A message was sent to the rest of the NWSL, and that message was clear: the Pride want to dominate.
The playoffs had already been clinched, yet Orlando Pride head coach Tom Sermanni decided to field his strongest line-up to face North Carolina on Saturday - with clear intent to win. Sermanni and the Pride got that win, as Orlando now enters the postseason nine matches unbeaten.
āIt was the kind of game that could have been an exhibition, but turned out to be more like a Cup Final,ā a delighted Tom Sermanni said after Saturdayās win. āAnd I think just says a lot about the spirit and competitiveness of the players.ā
āWe didnāt want to plague our momentum. Weād gone eight games undefeated, and we talked about changing the line-up during the week,ā the Pride head coach explained. ā[But] players want to play, and we want to keep our team in the rhythm weāve been in for the past couple of months.ā
The value of winning, and, in-turn, building momentum towards the playoffs, will not be overlooked. There was never a doubt of the Orlando Prideās desire to keep winning and playing āreal footballā as the postseason approaches. This is why teams play - to be there at the end with a chance to win it all. And the Pride fancy themselves to be in that Championship match, in front of their home fans, just two weeks away.
āWe wanted to continue the momentum heading forward,ā Pride forward Alex Morgan said. āWe didnāt want to rest players, we wanted to come [to North Carolina] and win.ā
Morgan continued:
āWe wanted to prove that we are dominating right now in this league. It doesnāt matter where we go. Obviously now thatās Portland, weāre excited to go there and we have a lot of motivation because we want to be playing at home come October 14th.ā
The Pride will be preparing all week for the biggest game thus far in the clubās short history. A Semi-final matchup with the Portland Thorns will be a massive test for Orlando, but the surging Pride approach the challenge with supreme confidence, having proven to themselves and the rest of the league that Orlando is here to dominate.