Two for Taylor
Jodie Taylor scored her second goal in as many games last weekend against the Portland Thorns. Courtney Petersen supplied the cross into the box, where Taylor was able to head the ball into the right corner of the net. This was Petersen’s second assist of the season, her last coming against Kansas City on May 30.
Krieger’s Caps
After Ashlyn Harris made history as the most capped player for the Orlando Pride a few weeks ago, defensive counterpart Ali Krieger recorded her 70th appearance for the Pride against Portland, propelling her past former player Kristen Edmonds for third most in Club history. Harris currently holds the team lead at 75 all-time appearances.
All-Time Ashlyn
Entering Sunday’s match, goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris has the opportunity to become the league’s all-time regular-season saves leader. Harris currently sits at 461 career saves, just seven shy of tying current leader Nicole Barnhart at 468. A member of the Spirit from 2013-15, Harris has accumulated 263 saves since joining the Pride in 2016.
Equal After Two
The Spirit and Pride have met twice previously this season with both matches ending in 1-1 draws. In the 2021 season opener for both teams on May 16, Ashley Hatch struck first, but Alex Morgan answered back, securing the point for the Pride. In the second meeting on June 6, Hatch opened the scoring again, but only to have Taylor Kornieck answer back three minutes later off an assist from Marta.
Starting Strong
Interim head coach Becky Burleigh has now recorded three-consecutive results at the helm of the Pride, serving as the best start in the history of the franchise for a coach to begin their tenure with the Club. The Pride have recorded draws against top-ranked Portland and North Carolina, while taking a 2-0 victory over the Red Stars in their last three outings.
As Seen on TV
Sunday's afternoon matchup against Washington will be the Pride’s first nationally-televised match of the regular season. The match will be available on CBS Sports Network. The Pride will once again be featured on national television on September 5, when the team hosts Houston at Exploria Stadium. That match will be featured on CBS with a 4 p.m. ET kickoff.
First and Second
Both of the league's leading scorers could be featured in Sunday’s matchup. The Pride’s Sydney Leroux and Washington’s Ashley Hatch currently occupy the top two spots on the league leaderboard for goals scored. Leroux commands the top spot with seven goals on the season, while Hatch follows right behind with six. The pair are the only players to have over five goals to their name in 2021.
