Orlando Pride (8-0-5, 29 points) vs Utah Royals (2-10-1, 7 points)
When: Saturday, June 22, 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: INTER&Co Stadium
As the Pride host the expansion side from Utah, here are five things to watch for on Saturday night:
Let’s Go Back to the Start
The match against the Royals will serve as the second matchup between the two sides this season. The Pride and Royals faced off back in April, with the Pride earning a 1-0 victory over the 2024 expansion side at America First Field. The lone goal in the match was scored by Marta in the 68th minute with the victory being the Pride’s first of the season and jumpstarting a streak that saw them break the NWSL record for most consecutive wins with eight.
Goals on Goals on Goals
For the first time in 16 games dating back to last season, the Pride were held scoreless in a match following its 0-0 draw against the Courage. During that 16-game stretch, the Pride found the back of the net 28 times, held a record of 11-1-4, and had nine different goal scorers. Although the Pride were held scoreless, they still managed to earn a point and became the first NWSL team this season to earn at least a point on the road against the Courage at WakeMed Soccer Park.
Breaking Records
The Pride continued their historic start to the season by breaking another NWSL record in the last match against the North Carolina Courage. With the scoreless draw, the Pride became the first team in NWSL history to go 11 consecutive matches without trailing at any point. The streak dates back to the 1-1 draw at INTER&Co Stadium against the Chicago Red Stars on March 29. During those 11 matches the Pride have outscored their opponents 18-8 and have earned all five of the Club’s clean sheets within that span.
Teaming Together
Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse and the rest of the Pride defense earned their fifth clean sheet of the season, which is tied for the most in the NWSL this season. Moorhouse had five saves on the night, which gives her 37 this year and is good enough to be in the top five among goalkeepers in the league. During her time with the Pride, Moorhouse now has 12 regular-season clean sheets and is only two away from tying the Club record for most clean sheets in club history.
Quintessential Night
Friday night’s match will serve as the Pride’s ‘Pride in Our City’ match as they celebrate those in the vibrant and strong LGBTQIA+ community in Orlando. The night will be full of activations from Fan Zone to in-game production. Starting out in Fan Zone before the match, local LGBTQ+ groups and non-profits will be out for fans to learn more about, will have rainbow themed giveaways and decor as well as a flower wall for fans to take photos. Before the match the Orlando Gay Chorus will perform the national anthem and also put on a halftime show along with inclusion and pride flags being displayed on the field during procession. There will be many more activations going on before, during and after the match for fans to participate in.
Milestone Tracker
- Marta is two assists away from 20 in her NWSL career.
