Match Preview: Orlando Pride vs. OL Reign
Exploria Stadium | Orlando, Florida – Friday, August 26 at 7:00 PM ET
Players to watch:
Orlando midfielder Meggie Dougherty Howard provided the assist for teammate Ally Watt’s game-winning goal against Gotham FC on Saturday, her second assist in her last four games. Dougherty Howard had two assists in her NWSL career prior to that (94 regular season matches). For Watt, the goal came on her debut as she was acquired via trade from OL Reign on August 15. Though Orlando has five players that have scored multiple goals on the year thus far, none of them have scored more than two.
OL Reign attacker Megan Rapinoe added three goal contributions to her tally with an assist and two goals against Gotham FC for a total of 65 in her career (46 goals, 19 assists – including playoffs). That puts her in sixth in goal contributions for the NWSL all-time. In the goals department, the Reign are led by forward Bethany Balcer and midfielder Jess Fishlock, both of whom have scored four goals on the season with Rapinoe’s brace in the club’s last outing adding to her tally the match prior as she sits close in second with three.
Match facts: The Orlando Pride host OL Reign on Friday night to kick off the weekend’s action across the league, with the hosts needing a result to extend their impressive seven-game unbeaten streak while the visitors have lost just once in their last four games but have only won once on the road this season.
Orlando extended its unbeaten run to seven games (W3 D4) on Saturday following a 2-1 victory over Gotham FC. The only time the Pride have had a longer unbeaten streak in a single season was from August to September 2017, when they ended the season with nine consecutive games without losing (W6 D3). Through the run, the Pride have relied on six different goalscorers to score the 10 goals they have with only defender Celia and forward Julie Doyle scoring more than once.
OL Reign also faced Gotham FC in their most recent outing and handled them well in a 4-1 win for the team’s fourth straight game with a goal. That figure matches their longest run of games with at least one goal scored this season. The only other teams this year without a run of at least five games with a goal are Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit.
After winning the first matchup between the sides in 2016, the Pride have gone winless against OL Reign in 11 staright matches in NWSL play (D7 L4). The only longer winless streaks against a single opponent in NWSL history are Chicago’s 18 games against Portland (2013-2021) and Gotham’s 15 against Chicago (2013-2018).
