Orlando Pride and U.S. women’s national team defender Ali Krieger is beginning to feel the toll of quarantine as the NWSL nears the end of its second month of a training moratorium during the coronavirus pandemic.
During an Instagram Live session with former U.S. national teammate Heather O’Reilly, Krieger said the build-up of emotion and frustration hit her during a workout with her wife and Orlando Pride teammate Ashlyn Harris.
They were working on ball skills when Harris stopped the drill, noticing her lack of energy and asking if she needed to take a break and go home. Krieger’s first instinct was to leave, but she insisted they stay and finish out the workout.
Orlando Pride defender Ali Krieger runs in front of Houston Dash forward Kealia Ohai. (Jeremy Reper/ISI Photos)
Orlando Pride and U.S. women’s national team defender Ali Krieger is beginning to feel the toll of quarantine as the NWSL nears the end of its second month of a training moratorium during the coronavirus pandemic.
During an Instagram Live session with former U.S. national teammate Heather O’Reilly, Krieger said the build-up of emotion and frustration hit her during a workout with her wife and Orlando Pride teammate Ashlyn Harris.
They were working on ball skills when Harris stopped the drill, noticing her lack of energy and asking if she needed to take a break and go home. Krieger’s first instinct was to leave, but she insisted they stay and finish out the workout.
At that point, Krieger said she noticed the toll the quarantine was beginning to take.
“I kind of hit my wall,” Krieger said. “I had to see the storm out and just kind of stick to the routine.”
For Krieger, the key to getting through almost two months without soccer has been picking up new hobbies — cycling, trying vegan recipes, decorating her new house.
Krieger said the Pride had an encouraging team Zoom meeting on Thursday, feeling the team “had some breakthroughs” as players continue to train and transition in new players remotely. She’s also used the time to connect over the phone with other friends and family. But she admitted the lack of interaction has been challenging.
“We need to lean in on each other and it’s really difficult in this time to not have those people in your life,” Krieger said. “Even being in a team, we’re always going to training and interacting with other people. It’s been hard.”
The ability to quarantine with her wife and teammate has also been a benefit for Krieger. The couple is currently building a home gym in the garage of their new house to prepare for the possibility of long-term social distancing.
She also said Harris only has a few weeks left in the cast placed to treat an injury to her left hand she incurred during SheBelieves Cup training. Once the cast is removed, they’ll be able to work on shooting drills together again.
Krieger said they finish every day by going over their highs and lows, a process that keeps them grounded through the monotony of quarantine.
“She really pushes me and I think I do the same for the her,” Krieger said of Harris. “We keep each other accountable.”
For O’Reilly, the past two months have been challenging in a different way as she prepares for the birth of her first child, who is due in early June.
O’Reilly found out she was pregnant in the final weeks of the 2020 season. With the North Carolina Courage making a run in the playoffs, O’Reilly didn’t want to distract her teammates or limit her playing chances with the news of her pregnancy. So she didn’t tell anyone until after the team won the NWSL Championship.
In the locker room, she made an announcement that she couldn’t drink as the team began to break out cases of Budweiser to celebrate.
“I told them we had 12 men on the field,” O’Reilly said.
Even into her third trimester, O’Reilly said she’s had a fairly smooth pregnancy with minimal morning sickness and discomfort. But she said the pandemic has added anxiety to her pregnancy.
When hospitals began to introduce policies that would ban anyone besides the mother from the delivery room, O’Reilly said she had a full-on panic attack.
O’Reilly laughed as she recalled asking her husband if he was going to just drop her off like it was the airport and go wait at Panera; he said he would wait at Jimmy John’s instead.
Most hospitals have committed to allowing at least one other person into the delivery room to support the mother.
Like Krieger, the former midfielder said staying active and busy has been important for her throughout quarantine. Most recently, she passed the final exam of her UEFA B coaching license course.
Both said they’re most looking forward to returning to workouts in the near future — O’Reilly after she gives birth, and Krieger when the Pride resume to training. But Krieger acknowledged she’s unsure when the NWSL will resume play or if the league will play any matches in 2020.
“We don’t know what’s going on,” Krieger said. “None of us know. I’m gonna be hopeful. I want to be back out there. So we’ll see. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”
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