BATTLE OF THE BEST
On Saturday two of the top two goal-scoring teams will face off against one another. This season, Portland has tallied 30 goals, the second-most in the league, while Orlando is close behind with 29, the third-most in the league. However, the Pride have 10 goalscorers, compared to the Thorns’ nine. Orlando also has more goal scorers with multiple goals this season with seven, while Portland only has four. The Pride are also the only team in the league to have five players with more than three goals, North Carolina Courage have four.
BIG NIGHT FOR DANI
Against Sky Blue FC mid elder Dani Weatherholt scored her second goal of the season, just her third professional goal. That same night she recorded her 50th appearance in NWSL and for the Pride. Weatherholt’s goal equalized the match for the Pride, securing the draw and giving the team a much-needed point in Orlando’s quest for a playoff position. The mid elder’s previous goal this season occurred on May 25 as part of a 5-2 defeat over the Chicago Red Stars. In addition to her goals, Weatherholt has the third-highest passing accuracy on the team with 76.6 percent, behind Monica with 82.02 percent and Marta with 82.1 percent.
A MOMENT OF PRIDE
The last time the Pride and Thorns faced each other Orlando defeated the Portland club 2-1. The match marked the Club’s first ever victory over Portland and the first victory at Providence Park. Alex Morgan and Christine Nairn scored for the Pride, while Christine Sinclair scored for the Thorns. Nairn’s goal won her the Goal of the Week award as voted by fans. It was the first time Morgan scored against her former club. Morgan played for the Thorns from 2013 to 2016, during that time she scored 15 goals and won an NWSL Championship.
INTERNATIONAL IMPACT
21 players with national team appearances will be represented on the pitch this Saturday. Orlando has 11 players who have appeared in at least one national team game for their respective country, while Portland has 10. The 21 players have more than 1,500 appearances and 500 goals combined from five different countries: the United States (8), Australia (5), Brazil (5), Canada (2) and Switzerland (1).
ROSE CITY REINFORCEMENTS
Since last playing the Pride, Portland has bolstered their roster with the return of Australian forwards Caitlin Foord and Hayley Raso who were both recovering from injuries. Raso made her return to the pitch on June 16 and has since scored one goal and one assist for the Thorns. Foord made her return just last weekend in the 2-1 loss to the North Carolina Courage. While their offense has strengthened, the Thorns have lost depth in their defense with Katherine Reynolds suffering a season-ending injury on July 21. The Pride will be without Sydney Leroux who has been listed as out due to illness. She has scored six goals this season, a team high, and has two assists.
SIX-POINT SWING
Saturday’s match will pit the third-place Pride and the fourth-place Thorns against one another. Orlando (30 points) currently sits just one point above Portland (29 points), meaning that, for the Pride, securing three points is just as important as preventing the Thorns from getting any points in order to maintain their playoff position. It’s two games that follow, Orlando will once again face off against two possible playoff opponents. The Chicago Red Stars sit in fifth place with 28 points and the North Carolina Courage sit safely in first with 49 points, having already won the NWSL Shield and clinched the top playoff spot.
SHELINA’S STREAK
On Sunday against Sky Blue FC, defender Shelina Zadorsky did not play for the Pride for the first time this season. Prior to the match, she was the only Orlando player to play every minute of the season and led the league in minutes. Head Coach Tom Sermanni instead chose to go with three-backck defense with Australian Alanna Kennedy as the anchoring center back. Kennedy primarily plays center back for the Australia national team, but since mid-2017 has appeared as the Pride’s holding mid elder, scoring six goals. Saturday was her first time starting as a defender for Orlando since May 27, 2017.
