A Busy Stretch
Saturday’s match will serve as the first of three for the Pride over the span of eight days. After facing off against Utah, the Pride will embark on a two-game road trip over the course of the next week, set to face the Chicago Red Stars on Wednesday, August 21 before heading to the nation’s capital to face the Washington Spirit on Saturday, August 24. The latter match will be played at Audi Field, the home of MLS side DC United.
Hitting the Century Mark
Orlando Pride captain Ashlyn Harris recorded her 100th NWSL regular-season appearance last weekend against the Dash. Harris has appeared in 54 matches in her near four years in Orlando, registering 180 saves and 11 shutouts. The Pride goalkeeper became the second member of the Club to reach 100 career league appearances, with defender Ali Krieger reaching the same mark last season.
A Career Milestone
Rachel Hill registered her 50th NWSL appearance on Saturday against Houston, coming off the bench to replace Marisa Viggiano in the 69th minute. In her near three seasons with the Pride, Hill has scored eight goals while adding one assist. The UConn product has appeared in every match for the Pride this season with one finish on the year.
Keeping up with Krieger
Should she make an appearance on Saturday, defender Ali Krieger will earn her 50th appearance while in a Pride uniform. Krieger is one of the most capped players in the NWSL, with 112 all-time appearances to her name. The 35 year old started her NWSL career as a member of the Washington Spirit, before being traded to the Pride prior to the 2017 season. She earned her 100th NWSL appearance on July 14, 2018 in a 2-1 win over Saturday’s opponent, Utah Royals FC.
Seeing Red
Last weekend against the Dash, the Pride were reduced to nine players with defender Julie King being shown a red card in her debut with the Club in the 61st minute followed by Marta in the 85th minute of the match. The cards served as the second and third of their kind shown to the Pride in Club history and the first and second of the 2019 season. Marta was shown a red card against the Dash last season to account for the other.
All Without EvE
The Pride will be without one of its key international players for the remainder of the season, as midfielder Emily van Egmond will be out for the rest of the 2019 campaign. The Westfield Matilda has returned to Australia to undergo ankle surgery, a procedure that will aim to remedy an injury van Egmond sustained while playing for her home country in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Van Egmond has made 25 career appearances for the Pride - eight this year - with two career assists to her name.
