| Club: | Orlando Pride |
| Season: | 2020 |
| Manager: | Marc Skinner |
| Chairman: | Alex Leitão |
| Stadium: | Exploria Stadium Orlando, Florida |
| League: | NWSL |
| League Result: | Not contested |
| Cup2 Result: | Withdrew |
| League Topscorer: | Marisa Viggiano (2) |
| Mgrtitle: | Head coach |
| Chrtitle: | CEO |
| Prevseason: | 2019 |
| Nextseason: | 2021 |
| American: | true |
| Pattern La1: | _orlpfc |
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| Rightarm1: | 08A6DF |
| Shorts1: | 633393 |
| Socks1: | 633393 |
| Pattern La2: | _orlpfc20a |
| Pattern B2: | _orlpfc20a |
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The 2020 Orlando Pride season was Orlando Pride's fifth season in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States.
In October 2019, Alex Morgan announced she was pregnant and expecting to give birth in April 2020.[1] [2] Morgan had stated she aimed to return to playing in time for the Olympics with the United States in July 2020 but the games were eventually postponed by COVID-19.[3] Morgan gave birth on May 7, 2020.[4]
Five Pride players signed with Australian W-League teams to play with during the 2019–20 NWSL offseason: Emily van Egmond and Claire Emslie joined Melbourne City, Alanna Kennedy joined Sydney FC, Carson Pickett joined Brisbane Roar and Camila joined Canberra United.[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Van Egmond and Emslie won both the Premiership and Championship titles with Melbourne City as van Egmond also led the team in goals with six.[10] [11]
On November 5, 2019, Orlando used its top priority to acquire the NWSL rights to Australian midfielder Chloe Logarzo off the NWSL Re-Entry Wire.[12] On November 13, the pick was voided after the league realized Logarzo should not have been made available for selection and allowed to go through the re-entry process. The Pride was not offered compensation.[13] Logarzo subsequently signed in England with Bristol City.[14]
In January 2020, the Pride announced that NWSL President Amanda Duffy was to step down in order to become the team's Executive Vice President. General Manager Erik Ustruck returned to Orlando City's front office staff after only a year in the role.[15]
In March, the start of the season was delayed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.[16] On May 8, the NWSL allowed voluntary individual workouts on outdoor fields for the first time since the suspension.[17]
On May 27, 2020, the NWSL announced the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup as a smaller format replacement to the league, a 25-game tournament hosted at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah, beginning June 27, 71 days after the originally planned start date of the regular season.[18] On June 22, the team withdrew from the tournament following positive COVID-19 tests among both players and staff.[19]
Orlando ultimately played for the first time in 2020 on September 19 as part of the Fall Series friendlies, 343 days since the team's last match on October 12, 2019.
.[20]
As per the league schedule, NWSL teams were permitted to begin preseason activities on March 9, 2020. Orlando Pride were due to play three friendlies in preseason, all against Florida college teams.[23] However, on March 12 it was announced that the NWSL's preseason schedule had been canceled on the advice of public health authorities due to the coronavirus pandemic.[24]
Results
The format of the tournament was supposed to feature all nine NWSL clubs each playing four games in the preliminary rounds to determine seeding. The top eight teams would advance to a knockout bracket.[18] The draw for the preliminary round was held on June 1, randomly assigning teams to their opposition via seeding. Orlando were drawn against Chicago, Portland and North Carolina, the top three placed teams from the previous season as well as Sky Blue.[25] However, on June 22, the team confirmed they would be withdrawing from the tournament following positive COVID-19 tests among both players and staff.[19]
To compensate for the lack of competitive schedule and difficulty of travel, the NWSL grouped teams into regional pods to allow for a Fall Series in September and October.[26] Orlando were grouped in the south region with reigning NWSL champions North Carolina and 2020 Challenge Cup winners Houston.[27]
See main article: List of Orlando Pride records and statistics.
| Name | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Starts | ||||
| 2 | FW |  Sydney Leroux | 3 | 3 | |
| 3 | DF | Toni Pressley | 4 | 3 | |
| 5 | MF | Savanah Uveges | 2 | 1 | |
| 8 | MF |  Deneisha Blackwood | 4 | 2 | |
| 10 | FW |  Marta | 4 | 4 | |
| 11 | DF | Ali Krieger | 4 | 4 | |
| 12 | MF | Kristen Edmonds | 3 | 3 | |
| 14 | FW | Kate Howarth | 2 | 0 | |
| 16 | MF |  Zandy Soree | 0 | 0 | |
| 17 | DF | Carrie Lawrence | 4 | 3 | |
| 19 | MF |  Jordyn Listro | 3 | 3 | |
| 20 | MF | Abby Elinsky | 4 | 3 | |
| 21 | DF | Julie King | 0 | 0 | |
| 23 | MF | Marisa Viggiano | 4 | 4 | |
| 24 | GK | Ashlyn Harris | 3 | 3 | |
| 25 | DF | Konya Plummer | 2 | 1 | |
| 27 | DF | Morgan Reid | 0 | 0 | |
| 28 | DF | Courtney Petersen | 4 | 4 | |
| 30 | GK | Brittany Wilson | 1 | 1 | |
| 31 | MF | Chelsee Washington | 4 | 2 | |
| 32 | DF | Ally Haran | 2 | 0 | |
| Name | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | MF | Marisa Viggiano | 2 | |
| 2 | 2 | FW | Sydney Leroux | 1 | |
| 12 | MF | Kristen Edmonds | 1 | ||
| 32 | DF | Ally Haran | 1 | ||
| Total | 5 | ||||
| Name | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | FW | Sydney Leroux | 1 | 0 | |
| 8 | MF | Deneisha Blackwood | 1 | 0 | |
| 11 | DF | Ali Krieger | 1 | 0 | |
| 19 | MF | Jordyn Listro | 3 | 0 | |
| 23 | MF | Marisa Viggiano | 1 | 0 | |
| 31 | MF | Chelsee Washington | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 8 | 0 | |||
Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster. The 2020 college draft was held on January 16, 2020. Orlando had seven selections.[28]
| Round | Pick | Player | College | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Taylor Kornieck | MF | University of Colorado | Signed[29] | |
| 7 | Courtney Petersen | DF | University of Virginia | Signed[30] | ||
| 2 | 10 | Konya Plummer | DF | University of Central Florida | Signed | |
| 14 | Phoebe McClernon | DF | University of Virginia | Short-term[31] | ||
| 3 | 21 | Cheyenne Shorts | DF | University of Denver | Short-term[32] | |
| 26 | Abi Kim | FW | University of California, Berkeley | Not signed | ||
| 4 | 30 | Chelsee Washington | MF | Bowling Green State University | Signed |
| Date | Player | Previous club | Fee/notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 8, 2020 | Emily Sonnett | DF | Portland Thorns FC | Acquired in trade with the No. 7 and No. 14 picks in the 2020 NWSL Draft in exchange for Orlando's No. 1 overall pick. | [33] |
 Caitlin Foord (NWSL rights only)[34] | FW | ||||
| January 10, 2020 | Carrie Lawrence | DF | UCF Knights | Signed to supplemental roster | [35] |
| February 10, 2020 |  Ali Riley | DF | Bayern Munich | Signed via transfer using Allocation Money | [36] |
| February 14, 2020 | Erin McLeod | GK |  Växjö DFF | Free agent signing | [37] |
| April 1, 2020 | Jade Moore | MF | Reading | Signed via transfer using Allocation Money | [38] |
| June 21, 2020 | Brittany Wilson | GK | Denver Pioneers | Free agent signing, initially short-term contract for NWSL Challenge Cup but re-signed through 2021 in September. | |
| September 8, 2020 | Carrie Lawrence | DF | Orlando Pride | Free agent signing, short-term contract for Fall Series | [39] |
| Ally Haran | DF | Houston Dash | Free agent signing, short-term contract for Fall Series | ||
| Zandy Soree | MF | UCF Knights | Free agent signing, short-term contract for Fall Series | ||
| Deneisha Blackwood | MF |  Slavia Prague | Free agent signing, short-term contract for Fall Series | ||
| Jordyn Listro | MF |  UDG Tenerife | Free agent signing, short-term contract for Fall Series | ||
| Savanah Uveges | MF | Nebraska Cornhuskers | Free agent signing, short-term contract for Fall Series | ||
| Kate Howarth | FW | New England Mutiny | Free agent signing, short-term contract for Fall Series |
| Date | Player | Destination club | Fee/notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | Alika Keene | DF | Gintra Universitetas | 2019 National Team Replacement contract expired | [40] |
| Unknown | Hana Kerner | DF |  Stade de Reims | 2019 National Team Replacement contract expired | [41] |
| January 10, 2020 | Danica Evans | FW | Sporting de Huelva | Waived | |
| January 16, 2020 | Rachel Hill | FW | Chicago Red Stars | Traded with a third-round (No. 19) pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft, Orlando's natural first-round selection in the 2021 NWSL Draft and $50,000 of allocation money in exchange for a first-round (No. 3) and third-round (No. 26) pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft. | [42] [43] |
| January 22, 2020 | Dani Weatherholt | MF | Reign FC | Traded in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft. | [44] |
| February 4, 2020 | Haley Kopmeyer | GK | Waived | [45] | |
| February 26, 2020 | Joanna Boyles | MF | Retired | Retired | [46] |
| June 21, 2020 | Bridget Callahan | MF | Waived | ||
| Carrie Lawrence | DF | Orlando Pride | Waived (re-signed on September 8 for Fall Series) | ||
| Lainey Burdett | GK |  Åland United | Waived | [47] | |
| July 30, 2020 | Cheyenne Shorts | DF | Celtic | End of short-term contract | [48] |
| August 5, 2020 | Erin Greening | DF |  Klepp IL | Waived | [49] [50] |
| August 13, 2020 | Phoebe McClernon | DF | Växjö DFF | Released from short-term contract to sign abroad | [51] |
| August 18, 2020 | Emily Sonnett | DF | Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC | Federation player, opted to sign outside the league | [52] |
| September 12, 2020 | Caitlin Farrell | FW | Removed from roster, did not report | [53] | |
| Alex Morgan | FW | Tottenham Hotspur | Federation player, opted to sign outside the league | [54] |
| Date | Player | Loaned to | Notes | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 13, 2020 | Ali Riley | DF | FC Rosengård | Until November 30, 2020, with right of recall | [55] | |
| August 12, 2020 | Camila | MF | Palmeiras | Until December 22, 2020 | [56] | |
| August 14, 2020 | Erin McLeod | GK |  Stjarnan | Until October 20, 2020 | [57] | |
| August 18, 2020 | Jade Moore | MF | Atlético Madrid | Until February 15, 2021, with right of recall | ||
| August 20, 2020 | Shelina Zadorsky | DF | Tottenham Hotspur | Until December 31, 2020 | [58] | |
| Alanna Kennedy | DF | Tottenham Hotspur | Until December 31, 2020 | |||
| Carson Pickett | DF |  Apollon Limassol | Until November 20, 2020 | [59] | ||
| August 22, 2020 | Claire Emslie | FW | Everton | Until December 31, 2020 | [60] | |
| August 28, 2020 | Emily van Egmond | MF | West Ham United | Until December 31, 2020 | [61] | |
| August 31, 2020 | Taylor Kornieck | MF | MSV Duisburg | Until December 31, 2020 | [62] [63] |
Orlando Pride began preseason training on March 9, 2020. The squad included six non-roster invitees on trial with the team during preseason.[64] In June, Brittany Wilson was signed to a short-term contract for the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup before being signed through 2021 with an option for the 2022 season in September.[31] [65]
| 2020 Orlando Pride trialists | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Previous team |
| Jaelyn Cunningham | GK | Illinois Fighting Illini |
| Brittany Wilson | GK | Denver Pioneers |
| Madison Duncan | DF | |
| Jordyn Listro | MF | UDG Tenerife |
| Savanah Uveges | MF | Nebraska Cornhuskers |
| Kate Howarth | FW | New England Mutiny |