ORLANDO, Fla. (August 17, 2019) - Orlando Pride (3-11-2, 11 points) fell 2-0 to Utah Royals FC (8-6-3, 27 points) on Saturday night at Exploria Stadium. The match saw Alex Morgan return to NWSL play for the first time since becoming a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion this past summer, along with Orlando Pride midfielder Kristen Edmonds’ first start of the 2019 season.
Orlando Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner:
“I thought all my players were excellent. Again, individual decision-making at times yes, but if you’re just going to draw on that then nobody will have a good game. I thought [the players] were excellent, I thought they gave everything....we effectively had four forwards on the pitch because we were trying to get into a game that we didn’t deserve to be out of.”
Scoring Recap:
60’ Christen Press (Lo’eau LaBonta) - UTA 1, ORL 0
The Royals took the lead after Lo’eau LaBonta lofted a ball in behind the Pride defense for Christen Press, who took it straight out of the air and volleyed it into the net.
77’ Amy Rodriguez (Vero Boquete) - UTA 2, ORL 0
Utah doubled its lead with Vero Boquete slotting a ball in behind for Amy Rodriguez, who hit it toward the left side of the net where it deflected off the fingertips of goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and into the goal.
Match Notes:
- Kristen Edmonds recorded her first start of the 2019 season in the match after returning from injury in the Pride’s last match against the Houston Dash for the first time since April 21.
- Alex Morgan recorded her first appearance for the Pride since returning from the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the match. Morgan’s last NWSL appearance came in Utah’s previous trip to Exploria Stadium this season on April 27.
- Goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris recorded seven saves in the match, one shy of her season-high recorded on April 17 against North Carolina and her highest total since her return from the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Next Match: Orlando Pride face a quick turnaround, traveling to face the Chicago Red Stars on Wednesday, August 21 at SeatGeek Stadium with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Pride will remain on the road with two games that week, traveling to face Washington Spirit at Audi Field on Saturday, August 24.
