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Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns, NWSL Semifinals: Final Score 4-1 as Quick Start by Hosts Too Much to Overcome

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7 years ago

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The Orlando Pride’s season came to an end where it began, with a loss on the road against the Portland Thorns. The playoff-tested hosts jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead and held on to win 4-1 against a Pride side that made a game of it but was unable to pull completely level to get a fresh start in the match.

Four different Thorns scored in a lopsided final outcome that doesn’t fully tell the story of the game, in which the Pride had to chase the game from 15 minutes on, but looked a threat to pull even for much of the game.

The Pride headed to Portland for a match-up that featured a true immovable object vs. unstoppable force, with Orlando’s league-best offense (45 goals)up against the Thorns’ NWSL-best defense (20 goals allowed). On paper, this match looked like one the Pride didn’t want to face, as they went to league’s No. 1 home field advantage in Portland — today with over 18,000 in attendance — against a team that had only lost one match at home all season.

Making things more difficult is that Orlando had never beaten the Thorns in two seasons, including not scoring against Adrianna Franch — the NWSL’s leader in shutouts (8) — in two previous attempts.

With the injury to Camila, Tom Sermanni decided to go with a new look for his lineup, handing Toni Pressley earning her first start in over two months and leaving Rachel Hill — who has performed very well at the end of the season — on the bench. Portland’s move was notably in the exact opposite direction as the Thorns were able to get Tobin Heath back for her first start of the season.

While there was a bit of back and forth all match, Portland’s midfield had firm control, as the noticeable change of a very deep sitting Pressley vs. the ball control of Camila was everything that Lindsey Horan and Christine Sinclair were hoping for. They continually tortured the Pride and owned the middle of the pitch all day.

That, combined with the Pride employing a very high line and offside trap tactic proved to be the telling stories of this match. The Pride, despite having control for much of the match, couldn't make the deficiencies in both of these areas.

Portland came right out of the gate firing on all cylinders, putting Orlando on its heels. After a first five minutes, during which each team felt each other out, the next 15 minutes would be nearly all Thorns as the Pride couldn’t get themselves settled anywhere on the field.

The left side of the Pride’s defense was being ravaged by Heath but also Meghan Klingenberg, as Marta was having a tough time tracking back. This ultimately led to the first goal by Portland only 12 minutes into the match. Sinclair found a wide open Klingenberg on the left wing. The wingback played a fantastic curling ball to Armandine Henry, who got behind Ali Krieger and headed home to make it 1-0.

It didn't take long for Portland’s second in the 15th, as Heath’s free kick found a streaking Emily Sonnett, who beat Pressley to the near post for a flick over an out of position, and still moving, Ashlyn Harris. 

But after the goal, Orlando seemed to settle down and begin getting back into the match. Just eight minutes later, some good buildup play led to a corner. Marta played a short corner to Chioma Ubogagu, who played it back to Marta. The Brazilian’s ball got a flick from Pressley and eventually found Alanna Kennedy at the back post for Orlando’s first postseason goal.

Orlando consistently flirted with a very high line, one that would eventually cost the Pride, and Portland had a couple of good opportunities only to be spoiled by offside. And, in one case in the 27th minute, Klingenberg almost had a 1-v-1, but she couldn't catch up to a through ball from Horan.

From that point until around the 40-minute mark, the Pride controlled much of the match. Sermanni made a much-needed swap of Marta and Ubogagu. This enabled Marta to take advantage of a much worse Thorns right side while allowing Chi to follow Klingenberg around, making her much more quiet than the first 15.

The 40th minute saw Portland gain back some control as Australian international Haley Raso drove against multiple Pride defenders to earn a corner. At this point, the Pride had moved to zonal marking after giving up the first goal. This time the cross found Sinclair but she headed wide.

Portland continued to press in the last five minutes of the first half, nearly getting Sinclair in but again it was offside.

The second half started with a bit of back and forth but the Pride found some early opportunities that they just couldn't close. In the 55th minute, a great direct ball over the top by Pressley found Morgan for a first-time attempt that she sent wide across the box. Marta also had a free kick opportunity that nothing came of.

Then, in the 57th, Sinclair almost found what would have been a wide open Horan in the middle of box. The high line again flirted with being caught out, but Horan and Sinclair weren't on the same page as the ball dropped into an empty box and out for a goal kick.

From the 57th to the 69th minutes the Pride continued to have possession and opportunities but were continually denied by a strong Portland defense. Portland looked content to sit back a little bit and defend crosses and the Pride couldn’t find a final ball.

The inability to find that last ball finally came back to haunt Orlando as the high line was finally burnt in the 71st minute. Horan played a quality weighted ball over the Orlando defense to find Raso, with no one within five yards, who calmly finished past Harris to make it 3-1. Harris on the play seemed disconnected with her back line as she was sitting rather deep and hesitated on what could have potentially been an easy claim or clearance at the top of her box.

The high line almost immediately saw another goal in the next minute as a dangerous cross got behind again but the final ball was wide.

One of the many constant themes of the match was a Hack-A-Morgan strategy that saw the Thorns beating up on the Pride striker consistently. It came to a climax as another tackle by Sonnett in the 73rd found nothing but Morgan’s top half and forced her to the sideline briefly (no foul by the way). Portland featured 15 fouls all match and used plenty of them on Morgan to keep her out of the game as much as possible.

The remainder of the match saw the Thorns never step off the gas pedal as they looked to keep the Pride away from a hometown championship match. With substitutions of three international players in Dagný Brynjarsdóttir (Iceland), Allie Long (USA), and Nadia Nadim (France), the Thorns continued to prove their depth was too much to handle as Sermanni could only counter with Jasmyne Spencer, Rachel Hill , and Danica Evans.

Brynjarsdóttir’s fresh legs proved to be a pain for the left side of defense as she consistently found space to play many dangerous crosses across the six. Orlando began to look out of sorts as fatigue set in late from chasing all game long.

In her first set of touches, Nadim gave Portland a 4-1 lead in the 84th minute by finding a Sinclair at the back post with a ball inches over Kristen Edmonds. The Canadian calmly placed the ball into the back corner.

The Pride finish their second season 11-7-7, seeing huge growth over last year’s ninth-place finish. Leading the league in goals scored and with multiple players up for year-end awards, it proved a successful campaign. While it fell short, we can't help but be optimistic that a full year with Morgan, the experience gained this year and the right off-season moves will see the Pride back in the postseason in 2018.

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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.

Published

17 hours ago

on

December 2, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

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.

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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.

Published

2 days ago

on

December 1, 2024

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

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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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Sofia Manner

The Finnish goalkeeper spent her first season in Orlando. Let’s look back to see how she performed.

Published

3 days ago

on

November 30, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride signed Finnish goalkeeper Sofia Manner on Dec. 1, 2023 on a deal through the 2025 season with an option for 2026. At the time, Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said the club expected Manner to challenge Anna Moorhouse for the starting goalkeeper role. Given that Moorhouse played every minute of the season and McKinley Crone dressed as the primary backup, that didn’t exactly happen.

However, Manner did get some minutes in her first year in Orlando in the Summer Cup, giving Head Coach Seb Hines a look at her under competitive match conditions.

Let’s take a look back at Manner’s first season with the Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

Manner did not play in the regular season, as Moorhouse played every minute of the season (and postseason) for the Pride in goal. However, Manner got the start in Orlando’s second game in the competition, a home match against CF Monterrey on July 28. The contest ended in a 2-2 draw before the Pride won 5-4 in penalties in the ensuing shootout.

Manner played 90 minutes, allowing two goals and making three saves, for a 60% save percentage. She only faced seven non-blocked shots, but five of them were on target. The Helsinki native completed 16 of 21 passes (73%), including four of 10 long balls. Following the draw, Manner made the difference in the shootout, stopping a shot by Merel Van Dongen, who was the only player of the 10 shooters not to convert.

Best Game

Having played in only one match, this is an easy choice. Manner’s debut was her only match of the year, meaning the 2-2 draw vs. CF Monterrey in the Summer Cup was also her best game of the 2024 season. The visitors took the lead twice in the match, but Manner kept her team in the game, allowing the Pride to equalize twice. Once the match moved to penalties, Manner did well to stop a shot from one of Monterrey’s most dangerous players, allowing her team to claim an extra point.

2024 Final Grade

With only 90 minutes to her credit across all competitions in 2024, Manner didn’t play enough to get a grade for the 2024 season, receiving an incomplete from The Mane Land staff. Despite a small sample size, backup goalkeepers don’t always get a chance to play, so it’s good that the coaching staff got a look at the 27-year-old during a competitive match against international competition.

2025 Outlook

With Moorhouse signed through the 2025 season and McKinley Crone also under contract, Manner could remain and try to battle her way up the depth chart. However, if the prospects don’t look good for her to get playing time, there’s a chance that she and the club could mutually agree to part ways. Crone looked good in her limited time, but it’s always nice to have a more experienced option behind Moorhouse as well. Unless there are injuries, I would expect Manner’s minutes to be limited in 2025 as well, unless she can elevate her game and earn more looks.

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