ORLANDO, Fla. (May 9, 2019) - Orlando Pride (0-4-1) returns home to face Portland Thorns FC on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Orlando City Stadium.
The match will be nationally streamed on Yahoo Sports! and in the NWSL app. International fans can tune in on NWSLsoccer.com.
“I’m sure they’ll be very good, Mark’s [Parsons] assembled a really good squad there, but we have to exploit their weaknesses,” Head Coach Marc Skinner said. “We have to see a performance and a reaction from the team for a constant amount of time and that’s what I want because I think that we’ve been sporadic in our performance. If we can see that, I’m sure that we can show Portland just who we are and the fans who we really are because I don’t think we’ve shown it yet.”
The Pride enter Saturday’s match coming off a 1-0 defeat at Houston this past Sunday. Kealia Ohai scored the lone goal and eventual game-winner in the seventh minute for the Dash. Ohai’s goal was one of two scored in NWSL play throughout the entirety of the weekend.
Saturday’s match will be the last for the Pride’s Brazilian and Australian internationals as each will join their respective nations for 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup preparations following this week’s contest. Sunday’s game at Houston was the last for defender Shelina Zadorsky as she has joined the Canadian National Team to prepare for this year’s looming tournament in France.
Portland comes into Orlando fresh from a bye week. In their last contest on April 28, the Thorns overcame a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 at Sky Blue FC with Emily Sonnett and Tobin Heath accounting for the goals in the 32nd and 34th minutes respectively.
Christine Sinclair leads the Thorns with three goals in 2019. Sinclair, Heath, Sonnett, as well as U.S. Women’s National Team players Adrianna Franch and Lindsey Horan will all be unavailable for Portland this weekend due to World Cup preparations. The Pride will remain without their U.S. internationals in Alex Morgan, Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris.
Saturday’s match will be the second between the two clubs this season, with the Pride looking to avenge a 2-0 loss at Orlando City Stadium on April 14 in a contest that served as the season opener for both sides. The Pride will travel to Portland later this season on July 14 for a match at Providence Park.
