Orlando Pride focus on developing young talent during NWSL Fall Series

Orlando Pride striker Sydney Leroux has used shutdowns this year to help reach elite match fitness levels following her pregnancy, coach Marc Skinner said.When the team takes the pitch for its first match of the NWSL Fall Series in two weeks, 343 days will have passed since the final game of the 2019 season.

The months between those two matches were filled with turmoil — a season shutdown, the Pride’s withdrawal from the NWSL Challenge Cup, a flurry of loans. Now the club is looking to make the most of its only four matches of the year.

For coach Marc Skinner, the greatest challenge is balancing his focus between developing the club’s young talent and fielding the most experienced lineup that…