Chicago and was a little bit nervous, and then she just continued to grow.
“… And then a player like Jasmyne Spencer. She played at Western New York and was underrated there and has been a spark for this team.
“It’s been pretty special to see.”
“I think she’s had a terrific season so far . ... She’s been a very dominating factor for us in midfield.” Tom Sermanni, Orlando Pride coach, on Kaylyn Kyle