2018 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Emily van Egmond

Emily van Egmond was brought in by the Pride during the off-season to bolster the midfield. Despite being 24 when she joined the Pride, van Egmond brought World Cup, and Champions League experience. She wasn’t unfamiliar with the NWSL either, having played with Seattle Reign FC, and the Chicago Red Stars. She also played in the defunct Women’s Premier Soccer League with the Western New York Flash in 2012. She even scored the championship-winning penalty in a shootout for the WPSL-Elite title.

Given that resume, expectations were high for the midfielder when she was signed back on Valentine’s Day, and initially she seemed to be a good fit. However, as the season progressed, her form never reached the heights her pedigree suggested. It’s not to say that she was bad, but like her teammates, she didn’t perform to a level expected by the fans, or most likely the team.

Statistical Breakdown

Van Egmond made 17 appearances in 2018, 12 of them starts, and played 1,098 minutes. In games she started, she was subbed off five times. Statistically, she had 20 clearances and one block, with 20 interceptions. She had a 68.8% tackle success, a 42.4% duel success rate, and a 56.2% aerial duel success rate. She had a passing rate of 67% — the worst rate of all Orlando’s midfielders — on 613 total passes, and a 36.3% long pass rate. On offense she took 15 shots with four on target, with no goals or assists. Van Egmond committed 20 fouls while drawing only seven. She received two yellow cards, and no red cards.

Best Game

Early on in the season, van Egmond played exactly like Pride fans were hoping she would. The game that most exemplified that play was against the Chicago Red Stars on May 2. She even garnered Player of the Match from The Mane Land for her efforts. Her did a good job linking the back line to the attack, as she does for Australia. The highlight was her through pass assist to Rachel Hill to give the Pride their second goal in the match, and seal the win.

Final 2018 Grade

The Mane Land staff gave van Egmond a 4.5 for the 2018 season. That grade is just below her average match grade throughout the season, where she received a low of 3.5, a high of 8, and an average of 5. Van Egmond is a world class midfielder for the Australian Women’s National Team, yet as the season wore on she wasn’t able to maintain that form. Her best matches were early on in the season, and she didn’t provide the Pride with the type of midfield connection needed as the season progressed. Perhaps it was missing preseason due to the Asian Cup, or maybe it was too long of a season with the W-League, World Cup qualifying with Australia for a month, and then the NWSL campaign. Whatever it was, Emily won’t likely be satisfied with her season, while fans should, and do, expect more.

2019 Outlook

The Pride picked up van Egmond’s contract option for 2019 following the season. As an Australian international, van Egmond will almost certainly be selected by the Matildas for the 2019 World Cup. As such, she’ll be spending time away from the Pride, assuming she’s still with the team. Like almost all of the team, van Egmond underperformed against expectations, but that does leave room for improvement next season. As we’ve said before, with a new head coach coming in, there’s no real way to be certain who will still be with the team. Van Egmond is potentially a very valuable player, but only if she’s able to regain her early season form, and effectively link up with whichever players are still on the team.

Previous Season in Review Posts (Date Posted)

• Rachel Hill (9/23)
• Christine Nairn (9/24)
• Sydney Leroux (9/25)
• Monica (9/26)
• Carson Pickett (9/27)
• Haley Kopmeyer (9/27)
• Kristen Edmonds (9/28)
• Poliana (10/1)
• Ashlyn Harris (10/2)
• Chioma Ubogagu (10/4)
• Toni Pressley (10/4)
• Shelina Zadorsky (10/6)
• Dani Weatherholt (10/09)
• Ali Krieger (10/12)
• Marta (10/13)
• Danica Evans (10/17)
• Camila (10/18)
• Alanna Kennedy (10/23)