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Sermanni: Marta Will Give The Whole Team a Boost

The Orlando Pride announced the signing of a game-changing player


So, how do you coach a five time FIFA Player of the Year? 


ā€œShe’s not the type of player that you’re really going to coach,ā€ Head Coach Tom Sermanni said. ā€œShe knows the game, she knows how to play, it’s really a question of us making the very best use of her as we possibly can.ā€


The whole process, Sermanni said, has been thrilling and shows the organization’s commitment to being the best team in the NWSL.


ā€œIt’s very, very exciting,ā€ Sermanni said. ā€œYou don’t often get a player of this caliber to coach and come into your team. It’s fantastic for me as a coach, it’s fantastic for the players, and it’s fantastic for the club.ā€


ā€œIt says that we are very serious about this league, and we’re very serious about being successful,ā€ Sermanni said. ā€œAnd, you know, you bring a player of that caliber and it gives everybody a boost. Our players will be absolutely over-the-moon with this, and just the whole town will react very positively to this.ā€


Sermanni tried to put into words everything that Marta brings to the Pride, but it was difficult.


ā€œShe just changes games,ā€ Sermanni said. ā€œShe’s dynamic, she scores goals, she can dribble, she can pass, she understands the game, and she’s passionate about the game. So she’s got all the skills of a top-level player.ā€


In the end, Sermanni says that Marta won’t just be a valuable player on the field due to her own skills. She will elevate the entire team, pushing everyone to be their best.


ā€œI think just being here-- when you sign a player of that caliber, just her coming into the training environment elevates the team,ā€ Sermanni said. ā€œFor somebody like Marta to come in, for all of our players, that’s an enormous incentive for them to just take their game to another level.ā€


Bringing Marta onto the team shows the team’s commitment not to just winning this season, but to developing their talent into the future. As Sermanni said: it is a statement of intent.


ā€œOur club is very ambitious,ā€ Sermanni said. ā€œAnd I think it’s a great statement of intent, of how we intend to be as a club.ā€