First for Becky
Last week’s draw at North Carolina served as the first match at the helm for interim Head Coach Becky Burleigh, making her the only coach in Orlando Pride history to secure a result in their first outing. Burleigh joined the Pride on July 25, appointed to serve at the helm for the interim following the resignation of former head coach Marc Skinner.
History in the Making
Ashlyn Harris made her 73rd regular season appearance for the Pride last weekend, tying her with former Orlando midfielder Dani Weatherholt. Harris could potentially claim the outright all-time record for regular season appearances with the Club, should she play in the match against the Red Stars.
For Club and Country
Erin McLeod will return to the Pride with a gold medal in tow after the Canadian National Team beat Sweden in the 2020 Olympics on penalty kicks. The first place finish is the best-ever finish for the Canadian National Team at an Olympics. This is McLeod's second Olympic medal as she won Bronze at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Alex Morgan will return stateside with a Bronze medal after the U.S. WNT beat Australia 4-3. Morgan appeared in all six matches for the USA, and netted a goal against New Zealand in the group stage. The striker adds her Bronze medal to the Gold she won at London in 2012.
Marta and Ali Riley, who bowed out earlier in the tournament, are both expected to be available for selection when the Pride head to Chicago on Sunday.
On Top
Sydney Leroux scored her sixth goal of the season against North Carolina, tying her with Washington’s Ashley Hatch at the top of the league leaderboard. Six goals in a season ties Leroux for her 2018 team-leading performance in her debut season with the Pride. Ali Krieger, who assisted Leroux’s goal at North Carolina, recorded her first helper since September 29, 2019.
On Friday, Leroux was named to the Team of the Month after leading the league in shots throughout the month of July with 17. Leroux also scored two goals in five appearances for the Pride, tallies in a pair of 1-1 draws against North Carolina and Louisville.
About Last Time
Chicago is the last team in the league that the Pride have yet to take on this season. The last meeting between the two clubs came on September 19, 2019 at Exploria Stadium, where the two teams were scoreless through regulation until the Red Stars were able to find the back of the net in the 95th minute, securing the 1-0 victory.
