Orlando Pride Sign Argentine International Forward Mariana Larroquette

The Orlando Pride have announced the signing of forward Mariana Larroquette to a contract through the 2025 NWSL season. The 30-year-old Argentine is with her national team for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and will report to Orlando following her team’s involvement in the competition.

Larroquette returns to the NWSL after spending the 2021 season with Kansas City — prior to the team becoming the Current.

“I am incredibly happy about this new stage in the NWSL, and even more so defending a huge team like Orlando,” Larroquette said in a club press release. “I’m ready to channel all the emotions and desires that I have into results for this club. I’m also very grateful to the Orlando staff for trusting me and giving me this beautiful challenge for my sports career. Orlando has a new warrior who will give everything in every game to show my respect and belief in this team. Come on, Orlando!” 

“Larro is a player who we are excited to add to our team, for her abilities both on the field and in the locker room,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter said in the club’s release. “She is a player who brings a high level of technical ability, while also being able to fit our style with high energy and a work rate that does not quit. Additionally, her prior experience playing in our league will be critical in her ability to make a quick impact on the field, and we’re very excited to welcome her to Orlando following her time at the World Cup.” 

In her only previous NWSL season, Larroquette scored two goals and added an assist in 19 games with Kansas City.

After leaving Kansas City, the Ituzaingo, Buenos Aires, Argentina native spent the 2021-2022 season with Sporting CP in Portugal. She then moved on to Club León in Mexico for the 2022-2023 campaign, scoring nine goals in 26 appearances and firing the 10th-most shots in the league, with 88.

Before coming to the U.S. in 2021 to play for Kansas City, Larroquette spent 2010-2015 with River Plate before moving on to Universidad de Chile from 2016-2017. From 2017-2020 she was with UAI Urquiza in her native Argentina. She then played professionally in Norway at Lyn in 2020, appearing in three matches.

On the international stage, Larroquette has scored 16 goals for Argentina, including a goal at Exploria Stadium against Brazil in the 2021 SheBelieves Cup. She has also featured for her country at the U-20 level. This year marks her second World Cup. She helped Argentina to a second-place finish in the Pan American Games in 2019 and appeared in two FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cups.

What It Means for Orlando

Scoring is an area of need for Orlando, so it will be interesting to see how the Pride plan to use Larroquette. The team could use a veteran forward but Larroquette is more of a winger. She also has the versatility to play fullback.

The Pride must have some expectations of her or why else sign a 30-year-old that won’t be here until after the World Cup? Hopefully she will be a more prolific scorer than the one that scored only twice in 19 appearances in 2021 and a bit more clinical than the one who scored nine times in 88 shot attempts at Leon.

The Pride bolstered the defense with the signing of Rafaelle and now have hopefully improved the offensive end while also finding another energetic player to press up the field. Youth season seems to be over and now the club seems to be filling needs with experienced veterans. If nothing else, this move should improve the overall squad depth.