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After a year to forget for Sky Blue, improvement is the goal

By Jordan Small

ORLANDO, FL - AUGUST 05: Sky Blue FC Savannah McCaskill (21) passes the ball during the NWSL soccer match between the Orlando Pride and New Jersey Sky Blue FC on August 5th, 2018 at Orlando City Stadium in Orlando, FL. (Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - AUGUST 05: Sky Blue FC Savannah McCaskill (21) passes the ball during the NWSL soccer match between the Orlando Pride and New Jersey Sky Blue FC on August 5th, 2018 at Orlando City Stadium in Orlando, FL. (Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Can Sky Blue overcome the issues of last season to get off the bottom of the table, or will Denise Reddy and her squad be stuck in the basement?

It’s no secret Sky Blue have some problems that have caused tension between fans and the organization. As the draft came and went, many questioned how many players would actually report for preseason. But they’ve put together a roster and, through trades and draft day, have acquired a nice looking team. The biggest question will be if they can make it off the bottom of the table or if it’ll be another long season in New Jersey.

Kailen Sheridan returns in goal for Sky Blue in 2019. After a record-breaking year when it comes to saves, Sheridan will be an important piece to the defense for Sky Blue. Sheridan has a good chance at making the Canadian national team for the World Cup so Sky Blue went out and found a capable backup to step in while she’s gone. In a draft day trade, the team picked up DiDi Haracic from Washington to beef up their last line of defense. Haracic had been one of the backups for the Spirit for two seasons after playing in Europe.

On defense, it’s two more former Spirit players that add depth to the backline for Sky Blue. Estelle Johnson and Caprice Dydasco were both brought in as part of the trade that also brought Haracic to town. Johnson will provide some much needed leadership on the team, and has a strong case for wearing the captain’s armband while Carli Lloyd is away in France. Sky Blue suffered a big blow on defense in preseason as it was reported that Mandy Freeman tore her Achilles tendon in training.

When it comes to the midfield, Sky Blue are returning a number of players from the 2018 roster. Carli Lloyd is the biggest name on the roster and she’ll be out for a portion of the season as she will most likely make Jill Ellis’ roster for the U.S. Raquel Rodriguez, Imani Dorsey and Sarah Killion will be huge for Sky Blue, especially with Madison Tiernan out. Tiernan will miss all of the 2019 season after she tore her ACL and MCL during preseason training.

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The front line for Sky Blue has the potential to be very dangerous this season. In the offseason, they were able to pick up Nahomi Kawasumi from Reign FC. That’s a big grab for a team that scored just 21 goals all of 2018. Jen Hoy and Savannah McCaskill will also need to step up in 2019 if the squad is to get off the bottom of the table.

After making the playoffs in the inaugural season of the NWSL, Sky Blue have failed to qualify in the five seasons since then. Head coach Denise Reddy had a rough first season in 2018 and has to be on the hot seat heading into 2019. She’ll need her team to come up big if she wants to keep her job for another year.

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