Saving the Day
Ashlyn Harris stopped her second penalty kick of the regular season on Sunday night at Providence Park, denying Rocky Rodríguez from the spot in the 39th minute. The save marked the fourth penalty stop for Harris across all competitions this season, two of which came in the Challenge Cup to add to her two in regular season action. The two-time FIFA World Cup Champion is the only goalkeeper across the NWSL to record multiple penalty kicks saves this season.
At the Helm
Announced on Friday afternoon, Head Coach Marc Skinner has resigned as head coach of the Orlando Pride, with Assistant Coach Carl Green set to coach the side on Saturday against OL Reign. Following the match, Green too will depart the Club with Assistant Coach Seb Hines and Goalkeeper Coach Lloyd Yaxley set to remain on staff. Since joining the Club in January 2019, Skinner compiled a record of 9-23-11 across all competitions, guiding Orlando to a seven-game unbeaten run to start the 2021 campaign, the best start in the Club’s history.
Another Record-Breaker
Marisa Viggiano scored her first goal of the year on Sunday night, a left-footed strike in the fifth minute of stoppage time that sailed into the top corner of the net. With the finish, Viggiano broke a record for the latest goal scored in Club history at 94:56, a record broken by teammate Sydney Leroux just the week prior. Leroux netted a 94th minute equalizer against Racing Louisville on July 9, breaking the previous record set by former Pride defender Kristen Edmonds in July 2016 against the Boston Breakers.
100 for Leroux
With the start at Portland, Sydney Leroux tallied her 100th regular season appearance in NWSL action, joining teammates Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger as members of the Pride to reach the centennial mark in league action. Joining the Club ahead of the 2018 NWSL season, Leroux has tallied 33 of her 100 appearances as a member of the Pride, scoring 11 goals in regular season play to sit one behind former Orlando forward Chioma Ubogagu for third in Club history.
About Last Time
It has been 651 days since the Pride last took on Saturday’s opposition, last facing the Reign on Oct. 12, 2019 at Exploria Stadium. The two sides played to a 2-2 draw in that match, with Marta and former Pride forward Rachel Hill scoring for the Club while the Pride’s newest signing forward Jodie Taylor found the back of the net for the Reign. That match also marked the return of Toni Pressley to the pitch after undergoing breast cancer treatment just two months prior.
A Series of Firsts
Defenders Amy Turner and Kylie Strom both recorded their first starts as members of the Pride on Sunday night in Portland, the former going the entirety of the match and the latter being subbed out just ahead of second half stoppage time. To add to Turner and Strom’s first starts with the Pride, forward Abi Kim recorded her first professional assist in the match, supplying the cross for Marisa Viggiano’s stoppage time finish.
