KILLER [ASSIST] QUEEN
Christine Nairn is now in sole possession of the league lead for assists this season. Prior to Saturday’s match against Sky Blue FC, the mid elder was tied with several other players, but that changed in the 31st minute when Nairn’s cross found Sydney Leroux’s head and then the back of the net to give her four assists on the season. The 27-year-old is the NWSL all-time assist leader with 20 and has held that title all season. Marta has recorded three assists and is tied for the second-most in the league.
DON’T STOP LEROUX NOW
Sydney Leroux recorded her second brace of the season on Saturday against Sky Blue FC and her third and fourth goals for the Orlando Pride. Leroux’s first brace occurred on May 26 against the Chicago Red Stars, doing so in a two-minute span after coming in as a second-half substitute. Saturday marked her fifth career brace since joining the league in 2013.
PRIDE OF THE UNIVERSE
Rachel Hill, Sydney Leroux and Chioma Ubogagu have all recorded four goals for the Pride this season and are tied with Rachel Daly, Crystal Dunn and Jessica McDonald for the fifth-most in the league this season. Hill scored three of her goals as a substitute, Leroux scored her four in the past three matches and Ubogagu scored the team’s first run-of-play goal this season.
UNDER PRESSURE
Former Orlando Pride goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe leads the league with 63 saves this season, which is 27 more than current Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, who has the third-most in the league. Bledsoe served as the backup to Harris during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, appearing in 12 matches. On Jan. 23, Bledsoe was traded to the Washington Spirit in exchange for defender Shelina Zadorsky. Saturday’s match will be the second time the goalkeepers face off against each other. In the earlier meeting between the teams, Harris made one save and Bledsoe made four.
SHE TEARS IT UP
Seven different players have appeared on the Orlando Pride back line through the first 12 matches of the season, but the one common thread throughout has been center back Shelina Zadorsky. The Canadian is the only player on the Pride’s roster that has played every minute this season. As the anchor of the back line, Zadorsky has helped the Pride achieve the third-fewest goals allowed and the third-best goal differential in the league. Other than Zadorsky, Dani Weatherholt is the only Pride player to appear in every match for Orlando. The mid elder started in eight matches and came on as a substitute in the other four.
WOMEN ON THE PROWL
After Saturday’s win over Sky Blue, the Pride are now ranked second in the league in both goals and assists. The Pride have scored 19 goals and have recorded 13 assists on those goals. Last year, the Pride led the league in goals and assists, finishing 2017 with 46 goals and 31 assists.
KEEP THE STREAK ALIVE
This weekend the Pride will look to extend their Club-record five-game road unbeaten streak set during the month of May. The streak began May 2 with the Pride’s first victory over the Chicago Red Stars and stretched to the Pride’s third consecutive draw with Seattle Reign FC on June 3. In addition to setting an unbeaten away streak, the Pride have only lost one match since April 22. In those nine matches the Pride have posted a record of 5-1-3. The only other time in Club history that the Pride have been more successful through nine matches took place in 2017 from Aug. 5 to Sept. 30, when the team went unbeaten and earned a record of 6-0-3.
SEEING DOUBLE
On Wednesday night, Orlando City defeated D.C. United 1-1 (4-2) in penalty kicks at Maryland SoccerPlex, the same location for the Pride’s match against the Washington Spirit. City’s victory three days prior to the Pride’s game advanced the Lions to the quarterfinal round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the Club’s first quarterfinal appearance since 2015.
