Orlando Sentinel

Eager to close out season on a high note

- By Julia Poe Email Julia Poe at jpoe@orlandosen­tinel.com.

The Orlando Pride’s final match of 2020 will also mark the team’s first and only match of the year on its home pitch at Exploria Stadium.

The Pride will host a reigning NWSL champion North Carolina Courage side that remains lethal despite missing many of its star players. Although fans will not be admitted due to COVID-19 safety concerns, the match will offer a small semblance of normalcy for a team that faced adversity throughout this year.

“I think a lot of these players are going to be quite nervous because of how big the stadium is and how much meaning is behind it,” Pride captain Ashlyn Harris said. “It’s going to be new for a lot of these players, so I hope they enjoy the challenge.

“For me, I love this place and I love playing here. It’s going to be weird without our fans, but just to get the field back into a big stadium and get minutes will be so key.”

The Pride fared well against the Courage during their opening match of the NWSL Fall Series, holding them to a scoreless draw highlighte­d by rookie Carrie Lawrence’s on-target shot and near game-winner.

Once again, North Carolina will be without 11 of its top players. The list includes Jaelene Daniels, Crystal Dunn, Abby Erceg, Kristen Hamilton and Jessica McDonald due to optouts; Lindsay Agnew, Hailie Mace, Denise O’Sullivan and Sam Mewis due to loans; and Merritt Mathias and Ally Watt due to injury.

The Courage will also play without starting goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé, who elected to only play North Carolina’s home matches.

With talents like Debinha and Lynn Williams still leading their attack, the Courage will continue to

pose a threat. But against a similarly diminished roster, the Pride will have the opportunit­y to end a shortlived season on a high note.

To coach Marc Skinner, the key for Orlando will be sustaining the momentum of the team’s last match.

The Pride suffered a dismal start against the Houston Dash last week, ceding two goals to the Challenge Cup champions in the first half. But in the second half, the Pride flipped on a switch. Striker Sydney Leroux scored in the opening minutes and it sparked 45 minutes of play that were sharper and more aggressive than the team has looked all year.

If the Pride can tap into the same intensity, Skinner believes the team could earn its first and last win of the season.

“The last half of football that they actually physically played was about a million times better than the first half that they played,” Skinner said. “The last thing that they left the football field with was that energy. It’s a simple reminder that this is the energy required to be part of an Orlando team that wants to be successful going forward, so you need to bring that energy from the off.”

The match presents a critical final opportunit­y for the team’s seven short-term

contract players to prove they deserve a spot in the league. These players are using the four matches of the Fall Series to battle for a place on the Pride roster or on another team across the league.

Lawrence has been the most consistent­ly used short-term player, starting at outside back during the first three matches. Although she left the last match on a stretcher following a blow to the abdomen, Lawrence returned to training with the team this week and will be available on Saturday.

Skinner said his assessment of short-term players will be based on their over

all impact to the team in training and matches rather than just their competitiv­e playing time.

“I’ve been really really impressed with the qualities that they brought to the team,” Skinner said. “There’s an inexperien­ce aspect in some of the players obviously … but what they’ve given us is everything that we could have asked from them.”

It’s been a year and six

days since the Pride last played on their home turf.

Skinner said Saturday’s match will still feel surreal without supporters in the stands. But during a frustratin­g season with few chances to prove themselves, the Pride feel eager to leave a lasting impression in their final outing of the year.

“It’ll be strange because we’ll miss our fans,” Skinner said. “We genuinely love and feel their energy from afar, and we can’t wait to be back in front of them, to perform for them, but it will be wonderful to be back home.”

 ?? /ISI PHOTOS ?? Orlando Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris said it will be special to play at Exploria Stadium Saturday, although she will miss fans not allowed to attend the match due to COVID-19 safety concerns.
/ISI PHOTOS Orlando Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris said it will be special to play at Exploria Stadium Saturday, although she will miss fans not allowed to attend the match due to COVID-19 safety concerns.

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