(Photo by Victor Tan / New Day Review)

June 1, 2017 at Seminole Soccer Complex

Availability: HC Tom Sermanni, F Jasmyne Spencer

HC Tom Sermanni

The Orlando Pride lost to Sky Blue FC on May 27 2-1.

Well I think I kind of expressed my, probably, frustrations after that game at the time. It was a game that we, I think, we lost rather than a game that they won. I thought for long periods of the game, [we] dominated the game, dominated possession. But, unfortunately, we didn’t dominate the scoreboard, and we just seem to be in a place, at the moment, where anytime we make a lapse, you know, a mistake, a lapse in concentration, we seem to get punished for it. And, you know, so we need to kinda remedy that and move on. But, you know, I think if you watch our team play this season, we’re not far away from, we’re not far off being, you know, a very good team. We just need to turn the good bits in to being more decisive and scoring goals and to make sure that we don’t give things up cheaply.

For Sermanni, his team hasn’t performed poorly. Getting on a winning path is just a matter of scoring at the appropriate moments.

Just getting results. Getting goals at the right time and just making sure that we don’t concede. You know, when you look back at it, this is a funny game sometimes. You know, I don’t think tactically we’re doing anything that’s wrong. I think the preparation of the team’s good. The structure of the team’s good. The general performance of the team is good. So, it’s just, you know, making sure that for 90 minutes, we have to concentrate individually and collectively to make sure that we don’t give things up cheaply.

The No. 7 Boston Breakers visit Orlando City Stadium on Saturday for both teams’ first matchup of the season.

Just like it is every week. You know, we have a look at Boston, and then we—what we—probably the biggest thing we’ve looked at this week is trying to get our team selection right for Boston. You know, we feel because of the situation that we’re in at the moment, we desperately need to get a win. And we need to—you need to be balanced here, making sure that you don’t go completely radical when things are still going okay, but you still need to look at trying to make [a] change that’s gonna impact a result. And I think that’s been the emphasis this week is us focusing on what we think will be a team that we can put out in the field on Saturday to win the game.

It’s not just the significance of this game. It’s the significance of turning our season around and getting results. So, you know, there’s still another, I don’t know, 15 games or whatever to go. So you don’t pin everything on one game because if the result doesn’t go, you’ve got to get up and ready for the next game. But what is important is that we pick up points and we start moving up the table and we start getting in contact with the teams in the top half.

So far this season, Orlando is 1-0-1 at home with a 1-1 draw against the Washington Spirit and a 3-1 win over the North Carolina Courage.

(jokingly) Just put me under pressure there. Well, I think the home advantage—I think the big thing it gives us is—a huge advantage at home is our fans. So, you know, the thing that we would like to see, again, is them coming out in force at the weekend and really getting behind the team and supporting the team. And that gives the team a huge boost. I think also playing at home you’re more comfortable. We’ve got a fantastic stadium, and the players love playing there. So, you know, those things should be to our advantage.

Starting goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris was sidelined with a non-contact quad injury in a 1-1 draw with the Seattle Reign on May 21.

She’s sitting most of the time, at the moment, rather than standing. We looked at, from the time she had the injury, a time period of about eight weeks. So, it might be a little less than that, might be a little bit more. But that’s the kind of ballpark area is eight weeks, so we don’t anticipate her being back for another six weeks.

In Harris’ stead, second-string goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe will start. Her position, however, will not go uncontested.

Well, I mean, I think she had a very sound game last weekend. So that makes her selection in that position fairly straight forward. However, with having [goalkeeper Caroline Stanley] here, we’ve got a goalkeeper who has played in this league and has a very good pedigree, so there is certainly competition for that spot. But, you know, at this stage, with Aubrey’s performance last week and the confidence and the faith that we have in her, you know, she’ll be starting.

Sermanni and the team haven’t talked about not having Harris on the squad. For the second-year Pride head coach, it’s just a matter of moving on.

You just need to adjust the team. We haven’t talked about [not having Harris] at all. The key thing is that we’ve got Aubrey coming into goal, and she is a very accomplished goalkeeper. So we just move on from there. And those are things that you deal with sport week in and week out, day in and day out. So, it can be a team where the loss of one player has a major impact, or you want to put a huge emphasis on the loss of one player. It’s more—you know, obviously Ashlyn is a big player in our team and a big personality and a leader, but, ultimately, we’ve got 10 other players and then someone replacing Ashlyn, who have to go in and do their jobs. And we’ve got enough experience and leadership in this team to cope with the loss of any player.

So far this season, Spencer has notched two goals and an assist.

Not really. We’re probably fortunate in the sense that the forward players we have, or the strikers we have, are all fairly flexible about whether they play in the middle or they play wide, and that gives us good flexibility. I think that probably the difference is, this year, which is a great benefit for Jas, is we’re creating more chances. And that gives her more opportunities in and around danger area, whereas last year, every game is a real battle for us to create anything last year—whereas this year, I think we’re a better side, and that helps Jas. And if she can get on a roll of goals, you know, and get on a run, and you know what it’s like—a striker, a lot of it is about confidence…and having somebody like Marta [Vieira da Silva] and Camila [Martins Pereira], who are excellent at that final pass. Hopefully we’ll open up more chances for her, and I think the great thing about the goal she scored this year has been her composure to put those finishes away. I think, if you look at Jas in the past and even at times last year, there was a degree of being a little bit erratic around the goal. And I think her two finishes, this year, have shown real quality and real composure. And that’s what I see as a big step up in her game.

Sermanni doesn’t see Spencer approaching this season differently than last year’s.

Not really. The key thing for Jas was—you know, I think we thought she made significant progress as a player last year. So the key thing that we focused on with her is continuing that progress. And one of the important things in that progress is that she’s always gonna be a player that causes mayhem in opposition defenses. It’s then being that finishing touch to it. And, as I say, what we’ve seen so far is two real quality finishes. So if she can do the same things that she’s been doing with a dynamic way of approaching the game and her pace and causing problems and then add that extra quality and finishing, then that’s the next step up.

F Jasmyne Spencer

With a win over Boston on Saturday, the Pride will be in sole possession of the No. 7 spot in the National Women’s Soccer League standings.

We’re excited to be home. We haven’t had that many home games, so it’s been a little bit of a tough opening, but we always play well at home. It’s hard for other teams to come in here, so we’re really looking to capitalize on that and get three points.

For Spencer, it doesn’t matter who’s in goal.

I mean, Caroline and [Bledsoe] are great keepers, so we were lucky in that aspect. You know, they were able to slide right in and pick up where Ash left off. I think, if anything, it’s just us, on our part, just working out little kinks still.

So far this season, the Pride have only mustered one win. Spencer can’t really identify what the issue is so far.

Yeah, it’s tough to say. I mean, I can’t even pinpoint one little thing. Maybe just cleaning up little mistakes that other teams are capitalizing on. You know, we’re creating a ton, we have good possession, we play good soccer. It’s just not—the ball’s not really falling for us yet, but we just keep plugging along, try not to get too frustrated, hold ourselves accountable a little bit more and just keep getting after it.

Despite only having one win, the Pride remain positive.

We’re good. We’re all still positive. We have 100 percent confidence in ourselves and each other, and we just keep plugging along. I mean, the game is cruel sometimes, you know, and I think we’ve been on the losing end of that a lot of times this season so far. But our spirits are still high, and we’re gonna get after it.

Spencer has started five of her seven appearances so far this season. For her, she’s willing to play wherever, whenever the staff want her to.

I mean, either or. My role is just to help the team win, and I’ve been able to do that on both sides. So, whatever Tom and the staff calls for me to do, I’m gonna do.

Spencer’s focus has been on her productivity, but she said she still has a long way to go.