Young Orlando Pride Players Impress During Summer Cup

The Orlando Pride entered the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup with a depleted roster, losing six regular starters to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. While they were missing more players than the opposition, the tournament provided a gift to the first-place Pride as they were able to offer minutes to young players who have seen little time on the field.

It’s unlikely that any of the players are going to win starting spots from their time in the Summer Cup as the Pride feature international stars. However, the team will need depth in the squad as it fights for the NWSL Shield and NWSL Cup this fall. The following are four young players who took advantage of the Summer Cup, putting themselves in position to help when the regular season commences.

Ally Lemos, Defensive Midfielder

The most experienced of the young players heading into this tournament was Lemos. Chosen with the ninth overall selection out of UCLA in the 2024 NWSL Draft, Lemos has had 11 appearances and two starts, recording 286 minutes in the regular season. She was the first of the rookies to get on the field this year, coming on as a substitute against Racing Louisville FC in the season opener. Primarily playing as a defensive midfielder, she’s continued to progress throughout the season and has become a regular feature in the team.

The Summer Cup provided Lemos with even more playing time, as she took part in all three games and started two. She recorded 212 minutes in the Summer Cup and was tasked with matching up with some of the most physical players on the opposition.

“She’s started a couple of games, she’s come off the bench in a couple of games, she got some starts this tournament, and everyone can see her qualities,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about the rookie. “There’s still areas that she can still build up, but she’s in a really good place right now. And yeah, it’s another player who’s getting a lot of exposure to some really physical teams as well.”

During her rookie season, Lemos has shown an ability to help in the attack and provide defensive support. She had the least to prove during the Summer Cup, as she’s shown the most quality during the regular season. But the experience she gained during the tournament was more proof that she can be a valuable player off the bench as the Pride fight for trophies this fall.

Cori Dyke, Defender/Midfielder

The other young player who was becoming a regular in the team during the regular season was Dyke. Hines values the second-round pick from Penn State in the most recent draft because of her versatility. She can play as a defensive midfielder, winger, center back, and fullback. She’s played all of those positions this year, either during the regular season or the Summer Cup.

It took Dyke a little longer than Lemos to make her professional debut, doing so on April 26 away to the Washington Spirit. However, she’s played in every game since except for the Summer Cup opener in North Carolina. Leading up to and during this tournament, Dyke has shown her ability to be effective at multiple positions, enabling her to fill multiple roles off the bench.

“Cori has probably taken over the Swiss Army knife role,” Hines said about one of his most versatile players. “She played her debut at left wing, and then she played in midfield. She played left back, she played right back. She played center back, and she did a tremendous job at center back. She’s a really good footballer. She wears her heart on her sleeve and gives maximum effort, but she has a lot of quality as well.”

The head coach says he values Dyke’s versatility but it can also make it difficult for her to get on the field, especially in a starting role.

“We can put her in positions and she’s going to give her all,” Hines said. “I think it can also be to her detriment as well that she can play multiple positions as well. So you never get really fixed in one position.”

Her versatility may not result in Dyke being a regular starter, but great teams need solid role players too, and she can fill multiple roles off the bench. As a result, she can come in to help the team create a goal if needed or take a defensive role to see out a game. Her performances in this tournament proved she can be used successfully in multiple ways, which could make her a key player down the stretch.

Alex Kerr, Forward

While Lemos and Dyke had become regulars off the bench this season, Kerr’s lone appearance was off of the bench on June 7 at San Diego. The rookie forward only played six minutes prior to the Summer Cup, but saw regular time during this tournament. She came on for Amanda Allen in the 66th minute against the North Carolina Courage and started both home games against CF Monterrey Femenil and Louisville.

During this tournament, Kerr showed her ability to take on defenders and cause problems for the back line. This paid off in the 50th minute against Monterrey when an excellent individual effort resulted in her first professional goal. Dribbling toward the top of the box from the left, Kerr’s pass for Ally Watt to her left was blocked. The rookie took control, putting a low, hard shot from the top of the box into the bottom corner to even the game at 1-1.

Similar to Dyke, Kerr has shown her ability to play in multiple positions. Hines has placed her on the left wing and up top, with the rookie being successful in both positions. This versatility will help her earn more playing time as she can spell Julie Doyle or a striker when the team goes with two up top.

“She came in as a striker, we’ve played her at striker, we’ve played her left wing as well,” Hines said. “She’s had a lot of success on my left wing. Last week she took her goal really well. We felt it was another opportunity for her to build on that, and I thought there were moments in (the Louisville) game where she was really good.”

NWSL teams usually take fliers on fourth-round draft picks, so anything they provide is a bonus. Kerr has shown that she might have been undervalued during the 2024 NWSL Draft and could be a valuable member of the Pride as she continues to progress.

Evelina Duljan, Defender/Midfielder

The player with the most to gain from the Summer Cup was Swedish midfielder Duljan. Signing from Italian giant Juventus on Jan. 2, the 21-year-old had yet to see the field in the regular season. Similar to Kerr, Duljan came on as a substitute against North Carolina and started in the two home games.

Duljan took advantage of her first start, showing her quality in 90 minutes on the field. A natural fullback, Duljan moved into the midfield and even contributed in the attack. She showed in these games she has the versatility of Kerry Abello and Dyke, which Hines can use as the NWSL season continues.

“She’s another one that we had to move into midfield, which is a position she’s not too comfortable with,” Hines said after the Louisville game Thursday night. “But again, she took the ball under pressure. She managed to find outlets.”

The midfielder had a strong performance against Monterrey in the team’s second game of the tournament, earning a second consecutive start. Hines said the following game after setting a high bar can be difficult, but Duljan handled herself well against Louisville, even scoring her first goal for the club.

“I thought she was tremendous last weekend. So I think going into the next game, it’s always the most challenging game for yourself individually, because you set such a high bar in that first game,” Hines said. “You don’t want to just be a one-off and I think, you know, as the game went on to build that confidence, she took the ball in difficult areas.”

While Duljan is most comfortable as a fullback or winger, where she can use her speed, the Swede seems to be a good fit as a number 10 in the future. When Marta decides to retire, the club will have to find her replacement in the center of the midfield and, along with Summer Yates, Duljan looks to be a young central playmaker who can fill that role.

The Pride went out of the Summer Cup in the group stage, drawing all three games and only winning one penalty shootout. They extended their season-long unbeaten run to 19 games in all competitions, but the performances of some of their young players was the biggest benefit from the tournament. Lemos, Dyke, Kerr, and Duljan received extensive minutes for the first time, showing their quality and how they can help the team moving forward. These games and what they provided the young players could be crucial as the Pride fight for their first trophy.