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Orlando Pride 2019 NWSL Preview

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6 years ago

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The 2019 NWSL season starts up this weekend and the Orlando Pride will open their fourth year in the league, looking to get back to the playoffs after missing out in 2018. With 2019 being a World Cup year, this will be an interesting (yeah, let’s go with that word) season, given the large chunk of the Pride that will be missing on international duty while league games are going on.

There have been big changes at the top for the Pride since they last played a match, but precious few differences at the roster level. Let’s take a look at what lies ahead.

How Did the Orlando Pride Finish in 2018?

The Pride ended 2018 in seventh place in the nine-team NWSL, finishing 8-10-6 and on 30 points — seven points shy of a playoff spot and two out of sixth place, while 19 points ahead of eighth place Washington. The Spirit and last place Sky Blue were awful last year and to only finish above those two clubs can only be seen as disappointing given the quality on the team’s roster.

The Pride were in a pretty good position until the end of the season, when the club went winless over the final six matches and lost the last four in a row. The downward spiral at the end cost the team a postseason spot but it was merely a magnification of an underwhelming year that saw Orlando win consecutive games only one time and that came against the aforementioned basement teams, Sky Blue FC and the Washington Spirit.

What’s New in 2019?

There haven’t many changes for the Pride since we last saw them but there’s been a really big one. Head Coach Tom Sermanni and the Pride parted ways at the end of the 2018 season and after a lengthy spell Marc Skinner was brought in to replace him in January. Skinner, the former Birmingham City manager, is just the second head coach in the club’s history after three seasons under Sermanni. Additionally, the Pride announced a dedicated full-time general manager in the hiring of Erik Ustruck.

As for player changes, there haven’t been many, but let’s get to those now.

Who’s Out?

There weren’t many departures after the 2018 season, but the club lost two Brazilian international defenders in Monica and Poliana. Both were mutual departures, with Poliana headed back to her native Brazil and Monica reportedly having decided to accept an offer from another club. However, Monica has been training with the Pride this preseason and there’s an outside chance she could even be re-signed.

The other departure was midfielder Christine Nairn, who was shipped off to the Houston Dash in exchange for an international roster slot in 2019. With Poliana leaving and Camila receiving her green card, that should mean three additional slots available to Ustruck and Skinner for player signings once the European season is over, but that remains to be seen.

Who else is out? Well, striker Sydney Leroux will miss most, if not all, of the season due to pregnancy. There’s a chance she could return after delivery if her body responds to her safe and gradual return to training.

Who’s In?

Only one of the few new faces in Orlando is actually under contract as of this writing. The Pride recently traded a fourth-round selection in the 2020 NWSL College Draft to the North Carolina Courage for defender Morgan Reid. The Duke product was a national team replacement player for the Courage but was signed a few weeks ago and is thus eligible to play. The other two new faces are 2019 NWSL College Draft selections Erin Greening and Marisa Viggiano. Skinner told us on the Mane Land PawedCast that he can envision both Greening and Viggiano as future productive NWSL players, but to date they still must be signed by the team.

What’s the New Jersey?

The new kit will be unveiled this Friday evening at Lake Eola Park at the Pride in the Park Kit Unveil event. The club’s 2019 home jersey will be revealed at that time as part of the team’s 2019 Kickoff to Soccer series of events in Central Florida.

How Will the World Cup Impact the Squad?

The World Cup will have a dramatic impact on Marc Skinner’s squad in 2019. The club could lose as many as nine players in the lead-up to, and during, this summer’s tournament. Certainly the Pride will be without Alex Morgan, Ashlyn Harris, Marta, Alanna Kennedy, Emily van Egmond, and Shelina Zadorsky. Orlando could also be without Chioma Ubogagu, Camila, and Ali Krieger, who are all on the cusp of their national team rosters.

Skinner has spoken repeatedly this off-season about getting their backups ready to step in and play so that there won’t be a drop-off in quality when the internationals leave. However, it is naïve to think the squad will be as good without all of those top-notch players, especially considering that some NWSL teams will only lose a few key players this summer and will be much better equipped to deal with the absences.

Orlando’s reliance on national team players has been an issue over the last few years and it’s unlikely to change now. There are simply too many of them and they are too important given the team’s lack of attacking depth. The success of those players’ national teams could mean a long summer for the Pride.

What is the Pride’s Projected Starting XI in 2019?

This is a difficult question to answer, given that the team played only one home preseason match that was open and the internationals were missing for that game. Skinner’s team isn’t reliant in staying in one particular shape, but it seems he at least prefers to start in a 4-3-3 and let the game dictate where things go from there. There are also strong indications that the Pride will sign some players out of Europe once the season ends overseas and that will change things. Here’s how I see it for now:

Ashlyn Harris; Carson Pickett, Shelina Zadorsky, Alanna Kennedy, Ali Krieger; Dani Weatherholt, Marta, Emily van Egmond; Chioma Ubogagu, Alex Morgan, Rachel Hill.

What are the Expectations for 2019?

Pride fans should probably have tempered expectations for now, but that could change. Certainly with this roster it should compete for a playoff spot most years, but perhaps not in a World Cup year and in particular this World Cup year. Skinner will be learning the league as he goes, the players will be learning his system and trying to nail it down, and they’ll all be trying to do it with pieces moving in and out all season long as a result of a congested international calendar. If the squad can add some quality pieces from Europe — who won’t be gone for most of the summer on national team duty — the Pride could compete for a top four position. However, as the roster currently stands and given the talent that will depart for as much as half the season (or more, depending on “victory tours”), I am setting my personal expectations fairly low for 2019. A finish anywhere from sixth to eighth is not out of the question but if things go well Orlando could maybe climb to about fourth.

Who is the Player to Watch on the Pride, and why?

She may be 33 years old, but the player fans will want to watch is Marta. Despite having a lot of matches and miles on her body, the Brazilian superstar is one of the best to ever play the game and she still does things in every game that bring fans out of their seats. Her footwork, vision, and quality stand out above most other players on the planet and she reads the game so well that she is sometimes two or three passes/movements ahead of her opponent. She still has a hunger and passion for the game and she also still has fun playing it and that shows on her face. Although she can become frustrated in games that aren’t going well, her emotions are part of who she is on the field (and off). She still revels in her team’s goals and wins and it drives her to continue working hard to stay at the top of her game.

How Much Will this Roster Change After the Season Starts?

As mentioned above, the club will have a few international slots available and Skinner said he’s identified some players he’d like to add. However, he is still evaluating what he has and will continue to do so, so things could change. I would expect two or three additions once the European season ends. The club will need more attackers and defenders to not only survive the international departures, but also to thrive during them. With Skinner’s background in England, it’s likely that we could see an arrival from that country, particularly from his old club, Birmingham City.

Who is the Player Fans Will Learn to Love?

I think the fans will learn to “re-love” Camila in 2019. The Brazilian was a dynamic part of the Pride’s run to the 2017 playoffs and Orlando missed her in the postseason meeting with Portland after her major knee injury suffered in the regular season finale that year. She spent most of last year trying to regain her form but never quite pulled it off. She scored a golazo Sunday against the Puerto Rico Sol on Sunday, which could be a sign that her form is returning. Her game seems well suited for Skinner’s fluid style as she likes to freelance on the attack. If she can regain her form — and if Brazil leaves her off their roster this summer — it would be like signing a new star player.

That’s your 2019 Pride season preview. As always, we invite you to chime in or offer up your rebuttal on any of the above in the comments section below.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Kylie Strom

In her fourth season in Orlando, the veteran changed positions to help the NWSL’s best defense.

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17 hours ago

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December 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride originally signed Kylie Strom from Atletico Madrid in July 2021. Prior to her time overseas, Strom spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons in the NWSL with the Boston Breakers. Her initial contract in Orlando was through 2022 with an option for 2023 that was exercised prior to that year. Despite being briefly out of contract this past off-season, Strom, now 32 years old, re-signed for the Pride, extending her stay in Orlando through the 2026 season. This ended up as one of the most important moves of the off-season, as Strom went on to partner Emily Sams in the league’s best defense, earning an NWSL Defender of the Year nomination and playing in all but one game of the 2024 season.

Let’s take a look back at Kylie Strom’s 2024 season, her best in Orlando so far.

Statistical Breakdown

Strom made 25 appearances for the Pride in the NWSL regular season, starting 24 times and playing 2,158 minutes, less than 200 minutes from playing the entire regular season. Most of the game time she missed was due to the red card and one-match ban she picked up on opening day at Louisville. Strom only took six shots in the regular season with two on target and no goals scored. She contributed her lone assist against Gotham at home in September. In possession, Strom completed 1,298 of her 1,503 passes (86%), the highest number of completed passes in the squad and the third-highest completion percentage among the regular starters, closely following Sams and Morgan Gautrat. She recorded 10 key passes, no completed crosses, and 46 successful long balls. Defensively, she succeeded in 20 of her 40 tackles (50%), contributed 39 interceptions, and won 73 headed duels. She was fouled 23 times, committed 17 of her own, and earned two yellow cards in addition to the previously-mentioned red card.  

Strom started and played every minute of Orlando’s three NWSL playoff wins (270 minutes). She attempted no shots but did provide an assist for Barbra Banda’s goal against the Kansas City Current. In the playoffs, Strom completed 144 of her 169 pass attempts (85%), with one key pass, no completed crosses, and four successful long balls. In defense, she added four tackles and six interceptions without committing a foul, suffering a foul, or receiving a card. 

Strom also started all three matches in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, playing 239 minutes in total. She did not take a shot and thus could not score a goal in the tournament, nor did she record an assist. The defender completed 136 of her 158 passes (86%) without a key pass or successful cross, but she managed 11 accurate long balls. She added three tackles in four duels (75%) and four interceptions with one headed duel won on the defensive end. She also committed two fouls and was on the receiving end of two herself, but she was not shown a card.

Best Game

Looking at her availability, passing, and defending, Strom was remarkably consistent in 2024, across all competitions. This makes it difficult to pick one game from the bunch, so it would be tempting to pick any shutout against high-profile opponents, such as the NWSL Championship game or the NWSL Shield-clinching game, both wins against the Washington Spirit. Instead, the best game and best representation of Strom’s work was the 1-0 victory over the struggling Utah Royals on the road in April, the first win of the year.

In the victory over Utah, Strom completed 61 of her 68 passes (90%). She also added two tackles and four interceptions en route to holding Utah to just 0.1 expected goals per FBRef.com. With Marta coming off the bench in this match, this was also the first time Strom wore the captain’s armband for Orlando, though she went on to wear it for six additional starts in the NWSL. 

Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Strom a composite grade of 7.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season, a significant improvement over her score of 6 out of 10 in 2023. Previously,  Strom received a grade of 4.5 in 2022 and an incomplete during what was a rough stretch run in 2021 after joining the club midseason.

Going into the 2024 season, it was assumed that Rafaelle would be the primary center back partner for Sams, and Strom would play at fullback, her natural position to that point in her career. Instead, Rafaelle struggled with injuries, including at the start of the year, so Strom paired with Sams for four of the first five games, with the Pride having to employ a four-fullback back line in the second game due to player unavailability. Rafaelle then played with Sams in the middle for one match, before Seb Hines pushed Sames out to right back with Rafaelle and Strom paired together for the next five matches. From that point on, it was Sams and Strom in the middle the rest of the year.

The new position suited Strom and accentuated her strengths as a soccer player. She defended well as a unit with Sams and the fullbacks, using her physicality to win many tackles and headed duels while cutting out the mistakes she’d previously made when playing out wide. In possession, she was steady in building play through short- and medium-distance passes without taking too many risks. She was a vocal leader on the pitch and adept at snuffing opposition attacks before they could materialize. That she was able to adapt so quickly to a new role in the latter stages of her career is all the more impressive.

2025 Outlook

Strom has two more years on her contract going into 2025. Orlando will hope to get healthier in defense in the off-season and may sign some reinforcements, as both Megan Montefusco and Carrie Lawrence retired. But Strom has earned the starting center-back spot next to Sams. Given Cori Dyke’s late emergence at right back, there is less of a need to move Sams out wide. At the same time, Kerry Abello’s Best XI Second Team performance throughout 2024 would make it difficult to move Strom back to fullback on the left. It will be interesting to see how a position group that has become a strength of the team.

Regardless of how it unfolds, the goal for Strom moving forward should be to continue to play at the level she did during Orlando’s championship season, and given her consistency all year, this is a reasonable expectation for the player.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Adriana

The Brazilian attacker was a key player in the Pride’s magical 2024 season.

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2 days ago

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December 20, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride signed Brazilian international Adriana on Jan. 19, 2023 to a three-year contract through the 2025 NWSL season. One of the brighter spots of the Pride during the 2023 season, it seemed Adriana was on the verge of becoming a dominating NWSL player. Seb Hines again deployed her mainly as an attacking player, particularly on the wing, but sometimes as a second forward. While she was still a key player for the Pride in 2024, there were some bumps in the road when she would disappear from games and consistency was sometimes an issue.

Let’s take a look at Adriana’s second NWSL season.

Statistical Breakdown

Adriana appeared in 23 regular-season games, starting 19 and playing a total of 1,688 minutes. She scored six goals, which was third most on the team, and added one assist. It is notable that two of her six goals came from the penalty spot, where she went two-for-two in the regular season. She completed 71% of her 557 passes, which was a slight dip from a year ago, with 31 key passes, seven completed crosses, and 14 successful long balls. Defensively, Adriana chipped in nine tackles, 13 interceptions, and 18 headed duels won. She committed just 10 fouls while drawing 30 on the opposition, and she did not receive a card.

In the playoffs, Adriana appeared in all three of the Pride’s games, starting two and logging 197 minutes. She did not make a goal contribution, attempting six shots with only one of those hitting the target. Her passing wasn’t up to its usual level in the postseason, as she connected on just 63.9% of her 36 passes, including only two of nine in the NWSL Championship. She tallied five key passes and one successful long ball, but no accurate crosses. On defense, she finished the postseason with three tackles and an interception. The Brazilian international committed five fouls, suffered two, and was not booked.

Adriana was away at the Olympics during the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, so she did not play in the competition.

Best Game

Adriana had several big games in 2024, but perhaps her best was Orlando’s 2-0 home win over Gotham FC. She scored both Orlando goals in the match, lifting the Pride to their 19th straight game without a loss, tying the club’s single-season record for home wins (7), and pushing Hines past Tom Sermanni and into sole possession of the most coaching wins in club history (26). It didn’t take long for her to get involved, scoring just five and a half minutes after the opening kickoff. Angelina’s ball into the box was knocked into the air, and Adriana ran onto it and volleyed a blast into the net to make it 1-0 with one of the most impressive Pride goals of the season.

Not content with just one goal, Adriana struck again in the 19th minute. Summer Yates switched the play to send Adriana down the right side, where she took on USWNT defender Jenna Nighswonger, then used Barbra Banda’s presence in the box to create space for her shot, which she placed perfectly inside the left post to make it 2-0.

Adriana played the full 90 minutes in the match and fired six shots in all against Gotham that night, putting all six of them on target and giving her a season high in the latter statistic. She led all players in the match in both categories. She completed 87% of her 23 passes on 48 total touches, with one key pass, one accurate cross, and two successful long balls. Defensively, she made three recoveries, and she committed one foul while drawing two and did not pick up a booking. It was a great performance by the attacking midfielder against one of the NWSL’s elite defensive clubs.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives Adriana a composite score of 7 out of 10 for her 2024 campaign. This is a slight dip from the 7.5 we gave her last season, but there were times when she struggled to find her game in 2024. When she was on her game, she was outstanding, but there were games and even stretches of matches when she didn’t provide her usual quality. Her form isn’t the only reason she was dropped at times from the starting XI, because some of her teammates elevated their own, but it was a factor. While she increased her goal total by one, it came in more appearances and minutes, and her assist total fell, despite having a better cast around her. The Brazilian is capable of more, but the staff still felt it was a solid season.

2025 Outlook

Like her Brazilian teammate Rafaelle, Adriana’s contract runs through the 2025 season, so she’ll be working hard to earn a new deal beyond the upcoming season. If she starts the season well, the Pride will no doubt offer a new contract midseason if there’s not already a new deal in place before opening day. At 28 years old, Adriana is in the prime of her career and can still be an effective player. With the Pride improving, she’ll need to play more consistently or at a higher level to keep starting with this club, but she’s capable, and I expect her to fight to hold onto her starting spot in Hines’ XI.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Marta

Marta showed why she’s the GOAT in her eighth season with the Pride.

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3 days ago

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December 19, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

In case you forgot, Marta first signed with the Orlando Pride way back in 2017. She has been the constant for the club through ups and mostly downs. That all changed this season as she captained her club to two trophies. Back in 2022, she signed a new two-year contract, taking her through 2024.

Marta may not be as young as she once was, but she definitely made you forget it often enough this season. It was undoubtedly the best she’s performed in a few years, and it made a difference in the standings. Let’s take a look at the GOAT’s latest season in Orlando.

Statistical Breakdown

Marta was the leader and the heart of this year’s Orlando Pride team. Her teammates wanted to win, but they also wanted to win for Marta. She played most of the regular-season games, but missed the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup because she was with Brazil at the Olympics. 

Marta made 23 appearances in the NWSL regular season, starting 19 games and recording 1,739 minutes. Marta was second on the team with nine goals on 40 shots, 18 of which were on target. Additionally, she completed 648 of her 878 passes (74%), including one assist, 52 key passes, nine successful crosses, and 75 completed long balls. Defensively, Marta posted 16 tackles, 27 headed duels won, and 12 interceptions on the year. She committed 12 fouls, suffered 45, and was booked four times (all yellow cards).

In the playoffs, Marta started all three games, recording 267 minutes. She scored two goals on 12 shots with five on target, and she completed 86 of her 108 passes (80%) without an assist, although she recorded six key passes, three accurate crosses, and 14 completed long balls. She was also active defensively in the postseason, with six tackles and two interceptions. She committed three fouls in the playoffs, suffered four, and was not booked.

Best Game

You might think that the one match in which Marta scored a brace would be her best match, but that isn’t the case. That match was the 6-0 beatdown of the Utah Royals, who were bottom of the table. I’m going with her performance in the 3-2 playoff semifinal victory over the Kansas City Current.

That goal summed up Marta’s season for me. She was not going to let this team lose when the Pride were so close to the championship. When needed, she could find the speed — even late in a match — and put two defenders on the ground in unison. It was a goal she willed to happen against one of the best teams in the NWSL.

In this match, Marta took four shots, with two on target, scoring the aforementioned goal. She completed 29 of her 38 passes (77%) on a total of 74 touches, and took all three Pride corner kicks. Defensively, she contributed four tackles and two interceptions. She committed one foul, did not suffer any fouls, and was not booked. She simply displayed the full range of her skill and leadership qualities, helping her team reach the final.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Marta a composite grade of 8 out of 10 for her eighth season with the club. Her passion, drive, and leadership were a major reason why the club won the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship. This was the best Marta we’ve seen for several seasons, and she wanted to win more than almost anyone else in any given match. To illustrate how much better she was, we gave Marta a grade of 6 out of 10 last season. That came on the heels of an incomplete grade in her injury-shortened 2022 season. She also received a 6 in 2021 and a 6.5 in 2019. This year is the closest Marta has come to the 9 out of 10 we gave her back in 2017, when she had 19 total goal contributions and finished second in the league in both goals and assists. She turned back the clock and gave us much more of the vintage Marta in 2024 than we’d seen in a long time, which is why we considered her one of the best players on the team.

(Note: If you’re wondering why 2020 wasn’t mentioned, its’ because we did not give out grades because the Pride only participated in the Fall Series during that lost season because of the pandemic.)

2025 Outlook

Marta’s contract expired after the 2024 season, but she has stated that she wants to keep playing one or two more years. She will be 39 years old at the start of the 2025 season but had a very good 2024 season. I think that she wants to retire with the Pride, and I feel that the club will offer her a one-year contract. The Pride indicated in their postseason roster status update that the club was in negotiations with her about returning. If a new deal happens, and if she can keep up her current form, she will find a way to contribute as the Pride look to defend their titles. She will have to hang up the boots at some point, but I don’t think it will be this coming season.

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