2021 Orlando Pride season

The 2021 Orlando Pride season is Orlando Pride's sixth season in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States.

Orlando Pride
2021 season
CEOAlex Leitão
Head coachMarc Skinner
StadiumExploria Stadium
Orlando, Florida

Notable events

On November 12, 2020, with the addition of Racing Louisville FC ahead of the 2021 NWSL season, the NWSL held the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft. Alanna Kennedy, who had been with the Pride since 2017, was selected as were the NWSL rights to Caitlin Foord which Orlando had acquired from Portland Thorns FC as part of the trade for Emily Sonnett in January 2020 but she had elected to sign outside the NWSL with English FA WSL team Arsenal instead.[1]

On January 12, 2021, Orlando announced Ian Fleming had joined from Houston Dynamo and Dash group to become general manager of the Pride, filling the vacant role left by Erik Ustruck in January 2020.[2]

Roster
As of February 4, 2021.[3]
No. Nationality Name Position(s) Date of birth (age) Previous club Notes
Goalkeepers
1 Erin McLeod GK (1983-02-26) February 26, 1983 Växjö DFF INT
24 Ashlyn Harris GK (1985-10-19) October 19, 1985 Washington Spirit FED
30 Brittany Wilson GK (1997-09-22) September 22, 1997 Denver Pioneers –
Defenders
3 Toni Pressley DF (1990-02-19) February 19, 1990 Houston Dash –
8 Ali Riley DF (1987-10-30) October 30, 1987 Bayern Munich –
11 Ali Krieger DF (1984-07-28) July 28, 1984 Washington Spirit FED
17 Carrie Lawrence DF (1997-07-15) July 15, 1997 UCF Knights –
25 Konya Plummer DF (1997-08-02) August 2, 1997 UCF Knights INT
28 Courtney Petersen DF (1997-10-28) October 28, 1997 Virginia Cavaliers –
32 Phoebe McClernon DF (1997-12-13) December 13, 1997 Växjö DFF –
Midfielders
15 Jade Moore MF (1990-10-22) October 22, 1990 Reading INT
19 Jordyn Listro MF (1995-08-10) August 10, 1995 UDG Tenerife –
23 Marisa Viggiano MF (1997-02-05) February 5, 1997 Northwestern Wildcats SUP
26 Taylor Kornieck MF (1998-11-22) November 22, 1998 Colorado Buffaloes –
27 Chelsee Washington MF (1997-11-17) November 17, 1997 Bowling Green Falcons –
Meggie Dougherty Howard MF (1995-07-27) July 27, 1995 Washington Spirit –
Gunnhildur Yrsa Jónsdóttir MF (1988-09-28) September 28, 1988 Kansas City NWSL –
Erika Tymrak MF (1991-08-07) August 7, 1991 Utah Royals –
Forwards
2 Sydney Leroux FW (1990-05-07) May 7, 1990 FC Kansas City –
10 Marta FW (1986-02-19) February 19, 1986 FC Rosengård INT
13 Alex Morgan FW (1989-07-02) July 2, 1989 Tottenham Hotspur FED

Staff
As of January 12, 2021.[4][5]
Executive
Majority owner and chairman Flávio Augusto da Silva
Chief executive officer Alex Leitão
Executive vice president Amanda Duffy
General manager Ian Fleming
Coaching staff
Head coach Marc Skinner
Assistant coach Carl Green
Assistant coach Seb Hines
Goalkeeping coach Lloyd Yaxley

Match results

Friendlies

As per the league schedule, NWSL teams will be permitted to begin preseason activities on February 1, 2021.[6]

National Women's Soccer League
Main article: 2021 National Women's Soccer League season

NWSL Challenge Cup
Main article: 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup

Following the success of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup as a replacement tournament, the NWSL announced the return of the competition as part of the regular schedule in 2021. The competition is scheduled to begin in mid-April, prior to the start of the NWSL regular season.[6][7]

Transfers and loans

2021 NWSL Draft

Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster. The 2021 college draft was held on January 13, 2021. Orlando had four selections. All four draftees elected to take up the NCAA waiver in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that meant they were able to remain in college to contest the rescheduled college spring season. The Pride retained the NWSL rights to all four.[8]

Round Pick Player Pos. College Status
1 9 Viviana Villacorta MF University of California, Los Angeles NCAA Spring
2 14 Mikayla Colohan MF Brigham Young University NCAA Spring
3 24 Kerry Abello FW Pennsylvania State University NCAA Spring
4 34 Kaylie Collins GK University of Southern California NCAA Spring

Transfers in
Date Player Pos. Previous club Fee/Notes Ref.
December 21, 2020 Alex Morgan FW Tottenham Hotspur Federation player, returned to the league [9]
December 24, 2020 Meggie Dougherty Howard MF Washington Spirit Acquired in a trade with a first-round pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft, a first-round pick in the 2022 or 2023 draft (tbd) and $140,000 in allocation money in exchange for Emily Sonnett. [10]
January 22, 2021 Phoebe McClernon DF Växjö DFF Re-signed following short-term contract with Växjö [11]
January 30, 2021 Gunnhildur Yrsa Jónsdóttir MF Kansas City NWSL Acquired in exchange for Kristen Edmonds and the natural second-round pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft. [12]
Erika Tymrak MF

Transfers out
Date Player Pos. Destination club Fee/Notes Ref.
October 29, 2020 Julie King DF Waived [13]
Morgan Reid DF Waived [13]
Abby Elinsky MF Waived [13]
October 30, 2020 Ally Haran DF Short-term contract expired [14]
Zandy Soree MF Short-term contract expired [14]
Deneisha Blackwood MF Houston Dash Short-term contract expired [14][15]
Savanah Uveges MF Short-term contract expired [14]
Kate Howarth FW Short-term contract expired [14]
November 12, 2020 Alanna Kennedy DF Racing Louisville FC Selected in the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft. [1]
December 24, 2020 Emily Sonnett DF Washington Spirit Traded in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft, a first-round pick in the 2022 or 2023 draft (tbd), Meggie Dougherty Howard and $140,000 in allocation money. [10]
December 31, 2020 Claire Emslie FW Everton Permanent transfer [16]
Camila MF Palmeiras Out of contract [14][17]
January 7, 2021 Shelina Zadorsky DF Tottenham Hotspur Permanent transfer [18]
January 8, 2021 Emily van Egmond MF West Ham United Permanent transfer [19]
January 30, 2021 Kristen Edmonds MF Kansas City NWSL Traded with the natural second-round pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft in exchange for Gunnhildur Yrsa Jónsdóttir and Erika Tymrak. [12]
February 4, 2021 Carson Pickett DF North Carolina Courage Traded in exchange for the playing rights to Jodie Taylor. [20]

Preseason trialists

Orlando Pride began preseason training on February 1, 2021. The squad included two non-roster invitees on trial with the team during preseason. Haran had been with Orlando during the 2020 Fall Series and made two appearances. Tymrak was not yet rostered having come out of retirement when Orlando acquired her playing rights in a trade in January.[8]

2021 Orlando Pride trialists
Player Position Previous team
Ally Haran DF Orlando Pride
Erika Tymrak MF Utah Royals FC

References
  1. "Racing Louisville FC draft rights to Tobin Heath and Christen Press in expansion draft". CBSSports.com.
  2. "Orlando Pride Announces Ian Fleming as General Manager". www.orlandocitysc.com.
  3. "Orlando Pride Roster". Orlando City SC. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  4. "Orlando Pride Staff". Orlando Pride.
  5. "Board of Directors". Orlando City SC.
  6. "NWSL Announces Innovative 2021 Competition Framework". www.nwslsoccer.com.
  7. "Challenge Cup set to return as NWSL announces 2021 competition framework". www.goal.com.
  8. "Orlando Pride Announces 2021 Preseason Opening Day Roster". www.orlandocitysc.com.
  9. "Alex Morgan will return to US after five-game spell with Tottenham". the Guardian.
  10. "Orlando Pride Acquires Pair of First Round Draft Picks, Allocation Money and Meggie Dougherty Howard". www.orlandocitysc.com.
  11. "Orlando Pride Signs Defender Phoebe McClernon". www.orlandocitysc.com.
  12. "Pride Acquire Gunny Jónsdóttir and Rights to Erika Tymrak from Kansas City". www.orlandocitysc.com.
  13. "Eight NWSL Players Available on the Re-Entry Wire". www.nwslsoccer.com.
  14. "Orlando Pride Announce Roster Decisions Following 2020 NWSL Season". www.themaneland.com.
  15. "Dash acquire Deneisha Blackwood". www.houstondynamofc.com.
  16. "Emslie Seals Permanent Switch To Everton". www.evertonfc.com.
  17. Pedroso, Priscila. "Palmeiras acerta permanência da meio-campista Camilinha para 2021" (in Portuguese).
  18. "Tottenham make Alanna Kennedy, Shelina Zadorsky deals permanent". Sky Sports.
  19. "West Ham complete Van Egmond signing". BBC Sport.
  20. "Orlando Pride Acquire Rights to English International Jodie Taylor from North Carolina". www.orlandocitysc.com.
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