Orlando Pride
Marc Skinner Brings New Focus, Intensity to the Orlando Pride
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The Orlando Pride had a goal of winning the NWSL championship last season. After a strong start, the Pride could not keep it up and ended the season in seventh place. As a result, Orlando fired Tom Sermanni and then hired Marc Skinner as the team’s second-ever head coach. On Monday, Skinner got to work with his team for the first time.
“It was the most amazing feeling,” Skinner said. “I thought it would be this special when I first got the job. I kind of knew that when I came to America that we would have the energy. Now it’s almost that I need to refine the energy and channel it in the right direction. I couldn’t have asked for a better work ethic from the group today. You can just see that they’re buzzing. It’s one of those moments that make me smile so I’ll have to digest that this afternoon.”
To start the preseason, the Pride once again were missing a few key faces. Alex Morgan, Ashlyn Harris, Marta, Chioma Ubogagu, Alanna Kennedy, Emily van Egmond, and Shelina Zadorsky are all with their respective national teams and Camila has yet to arrive, although she is expected soon. While their absences were definitely noticed, perhaps it is a good thing for the team to start the year without them.
Last year, Marta, Kennedy, Morgan, Leroux, and Ubogagu combined to score 21 of the Pride’s 30 goals. All five players could miss a large portion of the season due to international duty and a pregnancy. Leroux, who is five months pregnant, was at training on Monday but did not participate in any contact drills.
“For me, I’m going to work with the players that are here,” said Skinner. “At Birmingham, we did the same; we had kids. My goalkeeper, who was 17 when she first came into the first team, she’ll go on to be an England international I’m sure. It’s just working with the people and getting the best out of them. I said when I first came here, the name of today might not be the name of tomorrow. So, who is the name of tomorrow?”
There were many younger players in training. Draft picks Marisa Viggiano, and Erin Greening experienced their first training session and Bridget Callahan and Abby Elinsky returned to the Pride as non-roster invitees. In total, there were 17 players in the first preseason session.
The big question, though, is are these players going to be good enough to make the Pride a better team? Skinner thinks so and is happy with how the team is looking right now. He wants to give his full attention to the players that are at training and is confident in their ability.
Still, that does not mean he is done looking for new players. While there will not be new signings at the moment, the roster buildup is not complete. Skinner could be waiting to sign some of his old Birmingham players, and wants to bring in “the right players.”
“There will be [plans to sign more players],” said Skinner. “One of the things I’m looking at is the European market. People are still in contract over there at the minute. So, it’s hard as their season is still going on. If I have to wait for the right people, I’ll wait for the right people.
“Equally, we’re identifying talent within this country that we want to make sure that we can bring in. It’s an ongoing process that we’re going to continue to work at.”
Within the team that was at training on Monday, it was evident that the leader on the field was Ali Krieger. In the past year, she took and completed the U.S. Soccer C License coaching course. She is going to be putting what she learned in the course to use to help out her Pride teammates.
“I want to be an extension of the coaching staff on the field, I hope,” Krieger said. “If I get that opportunity, then I’m ready to take it on. I hope to put the team on my back, push through the season, and win.”
The veteran defender is starting her third year with the Pride. She has made 44 appearances for Orlando, all starts, and will look to be a vital part of the Pride’s back line. At 34 years old, Krieger is the oldest player on the roster, but according to both her and Skinner, the defender has the body of a 25-year-old.
“I feel good,” said Krieger. “I’ve been training my ass off and really preparing for this day. I know this year is going to be really good and really tough for us. I wanted to come in and be fully prepared and fully fit and be a good example for the young ones coming in. It’s really important that I’m on the top of my game to really set the tone for the rest of the team.”
That leadership is going to be crucial, but Skinner is not just looking at Krieger to lead the team. He described a process in which there will be multiple leaders within the team and stressed that one person is not going to be able to lead this team to where it needs to get to.
The end goal for the Pride is, of course, to win the NWSL championship. To get there the initial work needs to start right now in preseason. There are undoubtedly vast differences between Sermanni and Skinner, and perhaps those differences could be what helps get the Pride to the next step.
“It’s just different,” said Krieger. “It’s not better. It’s not worse. It’s just different — a certain mentality that hasn’t been instilled before that we’re excited about. It’s a breath of fresh air, you can say. With the new mentality and the new vision and direction that we’re going to go in. Obviously, with every coach it’s different. We’re just really excited to start fresh. Everyone is kind of on the same playing field, which is good and that motivates every single player here. That’s what’s probably the most exciting to us.”
Regardless of who is at the helm, the players are ready to go and happy that the season is starting. A common theme was the high level of energy among the players, and everyone is just excited to be back at work. The new season will arrive quickly, with opening day on April 14 against Portland, and the team will need to keep up this intensity up to start the season strong.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Sign Goalkeeper McKinley Crone to New Contract
The Pride have signed backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone through 2026.
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The Orlando Pride announced this afternoon that the club has signed backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone to a new contract. The deal runs through the 2026 NWSL season.
“Mac has played an important role in our goalkeeping corps, continuing to push our group each day while investing in herself both on and off the pitch,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “We are very excited for her to continue her career with us here in Orlando, where we can continue to support her development as a player. We believe she can become a competitive goalkeeper in this league, and we look forward to providing her with the resources and environment to reach her potential.”
Crone went undrafted in 2023 before joining the Pride as a non-roster invitee during preseason. The Maitland native continued with the Pride as a training player and was awarded with a National Team Replacement Player contract on June 27, 2023 when Marta and Adriana departed for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The 25-year-old signed a second National Team Replacement Player contract and was signed for the remainder of the season on Sept. 13, 2023.
Her play in training and during her call-ups earned Crone a NWSL contract for the 2024 season. She only made the team sheet once in 2023, but became the regular backup this year. Anna Moorhouse was called up to the England National Team when the NWSL went on break for the Olympics, opening a spot for Crone. She made her professional debut in a 1-1 draw with the North Carolina Courage on July 20 in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. The young goalkeeper made five saves on six shots while conceding once and helping the Pride maintain their unbeaten record this year in all competitions.
“To be staying here in Orlando, the place I grew up, means everything to me. Being given the chance to represent this city as well as this club has been a huge honor, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue living out my dream,” Crone said in a club press release. “What we are building here is really special and I can’t wait to continue to be a part of it for years to come. This club and this city mean so much to me and I will do everything I can to help bring championships to the City Beautiful. Roll Pride!”
Prior to joining the Pride, Crone played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Alabama. Her final three seasons for the Crimson Tide saw her make 66 starts, play 9,519.77 minutes, and concede 70 goals while making 229 saves. She had a goals-against average of 1.10 and saved 76.6% of the shots she faced. She finished her collegiate career with Alabama’s record for single-season wins (10), career shutouts (23), and career wins (41).
What This Means for Orlando
Crone has worked her way from a non-roster invitee last preseason to the team’s primary backup. When the club signed Finnish goalkeeper Sofia Manner during the off-season, it was expected the newcomer would be behind Moorhouse. However, Crone has been on the team sheet for every game this season, while Manner only appeared during the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.
During the summer break tournament, Crone’s five saves topped the Pride’s goalkeeping group, which saw Crone, Manner, and Moorhouse start one game each. In addition to equaling Moorhouse with a team-best one goal conceded, she saved two penalties in the shootout, more than Moorhouse and Manner.
Crone’s role as the primary backup this season and her play in the Summer Cup makes her the obvious choice for the same role next year. For this reason, it was a matter of when and not if the Pride would attempt to sign her to a new contract. With Moorhouse and Manner already signed through the 2025 season, the Pride now have their goalkeeping corps for next year.
Orlando Pride
Finding Glory? The Orlando Pride “Just Keep Winning”
As Orlando’s NWSL rivals stumble, the Pride have shown no signs of slowing down.
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Nearly two months ago, the Orlando Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 2-1 for a gritty road win to enter the Olympic break on top of the league table and favorites for the NWSL Shield. If any fans were anxious about the Pride’s form dipping in their return to action, they should now let go of those fears.
While Orlando has continued to rack up points with stingy defense and timely goals, the other credible contenders for the shield, the Current and the Washington Spirit, have both dropped points. Now, there are just eight matches remaining in the regular season, and the Pride have a six-point lead in the table. So, to paraphrase the ever-optimistic Dory from Finding Nemo (and also from the sequel, Finding Dory), “just keep winning.”
Since returning from the break, Orlando has won at the last-place Houston Dash and against fourth-place NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. The latter match featured 12 Olympians, and could have passed for a gold medal rematch due to Gotham’s U.S.-heavy squad and Orlando’s Brazilian contingent. Both the Dash and Gotham games were ones Orlando would be disappointed not to win, but winning is never a given in a league as competitive as the NWSL. Just ask the Current, who started the season unbeaten through 15 matches and set the pace at the top of the table, only to lose three straight and drop to third. On the other end of the table, both Utah Royals FC and Seattle Reign FC are on two-match winning streaks, showing just how quickly things can change for better or worse.
Orlando, however, leads the league and is not slowing down, because the Pride have avoided the trap games and off nights that can bite most teams. It is a testament to values instilled in the squad by Head Coach Seb Hines, now the winningest coach in Pride history, that the players have remained focused and ready for each match. Following the win over Gotham, Orlando’s fifth straight, center back Kylie Strom put it simply, “at the end of the day, we have to stick to our principles, and we did exactly that.”
Strom was referring specifically to the team’s defensive performance, but around the pitch, players are staying true to the other key principles that got them here. In recent matches, defense, as well as squad depth and versatility, have set this club apart from the competition.
Defensively, the numbers speak for themselves. Orlando now has five clean sheets in its past six NWSL matches and has only conceded 12 times in 18 matches. During the previous six matches, the Pride have started seven different players in the back four positions, and that does not include Rafaelle, who has been struggling with leg injuries this season. One of the players deputizing due to injuries to Rafaelle and Bri Martinez is Cori Dyke, who despite only starting three matches to this point in her debut season, is beginning to thrive in the environment the staff and other players have created.
Dyke exemplifies how squad depth has also been key to this defensive run. Despite a couple of injuries, the Pride still have not trailed in a match since the first month of the season, nor have they conceded a goal past the 75th minute. This stat could only be achieved because the roster is ready top to bottom to do the dirty work of defending, whether the players on the pitch are regular starters, or late game specialists. Also, it never hurts to be able to bring on Orlando’s newest addition, veteran defender Carson Pickett, to help see out games.
Orlando’s depth and versatility have also shown for the attack in recent weeks. While outsiders may wrongly view the Pride offense as a one-player “Barbra Banda show” due to her team-high 12 goals, the Dash and Gotham games demonstrated how lethal Orlando can be even without a goal from Banda. Against Gotham, it was Adriana who contributed two great goals within 20 minutes to put the game out of reach right after kickoff. Despite a slower start to 2024 following her electric debut campaign, Adriana now sits on five goals for the season. This tally brings her level with Marta, who has hit her highest individual goal mark since 2019, and Summer Yates, who subbed on and scored her fifth of season, a game winner, against the Dash.
Again, Yates’ goal highlights how the Pride players continue to perform well, whether they start or come off the bench. Goals are not the only way Pride attackers have contributed from the bench either, though Julie Doyle did almost have the goal of the season on Sunday if not for the offside flag. Doyle was also critical to seeing out the win and clean sheet because she drove the ball into the opposition half and toward the corner flag repeatedly to kill time and disrupt the flow of the match. Watt performed much the same role after her introduction as well, ensuring that Gotham did not have as many chances to score towards the end of the match.
At the end of the day, these are the types of contributions that Orlando will need to keep winning and maintain their lead at the top of the table. This includes the way the defense doesn’t let the opposition breathe, no matter who is playing. It includes timely goals from the entire Pride roster and not just Banda. And, it includes players in each position remaining focused and doing what they have done to be in the position they are in today. That position is one where they finally have daylight between them and their rivals at the top.
While there are still eight matches to go, the Pride will know that if they can take care of business against the teams outside of the top four in the NWSL, such as this weekend’s against the Chicago Red Stars, the path for other teams to catch them will get much trickier.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Loan Amanda Allen to Lexington SC
The Pride have sent Canadian international forward Amanda Allen on loan to USL Super League side Lexington SC.
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The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has sent forward Amanda Allen on loan to USL Super League side Lexington SC. The loan is for the 2024-25 USL Super League season, which runs through May, and includes a right to recall.
“Amanda has shown her potential and maturity during her time here in Orlando and we’re happy to find an opportunity for her to get more minutes on the field,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Amanda has played an important role so far this season and we are happy to be able to give her the opportunity to compete in Lexington. We look forward to watching her play and will continue to support her from afar during this loan spell.”
The Mississauga, Ontario, native joined the Pride on April 3, 2023 on a three-year deal running through the 2025 season. She made her debut on May 6, 2023 against Racing Louisville FC, becoming the youngest player to play for the Pride at 18 years, two months, and 15 days old.
In her two years in Orlando, Allen has made 17 appearances with two starts while recording 293 minutes with one assist in all competitions. That includes 11 NWSL regular season appearances, three Challenge Cup appearances, and three NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup appearances. Her assist came in this year’s season opener in a 2-2 draw against Racing Louisville when she found Summer Yates for the late equalizer.
Allen has spent time with the Canadian National Team and the youth squads. The 19-year-old forward is currently at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, where she started in the team’s first two group games.
What This Means for Orlando
The Pride have two primary forwards this season in Barbra Banda and Ally Watt, with the other forwards usually being left on the bench or out of the matchday squad. Even veteran and Argentina international Mariana Larroquette has found it hard to see the field. The club views Allen as part of the future of this team, but she was unlikely to see much more time this year in the regular season or postseason.
This loan gives the 19-year-old an opportunity to see first-team minutes at a high level, as the USL Super League is a first division league. The team was already heavy on forwards, resulting in the waiving of rookie Alex Kerr on Aug. 29. This move clears more space at the position while stating that Allen is part of the future of the team.
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