ORLANDO, Fla. (June 16, 2018) – In its first home match in three weeks, Orlando Pride (5-3-4, 19 points) defeated Sky Blue FC (0-9-2, 2 points) 3-2 on Saturday at Orlando City Stadium. Sydney Leroux scored her second brace of 2018 and Rachel Hill scored her fourth goal of the season.
“Over the 90 minutes, I think we’re probably a little bit fortunate to come away with a win tonight. We created enough chances to win the game but I think we also did enough things poorly that could’ve lost us the game. So it’s a mixed performance,” Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni said. “I think we started well, [then] we went to sleep, then we came back a little bit and we went to sleep again. Second half we had to tough it out. Had a couple chances, they had a couple chances and we’re fortunate that we got the win. I think we won the game because we’ve got some really good quality. That got us over the edge tonight.”
Leroux started the scoring in the second minute when she rifled home Chioma Ubogagu’s cross with her left foot. The goal, which came 92 seconds into the match, was the fastest goal in team history, beating Hill’s goal 108 seconds into the Pride’s 5-2 win in Chicago on May 26.
Sky Blue equalized in the 16th minute when Savannah McCaskill knocked in a rebound after a strong save by Ashlyn Harris, who made her return to the starting XI after missing one match while with the U.S. Women’s National Team.
In the 31st minute, Christine Nairn lofted the ball into the box for Leroux, who dove low to the ground to head it perfectly into the bottom corner. It was Leroux’s second brace of the season after she scored twice on May 26.
Just seven minutes later, though, Sky Blue equalized again, this time when Madison Tiernan put away another rebound.
In search of all three points, Sermanni inserted Hill and Dani Weatherholt in the 60th minute and Marta, who started as a substitute due to a calf injury, in the 73rd. Ten minutes later, after some fancy footwork from Marta, Alex Morgan ran down the left wing and crossed it to the far post for Hill to head home. It was Morgan’s second assist of 2018.
The match was the first of the Club’s of two Pride in our City matches to celebrate Pride Month and honor and remember the 49 victims of the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub. Orlando City will host its Pride in Our City match next Saturday. More details on Pride in our City can be found here.
Orlando will visit the Washington Spirit at Maryland SoccerPlex on Saturday, June 23, at 7 p.m. ET. The Pride return to Orlando City Stadium to begin a three-game homestand on Wednesday, June 27, when they host the Houston Dash at 7:30 p.m. ET. Tickets to all Pride home games are available at orlando-pride.com/tickets or by calling (855) ORL-CITY.
NWSL Match Report
Match: Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue FC
Date: June 16, 2018
Venue: Orlando City Stadium
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Attendance: 4,445
Weather: Overcast
Scoring Summary:
ORL - Sydney Leroux (Chioma Ubogagu) 2’
NJ - Savannah McCaskill 16’
ORL - Sydney Leroux (Christine Nairn) 31’
NJ - Madison Tiernan 37’
ORL - Rachel Hill (Alex Morgan) 83’
Lineups:
Orlando Pride: Ashlyn Harris ©; Poliana, Monica, Shelina Zadorsky, Carson Pickett; Alanna Kennedy, Emily van Egmond (Dani Weatherholt 60’), Christine Nairn (Marta 73’); Sydney Leroux, Alex Morgan, Chioma Ubogagu (Rachel Hill 60’)
Substitutes Not Used: Haley Kopmeyer; Toni Pressley; Kristen Edmonds; Danica Evans
Sky Blue FC: Kailen Sheridan; Christina Gibbons, Dominique Richardson, Mandy Freeman, Erica Skroski (Amanda Frisbie 55’); Imani Dorsey, Sarah Killion, Madison Tiernan (Janine Beckie 60’); Katie Johnson (Thaisa 82’), Carli Lloyd ©, Savannah McCaskill
Substitutes Not Used: Caroline Casey, Michaela Abam, McKenzie Meehan, Rebekah Stott
Stats Summary: ORL / NJ
Possession: 55.9% / 44.1%
Shots: 20 / 18
Shots on Goal: 7 / 7
Saves: 5 / 4
Corner Kicks: 7 / 1
Fouls: 11 / 9
Offside: 4 / 2
Misconduct Summary:
NJ - Christina Gibbons (Yellow Card) 45+1’
ORL - Sydney Leroux (Yellow Card) 75’
NJ - Carli Lloyd (Yellow Card) 85’
Officials:
Referee: Matthew Franz
Assistant Referee 1: Tom Felice
Assistant Referee 2: Ben Pilgrim
Fourth Official: Janessa Gunn
