Forward Kim is ready and eager to compete in deep striker group
When Orlando Pride forward Abi Kim entered in the waning minutes of the team’s season opener in Louisville, one part of her appearance drew immediate attention — a massive cast on her right hand, swaddled with Styrofoam, bubble wrap and purple prewrap.
Kim had torn a ligament in her hand during preseason, undergoing surgery just weeks ahead of the National Women’s Soccer League season opener. The bulky cast was a slight inconvenience, forcing her to adjust her balance. But the forward wasn’t going to let the impediment prevent her from making the most of her NWSL debut.
“I knew you only get a few chances in a game to make it count,” Kim said.
Kim made an impact within the opening minutes of her debut for the Pride, entering as a 78th-minute substitution and scoring a go-ahead goal 10 minutes later.
This performance is the type of impact coach Marc Skinner hopes to see Kim make throughout her debut season.
After drafting Kim in 2020, Skinner said Kim stood out beyond his expectations from scouting her on film.
“The first thing that drew us to her was that electric pace,” Skinner said. “But then when she got into preseason, she was way more than that.”
The coach describes Kim as an intelligent player who cuts lines naturally, using her agility to break behind defenders and capitalize on weaknesses in transition.
Although Skinner was eager to bring her into the Pride in 2020, an injury sidelined her for the Challenge Cup and prevented her from signing a contract last season.
Eager to earn playing time, Kim chose to go on loan to Fiorentina in Italy. The transition was challenging — she didn’t speak any Italian, relying on other English speakers on the team to help her as she took lessons online in her down time.
But playing abroad helped Kim adapt as a professional footballer. For the Pride, that loan period was critical to develop Kim into an important depth piece.
The Pride’s starting forward line includes an unparalleled level of star power — Marta, Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux. But both Marta and Morgan will see long absences to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics.
Kim is part of Skinner’s increased effort to scout young talent who can step up when veterans area way on international duty.
“For us, that’s key to having a forward cohesive line,” Skinner said. “When you’ve got players like Alex and Syd and Marta and Taylor [Kornieck], you have to have players like Abi that are going to grow into their role over a period of time.”
For Kim, returning to the Pride also meant returning to a familiar face — fellow 2020 draft pick Kornieck.
Kornieck and Kim have been close friends for nearly six years after first meeting during a camp for the U.S. youth national team. They played against each other for four years in the Pac-12 — Kim for the University of California Berkeley, Kornieck for Colorado.
Both rookies entered the 2020 draft with hopes of one day playing on the same side, but Kim said they never expected to be drafted to the same team. Their excitement to become teammates was only bolstered by their Pride debuts in the season opener against Louisville, when both Kim and Kornieck tallied their first NWSL minutes in the same match.
“We always had a friendly rivalry, trying to score more goals than each other and egging each other on, but like trying to make each other better,” Kim said. “It’s really good to have someone who helps you become a better person and better soccer player. It’s been really amazing having her with me and around me.”
Kornieck and Kim are part of a group of unique young players who make up a third of the Pride roster. Kim refers to this group as “inbetweeners” — players who missed out on a typical rookie season, spending it playing either on loan abroad or in the condensed Fall Series.
Although these players are still relatively new to the league, Kim says the group feels more confident and experienced than typical rookies.
As she enters her first NWSL regular season, Kim said she’s committed to pushing herself under the guidance of the forward group that surrounds her.
“This year I got more experience playing, even though I didn’t get to play in the NWSL last year,” Kim said. “Now I’m more of a well-rounded player and I’m learning from some of the great players on the Orlando Pride, some of the best players in the world. Bringing all that together, I think this year is going to be really important for me to learn from all these people.”
“It’s really good to have someone who helps you become a better person and better soccer player.” — Abi Kim, speaking of friend and teammate Taylor Kornieck