MONTREAL – Gabrielle Carle had never played in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), but she was arriving on familiar ground when she was recruited by the Washington Spirit in the winter of 2022.
The team’s new general manager, Mark Krikorian, had been his coach during his five seasons at Florida State University. Assistant coach Mike Bristol had been on the same staff as a defensive specialist. Together, they had won the NCAA championship twice.
“I arrived in an environment in which I had confidence. I was surrounded by people whose character I knew. I knew they weren’t there to fool around! And I knew that they were going to create an environment that was going to be successful,” Carle recalled in an interview with RDS this week.
Carle joined a team that had finished eleventh in a twelve-club league the previous year. In its first season, the Spirit qualified for the playoffs by earning eighth place. A step in the right direction, “but I knew he wasn’t just going to sit back and say ‘well, that’s it.’ I knew that there would be change, that it would ensure that we would evolve,” recalls Carle.
His confidence was justified. The Spirit rose to second place in the rankings this year and after two victories in elimination matches, they are qualified for the NWSL grand final. On Saturday, he will face the Orlando Pride, regular season champion, on neutral ground at the brand new CPKC Stadium in Kansas City.
The road to get there was not easy. In the quarter-final against Bay FC, the Spirit had to react to a goal conceded in the 82nd minute by responding in the 86th and 96th minutes. The following week, he tied the game in the 93rd minute and then defeated Gotham FC on penalty kicks.
This sense of spectacle has been the team’s trademark this season. Thirteen of his 54 goals came in the final 15 minutes of the second half, a league high.
“We are a collection of resilient players,” says Carle, one of two Quebecers registered in the NWSL this season. We have a lot of new players coming out of college, this is their first year. You might think that it doesn’t work to our advantage because when you’re not used to the pace of the league, you’re not used to playing pro, it may take some time to adapt and your first season may not not necessarily be up to your abilities. But having played in the NCAA, it plays a lot on emotions, resilience, mental strength. For me, the players who arrived already had that in them and I think that really helped us. »
Detractors might read this tendency to play with fire as a sort of inability to convincingly distance oneself from the competition. Carle interprets it more as “a proof of mental strength.” »
“I hope it’s like that [que les joueuses du Pride] see him. Otherwise, they can underestimate us as much as they want. It will work to our advantage too. »
“We are ready for any eventuality,” promises the Lévis native.
Stronger
On a personal level, Carle will try to put an exclamation point on a season full of learning.
The 26-year-old defender started 24 of her team’s 28 matches and reached the milestone of 2,000 minutes of play under new coach, Spaniard Jonatan Giráldez. “He is someone who seeks out the best from his players and I think that this year, I have really improved under his leadership,” she believes.
Her summer was marked by the confirmation of her participation in the Paris Olympic Games. Initially commissioned as a reservist, injuries within the squad allowed her to join Bev Priestman’s group. She was then at the heart of the “dramatic, catastrophic” controversy which struck the Canadian selection.
“For me, this situation really gave me incredible confidence in my resilience abilities and those of my teammates. Yes, I came out of it tired, because it was really emotionally difficult, but also stronger, I would say. »
“I can now apply this strength in my life, not just in soccer. So for me, winning a championship at the end of the week would be more of an added bonus than a balm. »
Despite the heavy workload entrusted to her this season, Carle has no guarantee as to the role she will be called upon to play during Saturday’s finale. In the semi-final, she was used as a substitute and entered the match in the 78th minute.
“We have good depth within our team and to keep it, you have to give playing time to everyone, you have to trust everyone,” she reasons. This is what our coach managed to bring. There is a huge advantage to having this much depth. Afterwards it’s certain that individually, sometimes you have to take it upon yourself. It’s difficult, I won’t lie. But you have to think about the team first. »
Giráldez knows what he is doing. At the head of the FC Barcelona women’s team, he won the Champions League twice. Carle trusts him, as she trusted Mark Krikorian when she arrived in Washington.
Until now, he’s been happy with it.
