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Orlando Pride vs. Seattle Reign: Final Score 1-1 as Morgan and Fishlock Trade Goals in Stoppage Time

The Orlando Pride got a late goal from Alex Morgan but then conceded moments later and failed to clinch a playoff spot.

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7 years ago

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Image courtesy of Victor Tan / New Day Review

It looked like Alex Morgan had given the Orlando Pride their sixth straight win with her goal in stoppage time, but Jessica Fishlock answered almost immediately as the Pride dropped the two valuable points that would have secured the team’s first-ever appearance in the NWSL playoffs. The league’s two highest scoring teams couldn’t find the back of the net until after the 90th minute — and then they both did.

Orlando (10-6-6, 36 points) momentarily jumps over the Chicago Red Stars into third place in the NWSL, and is 1-1-2 all-time against the Seattle Reign (8-7-7, 31 points). The Pride saw their five-game winning streak snapped but are now unbeaten in seven (5-0-2) dating back to the August 5 draw against Chicago.

The elation of Morgan’s late goal being extinguished seconds later didn’t sit well with Head Coach Tom Sermanni or his players.

“It’s difficult at this moment in time because of the frustrations of the emotions,” Sermanni said. “We worked really hard tonight against Seattle. I thought we had more than enough chances in the second half to win the game and then I thought we had won the game. Sport comes back and gives you lessons sometimes.”

“We came out with a point, which is good, but we feel like we lost two instead of gaining any,” said defender Ali Krieger.

Sermanni went with the same lineup that beat the Boston Breakers on Saturday, starting a back line of Steph Catley, Krieger, Monica, and Camila in front of goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris. Alanna Kennedy and Dani Weatherholt flanked Marta in the middle, with Chioma Ubogagu, Morgan, and Rachel Hill forming the attacking line.

The teams played a scoreless and cagey first half, as it felt like a playoff game. The Reign pressed high and made it difficult for the Pride to play out of the back, showing a lot of energy in the opening 10 minutes of the match, earning several corner kicks. Megan Rapinoe nearly scored an Olimpico off of one such corner six minutes in, but Harris was able to do just enough to keep it out.

The Pride started to come into the game with Marta switching play with a beautiful curling pass to spring Ubogagu down the left, but Chi’s cross was cut out. At the 15-minute mark, the Pride earned a free kick from distance and the service found the head of Seattle’s Merritt Mathias and skipped just over the crossbar. Three minutes later, Catley played a superb long ball for Morgan, but the striker’s first touch let her down, allowing two defenders to team up on her, and the attack eventually fizzled.

Kennedy and Morgan each had shots blocked around the 20-minute mark and Catley fired an open shot from the top of the box well over the bar a minute later as the Pride got on the front foot.

Rapinoe tried to put the Reign on the board first with a long-range shot in the 27th minute that curled away from Harris, but the Pride keeper was able to stretch out and punch the ball away.

Five minutes later, Ubogagu showed some shake and bake to blast her way past a defender, but she impatiently tried to play to Hill early and the attack went to waste. At the 39-minute mark, Camila made a cheeky move in her own penalty area to shake free of Rapinoe and ignite the Orlando break, but at the other end, Marta’s cross for Morgan had a touch too much weight on it and sailed over the end line.

The half ended scoreless, with Seattle holding a slight possession advantage (51%) and both teams were around 80% with their passing accuracy. Orlando out-shot the Reign, 8-4 but got none of its attempts on target, while Harris had the game’s only save on Seattle’s lone shot on goal. Marta created four chances in the opening period to lead all players, with Morgan adding two.

Hill nearly broke the deadlock two minutes after the restart, rising to get onto a cross from Camila, but her header smashed off the crossbar and stayed out in the 47th minute. Two minutes later, Camila fired and forced Lydia Williams into a diving save on the Pride’s first shot attempt of the night to hit the target.

The Orlando chances continued with Chi rounding the corner and firing off Williams at the near post in the 54th minute. On the ensuing corner, the ball fell at Marta’s feet and the Brazilian held off three defenders before laying off for Ubogagu again. Chi smashed another shot on target but it was right at Williams.

Fishlock put the ball in the net in the 59th minute but she was offside and the flag was up even before she got her shot away, as the Reign kept trying to break in behind the Orlando defense. The Pride were wary of the Seattle attack all night, resulting in 10 offside calls against the visitors.

Camila came close in the 61st minute, stepping into one from distance and not missing by much.

The Brazilian right back/midfielder/forward finished with four shots, tying Hill and Kennedy for the most on the team, just ahead of Ubogagu’s three. Hill continued to look dangerous, firing wide in the 66th and then barely missing the back post with a shot fizzed from right to left in the 68th. The second shot was just out of Williams’ reach but sliced wide of the goal.

Seattle got a spell of possession after that for about the next 10 or 12 minutes as the Pride failed to link up passes and had a few giveaways. Finally, Ubogagu broke out of the pack with the ball and her cross was cut out for a corner, but in the buildup she missed a run from Morgan or chose not to slot in her strike partner and the chance went wanting. It was Chi’s final involvement as she was taken off for Toni Pressley, with Sermanni opting to go three at the back and play for the win.

Seattle had a couple decent looks at goal before Camila forced another diving stop from Williams to keep things level as the game headed toward stoppage time.

Just two minutes into injury time, the Pride pounced on a ball in the midfield and Weatherholt slotted in a perfectly weighted ball for Morgan to run onto. Alex had a defender closing but fired a low, left-footed shot that found the inside of the back post for what appeared to be a 92nd-minute game winner.

“Dani was able to play me in a great ball and although there was a defender on me, I felt that Lydia [Williams], the goalkeeper, was kind of hugging her near post. I saw that kind of out of the corner of my eye. I went for it. It went exactly where I was aiming and it was very short-lived, that excitement.”

The celebration for Morgan’s ninth goal of the season — on Weatherholt’s first career assist — didn’t last long. Shortly after the restart, the ball was cleared wide to Orlando’s left flank, where Nahomi Kawasumi gathered it with far too much time and space. She picked out a target in the box and crossed right onto Fishlock’s head. The cross cleared Krieger’s head by maybe an inch or two — she said in the postgame press conference that she felt it brush the top of her bun — and found Fishlock between Krieger and Monica for the game-tying header.

“We were really organized in the back. We were very tight in the box,” Krieger said. “Obviously players score goals, spaces don’t. So you have to make sure you’re tight on players, especially players running in through the midfield. When you’re in the box you have to make sure you’re grabbing onto players. I think that Steph [Catley] did a great job clearing that ball and then it’s trying to get some initial pressure on that service to not allow that. But when you don’t have that, you have to make sure you’re marked up in the box and I think that’s something that we can maybe do a little bit better on.”

From that point on it was pretty much over. Seattle hung on to win the road point and prevent the Pride from clinching as we head into an international break.

Orlando finished with 51% of the possession and a 78% passing accuracy, along with a 20-10 advantage in shots (5-3 on target). But the Reign were tough to break down on this night, blocking six Orlando attempts.

“I thought Seattle were pretty organized and I thought they defended us pretty well,” Morgan said. “I think at times we controlled the game, at times Seattle controlled the game, but I felt like overall we had a lot of really good chances. We were the better team. Obviously we fell asleep in that last minute.”

It was an intense match and Sermanni said afterward that it felt like a playoff atmosphere.

“Both teams knew how important that game was and I think that’s what we saw,” he said. “For them in particular tonight was a cup final. They could not lose the game tonight. For us, had we lost the game we’ve still got other opportunities but it was really important for us not to lose the game and lose momentum. And I think you saw that tonight.”

After the international break, in which seven Orlando starters will be in action — including the three Brazilians and two Australians traveling all the way down under and back — the Pride will face the league’s top two teams needing a few more points to clinch a postseason berth.

Orlando’s next game will be Saturday, Sept. 23 at home against the Portland Thorns. The Pride will finish the regular season on Saturday, Sept. 30 against league-leading North Carolina on the road.

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Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride return home looking to extend their winning streak and unbeaten run against the North Carolina Courage.

Published

11 hours ago

on

May 1, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (3-0-3, 12 points) return home tonight as they face the North Carolina Courage (4-2-0, 12 points), looking for their fourth consecutive win. This is the first of two regular-season games the teams will play this season, with the return game in North Carolina scheduled for June 15.

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

History

The Pride and Courage have played 23 times since the Western New York Flash moved to North Carolina and became the Courage. The Pride are 5-13-5 in those games (5-10-1 in the NWSL regular season, 0-0-2 in the Fall Series, and 0-3-2 in the NWSL Challenge Cup).

The most recent meeting between the two teams was on Sept. 17, 2023 in Orlando. Ally Watt got the Pride off to a great start, scoring inside the first minute. After assisting on the first goal, Adriana doubled the lead before halftime. Manaka Matsukubo got one back for the visitors, but it wasn’t enough and the Pride won 2-1.

The Pride didn’t show up for the July 29 Challenge Cup contest in North Carolina, getting demolished by the Courage. Brittany Ratcliffe and Malia Berkely gave the hosts a 2-0 halftime lead before Frankie Tagliaferri made it three, and a late brace by Haley Hopkins completed the 5-0 result.

The game prior to that was on June 17 in North Carolina and, again, it was all Courage. Kerolin and Meredith Speck gave the hosts a 2-0 lead before a Haley McCutcheon own goal made it 3-0 to North Carolina. On April 19 in Orlando, the Pride took the lead after halftime when Summer Yates set up Ally Watt for the opening goal. But Denise O’Sullivan equalized in the ninth minute of second-half injury time, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

Prior to that game, the teams last played on Sept. 21, 2022, at Exploria Stadium. The Courage got off to a great start when Debinha scored in the second minute. The Brazilian then assisted Tess Boade in first-half injury time to double the lead, and later added another, dooming the Pride to a 3-0 defeat.

The previous 2022 meeting came on May 18 in North Carolina. The Pride got off to a great start in that game, with Sydney Leroux scoring early. Mikayla Cluff doubled the lead with her first professional goal. A late goal by Brianna Pinto got the Courage back within one, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride took the 2-1 win.

The Pride and Courage were placed in the same division for the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup, so the teams played twice before the regular season started. The first game was on March 26 in North Carolina. Merritt Mathias converted a penalty after Gunny Jonsdottir was called for a handball in the box, lifting the hosts to a 1-0 win. The return match in the tournament took place on April 16 in Orlando. The Courage got off to a fast start, scoring three goals in the first nine minutes. Darian Jenkins netted a brace to make it 3-2, but a late Debinha goal put the game away and North Carolina won 4-2.

The teams played three times during the 2021 NWSL season. On May 22 in North Carolina, goals by Leroux and Alex Morgan gave the Pride a 2-0 lead late into the game. Jessica McDonald scored late to pull one back but the Pride held on for a 2-1 win. On July 4 in Orlando, Debinha and Havana Solaun goals helped the Courage take home a 2-0 win. The final game came on July 31 in North Carolina. Leroux opened the scoring but Brittany Ratcliffe equalized moments later and the teams drew 1-1.

The two teams were also matched up in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup but they only played once in that tournament. Neither team was able to find the back of the net in that game in a scoreless draw.

Similar to the Challenge Cup, the teams were in the same group of the 2020 Fall Series, meeting twice. The first was on Sept. 19 in North Carolina and ended in a scoreless draw. The second was on Oct. 17 at Exploria Stadium. Led by a Debinha brace, the Courage went up 3-0. But the Pride came back with goals by Marisa Viggiano, Kristen Edmonds, and Ally Haran for an exciting 3-3 draw.

The Pride and Courage played three times during the 2019 season. The first game was on April 17 in North Carolina. The Courage took a 1-0 lead into halftime but scored four times in the second half to win 5-0. They played a second time on June 1 in Orlando. Again, it was a dominant performance by the Courage as the Pride fell 3-0. The final meeting that year was another thrashing by North Carolina. The Pride got a goal in that one but still fell 6-1.

The teams also met three times in 2018 but the results were much closer. On May 23 in Orlando, goals by Alanna Kennedy and Rachel Hill saw the Pride come back from a 3-1 deficit. But McDonald scored a winner in the 90th minute and the Courage won 4-3. The Pride went down by three goals in the final two games that season, but were unable to come back and fell 3-0 in both contests.

The 2017 season saw the teams meet for the first time. The Courage took the first game 3-1 on April 29 in North Carolina. They played a second time two weeks later in Orlando when the Pride took the 3-1 win. The final meeting in 2017 came in the final game of the season on Sept. 30. The Pride took a 2-0 lead but the Courage came back to even it at 2-2. It looked headed for a draw until Kennedy netted a late winner, leading the Pride to a 3-2 win.

Overview

The Pride are coming off of their third consecutive win Friday night, a 3-2 thriller against the Washington Spirit. Goals by Angelina, Barbra Banda, and Summer Yates lifted the Pride to a 3-1 lead on the road, but an Anna Moorhouse mistake made it closer than it should’ve been. The two goals conceded ended a two-game shutout streak after a pair of 1-0 wins.

The season started with three draws before the three most recent wins for a six-game unbeaten run. The Pride are one of three teams in the NWSL to have not yet suffered defeat. The other two are the league-leading Kansas City Current and Racing Louisville FC.

Tonight’s opponent has been one of the most balanced teams during the early season. The Courage’s 11 goals scored are tied for second most in the league and their six goals conceded are tied for the second fewest. They have three shutouts on the season, including last weekend against the Seattle Reign. They’ve only conceded multiple goals twice, giving up two against the Utah Royals on March 22 and Angel City FC on April 21. While they’ve scored 11 goals, five of those came in their season opener, a 5-1 win over the Houston Dash.

North Carolina’s marquee offensive signing was Ashley Sanchez, but she’s only scored once so far this season. Tyler Lussi leads the team with three goals, while Bianca St-Georges and Hopkins are just behind with two goals each. Berkely, Pinto, and Dani Weatherholt are the other players contributing goals this season for the Courage.

“We’ve played them in preseason, we’ve played them obviously last year as well. They’re a team that likes to possess the ball, they like to draw you out, have a number of passes within their game. And again, it’s going to be a tough match,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s opponent. “We have to be organized. We have to read the times when to press and when to sit back. And I thought this year we’ve done a terrific job of understanding those moments, as well as being threatening in transition also. So yeah, it’s just reading those cues and those triggers and then hopefully we can get some success on the other side of it.”

The Pride still have an extended injury list with Simone Charley (right leg), Luana (illness), Marta (lower leg), Megan Montefusco (right heel), and Viviana Villacorta (left knee) listed as out, as well as Bri Martinez (suspension). Adriana (leg) and Morgan Gautrat (lower leg) are questionable for tonight’s game. The Courage will be without Sydney Collins (ankle), Julia Dorsey (knee), Estelle Johnson (maternity leave), Kerolin (knee), Clara Schilke (lower leg), and Olivia Wingate (leg).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, Rafaelle, Haley McCutcheon.

Defensive Midfielders: Angelina, Kerry Abello.

Midfielders: Julie Doyle, Summer Yates, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Ally Lemos, Amanda Allen, Evelina Duljan, Mariana Larroquette, Celia, Carrie Lawrence, Alex Kerr, Cori Dyke.

North Carolina Courage (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Casey Murphy.

Defenders: Felicitas Rauch, Malia Berkely, Kaleigh Kurtz, Ryan Williams.

Defensive Midfielders: Narumi Miura, Denise O’Sullivan.

Midfielders: Manaka Matsukubo, Haley Hopkins, Ashley Sanchez.

Forward: Tyler Lussi.

Bench: Marisa Bova, Jenna Winebrenner, Riley Jackson, Dani Weatherholt, Landy Mertz, Meredith Speck, Bianca St-Georges, Brianna Pinto, Victoria Pickett.

Referees

REF: Natalie Simon.
AR1: Rhett Hammil.
AR2: Chris Schurfranz.
4TH: JJ Bilinski.
VAR: Ekaterina Koroleva.
AVAR: Tom Felice.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: Bally Sports Sun.

Streaming: NWSL+.

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

Enjoy the match. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride Midfielder Luana Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

The Brazilian has been placed on the Season-Ending Injury List.

Published

2 days ago

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April 29, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride announced this morning that midfielder Luana has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, explaining her recent string of excused absences. The Brazilian international has been placed on the Season-Ending Injury list and will immediately begin chemotherapy treatment with the club’s official medical partner, Orlando Health Cancer Institute.   

This news explains Angelina’s celebration on Friday when the midfielder scored her first goal with the Pride. Angelina got onto a ball into the box from Barbra Banda, scored, and made an ‘L’ with her hand. This was obviously a tribute to her teammate both with Orlando and Brazil.

“As a professional athlete I have faced many challenges, on and off the field. I have always fought with courage and determination, and this time will be no different,” Luana said in a club press release. “I really appreciate the support of my family and friends who have strengthened me in this moment. I also want to thank Brazil’s National Team and Orlando Pride for their unconditional support. I kindly ask that my privacy be respected at this time.” 

“On behalf of our club, players, and the entire Orlando community, I want to extend our unwavering commitment to Luana as she begins her treatment,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter said in the club’s press release. “We are thankful to have some of the best medical resources available through our partners at Orlando Health, and we are prepared to do all we can to care for Luana in this moment. We fight our battles together, on and off the field, and the Orlando Pride athletes and staff will be side-by-side with Luana and unified in our support of her throughout this process.”

The Pride signed Luana to a two-year deal through 2025 with a club option year for 2026 on Dec. 14, 2023, bringing her in as part of a complete rebuild of the central midfield, which also included the signings of Angelina and Morgan Gautrat. The move has paid early dividends, with only three clubs allowing fewer goals than Orlando through six matches in 2024.

Luana appeared in the team’s first three games (two starts) prior to her diagnosis and played 192 minutes. The the São Paulo, Brazil native, who will turn 31 on Thursday, has yet to contribute a goal or assist, but as a defensive midfielder, that’s not her primary job. She has passed at an 81% success rate, contributing two tackles and three interceptions. Luana has been cautioned twice, committing five fouls, while drawing six on the opposition.

What It Means for Orlando

This news is awful, and the important thing is not how the loss of a player’s services affects the team on the field. It goes beyond that, obviously, and the important thing is that Luana gets the treatment she needs. The hope is that her condition was caught early and that her treatment is successful.

Without Luana available, the club’s depth will be tested throughout 2024. The Pride will hope to get Gautrat healthy and back on the pitch soon, after she has missed the last two matches with a lower leg injury and has been listed as questionable on the availability report. Angelina and Haley McCutcheon have played as the central midfield partnership the last two matches. While the duo has performed well together, especially in the shutout win over San Diego, the team has missed Gautrat’s control on the ball and ability to anticipate what the opposition will do.

On behalf of The Mane Land, I want to wish Luana and her medical team well on her treatment. Although we want to see her back on the pitch, it is far more important that she beats her illness and regains her health.

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Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Final Score 3-2 as Pride Win Third Straight

Despite a second-half goalkeeper error and a red card, the Pride held on to beat the Washington Spirit away from home.

Published

5 days ago

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April 26, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (3-0-3, 12 points) won their third consecutive game and second away from home with a hard-fought 3-2 win over the Washington Spirit (4-2-0, 12 points) at Audi Field. Angelina, Barbra Banda, and Summer Yates scored for the Pride while the Spirit goals came from Ouleye Sarr and an Anna Moorhouse gaffe that was credited to Ashley Hatch.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines had a weakened team for this game with Marta and Adriana both out injured. However, Rafaelle returned to the starting lineup and Banda got her first start for the team. The inclusion of Rafaelle saw Abello move to her natural attacking position and Kylie Strom back to her usual left back position.

The back line in front of Moorhouse was Strom, Rafaelle, Emily Sams, and Bri Martinez. Angelina and Haley McCutcheon were in the defensive midfield behind an attacking midfield of Julie Doyle, Yates, and Abello with Banda up top.

Washington dominated the first 20 minutes of the game and it appeared as though it would be a long night for the Pride. But Orlando held much more possession after Angelina’s goal and looked much more threatening in the attack. Up 3-1, a Moorhouse mistake got the Spirit back into the game and they struggled to hold onto a 3-2 lead when Martinez was sent off for a second yellow. But they withstood the constant attack by the opposition in second-half stoppage time, taking home all three points.

The hosts had the first decent attack in the second minute when Trinity Rodman received the ball from Sarr and carried it towards the end line. However, Martinez did well to keep up and knocked the ball out for a corner kick. Andi Sullivan’s ensuing set piece didn’t amount to anything and the Pride were able to clear.

In the ninth minute, Paige Metayer was sent down the right by Rodman. Cutting inside to beat Sams, Metayer passed it over for Sarr, but the striker slipped while attempting to shoot and sent the ball directly to Moorhouse.

Rodman was again involved in a chance for the Spirit in the 16th minute. However, this time it was an individual effort. Receiving the ball on the left, the midfielder cut inside for some space and fired a shot between two defenders from the top corner of the box. It was an ambitious attempt, but the attacker struck it well and forced Moorhouse into a diving stop.

The Pride had their first decent chance in the 19th minute when Angelina lifted the ball into the Spirit box looking for Doyle, who was making a run. Unfortunately, the cross was too close to Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury, who easily collected it.

The Spirit dominated the first 20 minutes, but the visitors scored first against the run of play in the 22nd minute. It started on the right when Yates won the ball from Hal Hershfelt. The midfielder sent it down the right, where Banda beat her defender, retrieving the ball before it reached the end line. The Zambian international quickly sent a cross toward the penalty spot where Angelina was darting in. The Brazilian met the ball just as it hit the ground, striking it beyond the reach of Kingsbury and into the corner to give the Pride the 1-0 lead.

“It was a good play because I made an effort to make that play,” Banda said about her assist.
“And I think definitely my teammates were aware that maybe I ought to put a cross, which definitely I did and it was so amazing.”

“It’s a great ball from Barbara to Ang,” Hines added. “And it was a great finish.”

The Spirit immediately went forward after the restart, looking to take back control of the game. Sarr got a shot off in traffic, but it was blocked. The rebound went right to Sullivan and the defensive midfielder fired from long distance, sending it well over the target.

Rodman had been quiet after the Pride goal, but made a good run in the 36th minute that included a give-and-go with Croix Bethune. Rodman sent a cross for Bethune that was intercepted by Angelina. However, Hershfelt took possession and shot from outside of the box, sending the ball wide.

In the 38th minute, chaos in the Spirit box nearly resulted in a second goal for the Pride. It started when Annaig Butel beat Banda to the ball and knocked it out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was just over the fingers of Kingsbury and landed at Abello with her back to goal. Unfortunately, she didn’t have room to turn, dropping it to McCutcheon at the top of the box instead. McCutcheon’s shot was blocked by Hershfelt, but Yates sent the ball back into the box and, after bouncing around some more, ended up with Banda, who got a shot off. However, her attempt was just over the crossbar.

Shortly after the Pride narrowly missed out on doubling their lead, Washington found its equalizer. Sams lost the ball near midfield to Bethune, who quickly played it forward for Sarr. Rafaelle slid in an attempt to intercept the pass, but missed and Sarr was in on goal. Moorhouse looked indecisive about coming out, enabling Sarr to chip the goalkeeper and even the game at 1-1.

A minute later, the Spirit had a chance to take the lead when Rodman sent Bethune behind the Pride defense on the right. The midfielder opened up her body in an attempt to curl the ball inside the far post, but it was too close to Moorhouse, who was able to catch the attempt.

In the 43rd minute, Sullivan sent the ball forward for Sarr, who was defended by McCutcheon. Entering the box, McCutcheon attempted a tackle that resulted in Sarr going to the ground as she sent the ball across the goal mouth. After a check by the video assistant referee, Rebecca Pagan went to the monitor to check for a potential penalty, but determined the play was offside.

That was the final chance for either team as the game went into halftime even at 1-1. After 45 minutes of play, Washington had more possession (56%-44%), shots (7-5), and shots on target (5-4), and better passing accuracy (79%-76%). The Pride had more crosses (5-4), and both teams took one corner kick.

“First half, it was real quiet and we kind of let the crowd take over. But in the locker room we were like, we’ve got to talk, we’ve got to demand more of each other,” Doyle said about the mood at halftime. “We’ve got to throw in some tackles. I think we’re just, including myself, being way too soft first half.”

It didn’t take long for the Pride to strike in the second half. In the 49th minute, Martinez sent a cross into the box that went just over the head of Yates. Abello recovered the ball on the far side and attempted a cross, but Gabby Carle blocked it out of play.

The ensuing corner kick by Yates was to the near post where it found Doyle. The midfielder flicked it on for Banda who headed the ball in for her first NWSL goal and gave the Pride a 2-1 lead.

“Actually, I didn’t expect it,” Banda said about her goal. “But I think it went according to the plan from training because I think I took the position I was told to pick and I definitely picked that spot and I put the ball in the back of the net.”

“It’s something we’ve been working on in practice and it was working,” Doyle said about the play designed on the training field. “Summer said she meant to play me the ball near post. She saw that I was wide open and I know I just got to flick it in into the squad and I was just so happy for Barbara to finish that because that wasn’t an easy finish and she made it look easy.”

Yates nearly had a goal of her own in the 53rd minute when Angelina sent a dangerous cross into the box. The second-year midfielder made a great run through three defenders, but the cross was too close to Kingsbury, who grabbed it.

A minute later, the Pride had an even better chance when they won a penalty. It started when a poor clearance was won by Yates in the box. Her first touch was controlled by Banda, who took a dribble to beat Butel. The center back attempted a clumsy challenge, taking the forward down. Pagan didn’t hesitate to point to the spot, giving the Pride an excellent chance to take a two-goal lead.

Angelina initially held the ball near penalty spot, but handed it off to Yates to take the kick. Despite her youth, Yates was very confident, sending Kingsbury the wrong way and putting a strong shot into the left corner to give her team a commanding 3-1 lead.

Up two goals, Hines made his first change of the game in the 64th minute. After another excellent performance, Yates was replaced by forward Ally Watt.

In the 65th minute, the Spirit got one back, though not really through their own efforts. Hatch, a regular starter that came on at halftime, sent a long, looping shot towards the far post. It was an easy play for Moorhouse and the goalkeeper should’ve caught the ball. But it went right through her hands and into the far side of the goal, cutting the deficit in half.

Rodman had a chance to equalize in the 68th minute when she received the ball on the right from Casey Krueger. The attacker dribbled inside against McCutcheon, who didn’t close her down, and got a shot off. However, Sams did well to come over and block the shot over the goal.

In the 74th minute, Doyle found Banda on the left. The forward beat substitute Anna Heilferty and sent a cross across the mouth of the goal, but nobody in orange was there to get on the end of it. Watt initially won possession and lost it to Krueger. However, she quickly won it back and played it to Doyle, who immediately laid it off for Banda. The striker sent another ball towards goal but right to Kingsbury.

Hines made two more changes in the 81st minute and they were defensive ones. Defenders Carrie Lawrence and Cori Dyke replaced midfielders Angelina and Doyle. It was Dyke’s professional debut and Lawrence’s first appearance since tearing her ACL prior to the 2023 NWSL season.

“Carrie’s one of the longest serving players here and it’s a big moment for her,” Hines said after the game. “I know she’s gone through a lot all of last year missing out, watching the team go out there and perform, and just biding her time, being patient. And we felt today was the right moment for her to come on and make a difference. And it’s a big moment for her. We’re super proud of her and it takes a lot of dedication to put yourself in that position. So yeah, we’re pleased with her and also there’s Cori Dyke getting her debut as well, because I know she’s been patiently waiting for a moment and her opportunity.”

As the clock ticked past 90 minutes, a Pride corner kick was cleared out. Rodman sprinted out on the break, chased down by Martinez. The defender grabbed at her and Rodman went down. Since Martinez was playing on a yellow, Pagan took her time to consider her decision, but eventually pulled out the card. The second booking for Martinez meant the Pride were down to 10 players for the 11 minutes of stoppage time.

Hines made his final change in the sixth minute of stoppage time. It was a defensive move as left back Celia came into the game, replacing Abello.

The Spirit nearly found an equalizer in the seventh minute, when Hatch hit the crossbar on the half valley. The ball bounced to Metayer, who beat Sams to it, but her header was over the goal.

In the 10th minute of stoppage time, a ball into the box was flicked on by the head of Sullivan. Rodman got her head onto it and put it on goal, but couldn’t get much on the attempt, enabling Moorhouse to make the easy stop.

It was a long time to hold onto a one-goal lead with 10 players and they almost conceded an equalizer, but the final whistle gave the Pride a 3-2 win.

“I trust them. They’ve been through enough scenarios like that,” Hines said about holding onto the one-goal lead with 10 players. “It’s a mentality. You have to embrace it. You have to take the bull by its horns, it’s coming. You know that Washington are a direct team, they’re gonna push numbers forward. They’re going to be very physical and I thought for some periods of the game, we stood up to that challenge. Certainly at the end with 10 players and your backs are against the wall and you’re having to deal with the directness and putting your body on the line and I felt the players did a terrific job in handling that.  We obviously rode our luck as well with them hitting the crossbar, but you need a little bit of luck at times as well.”

At full time, Washington had more possession (59%-41%), shots (16-9), and shots on target (11-7), and better passing accuracy (80%-69%). The Pride ended the game with more corner kicks (4-3) and crosses (16-9).

“More relief than anything,” Hines said about the result. “If we dissect the game, I thought we started, although we took the lead, I thought we started slow. We didn’t really start ourselves. We were very lethargic. I thought Washington started on the front foot, putting us under real pressure.

“I think the disappointing part from our side is that we gifted them two goals today. In this league, you can’t give teams goals because they’ll punish you. And so it’s a good reminder that we have to keep our standards high. Stick to who we are, stick to our identity. And I’m super proud of the players to not only see the game out 3-2, but with 10 players also. It shows another side to our game. So I’m super proud of them and their efforts and everything that they put into the game today.”

The Pride have now won three consecutive games, including two on the road, and are still unbeaten through the first six games this season. They’re one of three unbeaten teams (pending the Kansas City Current’s outcome) in the NWSL, along with the Current and Racing Louisville FC. It’s the team’s longest unbeaten run and winning streak since 2022.

This is the first of three games in 10 days for the Pride. They’ll return home on Wednesday night as they host the North Carolina Courage.

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