On Saturday night, Australian Midfielder Lisa De Vanna made her first start for the Orlando Pride against Sky Blue FC. De Vanna arrived in Orlando earlier this week and traveled to with the team to New Jersey. She made a brief appearance, coming on in the 88th minute for Jamia Fields.
De Vanna played a competitive match, creating opportunities across the midfield. Head Coach Tom Sermanni noted that De Vanna hasn’t really gotten a full training session with the team; he was happy with her performance tonight, and expects her to be even better against FC Kansas City.
“I thought she started well… You saw flashes of De Vanna tonight that kind of show the sort of thing she can bring to this team and bring to this league,” Sermanni said after the match. “I got kind of what I expected out of her tonight.”
Midfielder Kristen Edmonds also praised De Vanna’s performance, noting the long-term impact she could have on the club. “She definitely gives us a spark,” Edmonds said. “When she’s out there, she’s a really quick player. You know, I wish we had her a little bit longer but it’s nice to have her for the end of the season.”
De Vanna isn’t just a fast and powerful soccer player; she is also a smart soccer player. “She’s a game-breaker,” Sermanni said. “She causes chaos… she can score goals, but she’s also a good player. So, she’s not this kind of wound-up Duracell bunny that runs with the ball, she’s actually quite a clever soccer player.”
De Vanna and her teammates will be hoping to give a strong performance at the Orlando Pride’s last match of the NWSL season. The Pride will take to the fans one last time this season on Saturday, September 24th against FC Kansas City.
