SANFORD, Fla. — Orlando Pride coach Tom Sermanni knows what a leader looks like – his club is full of them.
Experienced players like goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, right back Ali Krieger and forwards Alex Morgan and Marta are typically in the match-day 18 for the Pride, so his club is usually never short on talented on-the-pitch leaders.
With some of those leaders out of the lineup, Sermanni is confident others will step up to fill in the gaps. Sunday against the Seattle Reign, the Pride will definitely be without Harris and Morgan, who were called up to the U.S women’s national team, and Krieger, who is out for the next four to six weeks with a knee injury.
That’s at the very least. Defensive midfielder Toni Pressley hasn’t played in the club’s last two matches with a quad strain. Brazilian centerback Mônica has been dealing with right knee soreness. Marta missed multiple days of training this week with calf soreness.
Sermanni’s confidence in the players who will take the pitch in Seattle hasn’t wavered. The Pride (4-3-3, 15 points) take on the Reign (5-2-2, 17 points) at 9 p.m. on Sunday in Seattle.
“I’ve said this many times before,” Sermanni said. “Leadership comes from everybody. It doesn’t just come from two or three senior players, because that’s not a healthy environment. We’ve got leaders in the club in all sorts of different ways, doing it in all sorts of different ways.”
Even if Krieger isn’t on the pitch, she’s still going to do what she can to help her club. She was at Thursday’s training session with a black wrap on her right leg.
“That’s what she’s about,” Sermanni said. “She’s a team person. When you talk about leaders, those are the things that you do. A leader’s not about somebody who walks around and puffs their chest out.
“It’s about people who mix with the players, who are integrated in the squad, who are part of the squad, who are there to give advice or to support or even give out the water bottles or whatever. Kriegs is one of those.”
Sermanni said he hasn’t given too much thought to who will wear the captain’s armband on Sunday with Harris gone.
It’s not like the players left on the club are rookies. Experienced striker Sydney Leroux scored her first two goals of the season – and earned NWSL Goal of the Week honors – in the Pride’s 5-2 win over the Chicago Red Stars and midfielder Dani Weatherholt has been with the club since its inaugural season in 2016.
Those are just two examples.
“The team has grown exponentially,” Weatherholt said. “I think it’s really grown in our depth. You see that this year. We’ve been able to change lineups drastically and you get the same amount of talent. You get the same amount of experience. I think our depth is probably the best in the league.”
Leroux agreed with Weatherholt.
“I think we have so many good players to come in and fill those spots,” she said. “I think we’re excited for the challenge and I think it’s going to be a good game in Seattle.”