Connect with us

Orlando Pride

A Look at the Orlando Pride’s Early Season Struggles

Published

6 years ago

on

The Orlando Pride arguably had the worst off-season in the NWSL and it has left them flagging in the early weeks with only one goal and one point to show from the opening four games. The Pride now have a winless streak that stands at 10 games stretching back to last year. Thanks to such form, the impatient and reactionary takes alike have already started to surface with some around the league wondering what new Head Coach Marc Skinner is trying to build in his short tenure.

The Pride are coming off the back of missing the playoffs, having spent half of last season above the line before sliding all the way down to seventh. They ultimately parted ways with Tom Sermanni after three years and brought in Skinner to try and turn things around. In hiring Skinner, they committed themselves to a complete overhaul in playing style, one that will take time, and some carefully planned personnel changes.

Skinner has previously cited Maurizio Sarri and Pep Guardiola as influences, admiring their sides’ positional fluidity, high press, and control of space on the field. Such change doesn’t happen overnight. In his first season at Manchester City, Guardiola finished fourth and spent record fees on half a dozen players to eventually win the title. Sarri, meanwhile, is coming to the close of a difficult debut season at Chelsea and can still be seen frantically gesticulating on the sideline, barking instructions to his players.

Both bear similarities to the situation currently in Central Florida. We might not see the fruits of the labor until Skinner’s second season as he will look to recruit the players he feels fit his system, alongside developing the ones he already has. The Englishman said himself that it will take time for the current players to adapt but his decade plus experience in youth development prior to his time at Birmingham City breeds confidence for the long-term future.

While some in the media and online have been quick to criticize his energetic sideline manner, it is simply the only way to get an entire team to play on the same page in such an intricate, yet organic, system. He’s doing what he’s paid to do — coach — and there is no greater coaching opportunity than in an actual game.

While it may seem like the Pride are underachieving, it’s worth remembering this is a seventh-place team that has so far only played four times under its new boss and the schedule has been nothing short of brutal. The opening three games were against the top three teams from last season, with two on the road and all in the space of eight days. The fourth saw the visit of Utah Royals FC end in a 1–0 defeat, progress from the earlier thrashings but still riddled with errors both defensively and in possession. All this came after a disruptive preseason with no less than eight players called away by their respective national teams at some point. So while the great and good of the NWSL have been able to pick up exactly where they left off by sticking with the same coach and minimizing roster turnover, the Pride are one of three teams in a whirlwind transition. The other two teams, Houston Dash and Washington Spirit, both only have one win apiece and those were against last season’s stragglers, Sky Blue FC. Houston, meanwhile, were handed a similar thrashing by North Carolina this past weekend, just the like the Pride were in week two.

Despite a host of international caliber players, it is naive to think this roster is “too talented” to be missing the playoffs. Look around the league and you’ll find every team has its own collection of federation players alongside top level foreign internationals. Comparatively speaking, Orlando is not the stacked roster it is so commonly made out to be after a cursory glance at names like Alex Morgan and Marta, neither of whom has found the back of the net in 2019.

The support cast has been left wanting. Orlando’s next tier domestic talent has proven to be wildly inconsistent, the team hasn’t had a draft pick earlier than the third round since their debut season, and the depth leaves a lot to be desired in a year that will see teams increasingly lean on their newly expanded rosters.

Simply put, there has been a systematic failure when it comes to recruitment, something the team has tried to address with the hire of the Pride’s very own dedicated General Manager Erik Ustruck, the first to not also hold the same role for Orlando City. But Ustruck’s reign has gotten off to an unconvincing start. The front office allowed Brazilian internationals Poliana and Mônica to leave, and traded Christine Nairn to the Houston Dash. In doing so, Orlando let a combined total of 17,995 NWSL minutes leave the building. Factor in Sydney Leroux’s current inactive status due to her pregnancy and the Pride are missing the wealth of experience and quality that 321 NWSL appearances bring. A non-playoff team doesn’t lose that level of talent and suddenly start winning. Instead, suitable upgrades need to be found.

For Ustruck, that has so far come in the shape of one third- and one fourth-round rookie from January’s college draft, two undrafted rookies, and four players entering their second years as professionals who combine for three top flight professional appearances between the eight of them. That’s not a quick fix, it’s a long term project. But then again, nobody should think this is close to the finished product. These new players not only need time to adapt to the system but also the chance to develop as the professionals they aim to be.

However, even for those who #TrustTheProcess, the Orlando Pride really aren’t looking good at the moment. The team is on such a poor run of form, the players appear to lack any chemistry based purely on the eye test, and the new possession-heavy style has so far not made for good statistical reading either.

The Pride only average 47% possession and are out-passed 429-377, allowing for 75.7% accuracy to their own 70.7%. In terms of attack, they average 13 shots per game, with 15.4% on target, but allow 21 shots to a staggering accuracy of 37.8%, and are only making eight tackles to the opposition’s 13. It seems simple to say but improving on these and cutting down individual errors, something Skinner was keen to emphasize after the Utah game when he spoke at length about the accountability of both him and his players, will bring about an uptick in results. But that won’t happen until this team starts playing hard, fast, and for each other.

Remember, it is not just a style of play Skinner is trying to create but also a new culture, one he says has no room for excuses. His post-match press conferences have so far been notable for their unfiltered honesty, reminding players that they are professional athletes and that what he has seen from them so far simply hasn’t matched their potential. He’s not wrong. The NWSL’s coverage recently came into criticism for its unconscious misogyny and the frequency with which analysis is treated with kid gloves. Skinner’s high demand reminds us all of the elite nature of the league and the responsibility of the players to play to such a level.

We will see if Skinner’s latest call to arms inspires the players to step up and claim their first victory when they travel to Houston to take on the Dash next Sunday. Then, we should get a better sense of whether the team really has been underachieving or if this simply is its level.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Announce 2025 Preseason Camp Roster

Published

2 days ago

on

January 20, 2025

By

Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride have announced the club’s 2025 preseason roster consisting of 30 players, with one of those (Mariana Larroquette) currently out on loan in Argentina. Another player, forward Amanda Allen, was formerly on loan with the USL Super League’s Lexington Sporting Club, but that loan was terminated when Allen was placed on the Season Ending Injury list on Dec. 9, 2024, with a torn labrum.

The Pride return all of their core players from the 2024 team that won the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship, including 98% of the player-minutes from last season and all of the team’s goal-scoring from a year ago. Almost all of the players who competed in the team’s incredible season are back from a team that broke league records for points, wins, clean sheets, consecutive shutout minutes, consecutive wins, and consecutive games unbeaten.

New faces for 2025 include two off-season signees — goalkeeper Kat Asman and defender Zara Chavoshi, the first player the Pride signed directly out of college since the league’s removal of the NWSL Draft. 

The roster is made up of four goalkeepers, just eight defenders (compared to 12 a year ago), nine midfielders, and nine forwards. One of those forwards, Larroquette, is on loan with Newell’s Old Boys Women of the Campeonato de Fútbol Femenino in Argentina’s top flight. 

The 30-player roster includes three non-roster invitees: goalkeeper DeAira Jackson, midfielder Aryssa Mahrt, and forward Simone Jackson.

DeAira Jackson was the 2024 WAC Goalkeeper of the Year and a member of the All-WAC first team following her last collegiate season. After playing two seasons at Cal State Fullerton, she transferred to Grand Canyon University and became the school’s all-time shutout leader with 16 in just two seasons. Nine of those came in her senior campaign, which set the school record for most clean sheets in a season. She was also the Outrigger No Ka Oi Tournament MVP and a two-time WAC Player of the Week in 2024. The Fontana, CA native appeared in 43 matches for Grand Canyon across two seasons, compiling a record of 25-11-7, the aforementioned 16 shutouts, a 0.89 goals-against average and a save percentage of .781, facing 415 shots in 3,754 minutes.

Mahrt played three seasons at the University of Wisconsin, appearing in 62 games (61 starts) and playing 4,503 minutes. The Milwaukee, WI native scored 21 goals and added 15 assists, putting 78 of her 114 shots on target. Eight of her goals were game winners. Mahrt started all 21 games in her senior season, leading the Badgers in goals (10) and assists (4). She has represented the United States at the youth level with both the U-14 and U-16 sides. Her soccer lineage includes a great grandfather who played for the Malaysian National Team.

Simone Jackson is a Redondo Beach, CA native who played four seasons at USC, appearing in 73 games (51 starts), scoring 22 goals, and adding 13 assists. In 4,204 career minutes, she fired 192 shots, putting 88 on target and scoring six game winners. She was a member of the All-Big Ten third team following the 2024 campaign, a first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2022, a third-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2023 and 2021, and a 2021 Pac 12 All-Freshman Team honoree. She has represented the U.S. at multiple youth levels, including at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, in which she scored for the United States in a 3-1 loss to Japan. Jackson has also participated at every level starting at U-14.

Simone comes from a family with a tremendous athletic pedigree. Her grandfather, John Jackson, was USC football’s running backs coach and offensive coordinator from 1976-81; her father, John Jackson Jr., played both football and baseball at USC from 1986-89 before brief stints with four NFL teams in the 1990s and playing minor league baseball. Her brother, John Jackson III, played wide receiver at USC and is currently with the Chicago Bears organization.

The club’s two Zambian players — Barbra Banda and Grace Chanda — are the only ones listed as internationals. Unlike previous years, no players are listed as not yet reported.

The Pride will kick off their 2025 campaign with a rematch of the 2024 NWSL Championship as they face the Washington Spirit in the 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup on March 7.

2025 Orlando Pride Preseason Roster (as of Jan. 20, 2025):

Goalkeepers (4): Kat Asman, McKinley Crone, Anna Moorhouse, DeAira Jackson (NRI).

Defenders (8): Kerry Abello, Zara Chavoshi, Cori Dyke, Brianna Martinez, Carson Pickett, Rafaelle (SEI), Emily Sams, Kylie Strom.

Midfielders (9): Angelina, Grace Chanda (INTL – Zambia, SEI), Morgan Gautrat, Ally Lemos, Luana (SEI), Aryssa Mahrt (NRI), Marta, Haley McCutcheon, Viviana Villacorta.

Forwards (9): Adriana, Amanda Allen (SEI), Barbra Banda (INTL – Zambia), Simone Charley (SEI), Julie Doyle, Simone Jackson (NRI), Mariana Larroquette (LOAN), Ally Watt, Summer Yates.

Key

INTL: International Player
NRI: Non-Roster Invitee
NYR: Not Yet Reported
SEI: Finished 2024 on the Season-Ending Injury list
LOAN: On loan 

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Pride Ready to Make a Run for the 2025 Title with a Core from 2024

Comparing and analyzing the percentage of returning minutes and goals for the Pride to those of previous NWSL playoff champions.

Published

4 days ago

on

January 18, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

During my son’s soccer practice earlier this week I was walking around the park and came upon a basketball court where there was a game going on. One team made a basket to win the game, and a player from the losing team immediately yelled out a phrase that is familiar to anyone who has ever played pickup. “Run that back,” the player said, indicating that they wanted to play another game right away with the same players. The winning team acquiesced, and off they went. Off I went as well, as I did not want to make it awkward by standing there continuing to watch 10 people I did not even know playing pickup hoops in Winter Park.

It was probably already awkward. Oh well.

It was fitting, however, that those players were talking about running it back while I was around a soccer practice, because just a few miles away — in Sylvan Lake Park — the Orlando Pride are preparing for their 2025 NWSL season. And now that Marta has re-signed with the club for two more seasons, the Pride are bringing back nearly every player from the 2024 season. It is not everyone, but the Pride are bringing back a cool 98% of all the minutes played during the 2024 NWSL regular season.

Only four players who played any minutes during that season have departed — Carrie Lawrence (288 minutes), Evelina Duljan (174), Celia (74), and Mariana Larroquette (52), though she is only on loan and is scheduled to be back in the summer, taking their combined five starts and 593 minutes with them — but that leaves more than 25,000 of the 2024 minutes played returning to the Pride for 2025.

Throughout the 2024 season we received indications that the front office really liked the makeup of the group already on hand, as during the year they signed McKinley Crone, Julie Doyle, Cori Dyke, Morgan Gautrat, Brianna Martinez, Viviana Villacorta, Ally Watt, and Summer Yates to new contracts. Most of these were completed in the early to middle part of the season, so even before the team had clinched the regular-reason title and entered the playoffs it was clear that the club felt like it had a good mix of players for the present and the future.

All of these players already being under contract through at least 2025 have made for a very quiet off-season for the Pride so far, and then when Marta made her announcement last week, it cemented the incredibly high percentage of returning minutes. “How high,” you ask in your best Redman or Method Man voice? I already mentioned it was 98%, but of all the NWSL teams who have ever won a championship, that 98% ranks first for returning minutes and represents one of only two seasons when the champion brought back more than 90% of the team’s minutes played from its championship season.

Because the Pride brought back nearly all of their minutes played, it should not be a surprise that they also brought back nearly all of the goals they scored. Except they did not bring back nearly all of the goals they scored, they brought back all 43 of the goals (excluding own goals) they scored during the 2024 season. All of them! The Pride are the first playoff champion in NWSL history to return 100% of the goals scored during their championship season, as you can see from this chart below, which details each playoff champion and the percentage of minutes and goals that returned for the subsequent season. It also shows what place the team finished during the subsequent regular season and playoffs:

The 2018 Courage are clearly the closest proxy to the 2024 Pride, and I like what I see when I look off to the right in that chart, because that team brought back almost all of its minutes and goals and then went ahead and finished first during the subsequent regular season and won it all during the playoffs. I am not saying that the Pride will do the same in 2025, but I am not not saying it either. Give me a few weeks to get my preseason predictions in order and I may actually say it loudly and (being that they are the Pride) proudly.

There are counterexamples as well, as the 2016 Western New York Flash (who became the North Carolina Courage in 2017), 2021 Washington Spirit, and 2022 Portland Thorns all brought back more than 80% of their minutes and 90% of their goals and did not win the playoffs, but both teams were highly successful during the subsequent regular season and won playoff games, though they did not repeat as champions.

One of the more interesting things about the 2025 Pride will be that they will have tremendous continuity with all of their returning minutes and goals, but they will also have continuity with four players who were with the club in 2024 but did not play or barely played due to injury/illness. Neither Simone Charley nor Grace Chanda suited up for the Pride at all last season, but both are experienced players who had been expected to contribute to the team before their injuries. Luana and Viviana Villacorta both did play a little bit — Luana in the beginning of the season and Villacorta at the end. Luana had been starting before her diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma ended her 2024 season, and Villacorta played more than 1,000 minutes during each of the 2022 and 2023 seasons before an injury kept her out for most of 2024.

All four of these players are currently listed on the 2025 roster, and as they return to full fitness it will almost be like four brand new signings of players who are clearly NWSL quality players, providing not only depth but also pushing the starters to stay sharp, lest they lose their role to someone challenging for their minutes. Brand new signings often take time to settle in, but these four will be familiar with the club, the coaches, and their teammates, which a huge advantage for the Pride.

Former NBA coach and current front office executive Pat Riley coined the phrase “the disease of more” to reflect what often happens to championship teams during the year after they win their title, as players want more for themselves, be it credit, media coverage, playing time, money, status, etc. Riley said that “success is often the first step toward disaster,” and while I quibble with the word “often” in that quote, I do think it can be true in sports. The Pride will get everyone’s best shot (figuratively, and sometimes literally) in 2025, and to repeat as champions they will have to do a lot of what they did in 2024 while also evolving some as well.

Bringing back nearly all of the same players helps with the repeating of last season’s excellent form, and “adding” those injured players who did not play last season, plus rookie defender Zara Chavoshi and free agent goalkeeper Kat Asman, will bring some new vibes and claws-sharpening-claws energy to the 2025 squad.

The Pride’s season kicks off in early March, and while the roster could still change in the next seven weeks, I think that it is likely that who they have right now is who will be wearing purple in the opening match.

I am looking forward to seeing them run it back while going on a title run.

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Loan Forward Mariana Larroquette to Newell’s Old Boys Women

The Argentine forward is going home to get some minutes until July 1.

Published

6 days ago

on

January 16, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride announced today that forward Mariana Larroquette is going on loan to Newell’s Old Boys Women in her native Argentina until July 1. The move will keep the seldom-used attacker out of the Pride lineup until midseason, but she’ll be able to get some playing time that could prove beneficial to Orlando in the season’s second half.

“We’re excited to find an opportunity for ‘Larro’ to gain meaningful minutes while also being an ambassador for the women’s game in her home country Argentina, as they get set to host the CONMEBOL Championships this summer,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “This will be a great move for her both professionally and personally, and we’re excited to see what she achieves while on loan.” 

The Pride signed Larroquette on July 6, 2023 — just prior to her involvement in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup — on a contract through 2025. The former Club León, Sporting CP, and Kansas City forward and Argentine international was expected to bolster an Orlando attack that was in need of more goals. It hasn’t worked out that way, even though she scored her first Pride goal and added an assist in her first appearance with Orlando in a 5-0 destruction of the Chicago Red Stars at home on Aug. 20, 2023. That remains her only NWSL goal since joining Orlando.

The 32-year-old made just four appearances during the 2024 regular season — all off the bench — logging 48 total minutes. She did not contribute a goal or an assist or even attempt a shot. Larroquette completed just 41.2% of her 17 passes. She started once in three appearances in the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, playing 107 minutes without a goal contribution and attempting three shots. Larroquette did not appear in the Pride’s postseason run to the NWSL Championship.

In her Pride career so far, Larroquette has made just 12 appearances in all competitions, starting just one time, scoring one goal, and contributing one assist.

What It Means for Orlando

Ultimately, this is a chance for Larroquette to get some minutes and perhaps improve her form. Although she provided depth last season, she was rarely used. Playing for the Lepers (seriously, that’s the team’s nickname, which is even stranger than Newell’s Old Boys Women) will get Larroquette playing time in the Campeonato de Fútbol Femenino close to home. This could be the precursor to her departing Orlando for good if she isn’t a good fit for Seb Hines’ tactical approach. At 32, Larroquette is unlikely to bring a windfall to the Pride in a transfer, but she has shown she can be a useful player off the bench when needed in recent years, and has been able to contribute on the international level for Argentina.

This is a move that can help Larroquette re-establish her game and show whether she is still capable of providing offense to her club — whether that ends up being the Pride or another team. As she has not been seeing the field much, there shouldn’t be a big impact to Orlando while she’s away, and it is possible we’ve seen the last of her in a Pride uniform.

Continue Reading

Trending