ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 12, 2020) - The Orlando Pride has announced its complete, 19-player roster as the team heads into the NWSL Fall Series, a four-game competition that will see the Pride face both the North Carolina Courage and Houston Dash.
In addition, the Club has also confirmed that forward Alex Morgan will join Tottenham Hotspur Women and will not be available for the Fall Series. Morgan will join Tottenham pending the receipt of a visa, with the Pride holding her NWSL rights upon return.
“The group is really excited and looking forward to finally getting out on the field and playing,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner said. “We have four games ahead of us where we can put everything behind us. Despite the circumstances of 2020 and strategic decisions to send players on loan, I believe we still have a strong roster heading into these games and I can’t wait to see our players finally get to put on the Pride crest for our fans.”
“In addition, we understand and support Alex heading to England in order to obtain more match and training opportunities,” Skinner added. “Returning to play has been a long time coming for Alex and, as a player that is looking to not only get back to match fitness but also compete for an Olympic roster spot, the additional months of games and training beyond the NWSL’s October 17 end date is right for her.”
Orlando opens play on Sept. 19, traveling to face the Courage at 1 p.m. ET in a match that will be aired nationally on CBS. The Pride then remain on the road, squaring off with Challenge Cup champion Houston Dash on Sept. 26 at 8:30 p.m. ET (Twitch). The Fall Series will wrap up with a two-game home stand for the Pride, first hosting the Dash on Oct. 9 at Osceola County Stadium (5 p.m. ET, CBSSN) then a final match against the Courage on Oct. 17 at Exploria Stadium (4 p.m. ET, CBS). Both matches will be closed to the public.
The Pride enter the matches with four international players in Brazilian superstar Marta, Jamaicans Konya Plummer and Deneisha Blackwood, and Canadian Jordyn Listro. Marta, Plummer and Blackwood all featured in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as well as the Pride’s U.S. Women’s National Team and two-time World Cup Champions, Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger, who will both be available for the Fall Series.
Blackwood and Listro were part of a group of seven players who, earlier in the week, were announced as short-term contract additions to the Pride. That group adds to the Pride’s Fall Series focus of developing young players, joining 2020 NWSL College Draft picks Courtney Petersen and Chelsee Washington, second year player Marisa Viggiano, third-year player Abby Elinsky and recently signed preseason trialist Brittany Wilson.
The Pride will be bolstered by 2015 Women’s World Cup Champion Sydney Leroux on the frontline, as well as NWSL stalwarts Kristen Edmonds and Toni Pressley.
Orlando has also seen a number of players explore loans with international teams for both increased player development and match opportunities, while defenders Julie King and Morgan Reid have not been medically cleared and will be unavailable for the games. In addition, forward Caitlin Farrell, who did not join the Pride earlier in 2020, has been removed from the Pride’s roster for failure to report.
Prior to the Pride’s withdrawal from the NWSL Challenge Cup, the team also completed a deal with Chicago, sending the Orlando’s lowest second round pick in the 2021 NWSL College Draft to the Red Stars in exchange for a temporary international roster spot. That temporary international roster spot expired on Sept. 1 and has been returned to the Red Stars.
The complete, 19-player roster can be found below.
2020 Orlando Pride Fall Series Roster:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Ashlyn Harris (FED-USA), Brittany Wilson
DEFENDERS (6): Ally Haran (STC), Ali Krieger (FED-USA), Carrie Lawrence (STC), Courtney Petersen, Konya Plummer (INTL-JAM), Toni Pressley
MIDFIELDERS (7): Deneisha Blackwood (STC; INTL-JAM), Jordyn Listro (STC; INTL-CAN), Marta (INTL-BRA), Zandy Soree (STC), Savanah Uveges (STC), Marisa Viggiano, Chelsee Washington
FORWARDS (4): Kristen Edmonds, Abby Elinsky, Kate Howarth (STC), Sydney Leroux
FED: Federation Player
INTL: International Player
STC: Short-Term Contract Player
