Connect with us

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Utah Royals FC: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Come From Behind to Win

Published

6 years ago

on

End-to-end action was the theme of the night as the Orlando Pride (8-6-4, 28 points) defeated the Utah Royals (5-7-5, 21 points), 2-1. Both teams tried to stretch the other side’s defense, using every inch of the length of the pitch. In the end, it was a phenomenal goal from Kristen Edmonds that made the difference and moved the Pride one step closer to that crucial playoff place.

There was plenty of rotation from Tom Sermanni on the short week, making six changes to the lineup that was beaten by the Houston Dash on Wednesday night. Ali Krieger returned to the starting lineup, earning her 100th NWSL appearance. Superstar Marta was unavailable thanks to an unfortunate red card in the dying minutes of Orlando’s loss to the Dash.

The first few minutes were up-tempo as both teams felt the pressure of a match with plenty of playoff implications. Utah applied pressure early through Amy Rodriguez. Ashlyn Harris was called into dramatic action in the fifth minute, getting just enough on the ball to allow Monica to clear the ball out of touch. But the breakthrough for the home side came three minutes later as Rodriguez split the defense and got on the end of a cross from Rachel Corsie, chipping the ball just out of Harris’ reach and into the top corner.

Orlando’s defense struggled to contain the Royals all afternoon, picking up 16 fouls and four yellow cards as the Pride tried to keep the Utah attackers in front of them.

Panic struck around the half hour mark when Alex Morgan went down on a rough challenge, as a Royals defender came across and collided with the inside of Morgan’s knee, sending the forward to the turf. Morgan was able to walk off under her own power after a short session with the training staff and returned to the pitch a few minutes later.

The Pride threatened sparingly in the first half and couldn’t quite challenge Utah keeper Abby Smith, putting all but one of their first five chances off target. Orlando caught a break as Alanna Kennedy was held on a corner attempt just before the halftime whistle and Morgan made the Royals pay from the spot.

The second half opened up with as much tempo as the first as Christen Press once again opened up the Pride back line, finding Rodriguez in behind the defense. Luckily for Orlando, the Utah striker decided to shoot first time and skied the ball into the stands.

Orlando broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute. After a poor free kick from Utah, Ashlyn Harris moved quickly to get the ball up field. After some pinballing around, it fell kindly for Ali Krieger, who was able to find Edmonds in behind the Utah back line. Edmonds — noticing Abby Smith was well off her line — beat the keeper with a sublime chip for her first goal of 2018.

The Pride settled in after the go-ahead goal, probing the defense regularly but not able to create a clear enough chance on goal. The Royals pushed back, causing some havoc in the Orlando box but were unable to create enough space to find the equalizer.

Rachel Hill had a glorious chance just past the hour mark, intercepting a wayward Utah pass and finding herself all alone with Abby Smith. But the young forward took a few too many touches and Smith was able to collect the ball before Hill could get a shot off.

The match opened up after that with both teams going end to end playing long balls to their star attackers in Press and Morgan but neither was able to make enough magic happen.

Sydney Leroux made her appearance in the 63rd minute as Morgan made way and the substitute nearly had her seventh goal of the year just a minute after coming on. Hill pinged a ball off of Smith and Leroux found herself with an empty net but Smith recovered enough to push her attempt wide.

It was the Royals’ turn to be concerned a few minutes later as a struggle in the box involving Kennedy and Corsie collided with Smith, who took a nasty fall on her head, neck, and shoulder and was removed from the match with Nicole Barnhart coming on to replace her.

The final 15 minutes kept the assistant referees busy as wave after wave of attacks were called offside in frustrating fashion for Utah. The Pride dealt with some nervy moments as substitute Katrina Gorry brought some late life to the Royals’ attack. The Pride were happy to sit back and absorb pressure, waiting out all seven minutes of stoppage time. Utah was only able to put three of its shots on frame and none in the second half.

Orlando ended the match with just 45.1% of possession but dominated the quality of chances and the Pride were unlucky not to come away with another goal or two. But the Pride got the much-needed victory and moved that much closer to the playoff places. Orlando finished the season series against Utah with a 1-0-2 record and now own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the first-year franchise.

The Pride return home to take on the Seattle Reign next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Summer Yates

Summer Yates made big improvements during her second professional season.

Published

23 hours ago

on

December 9, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride drafted Summer Yates in the fourth round (39th overall) of the 2023 NWSL Draft. The former Washington Husky surprisingly dropped far enough for the Pride to select her, and she didn’t disappoint. The midfielder signed a two-year deal prior to her rookie season and took a big leap forward in 2024.

Let’s take a look at how Yates performed during her sophomore year.

Statistical Breakdown

Yates played in 25 of the Pride’s 26 games in the regular season, starting 17 and recording 1,334 minutes. She scored five goals — including her lone penalty on April 26 in Washington — and added a pair of assists. She put 10 of her 17 regular-season shots on target and completed 64% of her 409 passes. While she primarily played in an attacking role, the midfielder also helped defensively, recording 15 tackles and 10 interceptions. She committed 17 fouls, drew a whopping 38 on the opposition, and was not booked.

Yates earned a starting spot in Orlando’s NWSL playoff opener against the Chicago Red Stars, but suffered an injury in the 38th minute, requiring her removal. She didn’t start the final two games, coming off the bench in both. She made three total playoff appearances, recording 53 minutes. She didn’t have a goal contribution or take any shots, and completed 48% of her 23 passes. Defensively, she recorded two tackles while helping the Pride win the championship. She did not commit a foul in the postseason but suffered three, and she was not booked.

Yates played in all three of the Pride’s NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup games, starting in the first and third games while recording 141 minutes. She didn’t have any shots, goals, or assists, but completed 30 of her 42 passes (77%), including four long balls and 26 short passes. Defensively, the midfielder had three successful tackles and made one interception. She did not commit a foul, drew three on her opponents, and wasn’t booked.

Best Game

Yates had several solid performances this season, resulting in her seeing more minutes and starting a playoff game. However, her best performance was on June 21 in a 6-0 drubbing of the Utah Royals at Inter&Co Stadium. The win saw the Pride extend their unbeaten run to 15 games on the season and, despite the lopsided final score, Yates played a key role in the win.

Arguably the biggest moment of the game was when Yates scored in what Hines calls one of the “big five moments.” In the third minute of the first-half stoppage time, with the Pride only up 1-0, Yates and Barbra Banda pressured a short pass to Kate Del Fava, causing the defender to concede possession. Yates took control and calmly put the shot past goalkeeper Amanda Haught to give the Pride a 2-0 lead at halftime.

The attacking midfielder started, playing 80 minutes, and was effective offensively and defensively beyond scoring her goal. She was active throughout the game, touching the ball 44 times and completing 78% of her 18 passes. All three of her shots were on target and she contributed defensively, adding a season-high three tackles and two interceptions.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Yates a composite grade of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season, an improvement from her 5.5 grade last year. She only played in 10 league games last year while recording 108 minutes with no starts, but became a regular contributor this season. Her improvement was obvious and it’s now clear she was the steal of the 2023 draft. While she played well all season, the most important thing is her improvement. In only her second year, her development was obvious, showing she can be a key player for the Pride in the coming years.

2025 Outlook

Yates’ rookie contract was a two-year deal, running through 2024 with an option for 2025. Her play during the first half of the season resulted in a contract extension on July 11, keeping her in Orlando through 2025 with a mutual option for 2026.

The Pasco, WA native became a key player for the Pride during the 2024 season, playing almost every game and starting most of them. Her role on the team in 2025 will likely depend on what happens with Marta. If the Pride captain retires or the club decides not to bring her back, Yates might become a regular starter in the attacking midfield. Otherwise, she’ll likely have a similar role to this year, splitting time with Julie Doyle and starting when Marta or Adriana need a rest.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Ally Watt

The speedy attacker earned a starting role for the playoffs to cap her best professional season to date.

Published

2 days ago

on

December 8, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride originally acquired forward Ally Watt from OL Reign on Aug. 15, 2022 in exchange for $125,000 in Allocation Money. That November, she signed a new deal to keep her in Orlando through 2024. Back in July, in the midst of her second full season with Orlando, the 27-year-old signed another new contract through the 2025 season with a mutual option for an additional year.

After the Colorado Springs, CO native played just six matches with Orlando in 2022, she took on a bigger role in 2023, appearing in 19 games during the regular season, but started just six. Her role was similar in 2024, as she played in a lot of games but still only started sparingly. However, she started down the stretch when it mattered most, earning the confidence of Head Coach Seb Hines to keep her in the starting XI throughout the postseason.

Let’s take a look at what made 2024 Ally Watt’s best year in the league so far.

Statistical Breakdown

Watt made 21 appearances for the Pride in the NWSL regular season, starting nine times and playing 879 minutes. Her minutes were concentrated at the beginning and end of the year, as she started six of the first seven and two of the final three regular-season matches. She scored three goals on 22 shots with 14 on target. She also provided an assist. She completed 128 of her 215 passes (60%), four of which were key passes. She also chipped in on the defensive end with 15 tackles, four interceptions, and 30 headed duels. Watt was fouled 15 times on the season and committed the same number herself and was shown one yellow card.

Watt started two of the three NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup matches and came off the bench in the third match, playing 207 minutes in total. She did not record a goal as none of her three shots were on target, and she did not record an assist. The attacker completed 18 of her 39 passes (53%), and she also added three tackles. The speedy forward committed three fouls in the competition, suffered three, and was not booked.

Watt started all three of Orlando’s NWSL playoff matches, playing at her best to close the season. In 196 minutes, Watt attempted four shots (none target), but turned provider with three assists. In the playoffs, Watt completed 26 of her 37 pass attempts (70%). She also succeeded in two tackles in the NWSL Championship, her only tackles of the postseason. She committed three fouls but was not booked.

Best Game

Ally Watt had two goal contributions in a match twice this season. First, she scored one and assisted one in Orlando’s 4-1 victory over the Courage on May 1. Then, in the first round of the playoffs, she had two assists in the 4-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars on Nov. 8. Despite her role in these lopsided victories, her true best game of the season was the 3-2 victory over her former club, Seattle, in the final match of the regular season on Nov. 2. 

Against Seattle, Watt kick-started Orlando’s electric form in front of goal to close the season. While she thought she had assisted Barbra Banda for the first goal of the match in the second minute, the goal was ruled out due to Banda being offside. Instead, Watt was able to break the deadlock just seven minutes later by beating the goalkeeper one on one after she raced behind to receive a lovely ball from Summer Yates. 

This goal was not the only reason to pick this match as Watt’s best of the season. Against Seattle, she was heavily involved for the entire match, setting or tying her highest marks for the season in touches (40), completed passes (20), carries (22), and tackles (three). In hindsight, this match was key to turning Orlando’s fortunes at just the right time after the Pride had slumped to back-to-back losses after securing the NWSL Shield, and Watt was a huge part of making it happen. 

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Watt a composite grade of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season, a solid improvement on her grade of 5.5 from the prior season. Early in the season, prior to the arrival of Banda, Watt played in an advanced attacking role but struggled with her shooting and final touches. After Banda arrived, her minutes dropped for the middle third of the season. Later in the year though, something clicked for Watt, whether from playing in a wider role or alongside a more conventional striker, and her form took off. Watt’s three postseason assists were vital to the Pride winning the NWSL Championship, and her grade reflects how she played at her best in the biggest matches.

2025 Outlook

As mentioned above, the 27-year-old played the best soccer of her career in 2024 and was rewarded with a contract extension through 2025 with a mutual option for 2026. She showed this year that she can compete for the starting role in the winger / wide attacking positions or back up Banda as a striker. Her speed and defensive work rate are valuable aspects to her game that should keep her in the regular rotation in 2025, even if new faces are added to the squad.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Brianna Martinez

The right back played a more significant role during her second season in Orlando.

Published

3 days ago

on

December 7, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Brianna Martinez was drafted by Racing Louisville FC with the 17th overall pick of the 2023 NWSL Draft. After failing to impress in Kentucky, the defender became a non-roster invitee to camp with the Orlando Pride, earning a contract on March 29, 2023. The Pride picked up her option for the 2024 season, keeping her in purple for the club’s historic campaign.

Let’s take a look at how Martinez performed during her second season with the Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

Martinez claimed the starting right back position early in the season and held it until Emily Sams took over the role. She regained her starting spot when Sams had to move to her natural center back position to replace an injured Rafaelle, but lost it again when she suffered a non-contact injury in the Summer Cup.

The right back made 13 NWSL appearances this season with eight starts and recorded 696 minutes. She put her only shot on target, but didn’t score a goal or record any assists. The defender completed 196 of her 284 passes (71%), including a cross and 20 long balls, while turning the ball over 119 times. Defensively, Martinez won nine tackles at a 75% success rate while recording 14 interceptions and winning 18 headed duels. She committed 13 fouls, suffered eight, received a yellow card and was sent off once.

With Sams away at the Olympics, Martinez was expected to start all three NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup games. She started the first one on July 20 in North Carolina, but suffered a non-contact injury in the 73rd minute, walking off in tears. She completed 18 of her 26 passes (70%) in those 73 minutes and turned the ball over 14 times. She won one of her two tackles and her only headed duel before exiting the game. She did not commit or suffer a foul and wasn’t booked.

Martinez did not appear in the Pride’s postseason matches.

Best Game

Martinez was a regular starter early in the season, starting five straight games and playing 90 minutes four times between March 22 and April 26. However, the right back’s best game has to be in the 1-1 draw on June 7 away to San Diego Wave FC when she was a significant part of claiming a crucial away point and keeping the Pride undefeated.

Starting and playing 90 minutes, the right back touched the ball 53 times and completed 64% of her 30 pass attempts. She only won one tackle on the night, but recorded a season-high four interceptions, helping to keep the game even when the Wave were pushing forward. She also only recorded one foul in the game, something that has been a problem for the defender at times.

2024 Final Grade

After not playing enough minutes to get a grade in 2023, The Mane Land staff gave Martinez a composite grade of 5.5 for the 2024 season. She was a little inconsistent as a starter, but earned that spot when Sams was forced into the center back role. Unfortunately, she was out due to injury and Cori Dyke’s performance after being inserted into the lineup kept her on the sidelines. Despite the inconsistency, Martinez played well enough to earn a new contract and likely would’ve continued to start if Dyke hadn’t played so well.

2025 Outlook

After taking the starting right back position, Dyke didn’t give it up, starting throughout the championship run. However, the club likes the depth Martinez provides and rewarded the 24-year-old with a new two-year deal on June 24 that will keep her in Orlando through the 2025 season. Martinez will push Dyke for the right back starting spot, although Seb Hines will need to figure out if the club is best served by having Sams, Kylie Strom, and Rafaelle all on the pitch or just two of them. Regardless, Martinez provides another piece the club believes can be a starter.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Continue Reading

Trending