Orlando Pride will compete in NWSL Fall Series
By Official Florida FC
The National Women’s Soccer League announced it will return for a fall series next month. The league earned record-setting ratings during the NWSL Challenge Cup this summer and is back on the pitch on Sept. 5.
All nine teams are slated to compete in the seven-week tournament. Teams will be separated into three-team pods and play four games — a double home and home against the other two teams in its pod.
“Building on the success of this summer’s Challenge Cup, I am so excited to smartly and safely take this next step on the NWSL’s journey,” said NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird in a statement. “The women of the NWSL want to compete and we’ve certainly heard from our fans all over the world looking for more action this year. I’d like to thank the NWSL Player’s Association for their constant collaboration, as well as CBS for continuing to invest in our league’s growth and this unprecedented opportunity to showcase the NWSL to a world-wide audience, week-in, week-out.”
The Orlando Pride missed the NWSL Challenge Cup because multiple members of the team and technical staff were diagnosed with COVID-19 in June. A handful of those diagnoses were false positives or inconclusive; however, the club nor the NWSL took the risk.
The Pride will be in the South pod alongwith NWSL Challenge Cup champion Houston Dash and the North Carolina Courage.
A fixture list has yet to be announced by the league.
| South | Northeast | West |
|---|---|---|
| Orlando | Chicago | OL Reign |
| North Carolina | Sky Blue FC | Portland |
| Utah | Washington | Houston |
