Orlando Pride

Little Eyes, Big Voices: Why Young Girls Need the Women of the Orlando Pride

Published

5 years ago

June 6, 2019

It’s June 7, and the women of the Orlando Pride have yet to win a match this season, drawing only once while on the road visiting Reign FC. Fans are disappointed, but the support doesn’t waiver. This city stands behind the females that make up the team.

Listen, I’m a grown woman who grew up hating soccer and found inspiration watching the 99ers when I was 12. I wish I’d had local role models I could watch during my formative years. I’m so thankful that little girls today have Malala Yousafzai, Bana Alabed, Amariyanna Copeny, Emma Gonzalez, and so many more girls leading the way for the next generation. They’ve used their platforms to evoke change.

Little girls also need local heroes to inspire them, so why are the women of the Pride some of the role models little girls need?

Dedication

Despite their (so far) winless season, the women don’t stop. They’re working to learn a new system under a new coach who understands change takes time and must be implemented carefully. When seemingly half of your roster heads out for international duties and Sydney Leroux is home awaiting the arrival of her little girl, you have to figure it out and just keep going. It can’t be easy to take the pitch week in and week out knowing everyone is watching and waiting for them to bring home some points, especially when players who don’t typically start are playing more minutes than they otherwise would have seen. There’s a lesson in dedication and perseverance to be had for anyone paying attention.

Pride

The team name may be Pride, but these ladies are the pride of their countries. Little girls can read about these badass women making headlines and think it could be them one day.

They get to see Marta not only as Brazil’s treasure, but as the six-time, FIFA World Player of the Year. Not only does she leave everything she has on the field for Brazil and the Pride, but she’s using her opportunities to advocate for dogs. If you follow her on social media, you know she loves her dogs, but is also working to build a rescue and a call to action for fans to be part of the solution to help the helpless animals.

They get to see Alex Morgan larger than life on streets all over the United States — celebrities like Natalie Portman wearing kits with her name across the back. They get to see her in Maroon 5’s Girls like You video, which aims to celebrate the women of the world. More importantly, little girls get to see a talented woman make a living out of the sport she loves. They get to see her spend her vacations sharing the love of soccer with children around the world who have nothing more than a ball made from old t-shirts and be inspired.

I could keep going about the women making their countries proud with call-ups for the World Cup 2019, but here’s where I’ll let you share your who and why in the comments!

Resistance

Women are a lot of things and I think it’s pivotal that little girls know there is no mold. None of the women mentioned so far are the same or are even being recognized on this list for the same reason. Lereoux is resisting societal standards on what makes a female athlete, and even more so resisting the expectations of motherhood. She’s resisting the men on social media who hide behind screens and tell her what she should or shouldn’t be doing with her body. When a photo of Leroux went viral of her practicing while pregnant the internet had a field day. The one thing she didn’t do? She didn’t resist her doctor, the medical professional in charge of her and little girl’s well being. She knew her limits, she played it safe, and as seen in episode two of Bad as a Mother, she knew when it was time to take off her boots.

Not just in pregnancy, but Sydney is resisting the classical image of motherhood. She’s a model for girls to realize they can have careers, be it in sports or elsewhere, and be great mothers. Through her sharing on social media we see a woman and mom who jokes, laughs, and makes mistakes, and yet the world keeps spinning. I want to be Sydney when I grow up, or in my next life, and I want little girls to know they can clap back at the men and boys that have anything to say about them.

Perseverance

Carson Pickett was born without her left forearm and hand. By any and all accounts, she has a disability, but you wouldn’t know it to watch her play or listen to her talk about life as a professional soccer player. She knows that people are watching. She knows she has a platform to inspire others, not just in playing soccer, but in living a happy and successful life. She’s sharing her message that she has to control what she can control — a message any girl needs to hear regularly.

Equality and Self-Worth

Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris fall into multiple categories here, but I’m going with equality and self-worth. These two women are already role models for little girls playing soccer on small fields or in their backyards. As a couple that is playing together, engaged, and focused on their futures, how can you not be proud to have them for your little girls to look up to? They are unapologetically themselves, and work hard to make sure boundaries are in place for themselves as a couple that also has to work together.

In her story in the 23 Stories series for the USWNT social media campaign, Harris shared that she had to work hard to get where she is and how soccer saved her life. She recognized a group of people who felt unwanted, recognizing those feelings in herself, so she’s using her platform to work with those who struggle with their mental health and addiction. She wants people all over to know that their stories matter, they’re not alone, and that who they are is beautiful. Her message is simply, “Stay.” Life is hard, but it gets better. She encourages today’s youth to undeniably be themselves.

Representation matters.

It’s my motto when I’m searching for books for some of our youngest readers, and I think it’s only fitting in sports as well. It matters in the books we read, the movies we watch, the games we play, and the leadership roles that fill our lives. It especially matters for little girls, who start life loving bugs, loving soccer, loving STEM. It matters that little girls have strong role models to watch regularly so they don’t lose their loves because some YouTube video and a girl on the playground said they only need to worry about the latest makeup palette, when they can love both.

Little girls need to know they can do and be anything. Little girls need to know that they have voices that are worthy. Little girls need powerful women leading the way, and how lucky our city girls are to have these women in their backyard.

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Pride need to do to secure an NWSL Championship win over the Washington Spirit on Saturday?

Published

8 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Sam Denker

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Win or lose, the Orlando Pride’s season comes to an end on Saturday night at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. After they defeated the Chicago Red Stars and the Kansas City Current in prior playoff matches, this final match could see the Pride lift the NWSL Championship trophy. The Pride have already won the NWSL Shield earlier in the year, and this second trophy would cement them as one of the greatest teams in NWSL history. Standing in their way is the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, the same Washington Spirit club the Pride defeated to clinch the Shield.

So, what do the Pride need to do to defeat the Spirit and bring home more silverware?

Prepare for a Better Spirit

During the regular season, the Pride defeated the Spirit twice, 3-2 in Washington all the way back in April, and 2-0 at home in October. The Pride may need to scrub these results from their memory and prepare for a more capable and complete opponent. For starters, in the first matchup, the Spirit were led by interim head coach Adrián González, who is still with the club as an assistant. While González performed well in the role, the Spirit are now led by one of the best coaches in the game, Jonatan Giráldez, who took over in July. Before joining the Spirit, Giráldez led Barcelona Femeni, the single most dominant club in Europe during his tenure. In each of the past two seasons, Giráldez’ Barcelona won the Copa de la Reina, Spain’s domestic cup tournament, and the UEFA Women’s Champions League, showcasing his skill in coaching championship games.

The Pride were able to beat Giráldez’ Spirit squad just over a month ago, but that matchup was missing several key players on Washington’s side of the pitch. The Spirit were without NWSL Best XI players Trinity Rodman and Casey Krueger as well as Best XI Second Team representative Hal Hershfelt. All three of these players have since returned and are likely to play in the NWSL Championship. Ouleye Sarr, the joint leading scorer for Washington along with Rodman, was also out for the October matchup, but she is struggling with a back injury and may not play this weekend. While the Spirit were limited in the last meeting, Orlando was convincing in its 2-0 win. This time around, the Pride will have to prepare for a Spirit team that looks a lot different than the last time out.

Keep the Match to 90 Minutes

One of the key storylines heading into the NWSL Championship is the paths each team has taken. While the higher-seeded teams have won each match of the 2024 playoffs, Orlando has won its matches in regulation, while Washington required extra time to beat Bay FC and penalty kicks to get past NJ/NY Gotham FC. As a result, Orlando has played fewer high-stress minutes in recent weeks and comes in on a great run of form. On the other hand, the Spirit are battle tested, knowing the challenges that come from tight matches. Their goals forcing extra time have come late in matches — the 86th minute against Bay, and the third minute of stoppage time against Gotham. To their credit, the Spirit never know when they are beaten, so Orlando will need to be locked in all the way to the final whistle, hoping to avoid the chaos that ensued at the end of the Kansas City match.

Despite looking shaky at the end of the match against the Current, Orlando’s success this season has come about in the opposite manner of the Spirit’s postseason wins. Orlando has done exceedingly well to get the lead and secure the result. The Pride have only dropped points from winning positions twice, losing none. The semifinal match against Kansas City was also their first come-from-behind victory of the year, showcasing how uncommon it was for them to fall behind in an NWSL match in their 18-win season. Should the NWSL Championship go to extra time, it would be uncharted territory for Orlando. With so few elimination matches in their history, very few players on the roster would have any experience with extra time. The Orlando Pride as a club only participated in their first-ever (then their second and third) penalty shootout in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, winning one of three shootouts. In the end, Orlando will be in a much better position if it can keep this game to 90 minutes.

Marta Magic

The Orlando Pride have four players on the NWSL Best XI first and second teams, but no player is more easily recognized in purple than 38-year-old Marta, the GOAT. While she has been with the Pride since 2017, this campaign (11 goals, 1 assist) has been her most productive since 2017, her first in Orlando (13 goals, 6 assists). The 2017 season was also the last time that Orlando made the playoffs. In 2024, Marta has scored two postseason goals so far, including a magical game winner against the Current. Orlando’s success is inexorably linked to the performances of its best-ever player. Yet, as hard as it is to imagine, the NWSL Championship will be the last match of her existing contract with the Pride, and win or lose, this could be farewell, at least for now.

On the pitch, Marta will be a focal point for the Orlando attack against the Washington Spirit. While Washington’s Best XI defenders Krueger and Tara McKeown attempt to slow down Barbra Banda and Ally Watt, Marta is likely to drop deep and connect the play. Her precision passing and driving runs in recent matches have contributed mightily to an attack that has now scored 10 goals in the past three matches — three by Marta herself. Beyond these traits, Marta will also be a pitch general for the Pride in this final match, directing traffic and keeping the team locked in and organized. Earlier this year, Marta announced her retirement from international soccer with Brazil and took home the silver medal in the Summer Olympics. Expect Marta to leave it all on the pitch on Saturday, and if it were to be her last match for the Pride, it would be incredible to leave with an NWSL Championship.

Saturday night the NWSL Champions will be crowned. Could one of these keys to victory make the critical difference? Vamos Orlando!

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Center Back Emily Sams Named 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year

Pride center back Emily Sams adds another honor to her trophy case after being named the NWSL Defender of the Year.

Published

1 day ago

November 21, 2024

Sean Rollins

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The National Women’s Soccer League announced this evening that Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams has been named the 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year. She’s the first player in club history to win the award. It was the second major NWSL award won by the Pride after Seb Hines was named the league’s Coach of the Year on Tuesday.

Sams played center back during her 2023 rookie season, but moved to right back at the beginning of this year. Brazilian international Rafaelle’s injury trouble forced Sams back to her natural position where she partnered Kylie Strom, forming arguably the best center back partnership in the league. Together with goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse and the rest of the back line, the Pride conceded a league-best 20 goals while tying the league records for most shutouts in a season (13) and setting a new mark for most consecutive minutes without conceding a goal (554).

Individually, Sams was second in the league with 163 recoveries, and she led the Pride with 108 possessions in the defensive third, 76 clearances, and 16 blocks. Additionally, her 88.18% passing accuracy led all Pride defenders.

Including the playoffs, Sams has played in 27 games this season with 26 starts and recorded 2,365 minutes. She’s recorded 25 tackles and 28 interceptions, winning 30 headed duels and 47% of her tackles. She’s also contributed offensively with a goal and three assists, including assisting Barbra Banda’s first goal in the NWSL quarterfinals against the Chicago Red Stars.

The center back was named to the league’s monthly Best XI three times this year — in May, September, and October/November — and was named to the league’s end-of-the-year Best XI.

The Boise, ID, native played three seasons over five years at Florida State before signing with Racing Louisville’s W League team for the 2022 season. She decided to forgo her senior year at Florida State, signing with the NWSL instead on Aug. 31, 2022. The league loaned her to Swedish club BK Hacken for the remainder of the 2022 season, enabling her to enter the 2023 NWSL Draft. The Pride selected Sams with the third overall pick and she immediately became a key player on the team’s back line.

She was paired with veteran Megan Montefusco at the beginning of her rookie season and Brazilian international Rafaelle after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Sams played 22 regular-season games last year, recording 1,977 minutes, 19 interceptions, and 17 tackles. She won 61% of her tackles and 33 headed duels.

Despite not having any caps, Sams was selected by new USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes to compete for the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, earning a gold medal. Her first appearance for the national side came on Oct. 24 when she started against Iceland in Nashville, TN.

Preliminary voting for the NWSL Defender of the Year award included league owners, general managers, coaches, players, and media. The finalists were then voted on by fans, owners, general managers, coaches, players, and the media with the winner announced this evening. Strom, San Diego Wave FC center back Naomi Girma, North Carolina Courage center back Kaleigh Kurtz, and Washington Spirit center back Tara McKeown were the other finalists.

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines Named NWSL Coach of the Year

After a record-breaking regular season, Pride Head Coach Seb Hines has been named the 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year.

Published

3 days ago

November 19, 2024

Sean Rollins

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The National Women’s Soccer League announced this afternoon that Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines had been named the 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year. It’s the first time in the club’s history that a coach has won the award.

In his second year as permanent head coach, Hines led the Pride to a record-breaking season that saw them finish 18-2-6, winning the NWSL Shield. They finished third in the league with 46 goals scored and tied with NJ/NY Gotham FC for a league-best 20 goals conceded. They set five league records this year, including most points in a season (60), most wins in a season (18), longest winning streak (8), longest shutout streak (554 minutes), and longest single-season unbeaten run (23 games). The Pride also tied the league record for clean sheets in a season (13). Dating back to last season’s finale, the club went 24 matches without a loss under Hines. Orlando also drew all three Summer Cup matches this season, giving the Pride 26 matches without a loss in all competitions under Hines in 2023 and 27 games overall dating back to last year. Orlando’s 2.31 points per game in 2024 is second in league history behind the 2018 North Carolina Courage, who had 2.4 points per game.

The 2024 season caps a rebuild that started following the 2021 NWSL season when the Pride traded away several star players. They hired Amanda Cromwell as head coach for the 2022 season, but she and assistant Sam Greene were suspended and eventually fired for retaliatory behavior. Assistants Michelle Akers and Aline Villares Reis left their positions following the suspensions, leaving Hines as the club’s only option as head coach.

The controversy turned out to be a blessing in disguise as Hines finished the season strong as interim coach, taking the team to a 3-7-5 mark in the final 15 games, which included a seven-game unbeaten run (3-0-4). His performance down the stretch was enough to earn the permanent role. The Pride elevated Hines from interim coach to head coach on Nov. 11, 2022.

In his first year as the club’s permanent head coach, Hines nearly led the Pride to their first playoff appearance since 2017 and second in club history last year, missing out on the goal difference tiebreaker on the final match day of the 2023 campaign. This year, the team came back with the goal of making the postseason and soon became the best team in the league, going the full season without a single home loss in any competition.

Since taking over in June 2022, Hines has become the Pride’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 31-30-12 in league play. His 1.67 points per game and .492 winning percentage also top all previous Pride coaches.

Despite a turnaround that saw the Pride go from one of the worst teams in the league to narrowly missing out on the playoffs, Hines wasn’t a finalist for coach of the year in 2023. It was an easy choice this year as he led the team to its best-ever season and the first trophy in team history.

The team’s 4-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars on Nov. 8 was the first playoff win in club history and the Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 3-2 Sunday afternoon to secure their spot in the 2024 NWSL Championship, which will be in Kansas City on Saturday night.

The NWSL Coach of the Year Award began with a preliminary round voted on by owners, general managers, coaches, players, and the media. The finalists were then voted on by fans, owners, general managers, coaches, players, and the media to determine the winner. The other finalists were Current Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski and Gotham Head Coach Juan Carlos Amoros, last year’s winner.