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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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4 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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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Kylie Strom

In her fourth season in Orlando, the veteran changed positions to help the NWSL’s best defense.

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14 hours ago

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December 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride originally signed Kylie Strom from Atletico Madrid in July 2021. Prior to her time overseas, Strom spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons in the NWSL with the Boston Breakers. Her initial contract in Orlando was through 2022 with an option for 2023 that was exercised prior to that year. Despite being briefly out of contract this past off-season, Strom, now 32 years old, re-signed for the Pride, extending her stay in Orlando through the 2026 season. This ended up as one of the most important moves of the off-season, as Strom went on to partner Emily Sams in the league’s best defense, earning an NWSL Defender of the Year nomination and playing in all but one game of the 2024 season.

Let’s take a look back at Kylie Strom’s 2024 season, her best in Orlando so far.

Statistical Breakdown

Strom made 25 appearances for the Pride in the NWSL regular season, starting 24 times and playing 2,158 minutes, less than 200 minutes from playing the entire regular season. Most of the game time she missed was due to the red card and one-match ban she picked up on opening day at Louisville. Strom only took six shots in the regular season with two on target and no goals scored. She contributed her lone assist against Gotham at home in September. In possession, Strom completed 1,298 of her 1,503 passes (86%), the highest number of completed passes in the squad and the third-highest completion percentage among the regular starters, closely following Sams and Morgan Gautrat. She recorded 10 key passes, no completed crosses, and 46 successful long balls. Defensively, she succeeded in 20 of her 40 tackles (50%), contributed 39 interceptions, and won 73 headed duels. She was fouled 23 times, committed 17 of her own, and earned two yellow cards in addition to the previously-mentioned red card.  

Strom started and played every minute of Orlando’s three NWSL playoff wins (270 minutes). She attempted no shots but did provide an assist for Barbra Banda’s goal against the Kansas City Current. In the playoffs, Strom completed 144 of her 169 pass attempts (85%), with one key pass, no completed crosses, and four successful long balls. In defense, she added four tackles and six interceptions without committing a foul, suffering a foul, or receiving a card. 

Strom also started all three matches in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, playing 239 minutes in total. She did not take a shot and thus could not score a goal in the tournament, nor did she record an assist. The defender completed 136 of her 158 passes (86%) without a key pass or successful cross, but she managed 11 accurate long balls. She added three tackles in four duels (75%) and four interceptions with one headed duel won on the defensive end. She also committed two fouls and was on the receiving end of two herself, but she was not shown a card.

Best Game

Looking at her availability, passing, and defending, Strom was remarkably consistent in 2024, across all competitions. This makes it difficult to pick one game from the bunch, so it would be tempting to pick any shutout against high-profile opponents, such as the NWSL Championship game or the NWSL Shield-clinching game, both wins against the Washington Spirit. Instead, the best game and best representation of Strom’s work was the 1-0 victory over the struggling Utah Royals on the road in April, the first win of the year.

In the victory over Utah, Strom completed 61 of her 68 passes (90%). She also added two tackles and four interceptions en route to holding Utah to just 0.1 expected goals per FBRef.com. With Marta coming off the bench in this match, this was also the first time Strom wore the captain’s armband for Orlando, though she went on to wear it for six additional starts in the NWSL. 

Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Strom a composite grade of 7.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season, a significant improvement over her score of 6 out of 10 in 2023. Previously,  Strom received a grade of 4.5 in 2022 and an incomplete during what was a rough stretch run in 2021 after joining the club midseason.

Going into the 2024 season, it was assumed that Rafaelle would be the primary center back partner for Sams, and Strom would play at fullback, her natural position to that point in her career. Instead, Rafaelle struggled with injuries, including at the start of the year, so Strom paired with Sams for four of the first five games, with the Pride having to employ a four-fullback back line in the second game due to player unavailability. Rafaelle then played with Sams in the middle for one match, before Seb Hines pushed Sames out to right back with Rafaelle and Strom paired together for the next five matches. From that point on, it was Sams and Strom in the middle the rest of the year.

The new position suited Strom and accentuated her strengths as a soccer player. She defended well as a unit with Sams and the fullbacks, using her physicality to win many tackles and headed duels while cutting out the mistakes she’d previously made when playing out wide. In possession, she was steady in building play through short- and medium-distance passes without taking too many risks. She was a vocal leader on the pitch and adept at snuffing opposition attacks before they could materialize. That she was able to adapt so quickly to a new role in the latter stages of her career is all the more impressive.

2025 Outlook

Strom has two more years on her contract going into 2025. Orlando will hope to get healthier in defense in the off-season and may sign some reinforcements, as both Megan Montefusco and Carrie Lawrence retired. But Strom has earned the starting center-back spot next to Sams. Given Cori Dyke’s late emergence at right back, there is less of a need to move Sams out wide. At the same time, Kerry Abello’s Best XI Second Team performance throughout 2024 would make it difficult to move Strom back to fullback on the left. It will be interesting to see how a position group that has become a strength of the team.

Regardless of how it unfolds, the goal for Strom moving forward should be to continue to play at the level she did during Orlando’s championship season, and given her consistency all year, this is a reasonable expectation for the player.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Adriana

The Brazilian attacker was a key player in the Pride’s magical 2024 season.

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2 days ago

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December 20, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride signed Brazilian international Adriana on Jan. 19, 2023 to a three-year contract through the 2025 NWSL season. One of the brighter spots of the Pride during the 2023 season, it seemed Adriana was on the verge of becoming a dominating NWSL player. Seb Hines again deployed her mainly as an attacking player, particularly on the wing, but sometimes as a second forward. While she was still a key player for the Pride in 2024, there were some bumps in the road when she would disappear from games and consistency was sometimes an issue.

Let’s take a look at Adriana’s second NWSL season.

Statistical Breakdown

Adriana appeared in 23 regular-season games, starting 19 and playing a total of 1,688 minutes. She scored six goals, which was third most on the team, and added one assist. It is notable that two of her six goals came from the penalty spot, where she went two-for-two in the regular season. She completed 71% of her 557 passes, which was a slight dip from a year ago, with 31 key passes, seven completed crosses, and 14 successful long balls. Defensively, Adriana chipped in nine tackles, 13 interceptions, and 18 headed duels won. She committed just 10 fouls while drawing 30 on the opposition, and she did not receive a card.

In the playoffs, Adriana appeared in all three of the Pride’s games, starting two and logging 197 minutes. She did not make a goal contribution, attempting six shots with only one of those hitting the target. Her passing wasn’t up to its usual level in the postseason, as she connected on just 63.9% of her 36 passes, including only two of nine in the NWSL Championship. She tallied five key passes and one successful long ball, but no accurate crosses. On defense, she finished the postseason with three tackles and an interception. The Brazilian international committed five fouls, suffered two, and was not booked.

Adriana was away at the Olympics during the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, so she did not play in the competition.

Best Game

Adriana had several big games in 2024, but perhaps her best was Orlando’s 2-0 home win over Gotham FC. She scored both Orlando goals in the match, lifting the Pride to their 19th straight game without a loss, tying the club’s single-season record for home wins (7), and pushing Hines past Tom Sermanni and into sole possession of the most coaching wins in club history (26). It didn’t take long for her to get involved, scoring just five and a half minutes after the opening kickoff. Angelina’s ball into the box was knocked into the air, and Adriana ran onto it and volleyed a blast into the net to make it 1-0 with one of the most impressive Pride goals of the season.

Not content with just one goal, Adriana struck again in the 19th minute. Summer Yates switched the play to send Adriana down the right side, where she took on USWNT defender Jenna Nighswonger, then used Barbra Banda’s presence in the box to create space for her shot, which she placed perfectly inside the left post to make it 2-0.

Adriana played the full 90 minutes in the match and fired six shots in all against Gotham that night, putting all six of them on target and giving her a season high in the latter statistic. She led all players in the match in both categories. She completed 87% of her 23 passes on 48 total touches, with one key pass, one accurate cross, and two successful long balls. Defensively, she made three recoveries, and she committed one foul while drawing two and did not pick up a booking. It was a great performance by the attacking midfielder against one of the NWSL’s elite defensive clubs.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives Adriana a composite score of 7 out of 10 for her 2024 campaign. This is a slight dip from the 7.5 we gave her last season, but there were times when she struggled to find her game in 2024. When she was on her game, she was outstanding, but there were games and even stretches of matches when she didn’t provide her usual quality. Her form isn’t the only reason she was dropped at times from the starting XI, because some of her teammates elevated their own, but it was a factor. While she increased her goal total by one, it came in more appearances and minutes, and her assist total fell, despite having a better cast around her. The Brazilian is capable of more, but the staff still felt it was a solid season.

2025 Outlook

Like her Brazilian teammate Rafaelle, Adriana’s contract runs through the 2025 season, so she’ll be working hard to earn a new deal beyond the upcoming season. If she starts the season well, the Pride will no doubt offer a new contract midseason if there’s not already a new deal in place before opening day. At 28 years old, Adriana is in the prime of her career and can still be an effective player. With the Pride improving, she’ll need to play more consistently or at a higher level to keep starting with this club, but she’s capable, and I expect her to fight to hold onto her starting spot in Hines’ XI.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Marta

Marta showed why she’s the GOAT in her eighth season with the Pride.

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3 days ago

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December 19, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

In case you forgot, Marta first signed with the Orlando Pride way back in 2017. She has been the constant for the club through ups and mostly downs. That all changed this season as she captained her club to two trophies. Back in 2022, she signed a new two-year contract, taking her through 2024.

Marta may not be as young as she once was, but she definitely made you forget it often enough this season. It was undoubtedly the best she’s performed in a few years, and it made a difference in the standings. Let’s take a look at the GOAT’s latest season in Orlando.

Statistical Breakdown

Marta was the leader and the heart of this year’s Orlando Pride team. Her teammates wanted to win, but they also wanted to win for Marta. She played most of the regular-season games, but missed the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup because she was with Brazil at the Olympics. 

Marta made 23 appearances in the NWSL regular season, starting 19 games and recording 1,739 minutes. Marta was second on the team with nine goals on 40 shots, 18 of which were on target. Additionally, she completed 648 of her 878 passes (74%), including one assist, 52 key passes, nine successful crosses, and 75 completed long balls. Defensively, Marta posted 16 tackles, 27 headed duels won, and 12 interceptions on the year. She committed 12 fouls, suffered 45, and was booked four times (all yellow cards).

In the playoffs, Marta started all three games, recording 267 minutes. She scored two goals on 12 shots with five on target, and she completed 86 of her 108 passes (80%) without an assist, although she recorded six key passes, three accurate crosses, and 14 completed long balls. She was also active defensively in the postseason, with six tackles and two interceptions. She committed three fouls in the playoffs, suffered four, and was not booked.

Best Game

You might think that the one match in which Marta scored a brace would be her best match, but that isn’t the case. That match was the 6-0 beatdown of the Utah Royals, who were bottom of the table. I’m going with her performance in the 3-2 playoff semifinal victory over the Kansas City Current.

That goal summed up Marta’s season for me. She was not going to let this team lose when the Pride were so close to the championship. When needed, she could find the speed — even late in a match — and put two defenders on the ground in unison. It was a goal she willed to happen against one of the best teams in the NWSL.

In this match, Marta took four shots, with two on target, scoring the aforementioned goal. She completed 29 of her 38 passes (77%) on a total of 74 touches, and took all three Pride corner kicks. Defensively, she contributed four tackles and two interceptions. She committed one foul, did not suffer any fouls, and was not booked. She simply displayed the full range of her skill and leadership qualities, helping her team reach the final.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Marta a composite grade of 8 out of 10 for her eighth season with the club. Her passion, drive, and leadership were a major reason why the club won the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship. This was the best Marta we’ve seen for several seasons, and she wanted to win more than almost anyone else in any given match. To illustrate how much better she was, we gave Marta a grade of 6 out of 10 last season. That came on the heels of an incomplete grade in her injury-shortened 2022 season. She also received a 6 in 2021 and a 6.5 in 2019. This year is the closest Marta has come to the 9 out of 10 we gave her back in 2017, when she had 19 total goal contributions and finished second in the league in both goals and assists. She turned back the clock and gave us much more of the vintage Marta in 2024 than we’d seen in a long time, which is why we considered her one of the best players on the team.

(Note: If you’re wondering why 2020 wasn’t mentioned, its’ because we did not give out grades because the Pride only participated in the Fall Series during that lost season because of the pandemic.)

2025 Outlook

Marta’s contract expired after the 2024 season, but she has stated that she wants to keep playing one or two more years. She will be 39 years old at the start of the 2025 season but had a very good 2024 season. I think that she wants to retire with the Pride, and I feel that the club will offer her a one-year contract. The Pride indicated in their postseason roster status update that the club was in negotiations with her about returning. If a new deal happens, and if she can keep up her current form, she will find a way to contribute as the Pride look to defend their titles. She will have to hang up the boots at some point, but I don’t think it will be this coming season.

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