The Orlando Pride open their home schedule in Orlando City Stadium for the first time against the Washington Spirit.

90'+: CHANCE. Marta finds it on the left flank alone and uses her left foot for the shot. It went an inch to the right.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

90'+: Kennedy's shot on goal is gathered cleanly.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

90': Free kick coming from JUST outside the left part of the box. Kennedy, Catley, Camila, Edmonds all hovering.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

88': @danicaevans7 follows it up with a FANTASTIC down-field pass to Ubogagu. But she can't hold onto it.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

87' | GOOOOAAAALLLLL!!! Danica Evans take a bow! Unbelievable work in the box to get in and beat the keeper. 1-1 | #ORLvWAS pic.twitter.com/HBVasw3xxC — Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) April 22, 2017

87': GOAL. @danicaevans7 looking like Marta out there! She scores @ORLPride's 1st goal in Orlando City Stadium.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

85': Ubogagu just tried to bicycle kick that in. 😮😮#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

83': SHOT. @danicaevans7 has a go at it. Her shot, serviced by Marta, was clean but is gathered.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

Looks like Catley will come back in.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

80': Not good. Steph Catley goes down. Play stops for her to limp off. Talking to trainers now.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

78': Pride with a lot of good chances in the box. Maybe even should've been a PK.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

75': SUBSTITUTION. Danica Evans replaces @Jas_it_Up. Good game by Spencer. She's been a threat all day.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

72': @Jas_it_Up wanted that one. She gets played to the left part of @WashSpirit's box and takes a shot. It went wide left.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

70': GREAT effort by the Aussies, @stephcatley and @LauraAlleway to stop the scoring threat in the box.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

68': OFFSIDE. Marta got the call much to the dismay of the crowd.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

66': SUBSTITUTION. M. Dougherty Howard comes on for Kristie Mewis.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

66': Another chance on goal thanks to Marta. Her cross narrowly misses Spencer's leg this time.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

General CORRECTION: Any tweet that I mentioned Ordega in before the 57th minute, simply ignore. 😅😅#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

63': Catley finds @Jas_it_Up's head again, but her rocket of a header goes wide left.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

63': Corner for Orlando coming from the left thanks to Marta.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

This is why you bring in Marta, though. To score fricking goals.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

61': GOAL. @WashSpirit score 1st. Harris punched it away, but the headed rebound goes in the back right corner.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

60': Washington gets its 1st corner from the right.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

59': SUBSTITUTION. Marta comes onto the pitch for Monica to thunderous applause.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

Thought the crowd was getting excited for the substitution, but then I saw Marta talking to a coach. Here she comes.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

57': SUBSTITUTION. Francisca Ordega comes on for Alyssa Kleiner.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

56': Near chance. @Kris10edmonds elects not to shoot and passes it to @Jas_it_Up, but the pass is broken up and cleared.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

53′: Catley’s cross into the box narrowly misses Spencer’s head. Literally inches from the 1st goal of the match.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

52′: Camila draws the foul from just outside the left part of Washington’s box. Edmonds, Catley hovering over the ball.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

51′: Ubogagu takes it herself into the box from the right and slides for the grounded shot to the right.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

48′: SHOT. @Jas_it_Up flies into the middle-right part of @WashSpirit‘s box and gets the Pride’s 1st shot on goal.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017



Oh snap!

.@NWSL‘s Amanda Duffy has announced Orlando City Stadium will be the host for the #NWSL Championship on Oct. 14.#FilledWithPride #OCSC — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

If I had to name a Woman of the Match right now, it’d be @Ashlyn_Harris. @WashSpirit‘s had great chances but no goals.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

Who has really impressed is Camila Pereira. She’s all over the place, keeping possession in the attacking 3rd.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

Defense has faltered just a bit, giving way to at least 2 1-on-1 chances vs. @Ashlyn_Harris. Still scoreless, though.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

Pride are finding a lot of good chances down the right flank. Just can’t finish.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

44′: SUBSTITUTION. @LauraAlleway comes on for @JamiaFields4, making her 2017 debut for Orlando. Hopefully Jamia is fine.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

43′: Another Washington player goes down, and play stops temporarily for water breaks. It’s hot outside.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

41′: Jamia Fields goes down, stretches her hip flexor, it looks like, and gets right back up.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

38′: SHOT. Agnew lays it off to Ordega for the open shot, but @Ashlyn_Harris is in goal. So…#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

37′: Corner from the right this time coming from Ubogagu. It’s punched away.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

36′: Ubogagu gets DEEP into Washington’s box, but she loses it after a little too much dancing.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

34′: OFFSIDE. Agnew, who subbed in for the injured Stengel, got an offside call in the same spot Stengel did, oddly enough.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

“Hm… What minute should I score in?” Calling it now: She scores in the 67th minute.#ORLvWAS #NWSL https://t.co/rrGRnZYkle — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

29′ | This one had us on the edge of our seats. Quality hustle from Monica to clear. 0-0 | #ORLvWAS pic.twitter.com/EwhvdWXvwT — Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) April 22, 2017

29′: SAVE. @Ashlyn_Harris gets just enough to make the ball spin in front of her net before it’s cleared.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

28′: SHOT. Camila takes a shot from the top of the box, and it goes wide left. She’s been all over the place.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

22′ | No chance. Well done from Ashlyn to deny on the break. 0-0 | #ORLvWAS pic.twitter.com/Rvb0PGri0Z — Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) April 22, 2017

24′: SAVE. @Ashlyn_Harris comes little off her line to make the 1-on-1 save.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

22′: Another corner from the left, and the Pride retain possession again.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

20′: SHOT. The ball rolls to the top of the box after Pride’s corner kick, and @stephcatley‘s GREAT shot goes wide right.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

19′: SUBSTITUTION. Lindsay Agnew comes on for the injured Stengel.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

17′: Stengel has to be carted off.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

15′: OFFSIDE. @WashSpirit‘s Katie Stengel gets called off. She went down with an apparent right-knee injury.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

13′: SAVE. @Ashlyn_Harris dives to her right to stop the low, grounded shot on goal.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

12′: Nifty one-touch passing by the Pride in the attacking 3rd. A forward pass down the left flank goes too far, though.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

9′: Shot from distance on @Ashlyn_Harris‘ net flies high and away. Not many threats from either side yet.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

2′: The cross from @stephcatley finds Ubogagu in the middle of the box, but the shot’s deflected for a corner.#ORLvWAS #NWSL — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017

Check out our Starting XI for today’s #NWSLonLIFETIME Game of the Week!! #ORLvWAS pic.twitter.com/OBkAdFe9uw — Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) April 22, 2017



In the Pride’s very short lifespan so far, they have not defeated Washington. Last season, Orlando dropped both matches, losing 2-1 and 2-0.

It’s interesting to see Jamia Fields, who is listed as a forward, start at right-back. She started at right-back against the Portland Thorns, too, and was subbed out in the 72nd minute for Danica Evans.

If anything, I think it’s a testament to Pride head coach Tom Sermanni’s willingness to be more aggressive. Fields started six of her 12 appearances last season, assisting on one goal.



One of the keys for the Pride is goal-scoring (obviously). The Pride were shut out 2-0 by the Portland Thorns in the season-opener. Here’s what Orlando team captain and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris had to say about her team’s inability to score against Portland.

I think it was pretty clear. Our final third wasn’t good enough. We had plenty of opportunities, and we didn’t produce results. We gotta score goals to win at the end of the day. I think with players coming in and attacking players coming in, the players here have a lot to prove. If they want to get on this field, they gotta score goals. That’s why we have Marta [Vieira da Silva] coming in, and that’s why she’ll play Saturday, as far as I see. We need her. We need her to score goals. She’s gonna be a game-changer for us.

And here’s Pride head coach Tom Sermanni talking about Martar Vieira da Silva‘s transition into the team. For Sermanni, her experience will make it easy.

I think it’ll be fairly straight forward. I think it’ll be quite easy because she’s a very good footballer. She’s a terrific player. We’ve got two Brazilians in our team, which obviously make life a little bit easier. As I say, the style of play that we intend to initiate this season will help her. And, you know, she’s the kind of player that will come in and play her game. And that’s what’s important.

Here’s what Pride head coach Tom Sermanni said yesterday before training (and before even meeting with Marta Vieira da Silva) about the potential of da Silva starting.

I’m hoping that she’ll be on the field. When that is, I don’t know just now, but, as I said, I haven’t seen her, spoken to her. She’s done a lot of travel over the last couple of days. She’s got a huge amount of commitments today. So, we need to weigh out all those considerations. She’ll be in the squad, and I’m very confident she’ll be on the field tomorrow.

Again, it’s something that I haven’t thought about at this stage. I need to sit down with her, speak to her and then get a feel for basically what’s right—what’s right for her and what’s right for the team. We want to make sure she’s here for a full season. It’s not like a one-off, one-game wonder that we’re looking for. So we need to be really careful that we make the right decision.

So, it’s official. Expect to see Marta Vieira da Silva to come off the bench.



:O

The impact athletes have on kids. https://t.co/qCofCAOVCK — New Day Review (@NewDayReview) April 22, 2017



Here’s our gallery from Marta Vieira da Silva’s introductory press conference and her first training session with the team.



Orlando Pride head coach Tom Sermanni has a Bitmoji. And it’s the greatest thing you’ll see today (unless Marta Vieira da Silva plays, of course).