The Orlando Pride
are finalizing a trade to get U.S. women’s national team star Alex Morgan.
The Orlando Pride is finalizing a trade that would bring U.S. women’s national team star Alex Morgan to Central Florida.
Orlando would send the first pick in the NWSL draft, two international slots and multiple players to the Portland Thorns for Morgan, a source confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel. Canadian national-teamer Kaylyn Kyle would also go from Portland to Orlando in the deal.
The players Orlando would send in the deal include U.S. national team fullback Meghan Klingenberg, who is expected to
Brazil calls up Kaká for November World Cup qualifiers, C8
be made available in the expansion draft. The trade was first reported by Sports Illustrated.
“[Orlando City general manager] Paul [McDonough] and [Pride coach] Tom [Sermanni] are hard at work putting a strong team together for 2016 but until something is finalized, there is nothing we can discuss,” Orlando Pride spokesman Lenny Santiago said in a statement.
A post on Orlando City and Pride owner Flávio Augusto da Silva’s Facebook page said the
franchise would be holding a press conference for a big announcement on Monday. The U.S. women’s national team is in town to play Brazil on Sunday.
According to the Sports Illustrated report, Portland would likely also get Lindsey Horan, a 21-year-old American forward who currently plays for Paris St.-Germain in France. Horan’s contract with PSG runs through May 2016, however, and Horan would have to sign with the league and be designated by U.S. Soccer as an “allocated player,” according NWSL rules.
Allocated players’ salaries are paid to the league by the respective federations.
According to the report, Morgan requested the trade in order to be in the same city as her husband, Orlando City midfielder Servando Carrasco.
The Pride would be giving up multiple pieces it could use to build their inaugural roster, but they would be bringing in an athlete who is considered the highest-profile women’s professional player in the game.
Morgan, 26, happens to be one of the world’s top strikers, with more than 50
to
the goals in fewer than 100 caps with the U.S. women’s national team. Morgan has been training in Orlando in recent weeks as Carrasco plays out the season with the Lions.
Orlando Pride officials danced around the idea of adding Morgan on Tuesday when asked specifically if there were any preliminary discussions with Portland regarding a deal.
“I don’t know,” Sermanni said. “I need to sit down with Paul now that everything is official and discuss those things.”
ptenorio@ orlandosentinel.com