Orlando Pride
Pride vs. Florida State: Orlando Wins 1-0 in Preseason Match Shortened by Inclement Weather
The Orlando Pride finished off their preseason schedule with a 1-0 victory over Florida State University at the Citrus Bowl in a match that only lasted 32 minutes due to lightning and severe weather. With the win — wins are wins, regardless of long much time was played — the Pride finish their preseason undefeated, outscoring all opponents 17-1.
Lianne Sanderson scored the game's only goal in the 24th minute, shortly before a large bolt of lightning, followed by a loud clap of thunder, sent the two teams scurrying back to their locker rooms. After a short delay, the remainder of the game was canceled out of consideration for player safety. You could say it was a bit scary.
Andddd this is why today’s @ORLPride match was called (watch your ears) #thunderstruck #westillwonthough pic.twitter.com/VurfFLFzDx
— Brittany Alvarado (@bavacado2) April 2, 2016
"It was great to at least get some of the game in because we saw the weather reports were pretty poor all day," said Pride midfielder Becky Edwards, herself a Florida State product. "But for FSU to come down here and to play against them — a quality opponent — it was special even though we only got 40 minutes in."
With Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris away with the USWNT, Tom Sermanni fielded a lineup that looked like this:
Starters for today: Bledsoe; Bélanger, Alleway, Monica, Catley; Edwards, Kyle, Sanderson; Witteman, Hagen, Spencer. #PridePreseason
— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) April 2, 2016
Orlando jumped out of the gate strong, dominating possession for just about all of the 32 minutes, controlling the final third of the pitch.
Sarah Hagen nearly scored in the fifth minute, when a cross into the box from Sanderson found Hagen's head and rocketed off the far side of the crossbar.
After relentless attacks forward, the Pride finally broke through in the 24th minute, as Sanderson blasted a shot past the FSU goalkeeper to put her side up 1-0, with the rain continuing to fall.
It was eight minutes later that the game went into a lightning delay — the second of the day, as the start of the match was also delayed — and was called shortly thereafter.
After the match, Sermanni had mixed feelings, saying there were a lot of pleasing aspects of the team's performance but still he was unhappy it was cut short.
“We went back to play the (projected starting) back four today and I think we looked a lot more cohesive,” Sermanni said. “Of all the preseason games that we played, today was a day when we looked like we sort of stepped up a gear. I thought our passing was good. I thought movement was good. I thought tempo was good. I’m just really disappointed that the game finished after 32 minutes.”
With colleges limited to five friendlies, Sermanni said replacing the preseason match would be difficult but added that the club may scrimmage against the Orlando City academy teams between now and the start of the season.
"We're still a very new group," Sermanni said. "But I thought today there was a lot better understanding among the players and a lot more cohesion."
Edwards said it was good to get out and get a feel for the Citrus Bowl turf.
“This is the first time we’ve played in the Citrus Bowl. Big field, but (it’s) good to finally play here,” she said.
Sermanni said the team will lose Josee Belanger to Canada on Monday and Monica to Brazil on Tuesday, in addition to already missing Morgan and Harris to international duty.
"We are not going to be the finished product for quite some time yet," he said, adding that the team will lose about seven players about three weeks prior to the Rio Olympics.
The Pride will now regroup and train the next two weeks before their NWSL debut against the Portland Thorns at Providence Park on April 17. They'll return home to open their Citrus Bowl schedule against the Houston Dash on April 23.
Orlando Pride
2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Luana
Her season was over almost before it began, but Luana was still a key part of the group with the 2024 Orlando Pride.
The Orlando Pride signed Brazilian international central midfielder Luana on Dec. 13, 2023, looking to bolster that area of the club after spending resources beefing up the back line and the attack. She agreed to a deal that runs through 2025 with a mutual option year in 2026. The Pride’s central midfield was a strength throughout the team’s 2024 championship run, but the former Corinthians star sadly wasn’t part of it after the first few games.
After appearing in the Pride’s first three matches of the season, Luana was listed on the availability report as an excused absence for three games before a shocking announcement came from the club on April 29— she had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Luana missed the rest of the season to undergo treatment. Thankfully, the treatment looks to have worked, with reports in mid-November that her recent scans had shown no sign of the disease.
Luana’s true impact on the team goes beyond what took place in the season’s first three matches. We will never forget players holding up their hands in an ‘L’ shape to honor her when celebrating goals or the pictures of her with her teammates following her treatment. Clearly, she was an inspiration to the team and it’s not difficult to imagine how her illness may have strengthened a group as close as the 2024 Pride. Clearly, she was never far from the other players’ thoughts.
Although she missed almost the entire season, Luana is a member of the Pride who played and is still with the team. As such, we will honor her and look back at her 2024 season.
Statistical Breakdown
Luana made her Pride debut on opening day, March 16, in Orlando’s 2-2 road draw at Racing Louisville FC. She started that match and appeared in the team’s first three games (two starts), playing 192 of the available 270 minutes. Luana did not have a goal contribution, but depending on where you look, she did record a shot attempt (off target). Her stats page on the NWSL website does not show her having a shot, but her game log on the site does. The Pride’s game notes and statistics page have a shot, so we’ll say one shot. She was effective in helping control the middle of the pitch, winning two of four tackle attempts (50%), tallying three interceptions, and winning four headed duels. She completed 80% of her 75 pass attempts across the three games, including a successful long ball and a cross. Her bite in the midfield shows in her five fouls conceded, six fouls drawn, and two yellow cards. In the two games after her debut in Louisville — in which Orlando rallied from two goals down inside of 19 minutes and got a road result, despite Kylie Strom being sent off in the 62nd minute — the Pride conceded only once in the run of play.
Best Game
The Sao Paulo, Brazil native’s best match came in her second start of the season, a 1-1 home draw against the Chicago Red Stars. The Pride allowed only a Mallory Swanson goal in the match, with Luana starting and playing 71 minutes, completing 77.3% of her passes, committing two fouls (including a yellow card), and drawing three free kicks from the opposition. The Pride were dominant in the match, out-shooting the visitors 21-9, with Luana helping the team keep 59.2% of the possession in the match. Although the Pride drew their third consecutive match to start the season, it was a promising performance that the Pride built on, winning their next eight games — an NWSL record.
2024 Final Grade
The Mane Land staff cannot give Luana an official grade due to not meeting the minimum number of minutes played (400), so she will receive an incomplete for the 2024 season. However, we can (and do) give her a 10 out of 10 for her courage and grace during an extremely difficult time.
2025 Outlook
It’s difficult to say what Luana’s outlook will be for next season, as there are obviously some unknown variables. If her scans remain clean, as we all hope, she would presumably work to recover her fitness and could compete for a starting spot in central midfield in 2025. The Pride had the best defense in the league in 2024 and that was after losing someone who started two of the first three matches and played 45 minutes off the bench in the second game. Conceivably, the Pride could be an even better team with a healthy Luana on the pitch. Whether she even plays another minute for the club, however, our main concern is that she remains healthy. It would be understandable, for example, if she decided to rethink her career entirely in light of what she’s been through. Thankfully, she has a good support system with the Pride.
Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)
Orlando Pride
2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Viviana Villacorta
Viviana Villacorta returned to the field late in the 2024 season. Let’s see how she performed this year.
The Orlando Pride selected Viviana Villacorta with the ninth overall pick of the 2021 NWSL Draft out of UCLA. The defensive midfielder opted to remain in school for her senior season, but tore her ACL shortly after, which kept her out of action for the 2021 NWSL campaign. She suffered an ankle injury in the 2022 season that required surgery and tore her ACL for the second time late in the 2023 season.
Villacorta didn’t re-enter the team until late in the year in 2024, making some league appearances and a playoff appearance as the season wound down. While she didn’t have a significant impact on the championship run, the fact that she got back onto the field was an accomplishment.
Let’s take a look at how Villacorta did in the few minutes she received in 2024.
Statistical Breakdown
Villacorta was in the team for the first time this season on Sept. 28, coming on as a substitute at home against the Houston Dash. She made three regular-season appearances in 2024, starting one — the last game of the season against Seattle Reign FC. She played 69 minutes in the regular season without a goal or an assist, completing 31 of 35 passes (91.2%). Villacorta attempted one shot but it was not on frame. Defensively, she recorded one tackle and two interceptions, commited three fouls, and was not booked.
She also came on as a substitute in the first playoff game against the Chicago Red Stars, making her professional playoff debut. The midfielder played three minutes in the match without a goal contribution, helping to see out the game. She completed four of her five passes (80%).
Best Game
The 25-year-old’s best game has to be her lone start against Seattle on Nov. 2. She had a season-high 26 touches, completed 95% of her 18 passes, and recorded one of her two interceptions in 45 minutes of action. She also took her only shot of the season in that game, though it was off target. She was replaced by regular starter Angelina at halftime.
2024 Final Grade
The Mane Land staff gave Villacorta a 5.5 for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but she didn’t play enough minutes (400 across all competitions) this year to get a grade. As a result, she receives an incomplete grade for the 2024 NWSL season.
2025 Outlook
Despite suffering multiple season-ending injuries, the Pride continue to believe in Villacorta, signing her to a new contract on July 16 that runs through the 2025 season with a mutual option for 2026. The defensive midfielder has shown her quality when healthy, but she’s been unable to remain on the field for long periods of time. The Pride have also strengthened that position, adding Angelina and Morgan Gautrat to the roster, as well as Luana, who is attempting to work her way back from cancer treatment. As a result, it will be hard for Villacorta to get significant minutes, even if she is able to remain healthy. With her experience, however, she can be a key depth player at the position.
Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)
Orlando Pride
2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Mariana Larroquette
The Argentine international’s second season with Orlando did not produce the larger role with the team she may have expected.
In the middle of the 2023 season, the Orlando Pride signed forward Mariana Larroquette, adding her to the roster July 6 on a deal through the 2025 season. The Argentine international represented her country in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, meaning she didn’t join the Pride until after the competition. Although she was a signing made with an eye toward bolstering the offense, Larroquette made only five appearances in her first season in Orlando — all of them off the bench. With a full preseason with the Pride under her belt, many expected to see her play a more significant role in 2024, but ultimately, it didn’t work out that way. The Pride’s signing of Barbra Banda didn’t help matters for Larroquette in terms of playing time.
Let’s take a look at how Larroquette performed in her second season in Orlando.
Statistical Breakdown
Larroquette made her season debut March 22 against Angel City, which was one of just four appearances during the regular season — all off the bench — logging 48 total minutes. She did not contribute a goal or an assist, failing to attempt a shot. The 32-year-old completed just 41.2% of her 17 passes without a key pass. Larroquette won four of her six tackle attempts (66.7%) and two headed duels. She committed one foul and drew three on the opposition and was not booked.
In the Summer Cup, Larroquette made three appearances, starting once — in the team’s 2-2 draw against CF Monterrey, in which Orlando captured the extra point in penalties. Larroquette played 107 minutes but did not contribute a goal or an assist, attempting three shots but putting neither on target. She completed 68% of her 25 passes but did not create a scoring chance from them. Defensively, she won two headed duels and recorded three interceptions, but she did not attempt a tackle. Larroquette committed one foul in the Summer Cup, drew four on the opposition, and was not booked.
She did not appear in the Pride’s playoff run.
Best Game
Larroquette’s best game has to be the one in which she started and played a season-high 65 minutes — the Pride’s 2-2 draw and 5-4 penalty shootout victory over CF Monterrey in the Summer Cup. Although Larroquette was already off the pitch by the time the shootout took place, she still made her biggest impact in this match, as it was the only game of the year in which she attempted any shots. While she didn’t impact the scoresheet on the attacking end, Larroquette recorded three interceptions in the match as she helped out in the press and defending the Mexican side.
2024 Final Grade
With 155 total minutes across all competitions, Larroquette fell short of the required 400 minutes to qualify for a grade from The Mane Land staff. As a result, she’s given an incomplete for the 2024 NWSL season. She played more in 2024 than she did in 2023, but she was also on the roster all year.
2024 Outlook
Larroquette’s contract runs through the 2025 NWSL season, but the writing may be on the wall after getting few minutes the last two seasons. She’s also on the wrong side of 30 to see much of an increase in that department. This may be an off-season that sees the club part ways with the veteran striker, who may seek a chance to get more minutes elsewhere as she the shelf life on her professional career grows shorter. If she remains on the roster, I would expect her role to remain the same in 2025, giving the club a few minutes here and there later in games and perhaps seeing a larger role in midseason cup competitions.
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