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Orlando Pride vs Washington Spirit: Final Score 1-0 as Kennedy Scores from the Center Circle

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6 years ago

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An amazing long-distance goal by Alanna Kennedy was the lone goal for the Orlando Pride as they edged out the Washington Spirit 1-0 in a tough road victory. The Pride (6-3-4, 22 points) were able to overcome poor finishing to hold onto their early lead while the Spirit (2-8-4, 10 points) simply weren’t able to capitalize on many opportunities to score.

Here’s the lineup Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni sent out, which features the much-anticipated return of Camila, who didn’t play but made the bench for the first time this season:

The Pride started the game with their foot on the gas. Alex Morgan had an early shot that was saved by Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe and Christine Nairn had a few crosses into dangerous areas that just couldn’t find someone to hammer it home. However, Bledsoe had to come out and punch one of Nairn’s crosses away in the sixth minute and it was clear that Orlando was going to be the aggressor in the game.

Although Orlando looked likely to score at some point, the Pride’s first goal came out of nowhere and from incredible range in the 11th minute. Intercepting an errant pass near the midfield line, Kennedy looked up and saw Bledsoe too far forward and took aim at goal. The Australian’s powerful shot sailed over Bledsoe and into the net for her second goal of the season to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.

The last time Kennedy found the back of the net, she won NWSL Goal of the Week and it’s a safe bet that she will do it again after this.

Most of the Pride’s chances in the half came on the left side, with Chioma Ubogagu wreaking havoc and finding Emily van Egmond just moments after the goal. Van Egmond’s twisting shot threatened Bledsoe enough on the far post that the former Pride goalkeeper had to come save it.

While the Pride’s chances came from many different players, the Spirit relied heavily on the pairing of Ashley Hatch and Francisca Ordega in the first half. Ordega did most of the legwork on the right wing to cross the ball into the box to Hatch on many occasions. Fortunately for the Pride, Hatch had an off night and sent shot after shot off target.

In the Pride’s last real chance in the first half, van Egmond got an open look just outside the box. But her low shot skipped past both Bledsoe and Washington’s goal to go out of play.

The Spirit weren’t about to quietly go into halftime however. In their best chance of the half, Joanna Lohman got her head on the end of a deep cross and was able to get the ball on target, but Ashlyn Harris was all over it and snuffed out the opportunity, sending the Pride into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

The two teams finished the first half practically even in everything except the score, with the Spirit having a slight edge in possession, with 53%. Although the Pride had two fewer shots (six) than the Spirit, Orlando had many more crosses with seven compared to Washington’s two.

There was a role reversal at the start of the second half, with Washington looking like the more dangerous side as the Sprit fought for an equalizer.

Hatch’s shots edged more and more on target and her best attempt came when she fired a ball toward the far post. Luckily, left back Carson Pickett was able to cleanly clear away the danger, but the threat of Hatch getting closer to scoring loomed.

The Pride spent most of the second half defending, with their best scoring opportunity being a near own goal by Washington in the 61st minute. Pride right back Poliana found space on the right side and crossed a ball that deflected off a Spirit player and looked like it would go into the net before Bledsoe smothered the near disaster.

As the Spirit began to find more of the ball, they started to find scoring chances that just weren’t there in the first half. A few minutes after the near own goal, Spirit defender Taylor Smith found open space on the right and fired. Luckily for the Pride, Smith put a little too much power on the shot and it continued to sail instead of dropping down as it flew just over the crossbar.

Washington continued to put pressure on Orlando’s defense and the Pride were nearly caught on the counter when Ordega sprinted down the Pride’s right flank. She eventually ran out of real estate and wasn’t able to get a good angle, her resulting shot finding the side netting as the Pride desperately tried to hold on for all three points.

Perhaps the best chance of the game for the Spirit was in the 84th minute when Caprice Dydasco let loose a swerving shot that looked destined to go in until Harris fully laid out to make the save. Harris wasn’t able to wrangle it in and the ball dangerously bounced around until going out for a corner but the crisis was averted by Harris’ save.

The Pride nearly doubled their lead in stoppage time when Sydney Leroux dribbled the ball in the box, but quick defending by the Spirit ended the chance.

The Pride were able to see out the game and secure their first road win against the Spirit in club history. The Pride are now unbeaten in four games as they head home to Orlando with three points and a match with the Houston Dash at Orlando City Stadium next week. Orlando has earned points in nine of the last 10 overall matches.

Despite the win, the Pride were lucky to come away with the result given their poor finishing and their only goal coming from Kennedy’s snipe. Not to discredit Kennedy in the slightest, but goals like that can’t be counted on each and every week. The Spirit weren’t able to punish the Pride for their mistakes and turnovers in the second half, but other teams in the NWSL certainly will.

But for now, the Pride will enjoy the win and start preparing for the Dash as they look to stay in playoff position.

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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.

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14 hours ago

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December 2, 2024

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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

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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

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November 30, 2024

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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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