Leroux for Two
In the Pride’s midweek match at Kansas City, Sydney Leroux bagged her first brace of the season, scoring in first half stoppage time before netting the eventual game-winner just after the halftime break. The finishes served as the third and fourth for Leroux this season, now tied for the league lead with teammate Alex Morgan.
Space Race
The Orlando Pride unveiled its Ad Astra jersey prior to the season with a historic launch into space, sending both the kit itself along with a ball and a number of merchandise items, literally out of this world in partnership with Orlando Health. Shortly after the Pride’s reveal, the Houston Dash announced their Luv Ya Dash secondary kit, honoring NASA and Houston’s ties to American Space exploration. Both teams point to women’s empowerment in STEM as the inspiration behind the respective kits.
The GOAT
Marta found the back of the net for the first time this year on Wednesday in Kansas City, striking a shot from the edge of the center circle over the head of goalkeeper Abby Smith. The six-time FIFA World Player of the Year extended her Club-record in goals scored to 24 with the finish, now two ahead of teammate Alex Morgan in that category.
The Run Continues
The Pride’s unbeaten run to start the regular-season now sits at seven matches, currently riding a nine-game undefeated run dating back to the NWSL Challenge Cup. The team sits atop the league with a 4-0-3 record, the only side yet to suffer a loss on the year. Saturday’s match at Houston serves as the third of a stretch of three games in seven days for the side, the second time this year the team has had to play three matches in a stretch of 10 days or less.
Assisting the Attack
Midfielders Gunny Jónsdóttir and Chelsee Washington recorded their first regular-season assists as members of the Pride, with Jónsdóttir tallying the first multi-assist performance of the regular season for Orlando in the match and Washington the second of her professional career across all competitions. Jónsdóttir joins Meggie Dougherty Howard as the only two members of the Pride with multiple assists in a single match this year, with the latter doing that in the team’s Challenge Cup opener at Racing Louisville.
We’re Going to Tokyo
Three members of the Orlando Pride will represent their home nations at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer, with Alex Morgan (USA), Marta (BRA), Ali Riley (NZ) all named to their respective 18-player rosters ahead of the tournament. In addition, goalkeeper Erin McLeod has been named an alternate for the Canadian Women’s National Team, in what would be her third Olympics should she be called into duty. Morgan will represent the U.S. for the third time at the Olympic Games, while Riley will feature for the fourth time for New Zealand and Marta a resounding fifth for her home nation of Brazil.
