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Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue FC: Final Score 3-2 as Marta Provides Spark Off the Bench

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6 years ago

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In a back-and-forth match, the Orlando Pride needed some Marta magic to help them earn three hard fought points against winless Sky Blue FC (0-9-2, 2 points). Sydney Leroux got a first half brace and Rachel Hill came off the bench to record the game winner as the Pride (5-3-4, 19 points) earned a 3-2 win in Orlando City Stadium in front of 4,445 fans on Pride In Our City night.

“It was bits of frustration intermingled with bits of good soccer,” Head Coach Tom Sermanni said after the match. “Bits of bad habits, and times when we actually could have finished the game off. And as I’m going over all the 90 minutes, I think, I kinda like to be honest when dealing with our performances, I think that we were kinda a wee bit fortunate to come away with a win tonight.”

The Pride were certainly not at their best. Chioma Ubogagu and Alanna Kennedy both struggled with the ball and Ashlyn Harris could have done a better job on both of the goals she let in. Chi finished the game with just nine passes — the same amount as Rachel Hill, who came in for Ubogagu in the last half hour — and Chi had just a 56% passing accuracy. Kennedy was slightly better with 64%, albeit on a game high 56 passes.

Prior to the start of the match, one of the surprises was that Camila was not in the starting XI, but as Sermanni said just because she is cleared to play does not mean she will play having had just a week of training after missing eight months. Marta started on the bench with a left calf strain but came on in the 73rd minute and was a crucial part of the win.

Fans were still finding their seats when the Pride went ahead 92 seconds into the game. Ubogagu put a cross into the box from the left wing. Two Sky Blue defenders missed on the clearance attempt and the ball found Leroux. Leroux cut inside and took a left-footed shot that went underneath Sky Blue goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan for the fastest goal in Orlando Pride history. 

The Pride continued to control the game early on but then out of nowhere, the New Jersey side started to press forward in the 14th minute and found the back of the net. Savannah McCaskill took a shot from distance that hit the post and Katie Johnson was there for the put-back. Luckily, Johnson was offside so the goal did not count.

However, three minutes later it looked like the same exact play. After the Pride turned the ball over in midfield, Imani Dorsey got down the field, played a one-two with McCaskill, and took a shot. Harris made the save but the ball fell right to the feet of McCaskill, who passed the ball into the back of the net. The ball went just behind Christine Nairn and Kennedy was too slow in recovering. 

Leroux got her brace in the 31st minute. Nairn put in a cross from the left side, after a throw-in, looking for Leroux. The striker made a diving header to the back post to put the Pride up 2-1. 

“It was a great ball in from Nairn,” said Leroux. “It was a little behind me so I kinda had to get around it and it just ended up hitting my head perfectly. I like to put myself in positions to score and to do whatever I can to put the ball into the back of the net.”

A minute later, Chi should have got on the board. Emily van Egmond hit a long ball over the top and Ubogagu was one-on-one with Sheridan, as Morgan ran alone on the back post. Chi decided to take it herself on a disappointing effort and much to the dismay of Morgan. Morgan was yelling at Chi that she should have passed instead of taking it herself. 

With the Pride failing to convert their chances, Sky Blue was able to get back into it. Harris once again made the first save, this time on Johnson, and the rebound went right to the feet of Madison Tiernan, who took one touch and beat Harris on the near post. 

The game went to halftime with a score of 2-2. The Pride dominated possession with 58% but the story of the first half was the passing of Kennedy and Ubogagu, who finished the opening period with 50% and 43% respectively, and the Pride’s inability to maintain possession. The visitors led in shots (8-7) but the shots on target were tied at four each.

The second half started out a bit slowly but then in the 54th minute Orlando had multiple opportunities. Morgan and Chi both were in the box but could not make good contact on the ball. Sky Blue cleared it out but Nairn ended up getting on the end of it and put in a ball aiming for Leroux. Leroux took a shot towards the back post and it just narrowly missed. 

The game continued on with both teams struggling to keep possession. When the Pride got the ball they tried to play long balls but oftentimes it went to the opposition and it looked like Orlando was just playing kickball. Pickett got a shot off in the 60th minute that went well over the bar, then worked to win a corner a few minutes later. Carli Lloyd finally got in on the game with a header attempt in the 70th, but Harris made the comfortable save. 

Then, in the 73rd minute, the intensity picked up due to Marta coming in off the bench. Passes were crisper and more accurate, and the game tempo all of a sudden doubled. In the 78th minute, Sheridan somehow kept the game tied at two. Marta, with time and space inside the box, fired a rocket but Sheridan made the save. The ball came back to Marta, who headed it over to Morgan but Morgan could not head it on frame and the visitors were able to clear. 

“[Marta] immediately gives the team a boost but the thing that she does really well is she rarely makes bad decisions,” said Sermanni. “And that’s the difference. I thought at times throughout the game, and the players, a couple of them have already spoken to me, we just made some really poor decisions, or poor execution. Marta, as well as adding a spark, makes good decisions.”

Five minutes later, Marta showed everyone why she is the GOAT. The Brazilian took on two Sky Blue players, before passing it off to Morgan. Morgan put a cross in for Rachel Hill and Hill buried it with a header.

“Alex [Morgan] put a fantastic ball in so I really didn’t have any other option than to get my head on it and it happened to go into the back of the net. So, all from Alex [Morgan],” Hill said about her game winner.

Sky Blue then tried to fight back and get another game-tying goal. Dorsey got a shot off in the 88th minute but it went wide. Then, Poliana turned it over leading to a shot from Lloyd but that went wide as well. Once stoppage time started the Pride, led by Marta, went to the left corner and wasted all of the three minutes. Nifty footwork from Marta and great team passing is what killed the game off.

Orlando finished the game with 56% possession, 20 shots, 465 passes, and a 77% passing accuracy — all higher than Sky Blue. Harris finished with five saves but it was the substitutes that made the difference. Dani Weatherholt, who played just 30 minutes, led the Pride in tackles. Marta created two chances and was all over the ball with 33 touches in just 17 minutes of action. And Hill brought a new energy to the game which led to her game winner.

“I’m a little upset that we were up twice and then we conceded,” Leroux said. “Obviously there are some things that we need to clean up defensively, but I’m supper happy that we got three points out of this.”

The Pride are back in action on Saturday, June 23 as they take on the Washington Spirit in Maryland SoccerPlex.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Adriana

The Brazilian attacker was a key player in the Pride’s magical 2024 season.

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18 hours ago

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December 20, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride signed Brazilian international Adriana on Jan. 19, 2023 to a three-year contract through the 2025 NWSL season. One of the brighter spots of the Pride during the 2023 season, it seemed Adriana was on the verge of becoming a dominating NWSL player. Seb Hines again deployed her mainly as an attacking player, particularly on the wing, but sometimes as a second forward. While she was still a key player for the Pride in 2024, there were some bumps in the road when she would disappear from games and consistency was sometimes an issue.

Let’s take a look at Adriana’s second NWSL season.

Statistical Breakdown

Adriana appeared in 23 regular-season games, starting 19 and playing a total of 1,688 minutes. She scored six goals, which was third most on the team, and added one assist. It is notable that two of her six goals came from the penalty spot, where she went two-for-two in the regular season. She completed 71% of her 557 passes, which was a slight dip from a year ago, with 31 key passes, seven completed crosses, and 14 successful long balls. Defensively, Adriana chipped in nine tackles, 13 interceptions, and 18 headed duels won. She committed just 10 fouls while drawing 30 on the opposition, and she did not receive a card.

In the playoffs, Adriana appeared in all three of the Pride’s games, starting two and logging 197 minutes. She did not make a goal contribution, attempting six shots with only one of those hitting the target. Her passing wasn’t up to its usual level in the postseason, as she connected on just 63.9% of her 36 passes, including only two of nine in the NWSL Championship. She tallied five key passes and one successful long ball, but no accurate crosses. On defense, she finished the postseason with three tackles and an interception. The Brazilian international committed five fouls, suffered two, and was not booked.

Adriana was away at the Olympics during the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, so she did not play in the competition.

Best Game

Adriana had several big games in 2024, but perhaps her best was Orlando’s 2-0 home win over Gotham FC. She scored both Orlando goals in the match, lifting the Pride to their 19th straight game without a loss, tying the club’s single-season record for home wins (7), and pushing Hines past Tom Sermanni and into sole possession of the most coaching wins in club history (26). It didn’t take long for her to get involved, scoring just five and a half minutes after the opening kickoff. Angelina’s ball into the box was knocked into the air, and Adriana ran onto it and volleyed a blast into the net to make it 1-0 with one of the most impressive Pride goals of the season.

Not content with just one goal, Adriana struck again in the 19th minute. Summer Yates switched the play to send Adriana down the right side, where she took on USWNT defender Jenna Nighswonger, then used Barbra Banda’s presence in the box to create space for her shot, which she placed perfectly inside the left post to make it 2-0.

Adriana played the full 90 minutes in the match and fired six shots in all against Gotham that night, putting all six of them on target and giving her a season high in the latter statistic. She led all players in the match in both categories. She completed 87% of her 23 passes on 48 total touches, with one key pass, one accurate cross, and two successful long balls. Defensively, she made three recoveries, and she committed one foul while drawing two and did not pick up a booking. It was a great performance by the attacking midfielder against one of the NWSL’s elite defensive clubs.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives Adriana a composite score of 7 out of 10 for her 2024 campaign. This is a slight dip from the 7.5 we gave her last season, but there were times when she struggled to find her game in 2024. When she was on her game, she was outstanding, but there were games and even stretches of matches when she didn’t provide her usual quality. Her form isn’t the only reason she was dropped at times from the starting XI, because some of her teammates elevated their own, but it was a factor. While she increased her goal total by one, it came in more appearances and minutes, and her assist total fell, despite having a better cast around her. The Brazilian is capable of more, but the staff still felt it was a solid season.

2025 Outlook

Like her Brazilian teammate Rafaelle, Adriana’s contract runs through the 2025 season, so she’ll be working hard to earn a new deal beyond the upcoming season. If she starts the season well, the Pride will no doubt offer a new contract midseason if there’s not already a new deal in place before opening day. At 28 years old, Adriana is in the prime of her career and can still be an effective player. With the Pride improving, she’ll need to play more consistently or at a higher level to keep starting with this club, but she’s capable, and I expect her to fight to hold onto her starting spot in Hines’ XI.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Marta

Marta showed why she’s the GOAT in her eighth season with the Pride.

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2 days ago

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December 19, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

In case you forgot, Marta first 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 this season as she captained her club to two trophies. Back in 2022, she signed a new two-year contract, taking her through 2024.

Marta may not be as young as she once was, but she definitely made you forget it often enough this season. It was undoubtedly the best she’s performed in a few years, and it made a difference in the standings. Let’s take a look at the GOAT’s latest season in Orlando.

Statistical Breakdown

Marta was the leader and the heart of this year’s Orlando Pride team. Her teammates wanted to win, but they also wanted to win for Marta. She played most of the regular-season games, but missed the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup because she was with Brazil at the Olympics. 

Marta made 23 appearances in the NWSL regular season, starting 19 games and recording 1,739 minutes. Marta was second on the team with nine goals on 40 shots, 18 of which were on target. Additionally, she completed 648 of her 878 passes (74%), including one assist, 52 key passes, nine successful crosses, and 75 completed long balls. Defensively, Marta posted 16 tackles, 27 headed duels won, and 12 interceptions on the year. She committed 12 fouls, suffered 45, and was booked four times (all yellow cards).

In the playoffs, Marta started all three games, recording 267 minutes. She scored two goals on 12 shots with five on target, and she completed 86 of her 108 passes (80%) without an assist, although she recorded six key passes, three accurate crosses, and 14 completed long balls. She was also active defensively in the postseason, with six tackles and two interceptions. She committed three fouls in the playoffs, suffered four, and was not booked.

Best Game

You might think that the one match in which Marta scored a brace would be her best match, but that isn’t the case. That match was the 6-0 beatdown of the Utah Royals, who were bottom of the table. I’m going with her performance in the 3-2 playoff semifinal victory over the Kansas City Current.

That goal summed up Marta’s season for me. She was not going to let this team lose when the Pride were so close to the championship. When needed, she could find the speed — even late in a match — and put two defenders on the ground in unison. It was a goal she willed to happen against one of the best teams in the NWSL.

In this match, Marta took four shots, with two on target, scoring the aforementioned goal. She completed 29 of her 38 passes (77%) on a total of 74 touches, and took all three Pride corner kicks. Defensively, she contributed four tackles and two interceptions. She committed one foul, did not suffer any fouls, and was not booked. She simply displayed the full range of her skill and leadership qualities, helping her team reach the final.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Marta a composite grade of 8 out of 10 for her eighth season with the club. Her passion, drive, and leadership were a major reason why the club won the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship. This was the best Marta we’ve seen for several seasons, and she wanted to win more than almost anyone else in any given match. To illustrate how much better she was, we gave Marta a grade of 6 out of 10 last season. That came on the heels of an incomplete grade in her injury-shortened 2022 season. She also received a 6 in 2021 and a 6.5 in 2019. This year is the closest Marta has come to the 9 out of 10 we gave her back in 2017, when she had 19 total goal contributions and finished second in the league in both goals and assists. She turned back the clock and gave us much more of the vintage Marta in 2024 than we’d seen in a long time, which is why we considered her one of the best players on the team.

(Note: If you’re wondering why 2020 wasn’t mentioned, its’ because we did not give out grades because the Pride only participated in the Fall Series during that lost season because of the pandemic.)

2025 Outlook

Marta’s contract expired after the 2024 season, but she has stated that she wants to keep playing one or two more years. She will be 39 years old at the start of the 2025 season but had a very good 2024 season. I think that she wants to retire with the Pride, and I feel that the club will offer her a one-year contract. The Pride indicated in their postseason roster status update that the club was in negotiations with her about returning. If a new deal happens, and if she can keep up her current form, she will find a way to contribute as the Pride look to defend their titles. She will have to hang up the boots at some point, but I don’t think it will be this coming season.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Rafaelle

The Brazilian’s season was plagued by injury problems but she played well when healthy.

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3 days ago

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December 18, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride signed Rafaelle on July 3, 2023 to a contract running through the 2025 NWSL season. The Brazilian international joined the Pride after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, partnering with Emily Sams (then still known as Emily Madril) at center back and becoming a key member of the starting lineup, as the Pride fell just short of the NWSL playoffs on the goal differential tiebreaker.

Rafaelle’s second season was marred by injuries, including one she sustained while helping Brazil reach the Gold Medal game at the Summer Olympics that kept her out the rest of the 2024 NWSL season. She also missed the first four matches of the season and a couple of games in the early summer due to injury.

It’s time to look back at her injury-marred second season with the Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

Injuries limited Rafaelle to just nine appearances (six starts) for the Pride in 2024 — all in the regular season, in which she played a total of just 618 minutes. The Brazilian defender did not record a goal contribution in 2024, attempting three shots and putting one on target. She completed 86% of her 324 passes without a key pass or successful cross, however, she managed to connect on 30 long balls in her short season, which is impressive. Defensively, she contributed nine tackles, nine interceptions, and 23 headed duel wins. She committed four fouls, suffered one, and was booked once.

Due to injury, Rafaelle did not appear in Orlando’s playoff run, and because she was away at the Olympics, Rafaelle also did not participate in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenina Summer Cup.

Best Game

Rafaelle’s best match came in a 1-0 home win over Racing Louisville on May 5. The Brazilian started and went the full 90 minutes with an excellent two-way performance. She didn’t contribute directly to a goal, but she registered a shot, which was her only shot on target of the season, forcing Katie Lund into a save off a free kick about 40 minutes in. She also had a season-high 76 touches and passed at an impressive 93.75% rate on a season-high 63 attempts. Her passing accuracy in the match was her season high for any game in which she played more than 16 minutes. On the defensive end, Rafaelle helped her team keep a clean sheet and chipped in a tackle. She did not commit a foul or get booked in the match. Her strong tackle in the box in the 82nd minute on Reilyn Turner prevented a dangerous shot attempt, helping Anna Moorhouse preserve the shutout and keeping the Pride on top.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives Rafaelle a composite score of 7 out of 10 for her 2024 season. This is a slight improvement over the 6.5 we gave her last year. As well as the back line played in her absence, it’s easy to forget just how formidable she was while she was on the pitch. The strong partnership between her and Kylie Strom allowed Seb Hines to move Sams to fullback for a time, and that’s a considerable compliment, given the fact that Sams won the 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year Award. The back line continuing to excel in Rafaelle’s absence speaks highly of the group’s performance and the coaching staff’s ability to get the most out of the players.

2025 Outlook

It’s easy to say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” in terms of the Pride’s defense. However, I expect Rafaelle to regain her starting center back spot when healthy. Rafaelle was considered the team’s best center back entering the season and early in 2024, although it’s fair to say Sams and Strom weren’t far behind. Rafaelle is under contract through the 2025 season, so she’ll want to perform well to earn her next deal. At 33 (she’ll turn 34 in June), it’s uncertain how much longer she’ll be able to play at such a high level, but prior to her injury in the Olympics, she was playing excellent soccer (it’s notable that the play she was injured on was a vital challenge for her national team). She is nearly impossible to leave out of the starting XI when fit.

What remains to be seen is how the team accommodates the Brazilian’s return. The most natural center back pairing would be Sams and Rafaelle. That would mean Strom would have to return to left back unless the team adopts a three-player back line. The ripple effect of staying in a traditional four-player back line would potentially mean displacing Kerry Abello, who “only” made the NWSL Best XI Second Team in 2024, or Cori Dyke, who handled some of the league’s best players in the stretch run to Orlando’s NWSL Championship drive. Having to reinsert Rafaelle into the lineup is a good problem for Hines to have, as it may allow him to rotate and rest his center backs more in 2025.

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