Orlando Pride Prepare for 2017 Season Amid Rumors of Marta’s Arrival

Orlando Pride and NWSL fans have been buzzing in recent days over rumors that Brazilian star Marta could be coming to the Sunshine State this season, and while the club has been pretty mum on the situation, Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni met with the media in his first availability of the season at team medicals this morning and, of course, was asked about the rumors.

Sermanni didn’t want to comment on the Marta reports, but didn’t sidestep the question altogether.

“Is that a rumor? I haven’t heard that,” Sermanni said jokingly at Orlando Health’s Heart Institute, where Pride players underwent their season-opening physicals throughout the morning. “I don’t do Twitter, but word does tend to get back to me. Yeah, apparently, there’s a rumor out there. I mean it’s a rumor that I can’t comment on at this stage, at this moment in time.

“Marta is a player who plays for Rosengård in Sweden. It would be fantastic to get a player of her quality to this club and if that happens it will be wonderful and if it doesn’t happen I think we’ve still got a very strong squad.”

Marta, 31, was first linked to the Pride this week by Women’s Soccer Weekly, but when asked about the transfer rumors, both Marta and her club denied any move was in the works.

The five-time FIFA World Player of the Year is no stranger to playing in the United States, most recently having played for the Western New York Flash in 2011, when she helped the club win the 2011 WPS title while playing alongside two current Pride players, Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris.

There’s no telling at this point what’s going to happen with Marta and the Pride moving forward. She would undoubtedly come in as potentially the biggest signing in NWSL history, while also making the Pride a potential playoff contender from the start.

The Pride officially begin their preseason on Monday with the first training session of the new year.