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Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue FC: Final Score 1-0 as Lloyd’s Goal Lifts Hosts to First Win of the Season

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7 years ago

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A terrible season came to a merciful end as the Orlando Pride played the victims in Sky Blue FC’s only win of 2018. Carli Lloyd’s goal in the second half was the only one of the game and Kailen Sheridan was a savior in net for the hosts in a 1-0 Pride loss at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, NJ.

As has been the case all season, the Pride (8-10-6, 30 points) squandered chances, gave away the ball cheaply, and simply weren’t good enough given the names on the backs of the jerseys. The tactics and shape were fine and the team created plenty of opportunities to take control against Sky Blue FC (1-17-6, 9 points) but couldn’t capitalize.

To make matters worse, Sky Blue played a road match just four days ago while the bulk of Orlando’s roster was fresh. The Pride, who scored just one goal in their final four games, finish the 2018 NWSL season an unbelievable seventh in the nine-team league.

The only real surprise in Tom Sermanni’s starting XI was Haley Kopmeyer in net in place of Ashlyn Harris. With Marta unavailable with a hamstring issue, Chioma Ubogagu started up top with Alex Morgan and the returning Sydney Leroux.

The Pride controlled much of the first half in terms of possession and passing but lacked clinical finishing, as we’ve seen much of this season, and most of Sky Blue’s scoring chances came on careless turnovers and counters.

Sky Blue fashioned the first good scoring chance when Imani Dorsey beat Kopmeyer but hit the crossbar in the seventh minute. The ball came back to her but her follow shot was deflected wide.

The first good Pride chance came in the 10th minute when Morgan nearly got in behind but Erica Skroski got back in time to block her shot attempt.

Seconds later, Morgan took the ball from a defender and poked a shot on target but Kailen Sheridan made a good reaction save to keep the game scoreless.

The Pride had penalty shouts in the 14th minute when Morgan made a nice move to slide the ball into the box and cut inside her defender. The Orlando striker was sandwiched and impeded on her run but the referee saw nothing wrong and the chance went away.

After Carli Lloyd pushed a shot wide in the 16th minute, Christine Nairn sent in a beautiful cross to a wide-open Dani Weatherholt but her headed effort went straight at Sheridan in the 18th minute.

Sky Blue got a couple of good looks in the 20th minute. The first came when Shea Groom took the ball in the midfield, dribbled through most of the Pride defense and slipped a ball in for Dorsey, who shot wide. Moments later, Shelina Zadorsky turned the ball over by not getting it up the field quickly enough and Lloyd took it from her but again fired wide.

Orlando again should have gone ahead in the 23rd minute. Chi Ubogagu slipped Morgan into the box but the striker didn’t make good contact with the ball and Sheridan made an easy save. Moments later, Chi fired wide from the left side, attempting a near-post shot. Ubogagu sent in a good cross in the 26th minute that Leroux flicked with her heel but her touch took too much speed off the ball and Sheridan was able to get down for the save.

Sky Blue gifted a free kick to the Pride just outside the box in the 32nd minute when Sheridan handled an obvious back pass. Morgan’s set piece hit the wall, however. The Pride had the last good opportunity of the half when Chi sent in Leroux in the 42nd minute and the former USWNT striker patiently waited for traffic to clear before shooting. But Sheridan again made a good reaction save and again the Pride’s final touch wasn’t clinical enough.

The Pride and Sky Blue went into the half scoreless. First-half shots were 10-9 to Sky Blue, though very few of those 10 were memorable and many were from long range. The Pride led on shots on target (4-0), possession (54%-46%), corners (4-1), and passing accuracy (77%-73%).

The second half was more of the same. Orlando had opportunities and continued to waste them. Leroux headed a corner kick delivery just wide in the 48th minute.

Sky Blue fashioned the next couple of chances with Groom firing high in the 52nd minute after Monica stepped up and missed the ball, allowing the hosts to break. Three minutes later, Groom turned Nairn inside out near the sideline then slipped a ball to Dorsey, who fired wide.

Ubogagu tried a long-range effort in the 57th but missed the net, looking to pick out the top corner on the far side. Morgan then fired wide moments later but she was offside anyway after a corner kick was cycled back in.

Lloyd went for goal from distance on a free kick in the 63rd minute but fired off frame and Kopmeyer likely had it covered anyway. The next warning sign for the Pride came in the 66th minute after a failed clearance, when Katie Johnson lost her mark simply by making a quick turn, then hit the crossbar.

Nairn fired a rocket from long range in the 69th minute that Sheridan not only saved, but also held onto. Five minutes later, Sky Blue broke through. Groom centered the ball to Lloyd near the top of the area and the USWNT captain one-timed it past Kopmeyer inside the post for the game’s only goal.

Morgan smashed a ball across the box from a severe angle in the 78th but Sheridan knocked it out for a corner. Two minutes later, second-half sub Rachel Hill had her shot blocked for another corner. On the ensuing set piece, the ball fell to Zadorsky’s feet but she couldn’t cleanly poke it home.

Camila and Emily van Egmond came on in the 83rd but neither really made an impact on the game. Camila fired high in the 88th minute from the top of the area and van Egmond nearly got to a great long ball from Pickett but Sheridan came off her line to beat her to the ball.

After just two minutes of stoppage — after a goal, six subs, and a bit of time wasting — the whistle blew on the Pride’s season.

Orlando held the advantage in shots (20-18), shots on goal (6-4), possession (56%-44%), corners (9-1), and passing accuracy (77%-68%). Sky Blue’s 31 clearances tell much of the story of how much time was spent in the hosts’ defensive end.

In the end, none of the statistics mattered because Sky Blue finished once and Orlando couldn’t do the same, despite numerous opportunities. It was a microcosm of the 2018 season.

That’ll do it for 2018. The Pride won’t play again until preseason. We hope you’ve enjoyed our game coverage throughout the season and that you’ll stick around for our season in review ratings for the entire roster, as well as all the off-season news to come as there is sure to be a bit of a shakeup this winter.

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2025 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Marta

The captain once again provided the competitive spark for the Pride in 2025.

Published

2 days ago

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December 11, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Marta signed with the Orlando Pride way back in 2017. She has been the constant for the club through ups and mostly downs. That all changed last season as she captained her club to two trophies. In 2022, she signed a new two-year contract, taking her through 2024. She then signed yet another two-year contract through 2026.

Marta didn’t have the same type of year as she did in 2024, but she was still one of the better players for the Pride. She remains the heart of this team, showing the others what passion and effort looks like even as she edges closer to the end of her playing career. Let’s take a look at the GOAT’s 2025 season.

Statistical Breakdown

Marta started and played the full 90 minutes in the 2025 Challenge Cup match. She did not record a goal contribution and took two off-target shots. However, her free kick was blocked, resulting in Rafaelle’s opening goal. Marta also set a shot up for the defender in the match but the effort was off target. The Brazilian legend completed 26 of her 37 passes (82%), took four corner kicks, and she did not record a completed long ball. Defensively, she recorded three tackles and won three headed duels. She committed one foul, drew one on the Washington Spirit, and was not booked.

During the regular season, Marta made 22 appearances (18 starts), playing 1,599 minutes. She contributed four goals and an assist, putting 13 of her 27 shots on target. She completed 519 of her 731 passes (71%), 13 crosses, and two of her four long balls (50%) with 43 chances created. On the defensive end, the Brazilian contributed 22 tackles, 19 interceptions, and one blocked shot. She committed 14 fouls, drew 28 on the opposition, and was not booked.

Marta started both playoff games, playing all 180 minutes. She took one shot but did not record a goal contribution, although she was involved in both goals against the Reign, working a give-and-go with Julie Doyle prior to Haley McCutcheon’s opening goal and drawing the penalty that handed Luana the late insurance tally. The captain completed 52 of her 69 passes (75.4%), including three of her six long balls (50%) and four key passes. She recorded one tackle, two interceptions, and one clearance defensively while committing one foul, drawing six on her opponents, and being booked once.

Marta participated in one of the Concacaf W Champions Cup matches against Pachuca. She played all 90 minutes and scored the Pride’s only goal on two shots, one of which was on target. She completed 27 of 34 passes (79%). Defensively, she recorded three tackles, while committing two fouls, and suffering two fouls. She was not booked.

Best Game

While Marta had several good games, I think her best game was the Pride’s 3-2 victory over the Washington Spirit on Oct. 18. Marta was named Player of the Match by both Michael Citro and myself on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast. The captain caused an own goal and scored on a penalty kick to give the Pride an important road win heading into the playoffs. Washington scored first on a Kerry Abello own goal, but Abello then corrected that mistake by scoring one for her own team minutes later. The Spirit took the lead again and held it at halftime. Seb Hines substituted Marta in at the start of the second half, and it’s a good thing he did. It literally only took her 52 seconds to even the score.

In the 70th minute, Ally Watt was fouled in the box, setting up a penalty for the Pride. There was no doubt who would take the kick, and it turned out there was no doubt Marta would bury it in the back of the net for the winning goal.

Marta might have only played 45 minutes plus stoppage but her impact was monumental. In this match, she took one shot, which was on target, scoring the aforementioned goal. She had 27 touches, completed nine of her 13 passes (70%), two of her three long balls (67%) and took one corner kick. Defensively, she contributed one block and one clearance. She committed one foul, did not suffer any fouls, and was not booked.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Marta a composite rating of 7 out of 10 for her ninth season with the club. This was a point lower than the 8 we gave her last year. Much like many of the Pride’s players, Marta’s 2025 wasn’t as good as her 2024, but she was still a critical part of the successes of the team. In 2024, she had a banner year, but despite being a year older, she was still productive in 2025.

2026 Outlook

The 39-year-old is entering the last year of her contract, and it would be surprising — though not totally inconceivable —that she will get another. Despite the fact she will turn 40-years-old before the beginning of the season, she will remain the Pride’s captain as long as she can take to the pitch. Assuming she’s healthy, there’s no reason to assume she can’t contribute to at least the same level as she did in 2025. There’s even a possibility that she finds something closer to her 2024 form. No one plays with more passion than Marta, and I will not doubt what she can do when she has the look in her eye.

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This concludes our 2025 Orlando Pride player-by-player Season in Review series. We hope you’ve enjoyed looking back on the players’ performances from the past year as we move closer toward seeing what lies ahead in 2026.

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2025 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Jacquie Ovalle

The Pride broke the world transfer record to land the Mexican international in 2025.

Published

3 days ago

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December 10, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride signed Mexican international winger Jacquie Ovalle for a then-world record transfer fee on Aug. 21, acquiring the attacker’s services from Tigres UANL in Liga MX Femenil. While the club did not announce the transfer fee, it was reportedly around $1.5 million. That transfer record has since been broken a couple of times since, but it was an ambitious move by the Pride to try to provide Barbra Banda a playmaking wing of the highest caliber.

The move ultimately didn’t pay many dividends in 2025, as Banda went down with a season-ending injury before Ovalle arrived, and the Mexican international struggled to get comfortable with her new team, the new league, and a new culture in what could best be described as an inconsistent performance after she joined the Pride.

Let’s take a look at Ovalle’s first season in the City Beautiful.

Statistical Breakdown

Ovalle was signed well after the season-opening NWSL Challenge Cup, so she saw no action in the competition. She made her Pride debut in the regular season on Sept. 7 off the bench. It was an inauspicious start, as Orlando got flattened 5-2 at Chicago that day, with all of the goals happening in the second half. Ovalle played in eight regular-season matches with Orlando, starting seven and logging 666 minutes. She contributed a goal and two assists in her time on the pitch with the Pride, attempting 20 shots and putting seven on target. She completed 84% of her 201 passes during the regular season, with 18 key passes. Ovalle was accurate on 19 of her 48 crosses (39.6%) and three of her seven long balls (42.9%). Defensively, Ovalle chipped in 13 tackles, three interceptions, and five clearances but no blocks during the regular season. She committed six fouls, drew five, and received one yellow card.

In the playoffs, Ovalle started both of the Pride’s matches and played 173 minutes. She did not log a goal contribution in the postseason, putting one of her six shot attempts on target. The winger completed 34 of her 42 passes (81%) with two key passes but completed just three of her 13 crosses and neither of her two long balls. On the defensive end, Ovalle recorded three tackles, one clearance, and two interceptions. She committed three fouls, drew two on her opponents, and was not booked.

Ovalle appeared in two of Orlando’s games in the Concacaf W Champions Cup, logging 57 minutes off the bench without a goal contribution, attempting one off-target shot. She completed 10 of her 13 passes (76.9%) without a key pass, chipping in three tackles on the defensive end. She committed two fouls, drew two on her opponents, and she wasn’t booked in the competition.

Best Game

There were a few possible games to choose from in this category, and while I was close to choosing the match with her lone goal of the season (Sept. 26 in a 2-1 road win over San Diego), I ended up going a different route. Still, she scored a nice goal, so here it is:

Instead, I’m going back to her first NWSL start. Ovalle started for Orlando for the first time on Sept. 13 in a 1-1 home draw against Bay FC. She was excellent all game long, but her best moment came in the 70th minute, when La Maga sent in a perfect cross for Ally Watt to flick home with a header to equalize, rescuing a point for Orlando.

Ovalle was Fotmob’s highest rated player in the match from either side with a rating of 8.4 and was a danger all night. She fired eight shot attempts, putting three on target and one off the woodwork. She also completed six of her nine crosses in the game, creating four scoring chances in the game with key passes. One of those should have been an assist on a Marta goal on a beautiful back-post ball, but the captain hit the left post with her shot. She chipped in two tackles, one interception, a clearance, and a recovery on the defensive end, committing two fouls and drawing one in what was a standout performance.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Ovalle a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for her 2025 season. While the Mexican winger played inconsistently, that was to be expected after a midseason move to a new team that was missing its attacking focal point with Banda out. There were signs of the kind of magic moments Ovalle can bring to the Pride attack, they were too few and far between. In fairness, in most of the matches she played there was no one close to her level in the attack with her, and she looked at times too eager to make something happen. Three goal contributions isn’t bad for her first eight NWSL games, but Ovalle clearly needs another threat up top with her to help provide her the space she needs to shoot or deliver one of her lethal passes.

2026 Outlook

Ovalle will be a starter next season and will get to go through a full preseason training camp with the club, which should help her get a better understanding of both what Seb Hines wants from her and how her teammates like to play. She should also get to play with Banda (finally), which could create one of the most dynamic attacking tandems in the league, because some of Banda’s struggles were due to poor service, which Ovalle can help with, and some of Ovalle’s issues were down to a lack of the kind of quick, decisive attacking movements that Banda provides. I expect Ovalle’s production in both goals and assists to jump in 2026 for multiple reasons, but with a healthy Banda, there will be a lot more room for her (and Marta) to operate. A front line of Marta, Banda, and Ovalle is tantalizing.

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2025 Orlando Pride Season In Review: Emily Sams

The center back was once again one of the best defenders for the Pride, helping them reach their second straight NWSL semifinal.

Published

5 days ago

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December 8, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride drafted defender Emily Sams with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. The former Florida State player signed with the National Women’s Soccer League through 2025 and was loaned to Swedish side BK Hacken FF prior to being selected by the Pride and signing a three-year contract through the 2026 season.

Sams had a breakout year in 2024, winning NWSL Defender of the Year and helping the club win the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship. She signed a new deal on Feb. 13, 2025, keeping her in purple through the 2027 NWSL season.

The defender showed her versatility this year, playing several games at right back and center back. She was another key player in a successful season for the Pride, helping them to finish fourth in the league and reach the NWSL semifinals.

Let’s take a look at the defender’s 2025 NWSL campaign.

Statistical Breakdown

The defender’s first appearance this year came in the NWSL Challenge Cup against the Washington Spirit. Sams started and played all 90 minutes without recording any shots or goal contributions. She completed 44 of her 52 passes (87%), including four long balls. Defensively, Sams recorded a tackle, an interception, and an aerial duel won.

Sams played in 25 of the team’s 26 regular-season games, starting 24 times and playing 2,183 minutes — the second-most minutes of any Pride player and the most by an outfield player. She took two shots without putting any on target, so she obviously didn’t score any goals. The defender completed 1,284 of her 1,457 passes (88.1%), including 85 of her 146 long balls (58.2%), but didn’t record any assists. Defensively, she added 42 tackles, 33 interceptions, 92 clearances, and 13 blocks. She committed 11 fouls, suffered 25, and was booked once with a yellow card.

Sams started both playoff games, playing all 180 minutes. She didn’t take any shots or record a goal contribution, completing 82 of her 97 passes (84.5%), including five of her 12 long balls (41.7%). She recorded three tackles, four interceptions, a block, and 10 clearances defensively while committing two fouls, drawing five on her opponents, and being booked once.

While a primary starter in the regular season, Sams only played in three of the four Concacaf W Champions Cup games, starting two and playing 164 minutes without a goal contribution. She took one shot that was off target and completed 85 of her 100 passes (85.%). The defender had five tackles and wasn’t booked.

Best Game

Sams’ best game came on Oct. 18 when the Pride traveled to Washington, D.C. for an afternoon clash with the Washington Spirit. The Pride came back from two deficits to defeat their rivals 3-2 and claim a huge three points.

Sams started alongside Rafaelle at center back and was excellent. She completed 41 of her 46 passes (89%), including both long balls, a key pass, and three into the final third. She finished with one tackle, five clearances, four interceptions, and four recoveries. The defender won two of her four duels (50%) in a game where she helped the Pride keep their late lead.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Sams a 7 out of 10 for the 2025 NWSL season. It’s a decrease from her exceptional 9 in 2024, but still higher than her 6.5 grade in 2023. The grade ties Sams with Rafaelle for the second-highest grade on the team, one point behind Barbra Banda, who was given an eight for her injury-shortened season. Overall, Sams was excellent this year and fully deserves one of the highest grades as she further cements herself as one of the best defenders in the NWSL.

2026 Outlook

Perhaps no player on the Pride is a more definite starter next season than Sams. She’s arguably the team’s best defender and has been a mainstay in the starting lineup over the past three seasons. Her new contract in February means she’ll remain in purple through the 2027 season.

The only question will be where she plays. She’s started at center back and right back several times over the past two seasons, but is best in the middle of the field. However, when Kylie Nadaner and Rafaelle are available, Pride Head Coach Seb Hines has opted to use her at right back.

Regardless, there’s no question that Sams will be a regular starter on the Pride back line as long as she remains healthy. Her presence is something that will be essential if the Pride hope to make a run for a second NWSL Championship next season.

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