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Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Final Score 3-3 as Pride Rally from Three Goals Down

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5 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (0-2-2, 2 points) ended their 2020 NWSL Fall Series and season with a 3-3 draw with the North Carolina Courage (1-1-2, 5 points) at Exploria Stadium. The Pride erased a three-goal halftime deficit in the second half, netting the equalizer in second half injury time. Ally Haran’s first Pride goal from a Marta free kick in the 92nd minute rescued a point after Marisa Viggiano and Kristen Edmonds had pulled Orlando back into the match.

The Pride exit 2020 without earning a victory, but only having played four matches. On the positive side, it was the first time Orlando had scored three goals in a game since July 14, 2019 in a 4-3 road loss in Portland. It was the first time the Pride have scored three goals at home since July 6, 2019 when they beat the Washington Spirit by the same score.

“I’m immensely proud,” Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner said of the comeback. “I think you summed it up right as a roller coaster, again. We left it to the second half again to be impactful in the way that we know we could. Again, those are good games to be on the end of, obviously if you are the one coming back, but I’m so proud. I didn’t think we played particularly too bad — a couple of defending moments that we could do better on, but apart from that I thought they were just tremendous and I’m really, really proud of every single one of them.” 

Ashlyn Harris returned to the starting lineup behind a back line of Courtney Petersen, Toni Pressley, Ali Krieger, and Edmonds in Skinner’s 4-3-3. The midfield consisted of Deneisha Blackwood, Jordyn Listro, and Viggiano, behind an attacking line of Marta, Sydney Leroux, and Abby Elinsky.

The Pride got off to a strong start, maintaining quality possession and creating the first chance on goal. In the fourth minute, Marta found Elinsky on the right who sent a good low cross toward the top of the six-yard box. It nearly found Blackwood but was just out of her reach.

In the 12th minute, Blackwood had another chance when Marta sent a free kick toward the far post. Elinsky got her head to it and sent it back across the box toward the Jamaican forward. Blackwood tried to bring it down when her first touch should’ve been a shot, allowing North Carolina to clear. After that missed attempt, the Courage took over.

In the 19th minute, Marta was dispossessed near midfield by Lauren Milliet, who quickly played it forward. The Pride defense was pushing up while Debinha made her run, allowing her to remain onside. Harris came out to cut down the angle but the Courage playmaker put it past her for the first goal of the game.

Blackwood had her third chance of the game in the 25th minute when she was sent through by Marta. The 23-year-old forward was in on goal but took too long, allowing the Courage to get back. Before she could even get a shot off, Ryan Williams made the tackle and the Courage started an attack the other way.

The Courage immediately pushed forward and created their own chance. Quick balls by Addisyn Merrick and Debinha sent Lynn Williams through on goal but Harris got down to block her low shot toward the far post with her right foot.

North Carolina finally got its second goal five minutes into first-half injury time. After splitting a pair of defenders and laying the ball off for Meredith Speck, Debinha sent Williams through on goal. With only Harris to beat, Williams played the ball easily past her and into the net.

A minute later, the Courage seemed to put the game away when they scored their third goal. A poor pass by Viggiano was in between Edmonds and Krieger. That allowed Speck to win it and send Debinha in on goal. The best player on the field in the first half put her first touch past Harris and inside the far post, making it 3-0 Courage.

While it was less-than-ideal going into halftime with a three-goal deficit, Skinner was more confident than in previous games.

“At halftime it was a different conversation than against Houston, because against Houston we didn’t play particularly well in terms of our energy level and commitment,” Skinner said. “I think we were committed in the first half, we just made errors and were not as brave as we need to be in possession to attack.”

The Pride came out flying in the second half, similar to how they did in the first half. However, they were much more productive in the final third during the second period. In the 54th minute, the Pride got on the board when a poor pass by Peyton Perea was intercepted by Blackwood.

Marta took over and found Leroux near the penalty spot. A good first touch by Leroux created enough space for a shot but Katelyn Rowland got down for the save. Fortunately for the Pride, Viggiano was charging in and beat Rowland to the ball, putting it in for the Pride’s first goal and Viggiano’s second of the Fall Series.

The Courage nearly scored a fourth in the 68th minute from a free kick. Debinha sent the ball into the box where Williams stood wide open. Her first touch was a left-footed volley but it ricocheted off the crossbar.

Just three minutes later, the Pride made the Courage pay for their miss as they scored their second goal. A quick touch by substitute Carrie Lawrence sent Edmonds into space. Abby Dahlkemper gave the midfielder too much space and Edmonds took advantage of it, sending the ball just inside the far post.

The Pride nearly found their equalizer in the 87th minute when an attempted clearance fell to Marta just outside of the box. The forward took a long-distance shot that travelled just wide of the target.

As time wound down, North Carolina had possession and it appeared as though the Pride would come up just short. However, two minutes into injury time, the Pride were awarded a free kick. Marta’s cross toward the back post found the head of Ally Haran. The substitute beat two defenders to the ball, putting her header on target and past Rowland for the late equalizer. It was Haran’s first goal with the Pride.

“I thought about how maybe this is our last chance to score the goal,” Marta said about her thoughts leading to the free kick. “If I put the ball in the area I did, it will find somebody.”

“I was told to go to the back post and Marta played the perfect ball,” Haran said about her part in the play. “I was able to break through with fresh legs, get a good hit on the ball, and be able to put it in the back of the net.”

That was the last good scoring chance for either sides and the match ended after just under five minutes of stoppage time. North Carolina led in shots (16-11), shots on goal (6-4), corners (6-3), and passing accuracy (76.7%-72.5%). The Pride held more of the game’s possession (53.7%-46.3%).

After the opening 15 minutes, the Pride were outplayed in the first half. They created a few chances but the Courage dominated possession and the Pride were fortunate to not be down more. The hosts were much better in the second half.

“The second half was about desire,” Marta said following the game. “It was about bringing something positive out of those games.”

Skinner agreed with those comments.

“I’m so pleased that we could put something positive towards the end of the season for you (the fans).”

While North Carolina controlled the first half and parts of the second, Skinner said that was down to inexperience rather than tactics.

“North Carolina did exactly what we knew they would do because their shape is that. The personality’s the same,” he said. “When you have players that have a little bit less experience than your senior players, they take a feeling out period.”

It was a draw that almost felt like a win for a Pride team that had only claimed one point this year and dropped its last two games.

“It was almost a fairytale type of moment for the players,” Skinner said. “If our fans were there, they’d drive us on to maybe get a victory.”

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Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville: Final Score 2-0 as Pride Still Can’t Win in Kentucky

The Pride lacked quality but not effort in a frustrating 2-0 road loss at Louisville.

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15 hours ago

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June 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride were looking to end the first half of the season on a high note, but ended up doing just the opposite in a forgettable performance at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville. Orlando (8-4-1, 25 points) continued to waste scoring opportunities, but instead of playing the stalwart defense of the last couple of games, the Pride also failed to mark at the back post on a set piece and conceded an unnecessary penalty to gift the hosts a two-goal advantage in a 2-0 loss to Racing Louisville (6-5-2, 20 points).

Center back Arin Wright scored her first goal of the season and Taylor Flint added a penalty kick goal for Racing. The Pride dropped to 0-4-1 at Louisville since the series began and fell eight points adrift of first-place Kansas City, although the focus for now should perhaps be on finding their offense rather than catching the Current.

“Obviously disappointed with the result,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said after the match. “It’s come down to two set pieces.”

Hines’ starting lineup included goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse behind a back line of Cori Dyke, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, and Ohihane. Haley McCutcheon and Angelina were the central midfielders with Summer Yates and Ally Watt outside and Marta and Barbra Banda up top.

Louisville came out pressing high and pinning Orlando back in its own end. The Pride eventually settled into the game, worked hard and seized the advantage in terms of possession and chances. However, they were wasteful with their few clear-cut opportunities, and rather than build an early lead, Orlando ended up gifting Racing an early advantage and had to play catch-up — something the Pride simply couldn’t do on this night.

Marta was called for an early foul that she knew little about, jumping up between two defenders. Ary Borges backed into her space, and there was contact, with Marta getting saddled with the foul. Sarah Weber got her head to the cross on the free kick, sending it just inches over the crossbar and onto the roof of the net in the fourth minute.

Orlando’s first shot came in the seventh minute after the Pride broke Racing’s pressure. The ball found Banda, who cut inside from left to right and fired from the top of the box. The Zambian international left her shot too close to goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer, who got down and made the save.

The Pride suffered a blow moments later as Oihane went down without contact trying to keep a ball in play at the sideline. She was clearly in a lot of pain and had to be subbed off. While waiting for the sub, the game played on with Orlando using just 10 players.

Racing kept the pressure on and that resulted in shots from distance as the Pride left too much space just outside the area. Taylor Flint had a go from 30 yards out but sent her rising effort over the bar in the 11th minute. A minute later, Savannah DeMelo sent a shot from the top of the area over the goal.

Hines was finally able to send Kerry Abello on in the 13th minute, slotting her in on the left and moving Dyke to right back.

McCutcheon’s foul near the left corner of the box just past the quarter-hour mark gave Louisville a dangerous set piece shortly after the substitutions. DeMelo fired the free kick on target, and Moorhouse caught it and then got bundled over by Ary Borges who was pressed from behind by Sams.

Orlando started to settle into the game a bit after that, but did not execute well in the attack. Banda allowed Ellie Jean to knock the ball away from her in the box in the 17th minute. Moments later, Marta’s set piece delivery into the box from near the right corner of the penalty area was too low and easily cleared.

The Pride started winning corners but took all of them short, possibly to avoid Racing’s height, but they created nothing with the opportunities except a few long-range shots. On the first, Yates was knocked down in the box in the 23rd minute after getting to the end line, but the referee ruled it was a fair challenge.

Orlando should have scored in the 28th minute. Watt put in a fantastic cross to a wide-open Yates at the back post. With plenty of open net to shoot at, Yates pushed her free header wide of the left post, wasting a sitter.

“I mean, goals change games,” Hines said. “We had a chance just before their set piece (goal) where the ball gets to Ally (Watt), she takes on Courtney Petersen, puts in a really good cross. And (Yates) gets her head on it, but it wasn’t on target. And I think if that had gone in, it might have changed the trajectory of the game. You know, you’re then asking Louisville to be even more aggressive. There’s more space for us to manipulate.”

A minute later, the game turned in Louisville’s favor. Banda was too indecisive after receiving the ball in the attacking third. Leaving the ball at her feet and trying to head fake, Racing easily dispossessed the forward and broke in transition, winning a corner at the other end. Louisville paid off the set piece when Orlando left two players completely unmarked at the back post. Unlike Yates earlier, Wright got her head on the ball and didn’t miss the net, putting the hosts up 1-0 in the 30th minute. Former Pride fullback Courtney Petersen got the assist for her delivery.

Angelina fired from outside the box on a couple of short corners but the first, which may have been a back-post pass to Nadaner, went wide and out of play in the 34th minute.

Orlando again should have scored in the 35th minute. Watt did well to steal the ball in the attacking third and immediately played it to Banda. The goalkeeper was caught out, but Banda was deliberate in lining up her shot. Once she did, she missed the net entirely.

Watt had a chance to cross into the box in the 38th minute but sent her service right at Bloomer. Angelina fired a good effort from distance in the 40th minute. The dipping shot was on target but Bloomer was able to knock it out for a corner. Orlando played it short again and Angelina fired from distance only to see it deflect out off a defender. The Brazilian then ended up with yet another shot from range on the next corner, but sent it right at Bloomer.

Banda had a chance to play Marta in alone in the first minute of stoppage time, but she didn’t get enough on the pass. Flint was able to close down and knock it out for another corner. Nothing came of that one either, and moments later the half was over with the Pride staring up at a 1-0 deficit in a game they probably should have led.

The Pride finished the first half with the advantage in possession (57%-43%), shots (9-7), shots on target (4-2), corners (6-1), and passing accuracy (82%-79%). But the wasted opportunities and moment of inattentive set piece defending had the hosts out front at the break.

Hines made his second change at the half, sending Carson Pickett on for Yates. After the match, Hines said Yates hadn’t been feeling well and needed to come off, so she became the second unexpected substitution of the match.

“It kind of disrupted the momentum that we had in the first half going into the second half,” Hines said of sacrificing Oihane and Yates. “But we have good players who can adapt, and so I thought we still put them under pressure going to the second half, playing through the press.”

Louisville started the second half much like the first — as the aggressor. Emma Sears blasted wide just after the restart. On the ensuing goal kick, Orlando quickly turned it over and Borges ended up in alone on goal with the ball. With just Moorhouse to beat, the Brazilian smashed the ball off the right post, wasting an opportunity to make it 2-0 in the 49th minute.

Orlando’s first attack of the second half came in the 50th minute and it quickly broke down. Banda tried to find Pickett as she approached the box, but she made a mess of the pass and the defense cleared. The ball went to Marta at the top of the area, and the Pride captain saw her shot blocked. The rebound found Banda, who send a soft shot straight at Bloomer.

“I just think at this moment in time, everyone’s kind of adapted to us,” Hines said. “We’re getting into really good, promising positions, and we just need to execute in that last final part.”

Wright did well to keep a cross from reaching McCutcheon at the back post in the 53rd minute. Both players needed treatment after a clash of heads and were off the pitch for a few minutes.

Sears nearly made it 2-0 in the 61st minute, losing Dyke in the corner, cutting inside and must missing the far post by about a yard.

Louisville put the game away a few minutes later. On a routine throw-in, Sams was positioned well behind Weber just inside the box near the right sideline. Rather than hold her position, she tried to muscle her way around the Louisville forward, pulling her down. The referee pointed to the spot immediately.

Former Pride midfielder Flint took the spot kick. Moorhouse guessed correctly, but Flint placed the shot well to make it 2-0 in the 68th minute.

Shortly after the second goal, Hines pulled Marta, McCutcheon, and Dyke, subbing on Morgan Gautrat, Ally Lemos, and Simone Jackson, who made her NWSL debut. Those three were not likely to provide the missing piece of the attack, and they didn’t, as Orlando continued to struggle in the offensive third.

Banda put a shot on frame from a tight angle on the right in the 78th minute, but it was a comfortable save for Bloomer. The ball fell in the box near the end line where Wright was prone. Banda ran in to try to win it, but Wright wisely knocked it out off the Zambian for a goal kick.

Weber nearly made it 3-0 on another Louisville corner kick opportunity in the 80th minute. This one was slightly more contested than Wright’s and Weber put her shot wide.

Down the stretch, Orlando wasted a couple more short corners and simply couldn’t find any lethality. Banda missed the net four times in the game’s final minutes on what was an apparently frustrating night for the Golden Boot contender.

Orlando’s statistical advantage was not reflective of the final score. The Pride finished with the edge in possession (64%-36%), shots (16-14), shots on target (7-3), corners (11-3), and passing accuracy (82%-74%).

“I learned that nothing’s given, no matter what rank you are as a team,” Jackson said after making her pro debut. “So, it’s like everyone is coming after you. You have a target on your back when you wear this badge. So, I think it was wake-up call for a lot of us, and I think that I’m excited for the second half of this season.”

The Pride have a long break to stew in this performance, as the NWSL schedule won’t resume for several weeks. Orlando’s next NWSL is Aug. 3, when the Utah Royals visit Inter&Co Stadium.

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

The Pride head to Louisville to wrap up the first half of the NWSL season ahead of the summer break.

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1 day ago

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June 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your match preview as the Orlando Pride (8-3-1, 25 points) end the first half of the 2025 NWSL season against Racing Louisville (5-5-2, 17 points) in Kentucky. This is the first of two meetings with the second scheduled for Aug. 9 in Orlando.

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

History

This is the fifth season of existence for Racing Louisville. The two teams have played 11 times so far, with the Pride going 3-3-5 (3-3-3 in NWSL games, 0-0-1 in the NWSL Challenge Cup, and 0-0-1 in the NWSL x Liga MX Fememil Summer Cup). The Pride are 0-3-1 against Louisville on the road in league play.

The most recent meeting between the two teams occurred in the Summer Cup last year on Aug. 1, 2024. Evelina Duljan scored her lone Pride goal in the 38th minute to give the Pride the lead. However, Reilyn Turner equalized in the 67th minute, sending the game into penalties. The Pride took the early shootout lead when Jaelin Howell missed, but saves by Jordyn Bloomer on Morgan Gautrat and Ally Watt saw Louisville take the extra point.

On May 5, 2024, in Orlando, an Emily Sams cross in the 17th minute found the head of Barbra Banda at the back post for the game’s only goal in a 1-0 Pride win. The first game of the 2024 season was on March 16 in Louisville, the season opener for both teams. It looked like it would be a long day as Elexa Bahr and Uchenna Kanu gave the hosts a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes. The Pride got on the board in the 24th minute with an own goal by Elli Pikkujämsä, but the task was made more difficult when Kylie Strom received her second yellow card in the second half. However, Amanda Allen and Summer Yates combined on a late goal by Yates, as the Pride pulled out an unlikely 2-2 draw.

The first game of 2023 occurred on May 6 at Exploria Stadium. Messiah Bright gave the Pride an early lead and the hosts held on for 69 minutes for the 1-0 win. It was the first home win of 2023 for the Pride and their second win of the season. The second meeting was on Oct. 6, 2023 in Louisville. The Pride got off to a great start with goals by Marta from the spot early and an excellent individual effort by Kerry Abello to make it 2-0. However, Bright took Savannah DeMelo down in the box just before halftime and Nadia Nadim converted the penalty. A five-minute swing started in the 70th minute with goals by Kristen Davis and an own goal by Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, resulting in the Pride losing the critical game 3-2.

The first meeting between the two teams in 2022 took place Sept. 16 in Louisville. Racing struck first when Nadim was left open in front of goal for a tap-in. The hosts doubled their lead on a great strike by DeMelo from outside of the box, and the Pride fell 2-0.

The first meeting of 2022 was in a unique setting, taking place at Daytona International Speedway on July 3. The game was a part of the 2022 Daytona SoccerFest and was the first time a professional soccer game was played at a racetrack. Emina Ekic gave Louisville a halftime lead and DeMelo doubled the lead shortly after the break. However, the Pride fought back with goals by Strom and Darian Jenkins, pulling out a 2-2 draw. The game launched a seven-game unbeaten run that pulled the Pride back into the playoff race.

The first year the two teams met was in 2021 during the NWSL Challenge Cup in Louisville. CeCe Kizer gave the hosts the lead early, but Taylor Kornieck equalized just before halftime. It looked like the Pride would win when Abi Kim scored late, but Brooke Hendrix equalized in second-half injury time and the teams drew 2-2.

The teams played three times in the 2021 regular season, with the first meeting coming on July 9 in Orlando. Ebony Salmon gave Louisville the lead, but Sydney Leroux scored to force a 1-1 draw with a goal in second-half injury time. The second meeting was on Sept. 11 in Orlando. The Pride took a 2-0 lead into the break with goals by Leroux and Marta. Kizer got one back, but Alex Morgan’s conversion sealed three points for the Pride.

The final meeting of 2021 was in the penultimate game of the year for both teams. The Pride needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive and they got off to a good start when Jodie Taylor scored in the third minute. However, the game slipped away as Salmon and Katie McClure scored on either side of halftime and Yuki Nagasato made the final 3-1.

Overview

A month ago, the Pride’s season was in question. Despite a strong start, they were winless in three straight games and four out of five, falling down the NWSL standings. But they’ve responded well to that adversity, winning three straight.

It started on May 23 when Banda netted the first hat trick in Pride history in a 3-1 win over the Utah Royals. They returned home on June 7 to defeat the Houston Dash 1-0 and took advantage of a quick free kick against Bay FC for a second consecutive 1-0 win.

Banda’s goal in San Jose was her eighth of the season, placing her in a tie for second with Kansas City’s Temwa Chawinga. The African pair are only one goal behind NJ/NY Gotham FC’s Esther Gonzlalez for the league lead in goals.

While Banda is one of the league’s top scorers, it’s the defense that has the team near the top of the NWSL standings. The win in California was the Pride’s fifth clean sheet this season. They’ve now won three games this year 1-0 and have still only conceded multiple goals in one game, a 3-2 win over Angel City FC on April 25.

The Pride now sit in second place, just five points behind the Kansas City Current and two points ahead of the San Diego Wave. More importantly, they’ve created momentum heading into the summer break for the 2025 Euros. They’ll desperately want all three points tonight, which would see them enter the break on a four-game winning streak. To do that, they’ll need to win somewhere they’ve never won.

Standing in their way is Racing Louisville, the seventh-place team in the league. Tonight’s opponent has been strong offensively, scoring 17 goals. But Racing’s 22 goals conceded are fourth most. Its -5 goal differential is also fourth worst in the league.

Louisville is led offensively by Emma Sears, who has six goals. Taylor Flint, Kayla Fischer, and DeMelo are tied for second on the team with two goals this season. Janine Sonis leads the team with three assists, followed by Arin Wright, Fischer, and DeMelo, each with two assists.

Louisville went into its last game with a pair of 3-2 wins over Angel City away and the Utah Royals at home. However, the Kentucky-based club went to Kansas City on June 14 to face the league leaders, falling 4-2.

“Physical game,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said ahead of tonight’s match. “I think what (Louisville Head Coach) Bev (Yanez) has done in the last five or six games is implemented a different style of play. A very aggressive, high-pressing team now and they’ve had a lot of success with it. They’ll be wanting to bounce back from their last result against Kansas and try to finish this period on a high leading up into the summer break.”

The Pride are still without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), and Rafaelle (thigh). Julie Doyle (ankle) has been added to the availability report this week, listed as questionable.

Louisville is without Bethany Balcer (excused absence), Fischer (suspended), Katie Lund (hip), Maddie Pokorny (hip), Olivia Sekany (knee), and Kirsten Wright (knee).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Cori Dyke, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Oihane.

Midfielders: Summer Yates, Angelina, Haley McCutcheon, Ally Watt.

Forwards: Barbra Banda, Marta.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Carson Pickett, Kerry Abello, Zara Chavoshi, Viviana Villacorta, Morgan Gautrat, Ally Lemos, Simone Jackson, Prisca Chilufya.

Racing Louisville (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Jordyn Bloomer.

Defenders: Courtney Petersen, Arin Wright, Ellie Jean, Lauren Milliet.

Midfielders: Ary Borges, Taylor Flint, Savannah DeMelo.

Forwards: Emma Sears, Sarah Weber, Janine Sonis.

Bench: Cristina Roque, Elli Pikkujamsa, Ella Hase, Angela Baron, Marisa DiGrande, Jordan Baggett, Avery Kalitta, Katie O’Kane, Uchenna Kanu.

Referees

REF: John Matto.
AR1: Stephen Milhoan.
AR2: Brian Marshall.
4TH: Race Williams.
VAR: Anya Voigt.
AVAR: Melissa Beck.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium — Louisville, KY.

TV: None

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, NWSL+.

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

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Pride need to do to secure a victory against Racing Louisville on the road?

Published

2 days ago

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June 19, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Pride are riding a three-match winning streak heading into Friday’s match against Racing Louisville — the team’s final game before the NWSL’s summer break. Given this is the last match until August, it is important that the Pride make a statement and leave an impression on the competition. What do the Pride need to do to take all three points from Racing Louisville at Lynn Family Stadium Friday night?

More Offense

The Orlando Pride have scored six goals in the last six matches. That might not seem too bad, but three of those goals came on Barbra Banda’s hat trick against the Utah Royals. That means in the other five matches, the Pride have only scored three goals. That isn’t enough for a team that wants to repeat the double.

I don’t think the team has found a proper replacement for the departed Adriana. Seb Hines has tried using Ally Watt, Prisca Chilufya, and Julie Doyle, though none have contributed to a commensurate level. Without another threat up top, teams can focus more heavily on Banda, making it difficult for her to score. Hines needs someone to step it up a notch by being a legitimate scoring threat, thus freeing Banda to deal with only two defenders and not three or four. This is the last chance before the break to figure it out.

Stop Sears and Co.

The Pride will face a capable Racing Louisville offense. Emma Sears leads the way for Louisville with six goals this season. The opposition also has Savannah DeMelo, Taylor Flint (née Kornieck), and Kayla Fischer. Louisville has 17 goals this season compared to the 20 scored by Orlando. I’m saying that Louisville is a legitimate threat.

I feel that Hines found the best back line in the last match with Oihane at right back, Emily Sams and Kylie Nadaner at center back, and Cori Dyke on the left. This is the back four that I think will provide the best defense in front of Anna Moorhouse. That is the back line that will need to deal with Sears and the others. A clean sheet may be a lot to ask on the road, but this defense could make it happen.

Back to Basics

The last few matches the Pride have taken short corners at almost every opportunity presented. Please stop doing that. No more Pepper Shakers or Loki’s Toboggan — see Ted Lasso season 1, episode 10. Put the ball in the box and let things happen. Between Marta, Angelina, Carson Pickett, and Summer Yates, the Pride have enough players who can put in a good ball from a corner kick or free kick.

Weird and sometimes wonderful things happen when you simply put the ball in the box. A player can score a header, the ball can bounce to a player for a shot, there could be an own goal, or even a handball resulting in a penalty. Yes, the ball might go out for a goal kick or a Pride player could commit a foul, but the team’s success rate on short corners is not good and Orlando has capable scorers who can finish in close. Leave the tricksy training ground antics at home and put the ball in the darn box.

That’s what I’ll be looking for Friday night. Where do you think the game will be won or lost? Let us know in the comments section.

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