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Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns: Final Score 2-0 as the Pride Disappoint in the Opener

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6 years ago

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The Orlando Pride were extremely disappointing in the first game of the season. The Portland Thorns came into Orlando City Stadium, dominated, and left with a 2-0 victory in front of 7,189 fans.

The Pride (0-1-0, 0 points) have dropped three of their four season openers, going 0-3-1 on opening day, with all three of those losses coming to the Thorns (1-0-0, 3 points). Orlando dropped to just 1-7-1 in the all-time series against Portland.

Orlando Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris showed their disappointment after the match and said the team needs to improve quickly if the Pride are going to be able to beat North Carolina on Wednesday.

“It wasn’t good enough from us,” said Skinner. “I think all the things that we looked at doing in preseason we didn't affect first half. We just didn't do them. So, we had some words at halftime, we were better second half, but still not good enough. That’s nothing against the players, that’s nothing personal, that’s not me telling the players they aren’t good enough. That’s me saying as a team, as a collective, we were not good enough in that game. Hence the reason why we lost.”

A few new signings made their debuts today for the Pride. Joanna Boyles started at center back and Erin Greening came off the bench to play the final 16 minutes. Bridget Callahan got her first start for the Pride. She came off the bench on March 31 against Washington and played one minute. Today she got a surprise start in the midfield, played 74 minutes, and finished with 44 touches, 32 passes, an impressive 91% passing accuracy, and a team high three tackles.

Alanna Kennedy and Emily van Egmond both missed the game due to illness. Harris, Ali Krieger, Alex Morgan, Chioma Ubogagu, and Marta all came back from international duty and were inserted right into the starting XI. 

The first half it was all Harris for Orlando. Portland had chance after chance, but Harris blocked nearly every attempt and finished the first half with four saves, and added another two in the second.

She was first called into action in the fourth minute. A Pride turnover led to a shot from Christine Sinclair, and the ‘keeper made a fingertip save over the bar. Six minutes later, it was Tobin Heath’s turn, and Harris calmly caught the ball. In the 30th minute, Lindsey Horan took a shot from distance and Harris made the diving save to keep the score 0-0. 

“Of course it’s frustrating, it could have been five or six nothing in the first half,” said Harris. “We were lucky to go into the locker room with only one goal [conceded]. I don’t want to beat a dead horse but what can I say? Am I pissed? Yeah, I’m pissed. But I have to be the best version of myself everyday for this team.

“I believe in myself that I’m the best [expletive] player out there every single day. and I can’t give that to other people. That is something that they have to wake up and feel every [expletive] day. I can’t give that. I’ll run through a brick wall for this team and every single one of you out there know that. I can’t give that to everyone else; that’s a choice. I hope that we continue to grow and dig deep.”

The game took a temporary water break just after the 30-minute mark, and Skinner was able to make some adjustments. After the break, Orlando limited Portland’s chances but was still second best. 

For how much better the Thorns were, Orlando still had its chances. Ubogagu had a few chances of her own. In the 18th minute she had two chances in the box, but both shots were blocked. About 10 minutes later, Morgan played a perfect ball over the top for Chi, but Ubogagu had no one helping her. She made one move to get by the defender but her shot was blocked, and the attack ended. 

Shelina Zadorsky was one of the better players on the field today. The Thorns were the better team and continuously put pressure on the Orlando defense. The Canadian stepped up and broke up many attacks, but her back pass at the end of the first half gift-wrapped a goal to the visitors. 

Zadorsky passed it back to Harris, and the ‘keeper was forced to slide to clear the ball away. It went straight to Portland, and Sinclair played the ball to Heath. With Krieger on her back, Heath made a no-look back pass to Foord who took one touch before beating Harris. 

“You have to be brave to be a footballer playing for me, playing how we want to play,” said Skinner. “We were not brave enough first half. Don’t take that the team was not brave, they were not brave enough first half. And that’s what needs to change.”

The Thorns took a 1-0 led into the half, but Orlando should be happy that it wasn’t worse. While the Pride held more possession (54%), Portland had more shots (15-5), shots on target (5-0), and corners (5-1). Skinner had some strong words for his team at halftime, and Harris described it as they got their “[expletive] chewed out.”

“I think we’re all professionals, so coming into [halftime] we knew that we didn’t have a great half and we knew what we needed to work on and we just needed [Skinner] to come in and do exactly what he did — just let us know tactically, emotionally, and get us going again,” Carson Pickett said. “I think we stepped it up in the second half but we don’t have a half to lose next time.”

Portland picked up right where it left off and scored five minutes after the second-half kickoff, with Heath putting the ball in the back of the net in the 50th minute. Portland won a 50/50 challenge in midfield and went straight to goal. Foord sent the ball into the box and Heath, who was on the ground, somehow doubled the visitors’ lead. 

The game started to settle down after the goal. Orlando was able to hold onto the ball a little better and made fewer turnovers. Portland, comfortably holding a 2-0 lead, did not need to press forward as much. This led to much of the second half being played in the middle of the field, but Orlando still had its chances to make it a game. 

In the 58th minute, Marta had the ball dribbling into the box and looked to have been fouled. With no call, Morgan took the chance at goal, but her shot hit the crossbar. 

In the 66th minute, Morgan hit the post again. The chance came from a throw-in, and Portland failed to clear the ball. Camila hit the ball to Morgan and the forward dribbled across the center of the field and took a shot, sliding to the ground. The ball somehow got through the traffic but banged off the woodwork again. 

With the game all but over, Orlando had one last opportunity to at least get a goal on the board. Krieger dribbled down the right-hand side of the field and the Pride had numbers going forward. With two defenders closing in on her, she sent in a cross to Morgan, and Morgan’s volley hit Franch. With the ‘keeper on the ground, Kristen Edmonds had a wide-open goal and she put her shot over the bar and into the stands. 

The game ended with the Thorns holding onto the 2-0 lead, and they were thoroughly deserving of it. The Pride did better in the second half, dominating parts of it but overall it was a poor effort. 

“The thing I’m disappointed with most is what did they have to do first half?” Skinner said. “We allowed them to do it. We’re going to turn this place into a fortress in the future but I’m learning fast and fast and fast on what our players do and don’t know already. And that for me is — it’s nothing about the players, it’s not personal — it’s understanding and educating. I don’t think that Portland really had to earn it, they didn’t do anything to earn their victory. I think we gave them the victory today and that’s the disappointing part that I’ll fix very quickly.”

The Pride are back in action again on Wednesday when Orlando visits WakeMed Soccer Park to take on the defending NWSL champions, the North Carolina Courage at 7 p.m. ET.

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Transfer Adriana to Saudi Side Al Qadsiah FC

The club has secured one of the highest transfer fees in NWSL history for the Brazilian attacker after she requested a transfer.

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4 hours ago

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January 30, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has secured a club-record transfer fee from Al Qadsiah FC of the Saudi Women’s Premier League in exchange for Brazilian international attacking midfielder/forward Adriana. The club announced that the sale was one of the three highest in NWSL history, with Jeff Kassouf of The Equalizer reporting the fee as $500,000.

“We are incredibly grateful for Adriana’s contributions to the club, and while we will miss her presence both on and off the pitch, we are happy to support her in this next chapter of her career,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “At the Pride, we believe in empowering our players to pursue opportunities that align with their personal and professional goals. The record transfer fee we received reflects both Adriana’s exceptional talent and our commitment to building mutually beneficial relationships in the global transfer market. These resources will help us continue to attract world-class talent to Orlando as we build for the future. We wish Adriana all the best and she will always be part of the Pride family.” 

The move, which was requested by Adriana, comes shortly after the start of training camp as the Pride prepare to defend their NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship titles.

“I want to thank the Orlando Pride, my teammates, and especially our amazing fans for making Orlando feel like home,” Adriana said in the club’s release. “This club gave me an incredible opportunity to grow as a player and person, and I will always be grateful for my time here. The Pride organization has been very supportive of my desire to take on this new challenge overseas. They worked hard to make this move possible while ensuring it benefited everyone involved. Orlando will always hold a special place in my heart, and I look forward to watching the club continue to grow and succeed.” 

The Pride signed Adriana almost exactly two years ago on Jan. 19, 2023, from Brazilian giants Corinthians. That deal was through the 2025 season, meaning her contract would have been up at the end of this year. As Orlando typically extends players’ deals before they expire, the timing makes some sense, despite it happening during the Pride’s preseason.

In two seasons with Orlando, Adriana was a key player for the Pride with the versatility for Seb Hines to deploy her in multiple ways. She was primarily used as a winger during her time in Orlando, appearing in 46 NWSL regular-season games with 38 starts, logging 3,333 minutes. She scored six goals and added four assists, sharing the team lead in those categories in 2023. Her contributions in 2024 raised her career regular-season totals with the Pride to 12 goals and five assists across two seasons.

Adriana appeared in all three of the Pride’s playoff games during her stay in Orlando, starting two and logging 197 minutes. She did not make a goal contribution, attempting six shots with only one of those hitting the target. She tallied five key passes and one successful long ball in the Pride’s run to the title.

Additionally, the Brazilian made one appearance in the NWSL Challenge Cup, playing just eight minutes off the bench in 2023 without a goal contribution. She was on international duty during four of the Pride’s six matches in that competition. Adriana was away at the Olympics during the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, so she did not play in that competition.

What It Means for Orlando

Losing a player of Adriana’s caliber does not make a team better, but the club got a big return for an attacking piece that had started splitting time with Summer Yates during Orlando’s final stretch of the season in 2024. The Pride’s younger players are starting to demand more minutes with their performances, and while the team’s depth takes a hit with Adriana’s departure, the club has the resources to find a roster replacement.

Someone will have to replace Adriana’s six goals per year. Yates scored five in her second season in the league, but a jump to 11 in her third year seems unrealistic. However, more minutes for Yates may mitigate some of Adriana’s lost offense. Others who can contribute to replacing those goals include Grace Chanda, Simone Charley, Ally Watt, and Julie Doyle. The first two on that list are talented, but still have yet to play their first game for the Pride. It’s also conceivable that Barbra Banda can score more goals in her second NWSL season.

In Adriana, the Pride also lost one of the team’s better penalty takers. Adriana was two-for-two from the spot in 2024. Someone else will need to step up and take up the secondary penalty-taker role (to Marta) in 2025.

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Three Orlando Pride Games to Circle on the Calendar

Let’s take a brief look at three games to pay extra attention to during Orlando’s upcoming NWSL campaign.

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6 days ago

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January 24, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

We got the release of the Orlando Pride’s 2025 schedule on Wednesday, which means we’re that little bit closer to the start of the season on March 7. The nature of the 14-team National Women’s Soccer League means that there are fewer scheduling quirks than with the 30-team Major League Soccer, with each team playing the other 13 clubs twice each. Still, there’s plenty to dig into with regards to how the scheduling shakes out, and now that I’ve had time to examine what 2025 holds, I’ve got three games in particular that I’ve got circled on my match calendar. Behold.

March 7 — vs. Washington Spirit

You had to know this was coming, right? There’s so much to like about this game. Not only is it the home opener, but as the NWSL Challenge Cup match, it’s also a chance to win another piece of silverware in a rematch of last year’s NWSL Championship game. This game sells itself on just about every level imaginable. The Pride return almost everyone from a wildly successful 2024 season, and while there aren’t a ton of new signings to familiarize ourselves with, getting healthy versions of Grace Chanda and Simone Charley is essentially like getting two brand new players. It’ll be our first chance to gauge where the Pride stand as they try to continue on from the high standards that were set last year, and we should also get a couple new banners hoisted into the rafters. You can hardly ask for more than all that.

Aug. 16 — at Kansas City Current

The Current were excellent in 2024, finishing fourth and boasting the league’s best attack, with 57 goals scored in 26 games, for an over two goals per game average. The Pride, meanwhile, had the league’s third-best attack, with 46 goals, and the joint-best defense with just 20 conceded. Orlando never lost to Kansas City in 2024, as the Pride drew and won the regular-season contests and then won again in the semifinal matchup between the two teams. The pair have made a habit of putting on entertaining affairs, and with the match placed as one of the first ones to occur after the league’s July break, it might go a long way towards setting the tone for the back half of Orlando’s season.

Nov. 2 — vs. Seattle Reign

The NWSL is bringing back Decision Day this year, and the Pride have been blessed with a home game on the league’s final day of regular-season play. On paper, Orlando has also been handed a favorable matchup against a Seattle team that struggled last year and is in the midst of a rebuild. Given how tight the margins tend to be in the upper reaches of the league, every point takes on added importance, and playoff scenarios can swing wildly when everyone is playing at the same time. It’s always nice to be able to play at home in a situation that variable, and it can make for a truly memorable atmosphere that will (hopefully) set Orlando up for another postseason run on the right note.

It feels a little cheap to highlight the first and last games of the season, but I can’t help liking what I like. Are there any games that you’re especially looking forward to this season? Be sure to have your say down in the comments. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando Pride

A 2025 Orlando Pride Wish List

Four things I want for the Orlando Pride in 2025.

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1 week ago

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January 23, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

I know that it probably seems greedy to ask for anything more after the Orlando Pride won both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship in 2024, but I’m still going to do so. If the Pride want to repeat their success in 2025, they will need a little bit more than in 2024. Let’s look at my wish list for the defending champs.

No Banda Slump

Barbra Banda scored 12 goals with five assists in her first 12 matches with the Pride. She then scored one goal with one assist in the next 10 regular season matches. I know that players have slumps. Strikers in particular tend to be streaky when it comes to goal contributions. I’m just asking that Banda not have another slump quite that big in 2025.

It might be that teams did a better job of double- or triple-teaming her on defense. Perhaps she just got a little unlucky during the slump. Whatever the reason, I hope that her familiarity with her teammates, the league, and Seb Hines’ style of play allows her to significantly increase her goal contributions this season.

A Healthy Chanda and Charley

Neither Grace Chanda nor Simone Charley were able to see the pitch much for the Pride last season. That hopefully changes in 2025. Adding these two players is almost like signing new players, except they’ve been there for everything. There’s no need to adapt to the culture of the club, as they are already a part of it all.

Chanda not only brings international experience, but she has played with Banda for the Zambian National Team. I expect she’ll be able to make an immediate impact when she integrates into the attack. As for Charley, she will be yet another speedy striker the Pride can utilize in their potent attack.

Adding Depth Contributions

The 2024 season saw some players step up a level. Ally Watt had one of her best seasons, Summer Yates impressed everyone, and Cori Dyke earned a starting spot after an appearance on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast. If we can have other young players make the same type of jump in 2025, it bodes well for the club.

Despite having the best defense in the league, the Pride are a little light along the back. I’d like to see Brianna Martinez and new signee, Zara Chavoshi, make some noise on the back line when they get some minutes. There’s also the possibility of a non-roster invitee impressing enough to get a contract. Depth is incredibly important for a team looking to repeat.

Overcoming History

Winning back-to-back anything in any sport is difficult. Every other team will bring their best against you. The weight of expectations can also be very heavy. That being said, if any club can do it, this Pride team can.

The coaches and players already dealt with the pressure of the undefeated streak last season. They dealt with the pressure of winning the NWSL Cup after winning the NWSL Shield. They have dealt with plenty of pressure. Now, they will need to find the proper motivation to propel them to the top yet again. There will be no sneaking up on the league this year.

Those are some of the things I want to see in 2025, but I want to know your thoughts on these points. Perhaps you have some wishes of your own. Let me know in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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