Welcome to your preview and match thread for the Orlando Pride’s first game of the 2019 NWSL season! After a long off-season, it is finally Pride game day as they take on the Portland Thorns in the first of three meetings this season. Orlando also hosts the second meeting on May 11, and then travels to Portland for the final meeting on July 14.
Entering its fourth season, Orlando has only made the playoffs once (2017). Entering the 2018 season, there were massive expectations for the Pride to make the postseason again. The Pride were in the hunt early on, but just two wins in the last 11 matches saw Orlando slide all the way to seventh place and led to the firing of Tom Sermanni.