Orlando Pride has added forward Alex Morgan to the Club’s 20-person roster. In order to meet league roster size requirements, the Pride have waived forward Christina Burkenroad.
Morgan was designated as a U.S. Women’s National Team Federation Player for the Pride, but was not on the 20-player roster while she was playing for French side Olympique Lyonnais. Morgan will continue rehabbing a hamstring injury before being cleared to play. She is expected to be available in two to three weeks.
“Alex is going to add another dimension of our attacking ability. I think we already have a great deal of mobility and attack, and, somebody like Alex coming back into the team will add to that further,” Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni said. “Obviously, bringing someone like Alex back gives everybody a boost - the players, the team, the Club and the supporters. So there’s a whole range of positives with Alex coming back into the fold.”
Morgan, 27, appeared in 15 matches during Orlando’s 2016 season, all of them starts, and only missed time due to international duty with the U.S. WNT. The forward finished the year with four goals and one assist, including the Week 5 and Week 17 NWSL Goal of the Week.
Burkenroad, 23, was selected with the Pride’s third pick (No. 32 overall) in the 2016 NWSL College Draft out of Cal State Fullerton. The California native made eight appearances for Orlando, totaling 261 minutes.
“We’re sad to see Christina leave the Pride. She has been a dedicated professional and a wonderful contributor to our team, the Club and the community,” Sermanni added. “Knowing her playing time would likely have been limited with Alex’s return, we believed it would be in her best interest to provide her the opportunity to explore other options for her career. We wish Christina every success and look forward to seeing her continuing to grow both on and off the field.”