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.

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.

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.

The Sofia Manner era with the Orlando Pride is over. Orlando transferred the Finnish goalkeeper today to AFC Toronto of Canada’s top flight, the Northern Super League, for an undisclosed fee.  

“This move offers an all-around win for Orlando and Sofia, and we are thrilled for her new opportunity at AFC Toronto,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “This transfer allows her to compete for more consistent playing time, while also contributing to the growth of women’s soccer in North America. Sofia will always be a member of our Pride family, and we want to thank her for everything she contributed on and off the pitch during our historic 2024 season.” 

The Pride signed Manner, 27, for an undisclosed fee from Finnish top flight side FC Honka on Dec. 1, 2023. At the time, Manner’s acquisition gave the Pride four goalkeepers under contract — along with Anna Moorhouse, Carly Nelson, and Kaylie Collins — and Carter indicated at that time that she expected a battle for the starting spot between the Finn and Moorhouse.

“Sofia is a tremendous addition to our goalkeeping corps and one we expect to challenge for the starting position,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter said. “She brings an underdog mentality and gritty work ethic and fits every aspect of the profile we have built for our goalkeepers. Her size, aerial ability, shot-stopping prowess, and distribution are world class. She brings international experience and has led the Kansallinen Liiga in nearly every goalkeeping metric. Her nominations for Goalkeeper of the Year and Best Player are indicative of her winning mentality and drive to be the best. We are excited to bring her to Orlando and to give her an opportunity to prove herself in our environment and in the NWSL.” 

Manner’s signing led to Nelson’s departure just 11 days later, as the Pride sent the backup goalkeeper to the Utah Royals on Dec. 12, 2023, along with $65,000 in Allocation Money, in exchange for an international roster spot. Orlando entered the 2024 season with three goalkeepers under contract, but Collins was on loan in Australia with Western Sydney Wanders. Former Pride practice player McKinley Crone was signed through the 2024 season on March 11, 2024, and the club subsequently waived Collins on April 16. Crone ultimately claimed the primary backup spot to Moorhouse, leaving Manner out of the match day squad.

If Manner was ever truly close to securing a top-two spot at Orlando’s goalkeeper position, it never materialized publicly. Moorhouse started every NWSL match in the regular season and playoffs, playing every minute and achieving ironwoman status. Crone dressed as Moorhouse’s backup. Although the Pride were set at the position following the team’s NWSL Championship in November, Orlando signed former Portland Thorns backup Kat Asman to a two-year contract through the 2026 season on Dec. 11, 2024. Once again, Orlando had four keepers under contract, and it always seemed likeliest that Manner would be the player departing from that point, which has now happened.

Manner made only one appearance during her stay in Orlando. She started and went the distance in Orlando’s second game in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenina Summer Cup, a home match against CF Monterrey on July 28. The contest ended in a 2-2 draw before the Pride won 5-4 in penalties in the ensuing shootout. She played 90 minutes, allowing two goals and making three saves, for a 60% save percentage. She only faced seven non-blocked shots, but five of them were on target. The Helsinki native completed 16 of 21 passes (73%), including four of 10 long balls. Following the draw, Manner made the difference in the shootout, stopping a shot by Merel Van Dongen, who was the only player of the 10 shooters not to convert. The Pride claimed the extra point in the Summer Cup standings as a result.

What It Means for Orlando

With Manner’s departure, Moorhouse is currently written in Sharpie on Seb Hines’ list of starters whenever she’s healthy. Crone and Asman will battle for the primary backup role, but would likely only play in case of an injury or during a non-league competition like the Summer Cup and in preseason. Even the NWSL Challenge Cup is a likely start for Moorhouse, as there will be a trophy on the line and it is a competitive tuneup for the 2025 NWSL regular season.

Moorhouse has had some shaky moments in her Pride career — even as recently as the 2024 NWSL playoffs against Chicago — but she has limited those over the last year. The hope is that she will continue to improve the areas in which she has sometimes struggled, which include her decisions on when to come off her line to intervene in a play or when and how to deal with high crosses. She can also sometimes struggle with spilling her catch attempts, whether on crosses or shots. However, as stated above, she cut down significantly on those errors in 2024, and helped the Pride concede the fewest goals in the NWSL.

Manner’s departure makes her lone game in purple stand out, and barring a return it will be her final legacy as a Pride player. Orlando is positioned well at goalkeeper in terms of numbers, although not experience, behind Moorhouse. Asman has yet to make her professional debut after being drafted No. 39 overall by the Thorns ahead of the 2024 season. Crone, however, was at least impressive in her lone 2024 match, which was a 1-1 draw in the Summer Cup, and a pair of saves in the subsequent shootout loss at North Carolina.