The Orlando Pride kick off their 2017 NWSL season this afternoon with a 3 p.m. kickoff at Providence Park in Portland against the Thorns. This year’s edition of the Pride appears much deeper across the board, with a much better defensive presence, and more leadership — and that’s before Marta arrives and Alex Morgan returns.
It’s not ideal to play on the road against one of the league’s best teams before your club is wholly intact, but the Marta signing came late and there’s not much to be done in regard to Morgan’s French holiday. Tom Sermanni is approaching the game pragmatically and will try to figure out his best available 11 players to go up against Portland – a team that the Pride led on the road last season before ultimately dropping a 2-1 decision.