It feels like the Pride are at another turning point in their season.
On Saturday night, the team hosted FC Kansas City at Orlando City Stadium and walked away with a definitive 4-1 win. It’s the most goals the team has scored in a single game this season, and it ties their largest victory in the team’s history. It seemed like things were finally starting to click, the team was firing on all cylinders. The Pride are hoping that they can continue that development as they head into the second half of the season.
“We want this to be the foundation of what we’re going to do,” Head Coach Tom Sermanni said. “We need to try to get on a run.”
Playing at home is always an advantage for the Pride, and the crowd at the Saturday night match was astounding. With over 6,000 fans, it’s one of their largest turnouts this season. The Pride were happy to be able to give that victory to their supporters after some inconsistent performances over the last couple of weeks.
“This performance at home in front of the fans is very exciting for us,” Toni Pressley said. “We scored four goals, we played a great style of soccer, we kept the ball a lot of the game. We have all of the pieces here now, whereas last year we didn’t. Everything’s coming together-- we’re meshing, we’re gelling, we’re playing great soccer. And I think we’re only getting better.”
The Pride know that they have what it takes to go all the way. On Saturday, they showed that to the country. With a little bit more confidence in their playing style and their chemistry, the Pride will now look to build on their strength and make their run for the playoffs.
“We’ve played good football all season. We know that’s not an issue,” Alanna Kennedy said. “I think being able to put those chances away and gain the confidence and the reassurance that we are a great team, I think that definitely will carry on next week in Chicago. We have a lot of points to prove and we want to be there in the end. We have a lot of quality and potential and hopefully we are there.”
