ORLANDO, Fla. (July 7, 2022) — Orlando Pride (2-5-3, 9 points) is set to face off against the Houston Dash (4-3-3, 15 points) on Friday, July 8, at 7 p.m. ET at Exploria Stadium. The match, presented by Orlando Health, is set to be streamed live exclusively on Twitch.
“From our last performance, we have set a foundation and it is something to build on. It is more about us than Houston to be honest,” Acting Head Coach Seb Hines said. “We are trying to build something here where everyone is bought in and every one is going in the same direction and we are all working for each other. Yes, Houston have had some good results. We obviously owe them one with what happened away, but hopefully everyone can see it is a different Orlando Pride than what it has been in the past.”
Friday’s match will see the two sides square off for the second time during the 2022 regular season. In the first matchup, the Dash earned a 4-0 victory in what served as the first game of a three-game road trip for the Pride.
The Pride enter the match coming off a 2-2 draw against Racing Louisville as part of the first-ever DAYTONA SoccerFest. The Pride mounted a second-half comeback courtesy of goals from Kylie Strom and Darian Jenkins. Strom recorded her first goal as a member of the Pride and Jenkins netted her second goal of the regular season. Jenkins also picked up her second assists across all competitions this year and Erika Tymrak tallied her first helper of the year.
For the second time this season, the Pride rallied from 0-2 down to draw the match 2-2 and earn a point. The previous time was back on May 27 against the Washington Spirit, a game in which the Pride scored both goals deep into second-half stoppage time, the last time the team competed at Exploria Stadium.
The Dash dropped a 2-1 decision in their most recent game against the Kansas City Current on July 1, scoring their lone goal on a Current own goal in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time. Dash forward Ebony Salmon made her Dash debut after joining the team in a trade earlier in the week.
The match will serve as the Pride’s Mission Inclusion Night in which the Club will champion a more inclusive world by celebrating the dedication, perseverance and achievements of the athletes that participated in the Special Olympics USA Games, as well as those from Special Olympics Florida. Additionally, the Club will celebrate 50 years of Title IX and the advancements that have come from the landmark legislation.
Tickets for Friday’s match are available at Orlando-Pride.com. Following the contest, the Pride will travel to Audi Field to take on the Washington Spirit on Sunday, July 17. Kickoff for the match is set for 5 p.m. ET.
