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Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue FC: Final Score 2-2 as Pride Drop Two Crucial Points

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7 years ago

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Facing a must-win match against the winless Sky Blue FC (0-13-4, 4 points) in Orlando City Stadium should have been an easy three points for the Orlando Pride but they struggled in the final third and made too many defensive mistakes in a 2-2 draw. Dani Weatherholt’s hustle was the reason why the Pride (8-6-6, 30 points) were even able to come away with a single point and Marta missed a penalty kick in the 97th minute that would have won it. Luckily for Orlando, the North Carolina Courage beat the Portland Thorns, winning the NWSL and helping the Pride move into third place in the NWSL standings.

“I think today’s game was probably a snapshot of our season,” said Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni. “We had more than enough possession to win the game, we had, certainly, more than enough chances to win the game, probably hit the woodwork three or four times. We dominated large parts of the game but we just don’t put the game away. And then we seem to be again just defensively frail to give up easy opportunities that really shouldn’t happen.

“We could’ve gotten ourselves out of jail, for lack of a better word. Obviously, with having the penalty in the last minute. But again that’s been our season so far. I wish I had an answer. We need to be able to put games to bed when we dominate them so much. But we also need to stop giving up chances that are so easy for our opponents. I’m at a loss to be able to know how to remedy both of those to be honest.”

After an extended rest because of international break, Sermanni brought his team out with a few surprises in the starting XI. Alanna Kennedy, who played all three games in the Tournament of Nations as a center back for Australia, played the same position for the Pride tonight. Rachel Hill got her sixth start of the year and Chioma Ubogagu played as a wingback. 

The first 45 minutes can be described in one word — uneventful. Orlando dominated the half but only got one shot on goal. This shot came from a free kick set up by Marta. The Brazilian was about 25 yards from goal, in front of the entire Sky Blue defense, but had no help from her teammates. Marta used some fancy footwork to win a free kick. She then took the set piece, which was deflected off the wall and hit the crossbar. Dani Weatherholt was able to get a foot on the rebound but her shot was easily caught by Sky Blue goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan. 

Ashlyn Harris was forced to make one save in the first half in the 28th minute. Savannah McCaskill threaded the Pride defense and played Imani Dorsey perfectly into the box. Harris was quick to react though and made the one-on-one save. 

Ubogagu was one of the better players in that first half. While she still had a couple of turnovers, she continuously took players on and put the ball into good areas.

“One of the reasons why I love football so much is the creativity aspect and that’s one of the things I really try to help the team,” said Ubogagu. “I want to create, I want to help score and assist goals. My teammates are doing a good job at getting the ball in good positions and I had space to try and find people. Rachel [Hill] and Marta were creating space and getting in the box. I think the team, we were using our system really well and in the second half the space was opening up for Kristen [Edmonds] to do the same thing. So I think the more and more we play this formation we’ll know our tendencies and what’s open and where to play the ball.”

Orlando led Sky Blue in possession (58%), shots (4-1), corners (2-0), passes (275-207), and passing accuracy (83%-71%) but the Pride could do nothing in the final third. 

“We need to just continue building our chemistry with whoever is up top, and building relationships and knowing what each other likes to do on and off the ball,” said Ubogagu. “We just got to keep going. We all really want to make the playoffs. As frustrating as this result is we still got a point out of it.”

Where the first half was uneventful, the second 45 kept everyone on their toes. It started out with Orlando using a high press to immediately win the ball. The Pride then played fast and got into the box but Ubogagu collided with Christina Gibbons, and both stayed down, ending the attack. 

The Pride kept up this intensity and Weatherholt’s hustle created the first goal of the match. She got off her shot, which hit the post, and Marta was there to reap the rewards and put the Pride up 1-0 in the 51st minute. 

The visitors then hit straight back two minutes later. Kennedy collided with Ali Krieger trying to defend in the box, and was extremely slow in getting up. This led to Dorsey being left wide open at the six-yard box, where she had no trouble finding the back of the net. 

“There are things that are out of everybody’s control,” Sermanni said. “But if I go back to the goal, we shouldn’t have been in that position that we were in. We had enough defenders behind the ball, with enough players back there. We should have been organized better. So the fact that Alanna [Kennedy] fell, for me, is a little bit immaterial because the goal came about purely by bad defending.”

Following the goal, Carli Lloyd entered the game and changed the momentum in favor of Sky Blue. Just three minutes after coming on, Lloyd played a perfect ball across the field to find the head of Savannah McCaskill, who used her head to play it back across goal and Shea Groom put it away to give Sky Blue a 2-1 lead. Groom landed awkwardly on the play and had to leave the game after her goal. 

The second that Orlando went down, Sermanni looked to his bench and brought on Alex Morgan and Camila. The Pride then started to get more of an attack going and clearly were searching for two more goals to grab three points. 

They got halfway there in the 73rd minute. Camila dribbled the ball towards the Sky Blue box before being fouled. The referee was about to blow his whistle for a foul when he saw that Weatherholt got on the end of the loose ball and he played advantage. Weatherholt then did the rest and kept on fighting to put the ball in the back of the net and level the game at two each. 

“I’ve said this before but we need 10 Dani Weatherholts on the field,” said Sermanni. “She’s the person that has really dragged our team along in games quite often. Whether that’s been a decisive tackle, a decisive run, a decisive goal, like it was tonight, or whatever, she has just been magnificent this year. I need 10 players doing that and if we had 10 players doing that I think we would be a little bit further up the table.”

The Pride kept on pressing in search of a needed third goal but the visitors would not break until the dying minutes when the game rested on the foot of Marta from the penalty spot. After a corner, the ball was bouncing around in the box and Lloyd was given a straight red for swatting the ball out of the air with her hand on the goal line. Marta, at the spot, in the 97th minute of a tied game sounds like three points in the bag for Orlando. However, her kick was poor and Sheridan was able to make the game-saving stop. 

Marta played extensively for Brazil in the Tournament of Nations and played the entire match. Perhaps a more rested player should have taken the spot kick, but Marta generally comes through.

The Pride finished with 21 shots, but were only able to get eight on target. they led in possession (54%-46%) and total passes (403-362) but need to improve in the final third and stop making defensive mistakes.

“Ultimately, we played well but we need to be more efficient and better in the final third,” Weatherholt said. “I think we had a lot of chances but we didn’t put them away. I think any time you dominate a game and possession and you have the ball a lot in their final third. We were creating, we just didn’t finish and that’s on the whole unit.”

The Pride are back in action next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET against the Portland Thorns in Orlando City Stadium.

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

The Pride return home to face San Diego Wave FC, looking for their third-straight win to start the season.

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58 minutes ago

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March 29, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (2-0-0, 6 points) return home to face San Diego Wave FC (1-0-1, 4 points). This is the first of two games these teams will play this season. The return game in San Diego is scheduled for Sept. 26.

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

History

The San Diego Wave joined the NWSL in 2022 and have only faced the Pride six times in their existence. The Pride have only lost once in those games, posting a record of 3-1-2 overall and 1-1-1 at home.

The most recent meeting was on June 7, 2024 in San Diego. Julie Doyle gave the Pride the lead in the 36th minute before a second-half equalizer by Makenzy Doniak resulted in a 1-1 draw. On April 19 in Orlando, Summer Yates scored the game’s lone goal in the first half, lifting the Pride to a 1-0 win. It was the Pride’s first home win in the series.

The first meeting in 2023 was at Snapdragon Stadium on April 29 after the Pride’s 0-4-0 start to the season. It looked like it would be a fifth straight loss when Jaedyn Shaw gave the hosts the early lead. But Adriana assisted Mikayla Cluff on the equalizer and Haley McCutcheon scored just before halftime to give the Pride the lead. Adriana scored her first goal of the season in the 69th minute to put the game away as the Pride won 3-1.

On Aug. 25 in Orlando, the Pride got off to a horrible start when San Diego center back Abby Dahlkemper scored in the seventh minute for her first goal since 2016. Marta set up Adriana just before halftime for an equalizer, but Kyra Carusa netted the late winner in a 2-1 San Diego win.

The first-ever meeting was on Aug. 13, 2022  in San Diego. The lone goal in the game came from the penalty spot after a Julie Doyle cross hit the arm of Kaleigh Riehl in the first half. Meggie Dougherty Howard stepped up and buried the penalty. The Pride held on for 67 minutes to beat one of the top teams in the league, 1-0 away.

The second meeting was on Sept. 25 in Orlando and the Pride got off to a great start. Doughety Howard opened the scoring in the first half and Gunny Jonsdottir doubled the advantage in the second. It looked like the Pride were headed for six points out of six against the expansion side, but San Diego came storming back. Doniak cut the lead in half and former Pride attacker Taylor Kornieck equalized late, resulting in a disappointing 2-2 draw.

Overview

The Pride have gotten the NWSL regular season off to a flying start. After drawing 1-1 and falling on penalties to the Washington Spirit in the Challenge Cup, they thrashed the Chicago Stars 6-0 and defeated NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-0 Sunday evening. It’s the first time in club history the Pride have recorded back-to-back shutouts (or wins) to start a season.

As you might expect, Barbra Banda has been a problem for opponents so far this season. She netted a brace in the season opener and created issues for Gotham, even though she didn’t get on the scoresheet.

Unfortunately, the Pride lost another key player with center back Rafaelle listed as out for this game. The Brazilian only played 45 minutes against Washington and moved up to 62 minutes against Chicago. It was expected she would play even more against Gotham, but her time was scaled back to 45 minutes again due to injury.

In all three games, the Pride went back to the back line that was the best in the league last year. Emily Sams moved over the center back alongside Kylie Nadaner and Cori Dyke came in at right back. You can expect that back line to start today.

Another issue is the knee injury to Doyle, suffered in the win over Chicago. While Ally Watt had already taken her spot in the attacking midfield, Doyle was a key substitute. However, her absence leaves a substitution spot open for Prisca Chilufya, who we’ve heard a lot about but have yet to see play much with the Pride.

Today, the Pride look to make it three wins out of three as they welcome the Wave to the City Beautiful. The Wave had to figure out what to do when their leading striker, Alex Morgan, retired during last season. They traded for Mexican international Maria Sanchez last year and made a possibly bigger move this off-season by acquiring Canadian international Adriana Leon.

Both Sanchez and Leon have gotten on the scoresheet this season, but they’ve been topped by 22-year-old Tacoma, WA native Gia Corley. The young attacker joined the Wave from German club TSG Hoffenheim this off-season and has quickly made a name for herself in Southern California.

While the Wave have plenty of attacking threats, they’ve yet to scare anyone. They drew 1-1 in their season opener against Angel City FC and won 3-2 in their home opener against the Utah Royals. With the Wave traveling across the country and playing a noon kickoff, the Pride are expected to handle today’s opposition.

“We’re at home. We want to set the tone early,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about today’s game. “I know San Diego have had a lot of goals early on in games. We have to negate that with our defensive responsibilities and our pressing triggers, but also play our game, which is ball possession, trying to create opportunities to score, and so it leads us to an exciting game on Saturday.”

The Pride will play this game without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), Aryssa Mahrt (knee), Doyle (knee), and Rafaelle (thigh).

Meanwhile, the Wave are only missing Hillary Beall (thigh) and Trinity Byars (knee).

Projected Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Cori Dyke.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.

Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

San Diego Wave FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Kailen Sheridan.

Defenders: Perle Morroni, Kristen McNabb, Kennedy Wesley, Hanna Lundkvist.

Midfielders: Kenza Deli, Maria Sanchez, Savannah McCaskill.

Forwards: Gia Corley, Adriana Leon, Delphine Cascarino.

Referees

REF: Adorae Monroy.
AR1: Joe Suchoski.
AR2: Jeremy Smith.
4TH: Kyle Cividanes.
VAR: Corbyn May.
AVAR: Maggie Short.

How to Watch

Match Time: 12 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: ESPN.

Streaming: ESPN+.

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

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Final Score 2-0 As Pride Take Three Points Away From Home

The Pride stayed unbeaten with a road shutout win over Gotham.

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6 days ago

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March 23, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride (2-0-0, 6 points) continued their strong start to the NWSL regular season with a 2-0 win over NJ/NY Gotham FC (0-1-1, 1 point) at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, NJ. The Pride took an early lead through a Lilly Reale own goal and doubled the advantage just before halftime with a Marta penalty. That was all the Pride needed to claim all three points.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines deployed the same starting lineup as the Challenge Cup draw and season-opening win. Anna Moorhouse started in goal behind a back line of Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Kylie Nadaner, and Emily Sams. Morgan Gautrat and Haley McCutcheon were the defensive midfielders behind Angelina, Marta, and Ally Watt with Barbra Banda up top.

While Gotham dominated most of the statistical categories, the Pride were never in any real danger. The visitors created few chances throughout the game, but the back line did a solid job with their bend-but-not-break strategy. As a result, Moorhouse had few saves to make and the Pride held onto their 2-0 halftime lead throughout the second half.

The Pride got off to the best possible start when they won a foul near the top of the Gotham box inside the first minute. Marta’s free kick was flicked on by Banda and heading towards the back post. Before it could reach McCutcheon, Reale knocked the ball past Ann-Katrin Berger and into her own net.

The goal was followed by a lengthy review to determine if McCutcheon — who was in an offside position — was involved in play or if Nadaner committed a foul in the buildup. The decision was for the goal to stand and the Pride took an early 1-0 lead.

“We talk about it all the time. Can we get that first goal in the game? So we always want to start fast whether we’re at home or away,” Hines said. “Regardless of the opponent we’re playing against, that first goal is really important to us. And to get it within one minute of the game was really rewarding.”

It was the second own goal in two league games for the Pride. Chicago Stars center back Hannah Anderson netted an own goal early in the second half in the season opener on March 14.

The Pride nearly scored a second goal in the 14th minute when Marta lifted the ball forward and into the Gotham half for Banda making a run. The striker took possession behind the back line and dribbled into the Gotham box but took a heavy touch and was unable to keep it on her foot. Berger came off her line and the two collided, resulting in a foul on Banda.

Following the missed chance by Banda, Gotham got its first decent look of the game. In the 20th minute, Ella Stevens tried to volley a cross into the box but barely got a touch on it. A minute later, Jaelin Howell took control of a clearance and sent a long-distance shot well over the target.

In the 26th minute, Marta intercepted the ball near midfield, going the other way with Banda. Playing it forward for the striker, Banda played the ball to Marta in the Gotham box. It looked like Marta’s shot was on target, but Berger did well to get down to block it with one hand. The ensuing corner kick by Angelina was cleared away and it was another missed opportunity for the visitors.

A poor pass from Tierna Davidson to Berger in the 30th minute nearly resulted in a chance for the Pride. As Banda pressured the Gotham goalkeeper, she played a short pass to the top of her own box that was intercepted by Watt. The attacker dribbled towards the end line and tapped it to Banda before it crossed out of play. However, the flag went up for offside.

Gotham had a good chance in the 31st minute when Stevens sent Esther Gonzaelz into the Pride six-yard box. Rafaelle did well to keep up with the attacker and got a touch to the shot, causing it to travel wide.

The ensuing corner kick was short to Sarah Schupansky, who sent a dangerous cross into the box. Looking to make up for her early own goal, Reale got her head to the ball and directed it towards the far post. Fortunately, the attempt went wide.

The Pride doubled their advantage just before halftime when Gautrat found Banda near midfield and the striker made a long run into the Gotham third of the field. Angelina was left alone on the far side and Banda found her teammate. As Angelina took a touch inside, Jess Carter left her leg out, catching the Brazilian. Referee Brad Jensen immediately pointed to the spot, awarding the Pride a penalty.

Angelina initially stood with the ball at the penalty spot as the video assistant referee looked at the play. Following confirmation, Marta stepped up to take the spot kick. The Pride captain took the penalty confidently, sending Berger the wrong way and giving her team a commanding 2-0 lead.

Despite the two-goal deficit, Gotham had more possession (54%-46%) and shots (7-3) in the first half. However, the Pride put all three shots on target while Gotham only put one of its seven first-half shots on frame. Additionally, both teams had one corner kick and three crosses, and the Pride had slightly better passing accuracy (79%-78%).

Hines made one halftime change, and it was a surprising one as Cori Dyke came into the game for Rafaelle. It wasn’t a surprise to see Rafaelle depart before full time as she returns to full fitness. However, she played 45 minutes against Washington and 62 minutes against Chicago. So it was a surprise to see her come off at halftime.

“It’s disappointing for Raf because she was building good momentum, getting good minutes,” Hines said about the substitution. “It’s just caution. We don’t want to have any sort of setbacks either. So we’re not taking any risks with her.”

The substitution caused a shift in the back line. Dyke took over at right back and Sams moved over to her natural center back position alongside Nadaner. It’s the same change Hines made in the team’s first two games of 2025.

The Pride started the second half how they finished the first, going on the attack. Just over a minute after the restart, Marta sent Banda behind the Gotham back line. The striker dribbled to the top of the box and near the middle before firing a shot that forced Berger into a good save. However, the flag went up for offside on the initial pass, so it was not an official shot or save.

Trailing 2-0, Gotham was the better of the two teams for the next 15 minutes. However, the hosts only created two shots in that time and neither caused any trouble for Moorhouse.

A giveaway by Dyke in the back in the 59th minute created a chance for Gotham when a fancy pass by Schupansky found Taryn Torres. However, the midfielder didn’t get much on the shot from just outside the box.

Hines made his second change in the 61st minute as Prisca Chilufya came into the game for Gautrat.

Shortly after the substitution, Gotham created its best chance when Gabi Portilho sent a beautiful ball into the box that found the head of Jaelin Howell. The attacker redirected the ball towards goal, but the attempt was over the crossbar.

In the 66th minute, Banda beat Gonzalez and was taken down just outside the Gotham box. Angelina’s free kick was cleared, but the Pride soon retook possession. Angelina found Marta, whose shot was blocked. Banda and Chilufya worked the ball around to Watt who shot from the left of goal, but the attempt was into the arms of Berger, ending the attack.

Hines made two more changes in the 79th minute. Summer Yates and Ally Lemos entered the game for Watt and Marta.

Immediately after the changes, Bruninha sent a cross into the box that found the head of Khyah Harper, who was playing in her first NWSL game. The rookie’s header was on target, but Moorhouse made an easy catch.

Gotham had a chance in the 84th minute when Yates blocked a cross out of play for a corner kick. Bruninha’s set piece found the head of Davidson, who outjumped McCutcheon. However, the center back was falling backwards and sent the attempt over the top.

The final Pride substitution came in the 88th minute when Zara Chavoshi came on for Angelina. It was the rookie’s professional debut.

“She played a lot of minutes during preseason, and obviously the league is very different. It’s higher risk, bigger rewards, and a lot more competitive,” Hines said about Chavoshi’s debut. “So just buying that time, finding the right moment to put her in. We felt today was a good time to put her in towards the end as Gotham were delivering more balls into the box, playing a little bit more direct.”

Gotham created a shot in the third minute of stoppage time as the hosts looked to get back into the game. Stevens sent a ball into the box that Gonzalez tried to bicycle, but missed. It went straight to Cece Kizer, who played the ball wide for an oncoming Reale. The defender took a first-touch shot from a tight angle, but it was right to Moorhouse.

At full time, Gotham had the advantage in possession (60%-40%), shots (15-6), corner kicks (6-2), crosses (20-9), and passing accuracy (79%-75%). However, despite the shot differential, both teams put four attempts on target as the Pride came away with the 2-0 win.

“It was a great game. We started off really well, obviously taking an early lead,” Hines said. “I thought we played some really good stuff. Not consistently, but I think there was some really good moments. And we created some really good opportunities to score. Maybe on another day, we capitalize on them. But I think toward the end, it really shows what type of team this is. Coming to a hostile environment, coming to Gotham’s home opener. This is a very good team who narrowly missed out on the playoff final last year, and we showed our character towards the end, making sure that we keep the clean sheet. It’s very easy as the game goes on, and them pushing forward, to lose concentration. But I thought we were phenomenal towards the end to get the shutout. So again, really pleased, couple of goals, another clean sheet, and we continue our momentum.”

“I was definitely relieved that we saw in the game and got the three points and kept our clean sheet,” Abello added. “It probably wasn’t our best, cleanest performance. I thought we were really threatening, but we were definitely under it towards the end of the game. But I was really proud that we saw out the win and got three points.”

The Pride set a bunch of team records last season and they’ve already set a new one. This is the first time the team has had back-to-back clean sheets to start a season.

“It’s been a real focal point of our game model, you would say. We don’t want to concede, it hurts when we concede, and you can see that with the attitude of the players,” Hines said. “It’s not just one or two players. It’s a full collective effort to keep the ball out of the net. You know, you can see the efforts from every single player, not just the stars, but the players coming off the bench. And having their roles and responsibilities to keep the ball out of the net.”

“We said it all last season, everyone knows the job that they have to do, and everyone’s very comfortable in doing that job. Makes my life incredibly easy,” Moorhouse added. “The back line are incredible at keeping chances to a minimum, and keep threatening chances to a minimum. And it’s really, really enjoyable to be involved.”

While it’s still early in the season, the Pride sit on top the NWSL standings with every team having played two games. They’re tied on points with the Kansas City Current, but have a four-goal advantage in the goal differential tiebreaker, largely thanks to their 6-0 win over the Chicago Stars in the first game.

The Pride return home next weekend for an afternoon tilt as they welcome San Diego Wave FC to Inter&Co Stadium for a rare noon kickoff.

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Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride head out on the road for the first time this season to take on NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Published

6 days ago

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March 23, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (1-0-0, 3 points) head out on the road for the first time this year to face NJ/NY Gotham FC (0-0-1, 1 point) in New Jersey. This is the first of two times these teams will face off during the regular season. The return game in Orlando is scheduled for Aug. 29.

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

History

The Pride have faced Gotham 25 times since joining the NWSL in 2016. They’re 8-10-7 in all competitions and 4-3-5 away from home. The Pride’s record in NWSL regular-season games is 8-7-5 with a mark of 4-3-3 in New Jersey.

The most recent meeting between the two teams was on Oct 20, 2024 in New Jersey. Sam Hiatt gave the hosts the lead in the 13th minute before Adriana equalized in the 31st. However, Gotham scored on either side of halftime with goals by Rose Lavelle and Ella Stevens to win 3-1. The game on Sept. 1 in Orlando was delayed by inclement weather, but the Pride took control when it began. Adriana gave the hosts the lead in the sixth minute and completed her brace in the 19th minute. Those were the only two goals as the Pride won 2-0.

The first meeting of 2023 was a regular-season clash on April 15 in Orlando. It looked to be headed for a draw, but Gotham struck twice in the dying minutes. Midge Purce converted a penalty 10 minutes into stoppage time and then assisted on Lynn Williams’ goal seven minutes later, setting a record for the latest goal in NWSL history as the Pride fell 2-0. They played again on May 14 in New Jersey, where the Pride were the better team and created more chances but couldn’t find the back of the net. The game ended in a scoreless draw.

The Pride and Gotham met twice in the NWSL Challenge Cup following those regular-season matchups. The first was on July 23 in Orlando. A Megan Montefusco header gave the Pride an early lead, but they were unable to hold on. Jenna Nighswonger converted a penalty later in the first half and Gotham took over in the second half with goals by McCall Zerboni and Yazmeen Ryan, beating the Pride 3-1. On Aug. 9 in New Jersey, Messiah Bright gave the Pride the lead in the first half, and the team was in line for all three points until Meleana Shim equalized in second-half stoppage time, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

The two teams met four times during the 2022 season — twice in the NWSL regular season and twice in the Challenge Cup. The first was a Challenge Cup meeting March 30 at Exploria Stadium. It looked to be heading for a 0-0 draw before Purce scored a late winner. The next Challenge Cup meeting was April 23 at Red Bull Arena. Gunny Jonsdottir gave the Pride the lead, but Toni Pressley got tangled up with Ifeoma Onumonu, resulting in a penalty. Kristie Mewis leveled the game from the spot just before the half. Neither team could find a winner and it ended 1-1.

The teams met in the 2022 NWSL regular-season opener on May 1 in Orlando. After two close matchups in the preseason tournament, this one was all Gotham, as goals by Zerboni, Purce, and Mewis lifted the visitors to a 3-0 win. On Aug. 20, they played for the final time in 2022 at Subaru Park in Chester, PA. Celia and Ally Watt built the Pride a 2-0 lead. Mewis got one back for the hosts, but the Pride held on for a 2-1 win.

The Pride and Gotham also met four times in 2021, with the first coming in the Pride’s inaugural Challenge Cup campaign. On April 14, Paige Monaghan’s goal lifted Gotham to a 1-0 win. The first regular-season game that year came on June 20 in Orlando. The visitors took the lead through Caprice Dydasco, but Courtney Petersen equalized for a 1-1 draw.

On Aug. 29, the teams played at Red Bull Arena. Erika Tymrak’s long-range goal lifted the Pride to a 2-1 win. The teams played one final, high-scoring game on Oct. 9. It was a bad start for the Pride as Gaetane Thiney scored a brace and Purce made it 3-0 late. The Pride came storming back with goals by Tymrak and Marta, falling just short in a 3-2 final.

The Pride and Gotham were in different groups for the 2020 Fall Series, so the last time they met prior to 2021 was in 2019, when the New Jersey-based club was still called Sky Blue FC. They first met that year on June 22 at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, NJ. Chioma Ubogagu gave the Pride the lead from the penalty spot and Sarah Killion equalized. The difference was a Gina Lewandowski own goal as the Pride won 2-1.

On July 20 the teams met at Exploria Stadium. Marisa Viggiano’s goal won it for the Pride, 1-0. The final game occurred on Sept. 29 in New Jersey. Shelina Zadorsky gave the Pride the lead, but Carli Lloyd equalized in a 1-1 draw.

The teams met three times in 2018, starting on June 16 in Orlando, when a Sydney Leroux brace led the Pride to a 3-2 win. They met again in Orlando on Aug. 5, with the Pride giving up a 1-0 lead after Marta’s opening goal. But Dani Weatherholt equalized in a 2-2 draw. The final meeting in 2018 came on Sept. 8 in New Jersey — the final game of the season. There was only one goal in this one as Lloyd won it for Sky Blue FC.

The 2017 season saw the Pride and Sky Blue meet three times. The first was May 27 in New Jersey, where the Pride lost 2-1. They met again in New Jersey on June 28 and the Pride won, 3-2. The final meeting was on Aug. 12 in Orlando and the Pride won by its largest margin in team history to that point, beating Sky Blue, 5-0.

The 2016 season was the first time the two teams met, with the inaugural game coming on Sept. 7 in New Jersey. Alex Morgan and Sam Kerr swapped goals in a 1-1 draw. They met again three days later in Orlando, with Sky Blue winning, 2-1.

Overview

The Pride got 2025 off to a disappointing start by drawing 1-1 with the Washington Spirit in the Challenge Cup and falling on penalties. However, they took their frustration out on Chicago Stars FC on Mar. 14. Haley McCutcheon got the scoring started in the seventh minute and they didn’t stop. Watt and Julie Doyle goals were split by a Hannah Anderson own goal before Barbara Banda netted a late brace. The 6-0 win tied a club record, matching last year’s 6-0 win over the Utah Royals.

Apart from the six goals, Rafaelle got more time on the field in the most recent game. After coming off at halftime against Washington, she played 62 minutes against Chicago as she continues to build her fitness following her season-ending injury last year.

The excitement about Rafaelle’s return is quelled by the injury to Doyle, who came off with a knee injury after only 11 minutes on the field against Chicago. The attacking midfielder came off the bench in the first two games, and it looks she could be out for a considerable amount of time.

Gotham drew its season opener in Seattle 1-1 without two key players in Lavelle and Purce. Lavelle remains out after undergoing off-season ankle surgery and Purce only recently signed a new deal to return to Gotham.

This is a different Gotham team than Pride fans saw last year. Delanie Sheehan, Hiatt, and Ryan left while remaining in the league. Crystal Dunn left for Paris Saint-Germain, and Nighswonger went to Arsenal this off-season.

Gotham had a strong attack last year with 41 goals and should be at least as good this year. In addition to Purce, tonight’s hosts return Esther Gonzalez and Stevens, while new Brazilian Gabi Portilho — who scored in her debut — joins the squad. The losses of Hiatt and Nighswonger hurt defensively, but the team returns Jess Carter, Emily Sonnett, and Tierna Davidson.

While the Pride looked great in their season-opening game, this is the first time they’ve played away from home this season. It will tell us a lot about how this team will do away from the friendly confines of Inter&Co Stadium. Regardless, you can expect to see the same lineup from the Chicago game as the Pride look to get on a roll early in the 2025 season.

“I thought we were terrific (against Chicago). I thought it was a pretty much complete performance from our side,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “And going into this game, we want to build on that. Build on that momentum from the first game. We know it’s going to be a competitive game. We know that it’s always a tough environment to go play in. But we’ve shown our quality in the last two games that we’re more than capable of getting something out of this game against Gotham.”

There aren’t any surprises in the injury report for the Pride this weekend. They’re without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), Aryssa Mahrt (knee), and Doyle (knee). Gotham will be without Sofia Cook (thigh), Mandy Freeman (suspension), Lavelle (ankle), Purce (knee), and Jessica Silva (eye).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.

Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Prisca Chilufya, Cori Dyke, Viviana Villacorta, Grace Chanda, Summer Yates, Ally Lemos, Brianna Martinez, Zara Chavoshi.

NJ/NY Gotham FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Ann-Katrin Berger.

Defenders: Jess Carter, Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett, Lilly Reale.

Midfielders: Ella Stevens, Nealy Martin, Gabi Portilho.

Forwards: Jaelin Howell, Esther Gonzalez, Sarah Schupansky.

Bench: Shelby Hogan, Ryan Campbell, Bruninha, Cece Kizer, Taryn Torres, McKenna Whitham, Khyah Harper, Stella Nyamekye.

Referees

REF: Brad Jensen.
AR1: Jennifer Garner.
AR2: Zeno Cho.
4TH: Ryan Homik.
VAR: Elijio Arreguin.
AVAR: Tom Felice.

How To Watch

Match Time: 5 p.m.

Venue: Red Bull Arena — Harrison, NJ.

TV: ESPN 2.

Streaming: ESPN+.

Twitter: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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