(Photo by Victor Tan / New Day Review)

Match Recap

ORLANDO, Fla. – Alex Morgan wasn’t planning on playing a full game after recording three international caps for the United States women’s national team in the inaugural Tournament of Nations, but that’s exactly what she did. The second-year Orlando Pride (5-6-5, 20 points) forward led the Central Florida side to its first-ever non-loss with the Chicago Red Stars (8-3-5, 29 points), as both sides drew 1-1 in front of 5,667 people at Orlando City Stadium Saturday night.

“We don’t have a great record against Chicago,” Morgan said after the match. “We thought today was going to change that, but I think we played well. We created a lot of chances. We were pretty unlucky at times, and Chicago had a great goal… Just looking forward, we wanna increase our amount of shutouts because [Pride goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe] has been fantastic…and we feel like we’re a team that shouldn’t be giving up goals like we are.”

Morgan led the home side’s offensive attack, as she scored the first goal of the game in the 24th minute. Less than a minute after forward Rachel Hill was subbed off for Marta Vieira da Silva because of an injury, forward Jasmyne Spencer began the effort. Spencer first drew a defender down the left flank before she slotted the ball to a cutting Morgan. With a defender draped on her, Morgan found an angle and struck it past Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.

Morgan showed her offensive aggression early, knocking the ball off the crossbar in the sixth minute off a cross by Chioma Ubogagu. About six minutes later, Morgan took a throw-in and found her way to the top-middle of the box for a shot that went just a few feet high over the net.

“When Chi played it into Jas, she made an amazing turn on her defender, and Jas turned her defender, and I was kind of calling for the ball,” Morgan said. “I knew she didn’t see me, so I wasn’t sure if she would play me. But she played a fantastic ball through. And so I just needed to hit the ball hard and far post, and, you know, that’s what I did. It was a fantastic play from Chi and Jas.”

Down 1-0, the Red Stars found their equalizer off the foot of Sofia Huerta. In the 53rd minute, Jennifer Hoy found space at the top of Orlando’s box. She then slipped a pass to her right to Huerta, who took one touch inward before curling a shot to the top-left corner past the outstretched arms of a diving Bledsoe.

“Sometimes you just come up against teams that results either go for you or go against you, and Chicago seem to be one of these teams,” Pride head coach Tom Sermanni said after the match. “But what they are and what they’re very good at, Chicago, is that they don’t give up. They keep very disciplined… I think the key thing about Chicago, if you look at them, is that they have had an unbelievably stable team for a couple years. And you could see the familiarity with them playing with one another and the confidence they have in playing with one another.”

After posting five shots (two on goal) in the first half, the Pride faltered in the second half, tallying no on-target shots. Chicago managed their only two shots on goal in the second half. Morgan said she lost her legs around the 70th minute.

“Me personally, I dropped off maybe around the 70th minute,” she said. “My legs didn’t really last too much longer than that, but it was good to get the goal, and, obviously, we wanted the three points, but we’ll settle for the tie.”

Woman of the Match: Alex Morgan

After appearing in all three of the USWNT’s Tournament of Nations matches, Morgan put in an aggressive shift just two days after her most recent match. She scored the Pride’s only goal of the game, recording three shots (two on target) and drew three fouls in 90 minutes of action.

What’s next?

The Pride continue their three-game stretch in a matter of one week with a home match against the ninth-place Washington Spirit on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Rachel Hill Leaves Injured in 1st Half

In her sixth start and ninth appearance of her professional career, Hill suffered an ankle injury that forced her early exit in the 24th minute. Sermanni told media after the match that she has an ankle sprain.

“She’s got bit of an ankle sprain. It doesn’t look too serious at this stage, but it will depend kinda how it swells up,” Sermanni said. “But, at the moment, the initial prognosis is quite positive. Obviously, I would say she’ll be a no for the midweek game, probably a no for next weekend, but it doesn’t seem to be a particularly nasty ankle sprain at this time.”

So far this season, she has tallied 466 minutes, an assist and a goal in nine appearances and six starts. She has drawn nine fouls and has taken nine shots (four on goal).

Highlights

20′ When Jas turns on the jets 😮#ORLvCHI | 0-0 pic.twitter.com/pQXUk8xpgo — Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) August 5, 2017

24′ GOAL! Pride! Jas with the feed to Morgan who cracks that shot with the strength of Reptar! #BOSS#ORLvCHI | 1-0 pic.twitter.com/j74kJQ4uCI — Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) August 6, 2017

37′ Why don’t you just go home, ball! Are you too good for your home? #ORLvCHI | 1-0 pic.twitter.com/1gYJ9Vbzw7 — Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) August 6, 2017

39′ Straight peppering that goal. Morgan with another chance for Orlando. #ORLvCHI | 1-0 pic.twitter.com/VyOUekkzBW — Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) August 6, 2017

They ball when they can and I’m ballin’ by nature.@schuerta straight 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/cO5FDWrd2Z — Chicago Red Stars (@chicagoredstars) August 6, 2017

NDR Notes

Morgan scored her second goal of the season.

Maddy Evans started her third game and made her 10th appearance of the season in Saturday’s draw with Chicago.

started her third game and made her 10th appearance of the season in Saturday’s draw with Chicago. The Pride earned their first-ever non-loss against the Red Stars, drawing 1-1 on Saturday.

Ubogagu, who usually plays forward, started at left-back for the resting Steph Catley. She had never played the position before Saturday’s draw.

Scoring

Time Team Goal-scorer Assisted by 24’ Orlando Pride Alex Morgan Jasmyne Spencer 53’ Chicago Red Stars Sofia Huerta Jennifer Hoy

Statistics and Starting Lineups

Goals Assists Shots Shots on Goal Possession % Orlando Pride 1 1 9 2 46.4% Chicago Red Stars 1 1 8 2 53.6%

Orlando Pride starting XI (4-4-2): Aubrey Bledsoe (GK); Chioma Ubogagu, Toni Pressley, Ali Krieger (C), Kristen Edmonds; Jamia Fields, Maddy Evans, Dani Weatherholt, Rachel Hill; Alex Morgan, Jasmyne Spencer

Chicago Red Stars starting XI (4-3-1-2): Alyssa Naeher (GK); Arin Gilliland, Samantha Johnson, Katie Naughton, Taylor Comeau; Sarah Gorden, Danielle Colaprico, Alyssa Mautz; Vanessa DiBernardo; Jennifer Hoy, Sofia Huerta

For more on the Pride, as they look to break into a playoff spot, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.