Sydney Leroux Gets the Better of Sky Blue in Orlando Pride Victory

ORLANDO, FLORIDA (June 16, 2018) — Sydney Leroux wanted to show Jill Ellis what she was missing out on.

During the last U.S. Women’s National Team matches against China, Ellis had elected to leave Leroux back in Orlando. After a short international break, league action returned and Leroux scored two goals in the Orlando Pride’s 3-2 victory over Sky Blue FC.

Sky Blue FC is still win-less in NWSL action.

Sydney Leroux Scores Brace for Orlando Pride in Win Over Sky Blue FC

Denise Reddy, Sky Blue FC head coach, said that scoring two road goals and not coming away with the victory is “disappointing.”

“On two different occasions, we were able to persevere and find equalizers, which clearly shows the character of our team,” Reddy said. “However, we have to tighten up the small details in order to minimize the opportunities that our opponents are able to create.”

Leroux and the Pride took the lead with only two minutes on the clock. Chioma Ubogagu assisted the quick tally from Leroux. In the 16th minute, Savannah McCaskill tied the match up.

Another back-and-forth occurred before the halftime whistle blew. Leroux scored her second goal in the 31st minute, off an assist from Christine Nairn. However, six minutes later, Madison Tiernan found the back of Ashlyn Harris’ net to equalize.

It was Rachel Hill who decided the match.

Hill scored the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute. Alex Morgan, who captained the USWNT during international duty, recorded the assist.

After the match, Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni said that his side was “fortunate” to earn three points, calling the match a “mixed performance.”

“We created enough chances to win the game but I think we also did enough things poorly that could’ve lost us the game,” Sermanni said. “I think we started well, [then] we went to sleep, then we came back a little bit and we went to sleep again. Second half we had to tough it out. Had a couple chances, they had a couple chances and we’re fortunate that we got the win. I think we won the game because we’ve got some really good quality.”

“That got us over the edge tonight.”

"The game is never over." #ORLvNJ | #VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/wciwTOUdEU

— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) June 17, 2018

Three Takeaways

Goalkeepers on display: Kailen Sheridan made four saves while Ashlyn Harris recorded five saves. Both goalkeepers were tested by talented strikers, but Harris’ side won the battle. It’s hard to imagine how frustrated Sheridan must be with Sky Blue FC. Despite being almost halfway done with the season, there are still communication issues in front of her on defense.
Lloyd still is off: Despite recording four shots, only two found the frame for Sky Blue FC. Both of Lloyd’s shots that were listed as on goal were saved by Harris. The veteran midfielder is picking up right where she left off last season. There has been little production from Lloyd, yet she continues to start.
Sky Blue FC lose their strikers: Scoring wasn’t too much of an issue for Sky Blue, netting two goals. However, the team was without Raquel Rodriguez, Jen Hoy and Shea Groom on Saturday night. Rodriguez has been listed with back spasms, while Groom is recovering from a right ankle contusion. Hoy is out with a knee sprain.

It's a big mood in Orlando tonight, after the @ORLPride found a late winner in the second half to defeat @SkyBlueFC, 3–2.

Highlights from #ORLvNJ. pic.twitter.com/eZvUcDcNEx

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 17, 2018