Pride taking one past the Spirit (2016).
The Orlando Pride clawed their way to a 1-1 draw in their first match at home against the Washington Spirit. Marta’s first appearance in Orlando immediately made a difference in game play as the Pride surged to earn an equalizing goal from rookie, Danica Evans. Evans kept the pride from starting the season with two losses as the match hung in the balance as both teams continuously created opportunities to score. It was in the 60th minute that Line Sigvardsen Jensen placed her first career goal in the net for the Spirit while in a crowded Pride penalty box.
The Pride spent a great amount of the match possessing the ball while the Spirit made the most of their possessions. Both teams showed a lack of chemistry with the new additions that came to them in the off-season. However, there were glimpses of greatness from both sides in their attacking thirds. The Pride had 30 shots on target, doubling the Spirit who totaled 15. Player of the match, Ashlyn Harris, exemplified why she was elected as team captain. Her poise and leadership helped the Pride during troubling Spirit advances that could have easily changed the outcome of the match.
“We started slowly. I thought for the first 15 minutes we turned it over in possession. We looked a little bit nervy, a little bit slow. We didn’t really get into our stride. Then as the first half went on I felt we got more and more into the game and into some great positions” stated Tom Sermanni during his post-game interview. He continued, saying “Overall, I saw a lot of improvement from last week but there are still some things we need to do better”. Improvement is a focus for the Pride as they prepare for future matches. The Pride’s most prized new addition Marta commented “We were dominating the game. We conceded a silly goal. It happens. It was a very intense match. We know we have a lot to improve and we have to work hard to accomplish that.”
The Pride will take their 1-1 record on the road to face the 2-0 North Carolina courage during week three. A focus for the Pride will have to be getting shots on net that challenge the opposing keeper. Looking to the next game Sermanni stated, “We just need to work in practice, show the video, and get into our player’s head, particularly if it is a striker; you need to gamble in there. There is no other thought accept, I need to go where I think this ball is going to go.”
