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Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Concede Two Late Goals

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8 years ago

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After going up early, the Orlando Pride allowed two goals in four minutes as they fell to the Houston Dash (4-5-5, 17 points), 2-1 in front of a mere 3,215 fans in Orlando City Stadium. The Pride (6-4-4, 22 points) remain in second place for now, pending the outcomes of tonight’s late games. 

Alex Morgan put the Pride ahead with her third goal of the season but Orlando wasted several good scoring opportunities in the opening half hour and ultimately conceded a late fluke goal on a Kealia Ohai cross and a penalty to Sofia Huerta just four minutes later.

“I thought the first 30 minutes was the best we’ve played here all season,” Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni said. “Best we’ve played for a long time. We were incredibly dominant in the game and probably should have come in at halftime with a significant lead and finished the game. The lesson tonight that you learn in soccer sometimes is that one-nil is never safe. And we didn’t get that second goal to kinda finish them off.”

Sermanni made three changes to the lineup that beat Washington over the weekend. Emily van Egmond made way for Dani Weatherholt, Marta was brought back into the starting XI and, Kristen Edmonds got a surprise start up top as Sermanni looked forward to Saturday’s clash against North Carolina. 

The Pride controlled the first 30 minutes of the half and held 75% possession for the first half hour. Houston sat back and defended and sent many balls forward that were easily intercepted by Orlando. 

Just 40 seconds into the game and Carson Pickett nearly put the Pride up but her shot went over the bar. A few minutes later, Houston had a rare chance as Shelina Zadorsky had a poor turnover but luckily Monica was there to stop the attack. 

In the 12th minute, Morgan could not have asked for a better opportunity. She used some nifty footwork to get into the box and was taken down by Clare Polkinghorne. Morgan took the penalty kick and had Jane Campbell diving the wrong way but her shot hit the post and the game remained scoreless. 

Morgan would get redemption though on a bizarre play that put Orlando up 1-0. After winning a corner, Marta put a good ball in that was bouncing around in the box. Houston was able to clear it but Christine Nairn won the ball back and sent it right back into the area. Zadorsky was standing in an offside position, but Polkinghorne headed it backwards negating the offside. At this point the entire Houston team stopped playing and stuck their arms in the air so Morgan had a simple finish standing alone on the back post on Zadorsky’s cross. 

The response by the officials after the game of why Zadorsky was not called offside was because “Zadorsky received the ball by deliberate play from a defending Houston player.” The assistant referee did raise the flag but the referee never blew the whistle so play continued.

“You’re told when you are five years old to finish the play,” Morgan said. “So it doesn’t matter if [Zadorsky was offside] or not, I put the ball away. I saw the ref’s flag up then he put it down. You finish a play. It doesn’t matter if that’s on the attacking side or defensive side. I’m really happy that I got a home goal.”

The Pride continued to dominate the match but then after the half hour mark the Dash started to take control of the game. Houston now maintained the possession and looked much more organized defensively. This led to the first shot on goal in the 38th minute for the Dash, as Huerta’s shot went right into the chest of Ashlyn Harris. 

The first half ended with the Pride up 1-0 but they could have scored two or three more goals. Their 15 shots in the first half is a team recorded and they held 65% possession. The start of the second half saw the Pride regain control of the match but this only lasted about five minutes as Huerta nearly tied the game in the 49th. 

Edmonds had a few opportunities to start the half. She first tried to get on the end of a cross but did not make good contact. Then in the 52nd minute she saw Marta running down the right hand side and but her ball was just a bit too far for the Brazilian. 

“I thought Kristen Edmonds had a terrific game,” said Sermanni. “She put in an inordinate amount of work, she was good on the ball, she kept possession for us well most of the time, and she did what Kristen Edmonds does really well. And that is the value of having someone like her in the squad.”

In the 58th minute, the Pride won a corner and Marta put a cross in that bounced around. It ended up getting behind Campbell but Lina Motlhalo was standing on the goal line and cleared it away from danger.

The teams continued to battle in the second half but neither could get many good chances. Weatherholt tried a back heel flick in the 63rd minute that almost found its way in. Ten minutes later, Alanna Kennedy’s got on the end of a free kick but her header hit the post. 

“I really wanted [the back heel] to go in but unfortunately did not get enough power on it,” said Weatherholt. “My body position was facing the other way and so I thought the only chance was to flick it on.”

Then, in the 79th minute, Houston took advantage of its chances. First, Ohai looked to cross the ball but mishit it and the ball ended up in the upper 90 of Harris’ goal as Houston leveled the game at one. 

Then, in the 82nd minute, Ohai again tried to send a ball across — this time from inside the box. The ball hit Monica’s outstretched arm and the referee immediately pointed to the spot and Huerta buried the penalty. 

“I wouldn’t consider the first goal a scoring chance. The first goal was a mishit cross,” said Sermanni. “[Ohai] is always a dangerous player and dangerous players, at some stage in the game, are going to create something. But I don’t sit here and say she produced two bits of magic to win the game because she didn’t. If she did I would say so but it was simply a mishit cross and an unfortunate penalty.”

The Pride tried throwing players forward at the end but could not find another goal. Orlando outshot (21-10), out possessed (60%), and out passed (493-327) the visitors but the Dash came away with the three points. There were also a large amount of fouls called at the end of the match and referee Kevin Broadley handed out four yellows after the 89th minute, all to Pride players.

“I thought it was a solid performance,” Weatherholt said. “We really competed against them and unfortunately gave up a goal late in the game and ultimately a penalty. Unhappy with the result but I thought we played consistent throughout the game.”

The Pride return to action again on Saturday as they take on NWSL leaders North Carolina in Orlando City Stadium at 3:30 p.m.

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Orlando Pride vs. Boston Legacy FC: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from the Orlando Pride’s 1-0 home loss to Boston Legacy FC.

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8 hours ago

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July 16, 2026

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Image of Jacquie Ovalle taking a free kick against Boston.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride hosted expansion side Boston Legacy FC for the first time in Inter&Co Stadium, and it didn’t go as planned. The visitors defeated the home team 1-0 to sweep the Pride in the regular season. There isn’t much time to reflect before the Pride head west to take on the Utah Royals on Saturday, so here are my five takeaways from the match.

Speed Lacking

This team is slow without Barbra Banda. Jacquie Ovalle is good with the ball at her feet and can deliver good set pieces or crosses when in the right position, but she is not fast. Marta is 40, and as great as she is, she isn’t outrunning younger players. The fullbacks are not fast. Angelina isn’t particularly quick either.

The lack of pace means that even if the Pride get a transition opportunity, the defense can usually catch up to disrupt the play. Trying to win races to open balls often results in the opposition winning the ball. We saw plenty of this in this match.

VARious Decisions

Ovalle was involved in two controversial calls involving video review. The first was on a first-half Ovalle corner kick that she curled inside the far post and into the back of the net. It should have been a beautiful Olimpico, but Ally Lemos was backed up next to Boston goalkeeper Casey Murphy. She barely touched her and I disagree with the call, but the goal was waved off because Lemos was ruled to have interfered with Murphy.

The other call came on the other end, and also on a corner kick. Boston put the ball across the goal and out for a goal kick, but then the video assistant referee decided to take a long look. Ovalle was, in my opinion, absolutely holding onto the player she was defending, but inexplicably after review, the goal kick was confirmed. I’m not certain if it was intentional, but the call did effectively even things out.

No Banda, No Finishing

The Pride were able to create several crosses from the wide spaces before Banda entered the match in the 60th minute. Unfortunately, there was no one in front of goal for the Pride to even attempt a shot (see “Speed” above). The few shots that the Pride were able to get off either went wide, high, or straight to the keeper. Even Banda wasn’t able to finish any of her chances, though as you’ll read below there were some extenuating circumstances.

Banda Brutalized

It was clear that once Banda came into the match, Boston center back Jorelyn Carabalí was told to do anything short of shivving Banda to stop her. Banda was bumped, dragged, kicked, pulled, and all sorts of other things that should have been called as fouls with some worthy of bookings, but the referee wasn’t having it. This is nothing new for Banda and the Pride, as teams are often able to maul the Zambian striker without it being called because of her size and strength. It’s unfair whenever it happens, but it seemed to be more egregious in this match.

Reality Check

On Friday, we saw the Pride play to the top of their ability. The 3-0 win over the Kansas City Current was vintage 2024 Orlando Pride. It was also an illusion. That performance is not indicative of what this team is on any given day. I think the performance against Boston is much closer to the truth. The team looked better once Banda was on the pitch, but it wasn’t enough. The Pride are about to lose Banda to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and I don’t think the team has any answers or the personnel to implement those answers.

That is what I saw in the disappointing home loss to Boston Legacy FC. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando Pride vs. Boston Legacy FC: Final Score 1-0 as Pride are Swept by Expansion Boston

The Pride finish 0-3-1 against expansion teams after a toothless attacking night against Boston Legacy FC.

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20 hours ago

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July 15, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride (6-7-2, 20 points) fell 1-0 at home to Boston Legacy FC (4-7-4, 16 points) in front of a Wednesday night crowd of 6,004 disappointed fans. Boston struck early and the Pride laid on a relentless attack in the second half, but they lacked precision in the final third and couldn’t overcome the Legacy’s stubborn defense. Barbara Olivieri scored the game’s only goal.

Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines deployed his typical 4-2-3-1 formation for tonight’s match. The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was made up of Cori Dyke, Hannah Anderson, Zara Chavoshi, and Oihane. Haley McCutcheon and Ally Lemos served as the defensive midfielders, with Angelina, Jacquie Ovalle, and Solai Washington taking up the attacking midfield roles and Marta up top.

“Yeah, I mean they took their goal well. You know, some quick combination play, but I feel like every goal is preventable,” Hines said after the match. “You know, that’s just my mindset and how I think. And you know there was a couple of give-and-goes, and then you know getting close to people and affecting people wasn’t quite there in the first half.”

In the first minute, Oihane worked her way down the right and fed a ball through to Washington, who sent in a low cross that Casey Murphy collected easily.

In the sixth minute, Lilly Reale responded by sending a harmless ball over the crossbar.

Marta worked down the left a minute later and sent a high cross into the box, but it was too far in front of Washington and Angelina, who were trying to catch up to the play. The pass went harmlessly out the other side of the area, wasting a numerical advantage in transition.

In the 12th minute, Boston worked the ball down the right and sent in a cross that McCutcheon blocked behind for a corner. Jorelyn Carabali met the ensuing delivery with a free header, but it didn’t have much pace on it and popped up right to Moorhouse. Five minutes later, Moorhouse got over to gather a cross in from Reale.

Boston struck in the 17th minute, carving through the Pride midfield as Alba Caño found Ella Stevens, who tapped it centrally to Olivieri. The Boston attacker fired toward Moorhouse’s left. The goalkeeper dove but couldn’t make the save as the ball was able to sneak inside the post to make it 1-0.

The Pride attempted to pull the goal back in the 22nd minute, working up through the middle, but could not break down the stubborn Boston defense.

In the 26th minute, McCutcheon turned the ball over to Olivieri, who muscled her way into the box and cut back a pass to Caño, who fired wide. McCutcheon was shown a delayed yellow card for trying — and failing — to hold back Olivieri on the play, with the referee playing advantage.

The Pride responded in the 28th minute, following a throw-in, working wide on the left. Dyke sent in a good cross to Angelina right in front of goal. The Brazilian did well to get a foot on it, but hit it poorly and sent the ball wide left.

In the 36th minute, the Pride earned a free kick following a foray into the Boston 18-yard box that was defended away. Murphy collected the ensuing ball in from Ovalle without difficulty.

Boston managed a shot in the 40th minute after winning the ball off an Orlando throw-in and working it out to Caño, who centered for Annie Karich. She fired a shot but sent it right at Moorhouse.

Orlando had its own chance seconds later when an Ovalle effort flew just wide, needing a touch from Murphy to put it out for a corner. It looked like the Pride had equalized on the corner, with Ovalle curling the ball directly in for an Olimpico, but the goal was called back for a foul by Lemos who lightly bumped into Murphy. It was a curious call, as Lemos stood her ground and Murphy had to move back toward her goal away from Lemos to try to get to Ovalle’s delivery, but the goal didn’t count and a free kick was awarded to Boston.

Aïssata Traoré fired over the crossbar in the 43rd minute after some buildup down the Boston left.

Washington managed a decent cross in the 44th minute, but it was just too far in front of an onrushing Ovalle. Oihane added a cross of her own in the 46th minute, but it again went right to Murphy.

Boston won another corner moments later from an attack down the right, but the delivery flew over everyone except Reale at the back post. She put it out for an Orlando goal kick. The Pride survived a penalty scare on the play, as Ovalle had tangled with Carabali in the box, with a lot of shirt pulling and no attempt to play the ball. Referee Cristian Campo went to the monitor after a lengthy delay waiting for the video assistant referee. Campo looked at the play and confirmed the call as no foul and a goal kick, evening out the game’s two most controversial plays.

The first half came to an end without another good look at goal and Boston leading 1-0.

The half finished with Orlando leading in possession (51%-49%) but Boston had the advantage in shots (7-4), shots on target (2-0), and passing accuracy (87%-81%). Both teams won two corner kicks in the opening half.

Orlando saw more of the ball in the second half and created more opportunities, but in the end, the Pride were wasteful with those chances and gave the ball away too cheaply in the final third.

Hines brought on Julie Doyle at halftime for her 100th appearance for the club. She replaced Oihane at right back.

“Yeah, I mean, just want to say how grateful I am too. I mean, not every single player gets to hit 100 — and hit 100 at the same team,” Doyle said. “I’m so grateful just for the staff and the organization for believing in me every single year and every single contract and have had some highs and lows, but winning a championship was the best soccer memory.

“We’ve got to figure out how to break down a low block. I think that’s probably the hardest thing to do in soccer. You see it even in the World Cup. But yeah, and just like having that grit and mentality, and doing whatever it takes to get another goal, and you know, for us, I think that’s something that we obviously need to figure out.”

Orlando put together some excellent buildup in the 50th minute between Washington and Angelina, following clever holdup play by Marta. The sequence led to a Washington shot that Murphy parried away. The resulting cross found Marta, but her touch deflected off a Boston defender and into touch for a Pride throw-in that led nowhere.

Marta got a shot off in the 55th minute, following buildup through the middle from Anderson and Dyke, but sent it straight at the goalkeeper.

Boston worked a cross into the Orlando box in the 59th minute, sent in by Bianca St-Georges, but McCutcheon cleared it.

Barbra Banda subbed on in the 60th minute for Ovalle, and Orlando immediately started to play more directly with the Zambian international on the pitch. The Pride threatened in the 62nd minute with a ball over the top to Banda out wide, but a good tackle by Carabali snuffed out the attack after Banda had worked her way centrally, trying to clear herself for a shot.

The Pride followed with a free kick that was sent in, recycled, and lobbed back in, glancing off Anderson’s head and over the end line. Washington fired a shot just wide of the left post in the 64th minute. Murphy got a touch to help it, but a goal kick was given.

In the 66th minute, Boston came close to doubling the lead following a scramble in the box. Caño’s free kick found Reale, who crossed it back in, but Dyke cleared the danger off the line.

Hines made a double substitution in the 68th minute, sending on Simone Jackson for Washington and Nicole Payne for Lemos.

In the 77th minute, Jackson fought hard to work the ball toward the center of the box for Banda, who took a swing at a difficult ball that sailed high and wide. Eight minutes later, Orlando nearly forced an own goal when a Doyle cross deflected off Carabali and rattled the post.

The Pride earned a corner in the 86th minute when Emerson Elgin cleared a McCutcheon cross for Banda over the end line. Boston defended two corners in the ensuing goalmouth scramble, with Olivieri prominent in clearing the danger.

Hines made his final substitution in the 88th minute, sending on Seven Castain for McCutcheon.

In the 90th minute, chaos reigned in the box as the Pride had shots from both Marta and Payne blocked. A minute later, a promising attack down the left was snuffed out when Doyle stepped on the side of the ball while trying to beat her defender, handing possession back to the Legacy, who used their possession to try to run out the clock.

In the 95th minute, Marta worked a nice ball over the top that gave Banda a fighting chance, but a slightly heavy touch — with Boston players closing in — cost her the ball.

The final whistle brought Orlando’s second loss to Boston to a close. The Pride took only one point from four matches against the two new NWSL expansion sides.

The match finished with Orlando having the better of the possession battle (52%-48%), shots (13-8), corner kicks (5-2), and passing accuracy (84%-83%) but both teams put two shots on target.

“It’s obviously challenging, especially when she had quite a significant injury leading up into the last couple of games,” Hines said of Banda’s contributions and readiness going forward. “I feel like we’ve managed her really well, but you have to be so cautious with players, especially when they have injuries the way that Barbra had, and she’s such an explosive player, you don’t want to lose her for many more games — we’ll assess where she’s at, how she feels after tonight’s game, and then make a decision on you know if she starts or she can be an impact off the bench again.”

It was a disappointing result and performance for the Pride — their second in the last three matches, sandwiched around one of the team’s best outings of the year on Friday against the Kansas City Current. But the only thing consistent about the 2026 Pride is the team’s inconsistency and inability to get everyone healthy. Both Hailie Mace and Summer Yates sat out the game with knocks.

Things won’t get any easier for the Pride, who must now travel to Utah to face the Royals on Saturday night at altitude.

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Orlando Pride vs. Boston Legacy FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride look to win their second straight game as they welcome Boston Legacy FC to Inter&Co Stadium.

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1 day ago

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July 15, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (6-6-2, 20 points) face Boston Legacy FC (3-7-4, 13 points) at Inter&Co Stadium at 7 p.m. (NWSL+, Victory+). This is the second and final scheduled meeting between these two teams this season.

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

History

Boston Legacy FC is one of two expansion teams joining the NWSL in 2026. The first and only game between the two teams took place on May 12 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. The Pride took the lead in the 14th minute when Rafaelle was pushed over during a set piece and Marta converted the penalty. However, Aleigh Gambone equalized in the 72nd minute and Amanda Gutierres netted the winner eight minutes into second-half stoppage time from the penalty spot for a handball in the box by Luana. Boston took that first-ever meeting 2-1.

Overview

The Pride went into the World Cup break with back-to-back wins over San Diego Wave FC and Bay FC. However, they returned with a weak performance against Angel City FC away from home, resulting in a 2-0 loss.

On Friday night, the Pride faced a red-hot Kansas City Current team. While the first half wasn’t the best, the Pride had arguably their best half of the season in the final 45 minutes. Marta opened the scoring with a long-distance shot in the 49th minute, followed by a Hannah Anderson header off a corner kick in the 57th minute. Barbra Banda came on in the 76th minute and extended her league-leading goal total to 12 in the 85th minute, securing the 3-0 win.

The clean sheet was the Pride’s fifth of the season. Combined with the three goals, the team now has a positive goal difference (+2) with 21 goals scored and 19 goals conceded. The last two years, the team has been better defensively than offensively, but it’s opposite this season. The Pride are now third in goals scored and 10th in goals conceded.

In addition to the three points, Jacquie Ovalle and Marta started together for the first time this season. Banda also played the final 14 minutes after missing the Angel City game and looked like her dangerous self in the attack.

Tonight, the Pride welcome a Boston Legacy FC team that sits 14th in the 16-team league. The visitors tonight only have three wins this year, with one coming against the Pride and the other coming Friday night against the Chicago Stars.

Boston went into the World Cup break with back-to-back losses, falling 2-1 to Seattle Reign FC and 1-0 to the Kansas City Current. However, the expansion side has bounced back well, drawing 2-2 with Bay FC before beating the Stars 2-0.

Boston is led in the attack by Aissata Traore and Gutierres with four goals each, followed by Nichelle Prince and Alba Cano with two apiece. Biance St-Georges, Sammy Smith, and Gambone are the team’s only other goal scorers with a goal each.

Prince leads the team in assists, with three, followed by Gutierres with two. Traore, Barbara Olivieri, Emerson Elgin, and Laurel Ansbrow have each added one assist this season.

The team is tied with Racing Louisville FC on 15 goals scored, third fewest in the league. Meanwhile, Boston’s 21 goals conceded is fourth most in the NWSL this season. Despite falling back in May, this is a game from which the Pride should be able to take all three points.

“Last time we played them it was a physical game,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said ahead of tonight’s contest. “It came down to literally the last kick of the game as well, so we’re looking to bounce back from that result that we were disappointed with going to their place. And, also, building on our performance against Kansas. It was a really good, encouraging performance. The attention to detail, scoring some goals as well is always nice, making it entertaining for our fans. So we’re looking to replicate that against Boston.”

The Pride will be without Hailie Mace (thigh), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Rafaelle (hip), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Summer Yates (ankle). Boston will play without Lais Araujo (thigh), Josefine Hasbo (lower leg), Kaka (ankle), Fauzia Najjemba (thigh), and Chloe Ricketts (ankle).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Cori Dyke, Hannah Anderson, Zara Chavoshi, Oihane.

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon.

Attacking Midfielders: Jacquie Ovalle, Angelina, Solai Washington.

Forward: Marta.

Bench: Cosette Morche, McKinley Crone, Kerry Abello, Luana, Nicole Payne, Julie Doyle, Seven Castain, Simone Jackson, Barbra Banda.

Boston Legacy FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Casey Murphy.

Defenders: Lilly Reale, Emerson Elgin, Jorelyn Carabali, Bianca St-Georges.

Defensive Midfielders: Annie Karich, Alba Cano.

Attacking Midfielders: Aissata Traore, Barbara Olivieri, Nichelle Prince.

Forward: Ella Stevens.

Bench: Laurel Ivory, Hannah Stambaugh, Nicolette Hernandez, Laurel Ansbrow, Deja Davis, Amanda Allen, Sammy Smith, Aleigh Gambone, Gutierres.

Referees

REF: Cristian Campo.
AR1: Noah Kenyawani.
AR2: Kendall McCardell.
4TH: Alejo Calume.
VAR: Alyssa Pennington.
AVAR: Brian Marshall.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: NWSL+, Victory+.

Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @themaneland.bsky.social on Bluesky and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter (@ORLPride) or Bluesky (@orlpride.com) feed.

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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