Tomorrow, the Orlando Pride will play their first preseason game against Eastern Florida State College. With the first week of training in the books, Head Coach Tom Sermanni feels good about where the team is. “It’s been an interesting week,” Sermanni said after training. “So far, it’s going as expected.”
In Friday’s training session, the Pride played their first 11 vs. 11 game in preparation for tomorrow’s match. With the goalkeepers directing their teams from the box, a lot of the younger players stepped up and fought hard against the veterans. “The energy and enthusiasm… was fantastic,” Sermanni said. “I think we’ve got a good, balanced squad.”
Sermanni says he likes the balance on the team between the veteran players and the young players. “We could potentially be putting eight or nine international players onto the field,” Sermanni said. “We’ve got a good balance of younger players who are still developing, but have got a great attitude and bring a lot of energy and a lot of skill sets to the squad.”
Sermanni says that in Saturday’s game, he hopes to see the team come together and just see what they can do on the pitch. “I just want to see how well they start to gel together,” Sermanni said. “I want to see who does what. I still don’t really know what they’re gonna bring to the team until I see them play.”
Some will look to experienced players like Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris to lead the squad on the pitch. But Sermanni doesn’t want them to be worried about the other ten players on the field. “You’ve got to look after your own game first and foremost,” Sermanni said. “If we do that properly, then everything else looks after itself.”
