Morgan, Leroux lead Pride to 1st win since ’19
The Orlando Pride won their first match in 609 days Wednesday night, securing a 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit led by the return of star Alex Morgan.
The Pride eagerly awaited this moment for nearly two seasons — a game unsullied by injuries or absences with every single star on the roster available. With Morgan and midfielder Gunny Jónsdóttir back from international duty, the team fielded its preferred starting lineup for the first time in years.
Morgan hadn’t shared the field with Sydney Leroux since before the births of both of their daughters in 2019. Despite nearly two years without playing together, their connection returned almost immediately.
In the 11th minute, Morgan plucked the ball away from Spirit midfielder Dorian Bailey and automatically turned up field to look for Leroux, who was streaking toward the box. Morgan sent a dagger of a pass to Leroux’s feet, allowing her to slot a strike to the back post with her first touch.
The goal marked Leroux’s first in a competitive non-friendly match since 2018, and Morgan’s first assist for the Pride since the same season.
“We’ve played together since we were maybe 16 or 17, so I feel like when we get on the same field we kind of know exactly what
each other’s strengths are and it just really works,” Leroux said. “It’s really nice to have her back and she gave me a beautiful ball and I was able to finish it.”
The Spirit appeared to find an equalizer in the 25th minute, setting up Kelley O’Hara for a goal off a free kick. But the referee called the play back, and Pride keeper Ashlyn Harris saved the ensuing retake.
With the lead still secured, the Pride kept up offensive pressure led by Morgan and Leroux for the remainder of the half.
But in the second half, the Spirit quickly pinned the Pride back into their defensive third with an offensive onslaught. Orlando gave up six consecutive corner kicks in a 12-minute period, forcing Harris to make seven second-half saves.
The pressure finally broke through in the 64th minute when rookie Pride defender Phoebe McClernon tackled Spirit forward Ashley Hatch, who was awarded a penalty kick. But Harris dove on Hatch’s attempt, which was aimed only slightly right of the center of the goal.
This marked Harris’ second-straight match with a penalty save.
“When I’m out there playing, I’m confident in myself, and I’m confident because I don’t cut corners,” Harris said. “I do my research, I study the game, I know exactly where those players are going, and I can smell their fear sometimes . ... I don’t think these penalty saves have been anything crazy; I just think they haven’t been executed correctly. But my job is to pick a side and be confident in that side and if it comes to me I gotta get something on it. That’s just what I’ve been doing.”
After surviving an outpouring of offense in the second half, the Pride regained the upper hand in stoppage time when O’Hara was ejected from the game after earning her second yellow card. With a one-player advantage, the Pride held out during the final minutes to secure the breakthrough victory.
“As a Pride manager before, I have questioned the consistency of the message we’re getting from our players from their performance,” Skinner said. “But as I’ve seen from this start of this preseason all the way through, I’ve stopped questioning that and now I’m asking what I can do to push them. I’m super pleased with their bite, with their energy, and the ugly win tonight.”
The win came at a slight cost — Pride co-captain Ali Krieger left the match during stoppage time after appearing to hurt her left leg and neck during a tackle in the box. However, Skinner said Krieger was in good spirits on the bench after exiting the game.
When the final whistle blew, Krieger joined her teammates to celebrate on the field and with supporters in the stands after the final whistle.
“We know we’re trying to change the culture here in Orlando,” Harris said. “We’re a family here first, but we need to put in the work to get the results. We need to continue winning and keep changing the view of Orlando . ... At the end of it when you see everyone celebrating, it’s because everyone is celebrating each other and the work that has been put in the last nine to 10 weeks and the commitment that we’ve given to each other to change the narrative here.”
The Pride now have four points in the Eastern Division standings of the NWSL Challenge Cup. The team will now have more than a week to rest before traveling to North Carolina to play the Courage May 1.