The Orlando Pride released a full 24-game schedule for the 2020 NWSL season, including 12 home matches at Exploria Stadium.
The team will kick off its fifth season in the league at home on April 19, hosting Sky Blue FC with a 5 p.m. kickoff. The club is offering a special promotion for the match this week, with tickets available for $12 on the Pride website through Feb. 29.
Season and single-game tickets will go on sale at a later date.
After starting the season at home, the Pride will hit the road for four of the next five games, playing seven of their first 12 matches of the year on the road. The team will only host three total home matches in April and May including the season opener — one on May 2 against the reigning champion North Carolina Courage team, and a mid-week match on May 27 against the Houston Dash.
Although the first half of the season will feature a travel-heavy load for the Pride, the team will round out the end of the season with a series of home games. The team will play two of their last three matches at Exploria Stadium, including a season-ending home game on October 10 against the North Carolina Courage.
This year’s schedule will feature a two-week hiatus for the Pride from July 18 to Aug. 2 to accommodate the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. This hiatus won’t prevent overlap — the Olympic Games begin on July 24 and end on Aug. 9, along with necessary training camps, travel and rest for players competing — but it will offer some relief to the Pride.
The team struggled when it lost nine players to the World Cup last summer, including starting goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and stars such as Alex Morgan and Marta. This year’s backline completely consists of national team players — American defenders Ali Krieger and Emily Sonnett, Canadian defender Shelina Zadorsky and New Zealand defender Ali Riley, along with Harris in goal.
Although the team will still most likely have to play several matches — including an Aug. 15 match against the Portland Thorns — without its international stars, the club made additions such as Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod in the offseason to ease the challenge of national team call-ups.
This year’s schedule will also feature two doubleheader weekends featuring Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. The men’s side will take on FC Cincinnati on April 18, the day before the Pride’s season opener. The teams will also feature in a doubleheader on Fourth of July weekend, with the Lions hosting Toronto FC on July 4 and the Pride hosting the Thorns on the following day.
Full schedule:
Sun., Apr. 19: Sky Blue FC, 5 p.m.
Fri., Apr. 24: at Utah Royals FC, 10 p.m.
Sat., May 2: North Carolina Courage, 7:30 p.m.
Wed., May 6: at Portland Thorns, 10:30 p.m.
Sun., May 17: at Chicago Red Stars, 6 p.m.
Sat., May 23: at North Carolina Courage, 7 p.m.
Wed., May 27: Houston Dash, 7 p.m.
Sat., May 30: at Washington Spirit, 7 p.m.
Sat., June 13: at Utah Royals FC, 9:30 p.m.
Fri., June 19: at Reign FC, 10 p.m.
Fri., June 26: Washington Spirit, 7 p.m.
Sun., July 5: Portland Thorns, 5 p.m.
Sun., July 12: Reign FC, 5 p.m.
Sat., July 18: at Chicago Red Stars, 8 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 2: Utah Royals FC, 5 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 7: Sky Blue FC, 7 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 15: at Portland Thorns, 10:30 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 21: Reign FC, 7 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 30: Houston Dash, 5 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 9: at Washington Spirit, 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 12: at Houston Dash, 7 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 25: Chicago Red Stars, 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 3: at Sky Blue FC, 6 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 10: North Carolina Courage, 7:30 p.m.