And we’re back...and we have been busy!
On Monday morning, the Orlando Pride returned to the pitch at Sylvan Lake Park, home to the Club’s exclusive training facility, to begin preparations for the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League season.
In the start of his third year at the helm, Head Coach Marc Skinner wasted no time getting going, with a double session Monday morning that included a heavy dose of fitness testing to kick off a nearly 10-week preseason.
“We love the energy, the vibe is really good. As a coach, you always want to get into it 100 miles an hour, but you can’t in the first week because everybody is at different levels,” Skinner said. “We’re back home, back ready and back focused for what we’re aiming to achieve this year and going forward. We’ve got a lot of new players, a lot of players that we brought in last year that will actually play for the Pride this year and it’s starting to feel like it’s our team finally.”
Some of those new players include NWSL veterans Gunny Jónsdóttir and Erika Tymrak, who the Club acquired prior to the start of preseason, along with 2020 NWSL College Draft selection Phoebe McClernon, marking five of seven from Skinner’s 2020 draft class to be signed to the Pride roster. Florida native Meggie Dougherty Howard made her return to her home state as well after being acquired by the Pride in a trade with the Washington Spirit this past offseason.
In addition, three of the Pride’s signees from a year ago in Erin McLeod, Ali Riley and Jade Moore hit the pitch on Monday, each hoping to make their long-awaited debut in purple in the coming year, while U.S. WNT forward Alex Morgan made her return to full-team training with the Pride for the first time since giving birth to her daughter Charlie last year.
Joining Morgan up top this year will be fellow FIFA World Cup Champion Sydney Leroux, who solidified her commitment to the Club with the announcement of a max contract earlier this week, keeping her in Orlando through at least the 2023 NWSL campaign.
“I always knew that I wanted to stay in Orlando. I want to continue doing what I know that I’m good at, be a good teammate, score goals, create chances and chances for my teammates and just play free,” Leroux said of the deal. “Playing for a coach who believes in you and playing with teammates who truly believe in you and I believe in them, that’s a really good feeling and that allows you to play exactly how you know you can play.”
With the full team finally together once more, there is a lot of work to be done ahead of the start of competitive play with the second edition of the NWSL Challenge Cup on April 9. For all in the Pride camp, the long-awaited return to action is narrowly closing in seeing the roster that the Club has built finally on the pitch together in purple.
“We’re so excited to be here. A lot of new players, a good combination of veteran players, young players and players in between,” Pride captain Ashlyn Harris said following Monday’s session.
“We know what we have to do, the work that needs to be put in, the sacrifices that need to be made to be a winning team and build a winning culture here in Orlando, and we’re up for the challenge.”
