The Orlando Pride were starting to feel the heat.
In their first four NWSL games they found two draws and two losses. And while they knew that they were a team that should be winning, their squad wasnât firing on all cylinders. The players knew that each game was a new opportunity to prove the doubters wrong, and on Sunday, they found success.
âThe mood around the players was great. I felt the stress,â Head Coach Tom Sermanni said with a laugh. âIt was important, as a coach, that you keep the stress away from players as much as you can. And to be honest, the environment in the squad all week, building up to this game, was fantastic. And it was great today.â
The Pride found their first victory against the North Carolina Courage, who came into this match with a perfect record. Orlando didnât just find a win, but they found it against one of the best teams in the league.
âIt feels great. I think we have great players and theyâre great people too. I think every day we love being at training and we love to be there and weâre playing really well,â Chioma Ubogagu, who gave the Pride an early second half lead, said after the match. âSo, itâs unfortunate that we werenât getting the results that we felt as a team we could get. So, today getting it at home, with that crowd, on Motherâs Day, it was special. It was nice, so hopefully we can keep building off this.â
Ali Krieger admitted the team was starting to feel the pressure, and weâre getting frustrated with themselves. But any team can win on any day, and Orlando proved that on Sunday.
âItâs very gratifying. I think we did feel a little bit of the pressure, but we have to stay relaxed and we have to stay focused. You have to believe that you can win, and I think we went out there today with that confidence,â Krieger said. âObviously, you feel the pressure when you havenât won a game in the first four games of the season and thatâs very difficult, you donât want to then get into a whole that you canât get out of. So, we understand that. But we know weâre good. We know weâre a good team, and I donât think the records show how good we are on the field. That has been frustrating for us. We know we can win we just need to finish the chances we are providing each other.â
With a win in their pockets, Sermanni is hoping that the team can take their momentum and confidence to next weekendâs match in Seattle and beyond.
I think that just getting that first win takes the pressure off. But itâs more magnified by the fact that we beat-- at the moment-- the top team in the league. So, that further helps our confidence,â Sermanni said. âThe key thing now is to make sure that we then continue to play and continue to improve. So, itâs just one game, itâs just one win, and we need to now start to solidify and get on a bit of a run.