With their first preseason game just a little over a week away, the Orlando Pride announced their 2018 preseason roster on Monday ahead of their third year in the National Women’s Soccer League.
The Pride will be missing six players who were named to the roster at the start of preseason, as they report to their respective national-team camps.
Forward Alex Morgan and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris have been called up to the United States women’s national team in preparation for the SheBelieves Cup.
Newly signed midfielder Emily van Egmond and Alanna Kennedy will be with the Australian women’s national team, and newly acquired defender Shelina Zadorsky will be with the Canadian women’s national team, as both countries prepare for the 2018 Algarve Cup.
Brazilians Marta Vieira da Silva and Monica Hickmann Alves are in Orlando now but will join fellow Brazilian and new Pride defender Poliana Barbosa Medeiros at camp, who is already back home training with the Brazilian women’s national team.
As for the other Brazilian, Camila Martins Pereira was seen running at the Pride’s first preseason training Monday. She tore both her ACL and MCL in her right knee in the Pride’s regular-season finale last season on Sept. 30.
The 2018 preseason roster will consist of two former college players, as well.
Orlando’s 2018 NWSL College Draft pick, forward Nádia Gomes, will join the Pride this preseason. The Pride will also add a local trialist: University of Central Florida midfielder Bridget Callahan. Callahan was the only trialist that was named to the preseason roster.
The Pride open their preseason with a scrimmage at Florida State University on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. They will officially open their 2018 season at Orlando City Stadium on Mar. 24 at 7:30 p.m. against the NWSL’s newest expansion team, Utah Royals FC.
2018 Orlando Pride Preseason Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): Ashlyn Harris (FED-USA, NYR), Haley Kopmeyer
DEFENDERS (7): Monica Hickmann Alves, Poliana Barbos Medeiros (NYR), Ali Krieger, Camila Martins Pereira, Carson Pickett, Toni Pressley, Shelina Zadorsky (FED-CAN, NYR)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Bridget Callahan (t), Kristen Edmonds, Alanna Kennedy (NYR), Christine Nairn, Emily van Egmond (NYR), Dani Weatherholt
FORWARDS (7): Danica Evans, Nadia Gomes (CDP), Rachel Hill, Sydney Leroux, Alex Morgan (FED-USA, NYR), Chioma Ubogagu, Marta Vieira da Silva
Key
FED = 2018 federation player
CDP = 2018 NWSL College Draft pick
t = trialist
NYR = Not yet reported to camp
For more on the Pride, as they open their preseason, follow Sarah Kelliher on Twitter at @sarahkelliher4.
