Don’t Stop Them Now
On Saturday, the Pride will look to maintain its unbeaten record over Utah Royals FC. After entering the league in 2018, Utah traveled to Orlando to face the Pride in its inaugural match as a club, a contest that resulted in a 1-1 draw. The Pride would go on to draw Utah once more in a scoreless contest at Rio Tinto Stadium on May 9 and then defeat them at the same site with a 2-1 victory on July 14. Marta, Alex Morgan and Kristen Edmonds each registered a goal for the Pride against the Royals in 2018.
I Want to Ride My Bicycle...
Defender Alanna Kennedy recorded her first goal of 2019 in spectacular fashion on Sunday at Reign FC. The Australian showcased her skills with a bicycle kick to score the Pride’s first goal of 2019, a goal that earned her NWSL Goal of the Week honors and the No. 7 spot on SportCenter’s Top 10 plays Monday morning. This marks the third time that Kennedy has received this award as a member of the Pride, winning it once in each of the 2017 and 2018 seasons. She is the second player to earn league honors this season for the Pride, with goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris winning NWSL Save of the Week in the first week of the 2019 season.
Save Me
Goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris is six saves away from registering her 200th as a member of the Pride and the 400th of her NWSL career. Harris currently holds the league lead in saves in 2019, registering 17 through three games this season. In addition, she is just two appearances away from reaching her 100th NWSL appearance. Of her 98 thus far, 52 have been as a member of the Pride, having been a member of the squad since its inaugural season in 2016.
The Show Must Go On
Saturday’s match will be the final for the Pride’s U.S. Women’s National Team players before the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. These members of the squad will join the U.S. WNT following the match to begin preparation for their title defense in France, which begins June 11 against Thailand.
You’re My Best Friend?
Saturday’s game will reunited Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner with Royals Head Coach Laura Harvey, who both previously worked together at Birmingham City Women. Skinner and Harvey shared a sideline for one season, as the Englishman was Harvey’s assistant. Skinner would remain at Birmingham until his appointment with the Pride, while Harvey would go on to coach at Arsenal and Seattle Reign FC before moving to Utah.
