Storylines | Pride vs. Gotham FC

Gunny Scores Again 

Saturday’s match at Red Bull Arena saw midfielder Gunny Jónsdóttir notch her second goal in the Challenge Cup, finishing tied with teammate Darian Jenkins for the team lead at two finishes apiece. Jenkins netted both of her goals on April 16 in the Pride’s Challenge Cup home finale against North Carolina. 

Racing to Daytona 

This week, the Pride announced that they will be participating in the first ever Daytona Soccer Fest at the Daytona International Speedway. Scheduled for July 3, with an 8 p.m. ET kickoff, the Pride will host Racing Louisville FC at the iconic venue that famously holds the Daytona 500 race. The weekend will also be host to a Legends Game, featuring World Cup champions, and a concert by three-time GRAMMY winner Chance the Rapper. The night will be capped off with fireworks following the Pride match. 

Kaylie Collins Makes Pro Debut 

The Pride’s last match saw goalkeeper Kaylie Collins earn her professional debut, starting in between the sticks for the visitors against Gotham FC. Collins finished the match with four saves, not allowing a goal in the run of play with the New Jersey-based side only finding the back of the net via a penalty kick. 

Abello Gets The Start

After two-straight appearances as a substitute, Kerry Abello got her first start in a professional match. Abello hails from Penn State University where she helped her team win two Big 10 titles. The Pride signed Abello in January of this year, aftering drafting her in the 2021 NWSL College Draft. 

Looking for a First

Entering the team’s seventh season, the Pride will be looking to win its season opener for the first time in Club history. While the side has picked up points in opening games, the team holds a 0-3-2 all-time record in regular season openers, with draws in 2018 and 2021, and no regular season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Amanda Cromwell will have the opportunity to become the first head coach in Pride history to pick up a win in their regular season debut, with Tom Sermanni and Marc Skinner’s first sides both falling to Portland in their inaugural matches. 

Sharing the Love

With six matches in the Challenge Cup, 24 of 25 eligible players were able to earn match time for the Pride over the games. Only Viviana Villacorta did not see the field, with the midfielder just being cleared before the team’s final Challenge Cup match after a year-plus recovery from an ACL injury. Defender Caitlin Cosme is the only Pride player to not yet have been available for selection this season, with the rookie recovering from an injury since the start of preseason. 

The First 15

On the offensive end, the first 15 minutes of each half have proved to be the most successful for the Pride when it comes to goalscoring. Each of the Pride’s four goals during the Challenge Cup fell within this timeframe. Both Darian Jenkins and Gunny Jónsdóttir have both scored a goals in each of the 0-15 and 45-60 minute windows, with Jónsdóttir scoring the earliest of these in the Pride’s last match, a 10th-minute goal at Gotham FC.