The Orlando Pride 2017 season was one to remember for the club in their still short history. After a slow start to the season, the team made an amazing midseason run to the playoffs, finishing third in the NWSL regular season standings. Despite not making it to the final this season, there’s a lot that the Pride have as they head into the 2018 season that foster high hopes they’ll make it there next year.
The biggest bonus for the team is the personnel. The dynamic duo of Alex Morgan and Marta will headline the returning players in the attack. With a group that have remained over the past two seasons, the team has built a rapport with each other and have formed a close bond that goes deeper than just being teammates. Every time the team took the field this season, the cohesion and comfort with each other was evident by the way they played as a unit. Taking that into next season will help the team get off on the ground running and start on good footing to begin the new season.
Head Coach Tom Sermanni signed a new contract with the club, meaning him and his staff will be back for the near future. With Sermanni returning, comes familiarity for the returning players. They’ll know how the coaching staff want them to play and be comfortable with the tactics that they employ, making Sermanni’s job just a bit easier when it comes to making adjustments and tactical shifts during matches.
From now until the season starts again in April of 2018, Pride players will spend their offseason differently. Some will stay in town to train, others will spend time abroad playing for other teams that are currently in season. Whatever the case, the players will come back for preseason in March hungry for another postseason run
