THE STORY OF TONIGHT
After three games at home, the Orlando Pride will travel to face the North Carolina Courage at WakeMed Soccer Park. This season the Pride have posted a road record of 5-3-2, including a six-game road unbeaten streak that began on May 2 against the Chicago Red Stars and went through June 23 against the Washington Spirit. Saturday’s match will also mark just the third time the Pride have played in Cary. The two teams previously met at WakeMed on April 29, 2017, and on Sept. 30, 2017. During the latter game, Alanna Kennedy netted a stoppage-time free kick to send the Pride to their first ever playoff appearance.
BECAUSE WE CAN
On May 23 the Pride became the only team to score three goals against the Courage this season, which is still the most they have conceded this year. In that match, Rachel Hill, Alanna Kennedy, and Chioma Ubogagu netted the three goals. Only two NWSL teams (Washington Spirit and Utah Royals FC) have been able to score two goals in a match against the Courage, both in the month of April.
SUPER TROUPER
Orlando Pride forward Chioma Ubogagu has reaped the rewards from the Pride’s move to a three-back system, which started in a July 14 win at Utah Royals FC. Over the four games since Tom Sermanni’s formation switch, Ubogagu has played in a wing back position and has led the Pride in touches (232), chances created (8) and duels won (22). The Stanford product is also second in interceptions (6), dribbles completed (10) and recoveries among field players (22).
A WHOLE NEW WORLD
Since returning to her natural center back position on Aug. 5 against Sky Blue FC, Alanna Kennedy has led the league with a passing accuracy of 81.5 percent. Prior to that, as a mid elder, Kennedy had a passing accuracy of 71.11 percent. Monica leads the Pride with a passing accuracy of 82.02 percent. Marta is just shy of her fellow countrywoman with an 81.25 percent passing accuracy.
RAZZLE DAZZLE ‘EM
In the past two seasons, seven Pride players have scored against North Carolina, six of which are still with Orlando. Camila, Alanna Kennedy and Chioma Ubogagu have each scored two goals against the Courage, while Marta, Kristen Edmonds and Rachel Hill have scored one. The seven goalscorers are tied for the most against any club in the past two years. The only other team the Pride have had seven goal-scorers against in the past two seasons is Sky Blue FC. In addition, Marta has assisted on three of those goals, one more than against any other club.
ONE DAY MORE
Goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer is one match away from making her 50th NWSL appearance. She will join 13 other Pride teammates who have already eclipsed 50 regular-season league appearances. Just this season, six Pride players reached the milestone, including Monica, Alanna Kennedy, Carson Pickett, Chioma Ubogagu, Dani Weatherholt and Shelina Zadorsky. Of Kopmeyer’s 49 appearances, only two have come while with the Pride, the other 47 were with Seattle Reign FC. In her two matches for Orlando, Kopmeyer earned two draws, both against Seattle. Defender Poliana is also close to reaching the milestone with 47 league appearances.
TAKE ME OR LEAVE ME
Prior to being relocated, the North Carolina Courage were part of the league as the Western New York Flash. During the Flash era, four Pride players appeared for Western New York, including Kristen Edmonds, Alanna Kennedy, Sydney Leroux and Toni Pressley. Edmonds played with the Flash from 2014 to 2015. Kennedy was with the team during their 2016 NWSL Championship run, appearing in all but five matches due to the 2016 Olympics. Leroux scored one goal in three matches before going on to win the 2015 FIFA World Cup, but upon her return was placed on the season-ending disabled list. Pressley appeared in one match in 2015 before being traded to the Houston Dash.
In 2011 Marta, Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris also appeared for the Flash, alongside McCall Zerboni of North Carolina, when the team was part of Women’s Professional Soccer. They helped the Flash capture the 2011 WPS Championship and Harris went on to be named the 2011 Coast Guard Goalkeeper of the Year award.
AS IF WE NEVER SAID GOODBYE
Three weeks since her last match, forward Sydney Leroux is expected to be available for selection against the Courage. Leroux has scored six goals for the Pride in 18 matches, the most on the team, including a brace in two separate games. Despite being sidelined for three weeks, Leroux has only missed two matches, marking her longest gap of time without playing in the league since she missed all of 2016 due to pregnancy. In her six years in the league, she has recorded 29 goals and six assists.
