ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 21, 2021) - Orlando Pride (5-4-6, 21 points) take on the Washington Spirit (5-5-4,19 points) for the third time this season on Sunday, August 22 at Audi Field. Kickoff for the match is set for 4 p.m. ET, with the contest set to be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network, with international viewers able to tune in on Twitch.
“Washington is going to be back at full strength and they’ve got some great players returning,” said interim Head Coach Becky Burleigh. “That’s exciting because I think, for us to bring out our full potential, we need to play against the best. So I’m excited about seeing some of those players back and I think we want to be better than we were last week. So if we can continue to improve upon our performance, we’re going to be happy with that.”
Saturday’s match will be the third meeting between the two sides and second meeting in the nation’s capital this season. Both matches this season have ended in a 1-1 draw, with the Pride coming from behind to secure the point each time. In the last matchup, Ashley Hatch scored in the 64th minute to open the scoring for the Spirit, but the Pride’s Taylor Kornieck scored her first goal of the regular season just three minutes later for the equalizer.
The Pride enter the weekend looking to build off a 1-1 draw against the Portland Thorns this past Saturday. Jodie Taylor struck first with her second goal in as many contests off a cross from Courtney Petersen, with Simone Charley accounting for the equalizer for the visitors late in the second half.
Leroux continues to sit atop the league with seven finishes this season. Teammates Marta and Kornieck remain tied for the league lead in assists, each with three on the year.
Washington enters the weekend after taking a point in a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dash this past Friday at BBVA Stadium. Paige Nielsen and Tori Huster both scored for the Spirit to force the two sides to split the points on the night.
Hatch leads the Spirit with six goals on the season. Both Trinity Rodman and Ashley Sanchez are close behind with four and three goals, respectively. Andi Sullivan leads the Spirit with three assists.
Following Sunday’s match, the Pride hit the road for the second-consecutive week to take on NJ/NY Gotham FC at Red Bull Arena. Kickoff is set for Sunday, August 29 at 5:30 p.m. ET.
