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Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue FC: Final Score 2-2 as Pride Drop Two Crucial Points

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7 years ago

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Facing a must-win match against the winless Sky Blue FC (0-13-4, 4 points) in Orlando City Stadium should have been an easy three points for the Orlando Pride but they struggled in the final third and made too many defensive mistakes in a 2-2 draw. Dani Weatherholt’s hustle was the reason why the Pride (8-6-6, 30 points) were even able to come away with a single point and Marta missed a penalty kick in the 97th minute that would have won it. Luckily for Orlando, the North Carolina Courage beat the Portland Thorns, winning the NWSL and helping the Pride move into third place in the NWSL standings.

“I think today’s game was probably a snapshot of our season,” said Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni. “We had more than enough possession to win the game, we had, certainly, more than enough chances to win the game, probably hit the woodwork three or four times. We dominated large parts of the game but we just don’t put the game away. And then we seem to be again just defensively frail to give up easy opportunities that really shouldn’t happen.

“We could’ve gotten ourselves out of jail, for lack of a better word. Obviously, with having the penalty in the last minute. But again that’s been our season so far. I wish I had an answer. We need to be able to put games to bed when we dominate them so much. But we also need to stop giving up chances that are so easy for our opponents. I’m at a loss to be able to know how to remedy both of those to be honest.”

After an extended rest because of international break, Sermanni brought his team out with a few surprises in the starting XI. Alanna Kennedy, who played all three games in the Tournament of Nations as a center back for Australia, played the same position for the Pride tonight. Rachel Hill got her sixth start of the year and Chioma Ubogagu played as a wingback. 

The first 45 minutes can be described in one word — uneventful. Orlando dominated the half but only got one shot on goal. This shot came from a free kick set up by Marta. The Brazilian was about 25 yards from goal, in front of the entire Sky Blue defense, but had no help from her teammates. Marta used some fancy footwork to win a free kick. She then took the set piece, which was deflected off the wall and hit the crossbar. Dani Weatherholt was able to get a foot on the rebound but her shot was easily caught by Sky Blue goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan. 

Ashlyn Harris was forced to make one save in the first half in the 28th minute. Savannah McCaskill threaded the Pride defense and played Imani Dorsey perfectly into the box. Harris was quick to react though and made the one-on-one save. 

Ubogagu was one of the better players in that first half. While she still had a couple of turnovers, she continuously took players on and put the ball into good areas.

“One of the reasons why I love football so much is the creativity aspect and that’s one of the things I really try to help the team,” said Ubogagu. “I want to create, I want to help score and assist goals. My teammates are doing a good job at getting the ball in good positions and I had space to try and find people. Rachel [Hill] and Marta were creating space and getting in the box. I think the team, we were using our system really well and in the second half the space was opening up for Kristen [Edmonds] to do the same thing. So I think the more and more we play this formation we’ll know our tendencies and what’s open and where to play the ball.”

Orlando led Sky Blue in possession (58%), shots (4-1), corners (2-0), passes (275-207), and passing accuracy (83%-71%) but the Pride could do nothing in the final third. 

“We need to just continue building our chemistry with whoever is up top, and building relationships and knowing what each other likes to do on and off the ball,” said Ubogagu. “We just got to keep going. We all really want to make the playoffs. As frustrating as this result is we still got a point out of it.”

Where the first half was uneventful, the second 45 kept everyone on their toes. It started out with Orlando using a high press to immediately win the ball. The Pride then played fast and got into the box but Ubogagu collided with Christina Gibbons, and both stayed down, ending the attack. 

The Pride kept up this intensity and Weatherholt’s hustle created the first goal of the match. She got off her shot, which hit the post, and Marta was there to reap the rewards and put the Pride up 1-0 in the 51st minute. 

The visitors then hit straight back two minutes later. Kennedy collided with Ali Krieger trying to defend in the box, and was extremely slow in getting up. This led to Dorsey being left wide open at the six-yard box, where she had no trouble finding the back of the net. 

“There are things that are out of everybody’s control,” Sermanni said. “But if I go back to the goal, we shouldn’t have been in that position that we were in. We had enough defenders behind the ball, with enough players back there. We should have been organized better. So the fact that Alanna [Kennedy] fell, for me, is a little bit immaterial because the goal came about purely by bad defending.”

Following the goal, Carli Lloyd entered the game and changed the momentum in favor of Sky Blue. Just three minutes after coming on, Lloyd played a perfect ball across the field to find the head of Savannah McCaskill, who used her head to play it back across goal and Shea Groom put it away to give Sky Blue a 2-1 lead. Groom landed awkwardly on the play and had to leave the game after her goal. 

The second that Orlando went down, Sermanni looked to his bench and brought on Alex Morgan and Camila. The Pride then started to get more of an attack going and clearly were searching for two more goals to grab three points. 

They got halfway there in the 73rd minute. Camila dribbled the ball towards the Sky Blue box before being fouled. The referee was about to blow his whistle for a foul when he saw that Weatherholt got on the end of the loose ball and he played advantage. Weatherholt then did the rest and kept on fighting to put the ball in the back of the net and level the game at two each. 

“I’ve said this before but we need 10 Dani Weatherholts on the field,” said Sermanni. “She’s the person that has really dragged our team along in games quite often. Whether that’s been a decisive tackle, a decisive run, a decisive goal, like it was tonight, or whatever, she has just been magnificent this year. I need 10 players doing that and if we had 10 players doing that I think we would be a little bit further up the table.”

The Pride kept on pressing in search of a needed third goal but the visitors would not break until the dying minutes when the game rested on the foot of Marta from the penalty spot. After a corner, the ball was bouncing around in the box and Lloyd was given a straight red for swatting the ball out of the air with her hand on the goal line. Marta, at the spot, in the 97th minute of a tied game sounds like three points in the bag for Orlando. However, her kick was poor and Sheridan was able to make the game-saving stop. 

Marta played extensively for Brazil in the Tournament of Nations and played the entire match. Perhaps a more rested player should have taken the spot kick, but Marta generally comes through.

The Pride finished with 21 shots, but were only able to get eight on target. they led in possession (54%-46%) and total passes (403-362) but need to improve in the final third and stop making defensive mistakes.

“Ultimately, we played well but we need to be more efficient and better in the final third,” Weatherholt said. “I think we had a lot of chances but we didn’t put them away. I think any time you dominate a game and possession and you have the ball a lot in their final third. We were creating, we just didn’t finish and that’s on the whole unit.”

The Pride are back in action next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET against the Portland Thorns in Orlando City Stadium.

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Orlando Pride vs. San Diego Wave FC: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Win Third Straight

An eventful second half resulted in the Pride extending their win streak to three matches to start the season.

Published

2 days ago

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March 29, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride (3-0-0, 9 points) won their third straight game to start the 2025 season with a 2-1 win over San Diego Wave FC (1-1-1, 4 points) this afternoon at Inter&Co Stadium. Haley McCutcheon gave the Pride the lead early in the second half before Chiamaka Okwuchukwu equalized in the 62nd minute. Marta netted a penalty in the 76th minute to give her team the win.

The Pride had only one change from the lineup that defeated NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-0 Sunday night. Rafaelle was out injured and replaced by Cori Dyke. Emily Sams moved over to her natural center back position to make room for the second-year right back.

Anna Moorhouse was in goal behind a back line of Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Sams, and Dyke. Haley McCutcheon and Morgan Gautrat were in the defensive midfield behind Angelina, Marta, and Ally Watt with Barbra Banda up top.

This was a game of two halves. Both teams looked lethargic with the noon kickoff, creating few chances. In fact, only five shots were taken in the first 45 minutes. However, the Pride went on the attack in the second half, scoring inside the first 10 minutes after the break. Add in a little chaos and it was an eventful second 45 minutes.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said earlier in the week the Pride needed to start fast and they tried to do so, creating the first chance inside the first minute. McCutcheon found Banda going forward off a throw-in. The striker took a couple of touches inside to create space for a shot, but the attempt traveled wide of the target.

Angelina sent Banda forward in the fourth minute and the striker took her second shot in the early minutes. She dribbled inside again and shot from the top of the box, but Kristen McNabb got in front of the attempt to block it.

The Wave created their first decent chance in the eighth minute when Kenza Dali found Perle Morroni on the far left. The left back sent a cross into the box looking for Adriana Leon, but Abello was there to knock it out of play.

The ensuing corner kick resulted in a pair of shots, first by Leon and then by Delphine Cascarino. However, Watt and Banda got in front of the attempts, ensuring Moorhouse wasn’t challenged by either.

The Pride should’ve had a good chance in the 27th minute when Banda played a cross to the top of the San Diego box. McCutcheon and Angelina both converged on the ball but clearly didn’t speak as they ran into each other, ending the threat.

The Pride won their first corner kick in the 37th minute when Banda’s cross was blocked out of play by McNabb. The ensuing set piece was cleared back out to Angelina, who sent another cross into the box. Banda and Savannah McCaskill collided and the ball fell for Watt. However, the whistle blew as McCaskill went to the ground. Referee Adorae Monroy called the foul on Banda though it didn’t appear there was much in it.

Leon tried to send Maria Sanchez through in the 43rd minute, playing the ball between Dyke and Sams. It initially looked like Sanchez might reach it and get in on goal, but Dyke did well to slide in and win the 50-50 ball.

Cori Dyke with the well-timed tackle 💪

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-03-29T17:18:11.734Z

The Pride had one last chance in the final seconds of the first half when Kennedy Wesley grabbed Banda near the Wave third of the field. Marta’s free kick into the box found the head of Sams, who tried to redirect it on goal, but sent it wide.

After 45 minutes of action, San Diego had the advantage in possession (57%-43%), crosses (8-6), corner kicks (2-1), and passing accuracy (87%-81%). Both teams took three shots and none were on target.

“We are not the team that we showed in the first half. It was the first thing that I told everybody,” Marta said about the first half. “And second, we need to complete our passes because we kill ourselves all the time. When we take the ball back, we give it so fast back to them and there was a little bit suicide for us.”

“First half, it was a little bit flat, a little bit lethargic,” Hines added. “Misplaced some tackles, misplaced some pressing moments, but we were still in the game.”

The Pride made one halftime substitution as Summer Yates came on for Gautrat. The attacking change saw Angelina move into a more defensive role with Yates entering the attacking midfield.

The Pride came out attacking and Yates sent Banda behind the Wave back line in the 48th minute. The striker was free on goal and tried to beat Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan to her near post, but the Canadian international got down to tip it wide.

A minute later, Watt received the ball about 35 yards from goal. After taking a couple of touches forward, the attacker fired. It was an ambitious attempt and on target, but it was straight down the middle, allowing Sheridan to tip it over the top.

Marta’s ensuing corner kick was to the back post, where Banda ran onto it. The ball bounced off Wesley and went straight to McCutcheon. It was an easy finish for the defensive midfielder, who put it in for her second goal of the season.

Haley McCutcheon? More like Haley McCLUTCHeon 😮‍💨

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-03-29T17:26:41.254Z

Despite her position, McCutcheon has now scored in each of her last four home games.

The Pride should’ve had a second in the 53rd minute when Banda played the ball to the penalty spot where Marta was waiting. The captain slipped as she hit the ball, sending it further to the left for Yates. The halftime substitute had a great chance to double her team’s advantage, but sent her shot over the top.

The Wave made a triple substitution in the 60th minute, including Okwuchukwu. The Nigerian immediately made an impact, creating a chance for her team in the 61st minute. Receiving a pass forward from Morroni, Okwuchukwu beat a sliding Sams and found Morroni continuing her run to the top of the box. The left back tried to find a teammate making a run, but the Pride were able to clear.

Seconds later, Dali lifted a cross into the Pride box. Moorhouse hesitated before coming out to meet the ball, allowing Okwuchukwu to get there first. The San Diego forward headed it in, however, Monroy called a foul and awarded a free kick to the Pride.

The referee was soon called to the monitor to have a second look. After a brief review, the goal was given as Okwuchukwu got there first. It was a good decision and the game was even at 1-1.

A dream debut for 19-year-old Chiamaka Okwuchukwu! 🇳🇬✨The Nigerian nets her first NWSL goal after subbing in under 2 minutes!

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-03-29T17:38:51.683Z

“I think that sometimes that happens,” Hines said about the goal. “You know, quick throw, delivery, confusion at the back. We’ll review it, we’ll address it, and we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

The goal was the first conceded by the Pride this season after a pair of clean sheets.

Immediately after the goal, Hines made his second change of the game as Prisca Chilufya came on for Watt.

The Wave had a chance to strike again in the 68th minute when Cascarino played Kimmi Ascanio behind the Pride back line. However, her touch was too heavy, though it went off a Pride defender for a corner. Orlando cleared on the ensuing set piece to escape the danger.

In the 70th minute, Chilufya played the ball wide for Banda who took it into the Wave box. Cascarino challenged the striker from behind, knocking her over. Monroy initially allowed play to continue to see if Chilufya would gain an advantage, but the ball went out of play and the referee pointed to the spot.

Marta stepped up to take the penalty, sending Sheridan the wrong way. However, her penalty was off the inside of the post. It was only the second Marta penalty to be saved or missed since joining the Pride.

“I tried to read which side she would jump,” Marta said about her penalty. “And I read right, but my touch on the ball was so bad. It just hit my ankle and I’ll, I can’t believe, because it was almost perfect. She just jumped to one side and then the ball go to the other side.”

As the Pride tried to build another attack, Monroy stopped play after receiving word from the video assistant referee that Sheridan had come off her line early. Replays showed the goalkeeper was slightly off her line, eerily reminiscent of when Pedro Gallese came off his line against New York City FC in the 2020 MLS Cup playoffs in the same stadium.

“God gave me another chance,” she said about the decision. “He said do better than this one.”

Monroy went to the monitor to make sure the penalty had to be retaken and pointed to the spot for a second time. Marta stepped up again and, as Sheridan dove to her right, the Brazilian sent a panenka towards goal. The ball bounced off the bottom of the crossbar and in to give the Pride a 2-1 lead.

MARTA WITH THE PANENKA ‼️MARTA WITH THE PANENKA ‼️MARTA WITH THE PANENKA ‼️

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-03-29T17:51:40.926Z

“I was a little bit confused if I go to the right or the left,” Marta said about her second attempt. “So when you are confused, you put it like that, that I did. Just chip in the middle and then expect for the best.”

The players headed to the sidelines in the 76th minute for a hydration break and Hines took the opportunity to make his third substitution. Ally Lemos came into the game for Angelina.

In the 88th minute, Okwuchukwu lifted the ball over Sams and sent Kyra Carusa behind the Pride back line. It looked like the attacker was free on goal but Abello came flying in from behind and took the ball off of her foot. It likely would’ve been either a goal or red card if Abello got it wrong, but the challenge was successful and the Pride kept their 2-1 lead.

As the fourth official showed eight minutes of second-half stoppage time, Hines made two final changes. Zara Chavoshi and Bri Martinez came into the game for Dyke and Banda.

The Pride controlled possession in stoppage time, seeing out the game. San Diego had more possession (55.6%-44.4%) and better passing accuracy (85.5%-80.1%). However, the Pride had more shots (9-5), shots on target (4-1), and crosses (10-9). Both teams won three corner kicks.

“San Diego are a very good team, very good organized ball possession. I thought we did really well at times. But, you know, they were able to pick us off, but not really create too many opportunities,” Hines said. “So our attitude and the desire to get behind the ball once they did get through our initial press is something that we take a lot of pride in. But goals change games, and to get the first goal was brilliant. Another set piece goal that we worked very, very hard on. Obviously, they get themselves back into the game, which obviously we don’t want to happen, and then show our character again to come back.”

Orlando is off to a blazing start to the 2025 NWSL season. The Pride had never won their first game of the season, but they’ve now won three straight. They’ve outscored their opponents in those games 10-1, placing them atop the NWSL standings.

The Pride are off next weekend for the international break. They’ll return to action on April 12 when they travel west to take on Seattle Reign FC.

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Orlando Pride vs. San Diego Wave FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride return home to face San Diego Wave FC, looking for their third-straight win to start the season.

Published

2 days ago

on

March 29, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (2-0-0, 6 points) return home to face San Diego Wave FC (1-0-1, 4 points). This is the first of two games these teams will play this season. The return game in San Diego is scheduled for Sept. 26.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

History

The San Diego Wave joined the NWSL in 2022 and have only faced the Pride six times in their existence. The Pride have only lost once in those games, posting a record of 3-1-2 overall and 1-1-1 at home.

The most recent meeting was on June 7, 2024 in San Diego. Julie Doyle gave the Pride the lead in the 36th minute before a second-half equalizer by Makenzy Doniak resulted in a 1-1 draw. On April 19 in Orlando, Summer Yates scored the game’s lone goal in the first half, lifting the Pride to a 1-0 win. It was the Pride’s first home win in the series.

The first meeting in 2023 was at Snapdragon Stadium on April 29 after the Pride’s 0-4-0 start to the season. It looked like it would be a fifth straight loss when Jaedyn Shaw gave the hosts the early lead. But Adriana assisted Mikayla Cluff on the equalizer and Haley McCutcheon scored just before halftime to give the Pride the lead. Adriana scored her first goal of the season in the 69th minute to put the game away as the Pride won 3-1.

On Aug. 25 in Orlando, the Pride got off to a horrible start when San Diego center back Abby Dahlkemper scored in the seventh minute for her first goal since 2016. Marta set up Adriana just before halftime for an equalizer, but Kyra Carusa netted the late winner in a 2-1 San Diego win.

The first-ever meeting was on Aug. 13, 2022  in San Diego. The lone goal in the game came from the penalty spot after a Julie Doyle cross hit the arm of Kaleigh Riehl in the first half. Meggie Dougherty Howard stepped up and buried the penalty. The Pride held on for 67 minutes to beat one of the top teams in the league, 1-0 away.

The second meeting was on Sept. 25 in Orlando and the Pride got off to a great start. Doughety Howard opened the scoring in the first half and Gunny Jonsdottir doubled the advantage in the second. It looked like the Pride were headed for six points out of six against the expansion side, but San Diego came storming back. Doniak cut the lead in half and former Pride attacker Taylor Kornieck equalized late, resulting in a disappointing 2-2 draw.

Overview

The Pride have gotten the NWSL regular season off to a flying start. After drawing 1-1 and falling on penalties to the Washington Spirit in the Challenge Cup, they thrashed the Chicago Stars 6-0 and defeated NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-0 Sunday evening. It’s the first time in club history the Pride have recorded back-to-back shutouts (or wins) to start a season.

As you might expect, Barbra Banda has been a problem for opponents so far this season. She netted a brace in the season opener and created issues for Gotham, even though she didn’t get on the scoresheet.

Unfortunately, the Pride lost another key player with center back Rafaelle listed as out for this game. The Brazilian only played 45 minutes against Washington and moved up to 62 minutes against Chicago. It was expected she would play even more against Gotham, but her time was scaled back to 45 minutes again due to injury.

In all three games, the Pride went back to the back line that was the best in the league last year. Emily Sams moved over the center back alongside Kylie Nadaner and Cori Dyke came in at right back. You can expect that back line to start today.

Another issue is the knee injury to Doyle, suffered in the win over Chicago. While Ally Watt had already taken her spot in the attacking midfield, Doyle was a key substitute. However, her absence leaves a substitution spot open for Prisca Chilufya, who we’ve heard a lot about but have yet to see play much with the Pride.

Today, the Pride look to make it three wins out of three as they welcome the Wave to the City Beautiful. The Wave had to figure out what to do when their leading striker, Alex Morgan, retired during last season. They traded for Mexican international Maria Sanchez last year and made a possibly bigger move this off-season by acquiring Canadian international Adriana Leon.

Both Sanchez and Leon have gotten on the scoresheet this season, but they’ve been topped by 22-year-old Tacoma, WA native Gia Corley. The young attacker joined the Wave from German club TSG Hoffenheim this off-season and has quickly made a name for herself in Southern California.

While the Wave have plenty of attacking threats, they’ve yet to scare anyone. They drew 1-1 in their season opener against Angel City FC and won 3-2 in their home opener against the Utah Royals. With the Wave traveling across the country and playing a noon kickoff, the Pride are expected to handle today’s opposition.

“We’re at home. We want to set the tone early,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about today’s game. “I know San Diego have had a lot of goals early on in games. We have to negate that with our defensive responsibilities and our pressing triggers, but also play our game, which is ball possession, trying to create opportunities to score, and so it leads us to an exciting game on Saturday.”

The Pride will play this game without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), Aryssa Mahrt (knee), Doyle (knee), and Rafaelle (thigh).

Meanwhile, the Wave are only missing Hillary Beall (thigh) and Trinity Byars (knee).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Cori Dyke.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.

Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Carson Pickett, Summer Yates, Bri Martinez, Zara Chavoshi, Ally Lemos, Viviana Villacorta, Grace Chanda, Prisca Chilufya.

San Diego Wave FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Kailen Sheridan.

Defenders: Perle Morroni, Kristen McNabb, Kennedy Wesley, Hanna Lundkvist.

Midfielders: Kenza Dali, Maria Sanchez, Savannah McCaskill.

Forwards: Gia Corley, Adriana Leon, Delphine Cascarino.

Bench: Trinity Armstrong, Kimmi Ascanio, Melanie Barcenas, Kyra Carusa, Chiamaka Okwuchukwu, Favour Emmanuel, DiDi Haracic, Quincy McMahon, Makenzy Robbe.

Referees

REF: Adorae Monroy.
AR1: Joe Suchoski.
AR2: Jeremy Smith.
4TH: Kyle Cividanes.
VAR: Corbyn May.
AVAR: Maggie Short.

How to Watch

Match Time: 12 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: ESPN.

Streaming: ESPN+.

Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @themaneland.bsky.social on Bluesky and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Final Score 2-0 As Pride Take Three Points Away From Home

The Pride stayed unbeaten with a road shutout win over Gotham.

Published

1 week ago

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March 23, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride (2-0-0, 6 points) continued their strong start to the NWSL regular season with a 2-0 win over NJ/NY Gotham FC (0-1-1, 1 point) at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, NJ. The Pride took an early lead through a Lilly Reale own goal and doubled the advantage just before halftime with a Marta penalty. That was all the Pride needed to claim all three points.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines deployed the same starting lineup as the Challenge Cup draw and season-opening win. Anna Moorhouse started in goal behind a back line of Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Kylie Nadaner, and Emily Sams. Morgan Gautrat and Haley McCutcheon were the defensive midfielders behind Angelina, Marta, and Ally Watt with Barbra Banda up top.

While Gotham dominated most of the statistical categories, the Pride were never in any real danger. The visitors created few chances throughout the game, but the back line did a solid job with their bend-but-not-break strategy. As a result, Moorhouse had few saves to make and the Pride held onto their 2-0 halftime lead throughout the second half.

The Pride got off to the best possible start when they won a foul near the top of the Gotham box inside the first minute. Marta’s free kick was flicked on by Banda and heading towards the back post. Before it could reach McCutcheon, Reale knocked the ball past Ann-Katrin Berger and into her own net.

The goal was followed by a lengthy review to determine if McCutcheon — who was in an offside position — was involved in play or if Nadaner committed a foul in the buildup. The decision was for the goal to stand and the Pride took an early 1-0 lead.

“We talk about it all the time. Can we get that first goal in the game? So we always want to start fast whether we’re at home or away,” Hines said. “Regardless of the opponent we’re playing against, that first goal is really important to us. And to get it within one minute of the game was really rewarding.”

It was the second own goal in two league games for the Pride. Chicago Stars center back Hannah Anderson netted an own goal early in the second half in the season opener on March 14.

The Pride nearly scored a second goal in the 14th minute when Marta lifted the ball forward and into the Gotham half for Banda making a run. The striker took possession behind the back line and dribbled into the Gotham box but took a heavy touch and was unable to keep it on her foot. Berger came off her line and the two collided, resulting in a foul on Banda.

Following the missed chance by Banda, Gotham got its first decent look of the game. In the 20th minute, Ella Stevens tried to volley a cross into the box but barely got a touch on it. A minute later, Jaelin Howell took control of a clearance and sent a long-distance shot well over the target.

In the 26th minute, Marta intercepted the ball near midfield, going the other way with Banda. Playing it forward for the striker, Banda played the ball to Marta in the Gotham box. It looked like Marta’s shot was on target, but Berger did well to get down to block it with one hand. The ensuing corner kick by Angelina was cleared away and it was another missed opportunity for the visitors.

A poor pass from Tierna Davidson to Berger in the 30th minute nearly resulted in a chance for the Pride. As Banda pressured the Gotham goalkeeper, she played a short pass to the top of her own box that was intercepted by Watt. The attacker dribbled towards the end line and tapped it to Banda before it crossed out of play. However, the flag went up for offside.

Gotham had a good chance in the 31st minute when Stevens sent Esther Gonzaelz into the Pride six-yard box. Rafaelle did well to keep up with the attacker and got a touch to the shot, causing it to travel wide.

The ensuing corner kick was short to Sarah Schupansky, who sent a dangerous cross into the box. Looking to make up for her early own goal, Reale got her head to the ball and directed it towards the far post. Fortunately, the attempt went wide.

The Pride doubled their advantage just before halftime when Gautrat found Banda near midfield and the striker made a long run into the Gotham third of the field. Angelina was left alone on the far side and Banda found her teammate. As Angelina took a touch inside, Jess Carter left her leg out, catching the Brazilian. Referee Brad Jensen immediately pointed to the spot, awarding the Pride a penalty.

Angelina initially stood with the ball at the penalty spot as the video assistant referee looked at the play. Following confirmation, Marta stepped up to take the spot kick. The Pride captain took the penalty confidently, sending Berger the wrong way and giving her team a commanding 2-0 lead.

Despite the two-goal deficit, Gotham had more possession (54%-46%) and shots (7-3) in the first half. However, the Pride put all three shots on target while Gotham only put one of its seven first-half shots on frame. Additionally, both teams had one corner kick and three crosses, and the Pride had slightly better passing accuracy (79%-78%).

Hines made one halftime change, and it was a surprising one as Cori Dyke came into the game for Rafaelle. It wasn’t a surprise to see Rafaelle depart before full time as she returns to full fitness. However, she played 45 minutes against Washington and 62 minutes against Chicago. So it was a surprise to see her come off at halftime.

“It’s disappointing for Raf because she was building good momentum, getting good minutes,” Hines said about the substitution. “It’s just caution. We don’t want to have any sort of setbacks either. So we’re not taking any risks with her.”

The substitution caused a shift in the back line. Dyke took over at right back and Sams moved over to her natural center back position alongside Nadaner. It’s the same change Hines made in the team’s first two games of 2025.

The Pride started the second half how they finished the first, going on the attack. Just over a minute after the restart, Marta sent Banda behind the Gotham back line. The striker dribbled to the top of the box and near the middle before firing a shot that forced Berger into a good save. However, the flag went up for offside on the initial pass, so it was not an official shot or save.

Trailing 2-0, Gotham was the better of the two teams for the next 15 minutes. However, the hosts only created two shots in that time and neither caused any trouble for Moorhouse.

A giveaway by Dyke in the back in the 59th minute created a chance for Gotham when a fancy pass by Schupansky found Taryn Torres. However, the midfielder didn’t get much on the shot from just outside the box.

Hines made his second change in the 61st minute as Prisca Chilufya came into the game for Gautrat.

Shortly after the substitution, Gotham created its best chance when Gabi Portilho sent a beautiful ball into the box that found the head of Jaelin Howell. The attacker redirected the ball towards goal, but the attempt was over the crossbar.

In the 66th minute, Banda beat Gonzalez and was taken down just outside the Gotham box. Angelina’s free kick was cleared, but the Pride soon retook possession. Angelina found Marta, whose shot was blocked. Banda and Chilufya worked the ball around to Watt who shot from the left of goal, but the attempt was into the arms of Berger, ending the attack.

Hines made two more changes in the 79th minute. Summer Yates and Ally Lemos entered the game for Watt and Marta.

Immediately after the changes, Bruninha sent a cross into the box that found the head of Khyah Harper, who was playing in her first NWSL game. The rookie’s header was on target, but Moorhouse made an easy catch.

Gotham had a chance in the 84th minute when Yates blocked a cross out of play for a corner kick. Bruninha’s set piece found the head of Davidson, who outjumped McCutcheon. However, the center back was falling backwards and sent the attempt over the top.

The final Pride substitution came in the 88th minute when Zara Chavoshi came on for Angelina. It was the rookie’s professional debut.

“She played a lot of minutes during preseason, and obviously the league is very different. It’s higher risk, bigger rewards, and a lot more competitive,” Hines said about Chavoshi’s debut. “So just buying that time, finding the right moment to put her in. We felt today was a good time to put her in towards the end as Gotham were delivering more balls into the box, playing a little bit more direct.”

Gotham created a shot in the third minute of stoppage time as the hosts looked to get back into the game. Stevens sent a ball into the box that Gonzalez tried to bicycle, but missed. It went straight to Cece Kizer, who played the ball wide for an oncoming Reale. The defender took a first-touch shot from a tight angle, but it was right to Moorhouse.

At full time, Gotham had the advantage in possession (60%-40%), shots (15-6), corner kicks (6-2), crosses (20-9), and passing accuracy (79%-75%). However, despite the shot differential, both teams put four attempts on target as the Pride came away with the 2-0 win.

“It was a great game. We started off really well, obviously taking an early lead,” Hines said. “I thought we played some really good stuff. Not consistently, but I think there was some really good moments. And we created some really good opportunities to score. Maybe on another day, we capitalize on them. But I think toward the end, it really shows what type of team this is. Coming to a hostile environment, coming to Gotham’s home opener. This is a very good team who narrowly missed out on the playoff final last year, and we showed our character towards the end, making sure that we keep the clean sheet. It’s very easy as the game goes on, and them pushing forward, to lose concentration. But I thought we were phenomenal towards the end to get the shutout. So again, really pleased, couple of goals, another clean sheet, and we continue our momentum.”

“I was definitely relieved that we saw in the game and got the three points and kept our clean sheet,” Abello added. “It probably wasn’t our best, cleanest performance. I thought we were really threatening, but we were definitely under it towards the end of the game. But I was really proud that we saw out the win and got three points.”

The Pride set a bunch of team records last season and they’ve already set a new one. This is the first time the team has had back-to-back clean sheets to start a season.

“It’s been a real focal point of our game model, you would say. We don’t want to concede, it hurts when we concede, and you can see that with the attitude of the players,” Hines said. “It’s not just one or two players. It’s a full collective effort to keep the ball out of the net. You know, you can see the efforts from every single player, not just the stars, but the players coming off the bench. And having their roles and responsibilities to keep the ball out of the net.”

“We said it all last season, everyone knows the job that they have to do, and everyone’s very comfortable in doing that job. Makes my life incredibly easy,” Moorhouse added. “The back line are incredible at keeping chances to a minimum, and keep threatening chances to a minimum. And it’s really, really enjoyable to be involved.”

While it’s still early in the season, the Pride sit on top the NWSL standings with every team having played two games. They’re tied on points with the Kansas City Current, but have a four-goal advantage in the goal differential tiebreaker, largely thanks to their 6-0 win over the Chicago Stars in the first game.

The Pride return home next weekend for an afternoon tilt as they welcome San Diego Wave FC to Inter&Co Stadium for a rare noon kickoff.

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