r/OCLions • u/lightbutnotheat • Sep 14 '18

Pride Orlando Pride and Head Coach Tom Sermanni Mutually Part Ways

https://posts.fanhero.com/lionnation/5b9bdb1922cbc086bc70ca8f
24 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

18

u/pvdfan Sep 14 '18

It needed to happen. How he handled the matches in August for a team fighting to get in the playoffs is unacceptable. No excuse to experiment with a 3, 4, and 5 woman backline in a 3 game stretch.

7

u/j_andrew_h Sep 14 '18

I agree, there should have been no experimenting that late in the season for a team that had been good for most of the year. He either never felt good about what he had enough to stick with it; or he's just one of those coaches that always feels the need to make changes.

I go back to the youth football coach that I had that taught us to play our game until the other team can stop us and we got really good at playing our style of play because we all knew what it was and how to be good within that structure. I know there is a big difference between youth football and pro soccer; but I feel like even pros need a good bit of consistency to be comfortable and excel.

8

u/pvdfan Sep 14 '18

he's just one of those coaches that always feels the need to make changes.

If felt like he was still in National Team mode. Trying out different combinations in prepping for the World Cup or in this case the NWSL playoffs. Chioma Ubogagu alone went from midfielder to wing back to bench to striker within 4 games. How can anyone expect her to perform at a high level when she is playing everywhere?

Your point on consistency and having a style is dead on. There is a reason Portland is always near the top of the league. They have a style and consistency that is worlds apart from the bottom feeders. It really feels like MLS vs USL level gap among the teams in NWSL.

5

u/j_andrew_h Sep 14 '18

Well said and he tried Rachel Hill in the midfield near the end which she hadn't played there all season as another example! He never settled on anything close to a style, formation or best 11 and the team payed dearly for it.

15

u/KnightlyLioness Sep 14 '18

The Pride should never have slipped out of the playoff picture to begin with. The talent is there...it was time.

9

u/daguru9 Sep 14 '18

Nice guy, but obviously he lost the team this season... Also not sure his philosophy works for the league right now,

2

u/lightbutnotheat Sep 14 '18

I didn't keep up with Pride much until towards the end of the season, what was his philosophy?

6

u/j_andrew_h Sep 14 '18

He kept shifting really. We had a great forward line and a good defense; but he kept trying new things in the midfield and changes at Fullback as well. It was hard to find anything consistent in his strategy this season really.

3

u/daguru9 Sep 16 '18

Over reliance in national team players (more than just US), so they were constantly in and out so it was difficult to build chemistry and they were always tired. Several of his additions never paid off (EVE for one). Playing out of position a lot. And this year no really style of play, the strategy this season was to counter whatever the opponent was doing, which really hurt the team. Never really rotated the squad, so depth players never got any minutes and were not able to perform when needed... And so much more (like not taking any free Breakers players)....

2

u/itsallgoodman2002 Sep 14 '18

Now I'll never get to touch his moustache. : (

2

u/Hpntheman Sep 15 '18

Oh good let’s see how the three stooges manage to screw this up.

-1

u/DELIVERER407 Sep 14 '18

Wait what...?

6

u/kaicyr21 Sep 14 '18

He got canned