Orlando Pride Claim Australian International Midfielder Chloe Logarzo Off NWSL Re-Entry Wire

The Orlando Pride have selected Australian international midfielder Chloe Logarzo off the NWSL Re-entry Wire. Although the Pride now own Logarzo’s league rights, it’s still too soon to tell if she’ll be with Orlando in 2020. If she does end up wearing purple next year, Logarzo will be among those missing for the Olympics, assuming Australia earns qualification. Australia will begin its qualification run in early February.

Logarzo played 15 matches with the Washington Spirit in 2019 after joining the club back in February. Logarzo made nine starts and played 796 minutes, scoring one goal without registering an assist. She did create nine scoring chances, passing at a 67.6% rate, with 35.7% of her passes going forward, compared to 18.8% backward, 15.8% to the left and 29.8% to the right. She got two of her six shot attempts on target. Logarzo committed 13 fouls and drew 13 from her opponents, and saw one yellow card on the season.

The 24-year-old already has 41 caps with the Matildas, scoring seven international goals since her debut in 2013. Prior to joining the Spirit, Logarzo played six matches in 2018 with Blacktown Spartans FC in the New South Wales Premier League, where she scored two goals. She played in 21 matches with the W-League’s Sydney FC in 2017 and tallied six goals. She has previously played professionally in Norway and Sweden, and has also played in the U.S. before with the Colorado Pride of the USL W-League, notching eight goals and seven assists in just 10 matches in 2014, earning Rookie of the Year honors and finishing as an all-league forward. She began her senior career with Sydney FC, playing 48 matches from 2011 to 2015, scoring 11 goals.

At only 5-foot-4, Logarzo lacks size, but she does have skill and can play as a winger or a wingback and even as a forward. She captained the Australian U-20 team in 2013 and has appeared for the senior Matildas at the 2016 Summer Olympics, with the 2017 Tournament of Nations winning side, and she scored against Marta’s Brazil side in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

What It Means for Orlando

Logarzo could be a good addition for the Pride. While she didn’t set the world on fire with the Spirit in 2019, she also missed a good chunk of the season due to international duty. She’s a talented player and can help a midfield that has struggled in recent seasons to connect with the forward line. She has good offensive instincts and looks to go forward. The problem is, obviously, that she’d likely miss a good chunk of 2020 on international duty as well and the Pride has been decimated by call-ups in recent years.

If the Pride can convince Logarzo to stay in the NWSL and not run off to Europe, they could have a nice addition on their hands. Orlando has exercised the option on Alanna Kennedy’s contract and extended a new contract offer to Emily van Egmond, so it’s conceivable that Logarzo could have two of her fellow Matildas around to help her get acclimated. However, it’s not a given that any of these three players will be on the roster opening day and we’ll have to wait and see what transpires during a busy off-season.