Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (5-5-6, 21 points) take on NJ/NY Gotham FC (5-4-6, 21 points) at Red Bull Arena. This will be the second of three meetings between the two teams in the 2021 NWSL regular season. Gotham will return to Exploria Stadium on Oct. 9.
History
The Pride and Gotham FC, formerly known as Sky Blue FC, have played every year since 2016, except 2020. Itโs been a pretty even series between the two teams, with the Pride leading 5-4-4 overall and 5-3-4 in NWSL regular-season games.
The most recent game between the two teams came on June 20 at Exploria Stadium. It appeared as though a late first-half goal by Caprice Dydasco would give the visitors all three points. However, Marta set up Courtney Petersen in second-half injury time, allowing the Pride to come away with a 1-1 draw.
While the draw was the first time the two teams played during the regular season in 2021, it was their second match-up of the year. The two teams also played on April 14 in the NWSL Challenge Cup. The Pride dominated the game statistically, including shots and shots on target, but were unable to convert. Gotham took advantage of the Prideโs lack of finishing, scoring the winning goal in the 79th minute, with Paige Monaghan lifting Gotham to a 1-0 win.
The global pandemic and the Prideโs withdrawal from the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup meant that the most recent game prior to 2021 came during the 2019 regular season. The teams first met that year on June 22,…