Sky Blue has played in two home games and Raquel Rodriguez has scored the game-winner in both matches. (Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports)
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Three days after missing an opportunity to take over the National Women’s Soccer League lead, Sky Blue FC returns home to host the Orlando Price.
Sky Blue FC (3-3-1, 10 points) will tussle with Orlando (2-2-2, 6) at Yurcak Field at 7 p.m.
It will be the third home match of the season for Sky Blue FC at Yurcak Field, where the team has won both of its previous outings. In each encounter, Sky Blue FC saw dramatic game-winners from Costa Rican international Raquel Rodriguez in the waning minutes.
“We are looking forward to playing in front of our fans again this weekend,” Sky Blue FC head coach Christy Holly said. “We are beginning to establish a winning culture at home in New Jersey, and that is a great source of pride for us. We now look to continue the growth of that culture on Saturday when we host a very good Orlando team.”
It will be the third match in eight days for Sky Blue FC. The New Jersey club began that run when it hosted the Houston Dash for the NWSL on Lifetime Game of the Week Saturday, using an 85th minute winner by Rodriguez to hand the Dash a 2-1 defeat.
Sky Blue FC traveled to North Carolina for a Wednesday road match against the first-place Courage, where it came out on the wrong side of a 2-0 result. Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan put forth a stellar performance, registering 11 saves.
The number was the highest for a Sky Blue FC keeper since the team joined the NWSL. It also ranks as second best all-time behind an 13-save showing by Karen Bardsley in a 1-0 win for Sky Blue FC over the Atlanta Beat in Women’s Professional Soccer May 9, 2010.
Orlando enters Saturday on a three-game unbeaten streak, drawing with Seattle Reign FC at Memorial Stadium last Sunday, 1-1. Marta scored that lone tally for the Pride, which lost starting goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris.
Harris was ruled out with a quadriceps injury and is expected to miss eight weeks. Her loss Harris meant two former Sky Blue FC goalkeepers will be heading to New Jersey this weekend in Aubrey Bledsoe and Caroline Stanley.
In 2016 Sky Blue FC went 1-0-1 against the Florida clubs. Their lone meeting at Yurcak Field resulted in a 1-1 tie, as Alex Morgan and Sam Kerr exchanged goals for their respective clubs.
