ORLANDO, Fla. (June 14, 2018) - Two weeks after its last match, Orlando Pride (4-3-4, 16 points) returns home to face Sky Blue FC (0-8-2, 2 points) on Saturday, June 16, as part of the Club’s Pride in Our City campaign. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Orlando City Stadium.
U.S.-based fans will be able to tune into the match on the go90 platforms while international fans can watch at NWSLsoccer.com or on the NWSL app.
This match will serve to honor and remember the victims of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy that took the lives of 49 people and impacted countless others two years ago. A portion of ticket and merchandise proceeds will be donated to five local non-profits, including the Contigo Fund, The Dru Project, One Orlando Alliance, onePULSE Foundation and the Zebra Coalition. In addition, the Pride will wear commemorative rainbow numbers on their jerseys, which will later be auctioned off to benefit LGBTQ+ related efforts of the Orlando City Foundation.
Fans are able to purchase tickets to benefits their choice of the five local organizations at the link here. Season ticket members or those who already have tickets can also donate at the same link. Orlando City of MLS will host its Pride in our City match on June 23.
“Sky Blue has been struggling results wise, but if you look at their last five games each of them could have gone either way.” Head Coach Tom Sermanni said. “It’s one of those situations that they’re in at the moment where things just aren’t going right for them, but they are still a team that are very dangerous, they’re a team that are very well organized, they’re a team that works very hard and they’re a team on the cusp of getting a win. It’s a very dangerous game for us this weekend.”
The Pride return home for the second time since April 28. In between, the team set a Club-record five-game road unbeaten streak, accumulating 11 points. Most recently, Orlando drew its fourth straight match against Seattle Reign FC on June 3, a 0-0 result.
Saturday’s match will mark the first meeting between the two teams this season and the sixth overall. The last time they faced each other the Pride defeated Sky Blue 5-0 on Aug. 12, 2017, behind braces from Alex Morgan and Marta along with Dani Weatherholt’s first career goal. The win marked the largest margin of victory in Pride history.
Against Seattle, the Pride were without U.S. Women’s National Team players Morgan and Ashlyn Harris, who were preparing for two matches against China. Morgan scored the game-winning goal in the 57th minute for the United States to defeat China 1-0 in the first match of the series on June 7. Harris started in goal for the second match on June 12, where she made a crucial save for the U.S. to preserve the 2-1 win. Morgan also started that game and played 64 minutes. During the international break, defender Shelina Zadorsky also played 90 minutes for the Canada national team in their 3-2 loss to Germany on June 10.
For the first time this season defender Camila will be available for selection against Sky Blue FC. Camila has been recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament tear (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain in her right knee, sustained on Sept. 30, 2017. In her first year with the Pride, Camila appeared in all 24 matches and tallied four goals and five assists.
Sky Blue FC enters the match without a win this season, having most recently drawn 0-0 with the Washington Spirit.
Savannah McCaskill and Katie Johnson have scored two goals a piece for Sky Blue and Sarah Killion, along with Johnson, has recorded two assists.
