ORLANDO, FLORIDA (August 5, 2018) – Sky Blue FC still hasn’t won an NWSL match.
What does that mean? Well, the team only has four points in the NWSL — all coming from three draws and countless losses. However, despite being officially eliminated from playoff contention, Sky Blue FC isn’t taking the high road.
Orlando Pride lose crucial points in 2-2 draw with Sky Blue FC
Instead, the team is currently making playoff-fighting teams work for their spot.
The Orlando Pride are currently sitting in third place with 30 points. It’s a tight race for the last three playoff spots. The only team that is currently safe and in a lock for their spot in the playoffs is the North Carolina Courage.
The Courage recently won the NWSL Shield for the second year in a row.
Meanwhile, Orlando is digging for points. But, a 2-2 draw against Sky Blue FC have made the road to the post-season a little more difficult. Two goals from Marta and Dani Weatherholt gave Orlando a boost.
However, Marta’s penalty kick in the 97th minute was saved by Kailen Sheridan, stopping the Pride from collecting three crucial points. After the match, Tom Sermanni, Pride head coach, said that he knew Sky Blue would “come into this with a point to prove.”
“Their players have dug in all season and made life really difficult for teams, they should’ve won games earlier in the season and we knew how difficult it was going to be,” Sermanni said. “I think today’s game is probably a snapshot of our season to be perfectly honest. We had more than enough possession to win the game, we had certainly more than enough chances to win the game, but we hit the woodwork, maybe three or four times.”
“We dominated large parts of the game, but we just don’t put the game away.”
Watch this save by @Kailen_Sheridan. And then watch it again. 🙅♀️ #ORLvNJ pic.twitter.com/V7pKYf9B1e
— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) August 6, 2018
Three Takeaways
- Will Sky Blue actually win this season? There are seven games left this season for Sky Blue FC. The only team that I could see the New Jersey-based club giving an upset to is the Washington Spirit. However, that team just got Rose Lavelle and Mallory Pugh back from injury, so that could be a problem. It’s hard to tell if Sky Blue will actually win a match this season.
- Carli Lloyd shown a red card: This whole season, I’ve been begging Denise Reddy to bench the U.S. Women’s National Team captain. She hasn’t been performing well this entire season — for club and country. However, Reddy won’t have the choice to play Lloyd or not. Instead, Lloyd will take to the bench due to a red card given late in the match.
- Orlando is still a favorite: They might not be able to beat the North Carolina Courage, but the Orlando Pride still seem to be a favorite when it comes to making the post-season. However, it’s a tight race in the NWSL — and the Chicago Red Stars are right on the Pride’s back.
The intensity 😲 #ORLvNJ
🎥 @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/eOAhUJWwu5
— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) August 6, 2018
