SANFORD, Fla. — It's barely been two months since the Orlando Pride were in Kansas City, raising the NWSL Championship trophy after completing a groundbreaking and historic season. Now, eight weeks later, the Pride players are back in Orlando and gearing up for a new season.
"New season" being the key phrase.
"We want to prove that last year wasn't luck," Defender Kylie Strom said at Orlando Pride Training Ground at Sylvan Lake Park, "This year, we want to stick to our standards, stick to our principles, and prove that we have something special here. That it's not a one-off season. We want to do it again."
On a cold and overcast morning, the Pride players took the field and spent an hour doing drills and getting loose, gearing up for an intense next few weeks of preparations.
With the majority of the squad is back from 2024, Head Coach Seb Hines is in a position where he hasn't been during his tenure as the Pride Head Coach. In 2023 and 2024, it was all about building relationships. Now, heading into 2025, the focus is on maintaining and strengthening those bonds to keep up with the expectations from last season.
"I'm going into my third year, and a lot of those core players and the players who have been around me throughout the two years, they know the standards, they know the expectations," Hines said. "Anyone who comes into our building, the players can drive that, and we can drive that obviously as well."
While the Pride haven't been too busy in the transfer market this offseason, compared to years past, the team still has new players coming into the fold. Both Simone Charley and Grace Chanda signed with the team last year, but due to injuries, they were unable to play in any games. Despite that, they have been around the team and have been influential in the team's culture, something that Hines is excited for heading into the year.
"It's massive," he said. "Simone, although she didn't contribute on the field, off the field, she was imperative for us as well. Seeing her around the facility, she already built those relationships with the players. Now, we want to see her contribute on the field. Simone didn't play, Grace Chanda didn't play at all last year, Luana, Rafaelle didn't play much either last year as well and people forget about that. So with those four players, although they've been in our team, and they've been around, we're hoping that they can get onto the field and contribute as much as any other player."
Adding those players back into the fold also means more competition for an already deep Pride squad. With so many players having standout seasons in 2024, the competition for minutes will be even tougher heading into this season. If you ask the players, though, that competitiveness is what breeds a championship culture.
"Competition is high in this team, and that's a sign of a great team. That's the sign of a championship team." Kylie Strom said. "It's not going to be easy to earn your spot. That's why you have to show up every single day and train to the best of your ability. We're challenged in training every day, and it's gonna be fun."
