Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns: Player Grades and Player of the Match

Published

5 years ago

May 14, 2019

If I had to put money on who would score the Pride’s 100th goal, Toni Pressley — for a multitude of reasons — wouldn’t have been near the top of my list. But considering how this season has played out so far, was it really a surprise to anyone at this point?

Then, after losing the lead and allowing three goals, Haley Kopmeyer shut down a penalty kick in the 66th minute, and like that, the crowd and the team were back in it. It felt like at any moment the Pride would close the scoreline and perhaps salvage a point. Portland felt it too, and immediately sprinkled in as much time wasting as they could.

The comeback never came, of course, and the game ended with a thematically timed thunderstorm and a 3-1 loss to Portland. And believe it or not, I saw quite a few positives, and for me, this was the first time I saw an exciting match from the Pride in 2019. Time to break it down and give you my perspective.

Starters

GK, Haley Kopmeyer, 6 — Portland had five shots on goal, and Kopmeyer stopped two of them with the previously mentioned double save off the penalty, which earned a Save of the Week nomination. Taking a look back at the other three shots, her momentum was taking her away from the near post and she couldn’t get a proper hand on it, leading to the rebound goal. Next, the free kick from Andressinha was a thing of beauty, and an unmarked Caitlin Foord sent a rocket in to cap it off, that Kopmeyer could have perhaps reacted better to. Her distribution was solid, specifically in the second half when she only had three incomplete passes.

D, Erin Greening, 5 — I thought Greening had a rough first half offensively. Greening had a lot of passes forward into empty space. It was like she didn’t want to ever possess the ball. So the moment she got it, it had to go somewhere else, no matter what. The second half was a bit better in that regard. A decent night defensively, some good stops here and there, but like the rest of the line, they have plenty of work to do on communication.

D, Morgan Reid, 5.5 — Reid’s first professional appearance was pretty solid. I’ll echo the work that needs to be done on communication here, but Reid was pretty solid in distributing the ball with 71.4%, putting her third-best on the Pride. Reid also ended with three clearances and an important tackle in the box late in the game.

D, Toni Pressley, 6 (PotM) — Pressley last played Aug. 11, 2018. In her 2019 debut, she not only ended a frustrating goal drought by scoring her third NWSL goal, but also added six clearances, two interceptions, and a couple of blocks to her totals. The only downsides were that speedy Portland was given a lot of space on the right, and Pressley just couldn’t match the Thorns’ speed, which was partly responsible for the penalty she conceded. Also, I would like to see her use the midfield a bit more if her long balls are going to keep going to no one. Even without the goal, I imagine Pressley would have been a contender for Player of the Match. With it, she’s a lock.

D, Carson Pickett, 5.5 — It’s hard to believe that Pickett’s assist was her first for the Pride, but it finally came off an early corner. Her passing was at a 65.4%, with a lot of the misses coming from crosses into the box that never found a target. Short of that, I thought Pickett’s work on the side was pretty good, but those threats from Portland were a bit too frequent, and that had to do a bit with how far forward she would get.

MF, Joanna Boyles, 5.5 — A lot of activity from Boyles helped the young midfielder lead the team in touches, with 78. As she gets more settled, Boyles is showing her tenacity and passion, and adding to that were five tackles, a few clearances and a couple of interceptions to disrupt Portland. That passing though — 50% isn’t good enough.

MF, Emily van Egmond, 5 — I’ll admit, I always kind of struggle to find something to say about van Egmond. She can be great in those rare moments where we see actual link-up play, and her set pieces can always be promising, but in this match we didn’t get to see much of that. She had one of the better nights in passing at 67.4%, but even if it’s against Portland’s midfield, the team has to find a way to better connect.

MF, Dani Weatherholt, 5.5 — Weatherholt started to really find a groove in the second half before coming off with some strong efforts on the left side of the field. Before the match, I tried to goad her over Twitter to rip one outside the box to get the 100th goal in her 50th appearance, but she either didn’t see it, or didn’t take the bait. It is something I’ve been missing this season though — the occasional threat that she can pose from just outside the box. She had two goals last year, and it’s obvious the Pride need the help on offense wherever they can get it.

F, Chioma Ubogagu, 5 — It was a very low-key game from Chi Saturday night. Compared to her usual numbers, Ubogagu had about half the touches she normally has and didn’t even take a shot. She started off 2018 with four goals, primarily while the internationals were out, and the Pride will definitely need that back as they make the transition again this year.

F, Marta, 6 — My impression of Marta in this match was primarily that she needed more determination in all phases. Offensively, she fought to get the ball into the box as often as possible, including taking six shots of her own — one of which was an incredible volley that is now on a Save of the Week highlight for Britt Eckerstrom. She fought to keep possession, often putting on a clinic in how to go 1-v-2. Perhaps she tried to force it a bit too much at times, as her passing was pretty low for her at 59.6%. But the team knows that all things will flow through Marta, and several players need to be ready and provide an outlet when she needs them.

F, Rachel Hill, 6 — This was Hill’s best effort yet in 2019. She left everything on the field Saturday night, and it’s a shame she wasn’t able to produce anything. She had the most chances created at three, four tackles (one of which made the crowd around me gasp), and three fouls, which to me was a good thing. That includes the foul that led to Portland’s second goal. Her only misstep there was maybe not fouling a bit sooner.

Substitutes

MF, Camila (59’), 5.5 — It was another solid night as a sub for Camila. She completed nine of 11 passes for an 81.8% rate. I feel like her rhythm is close to what we love seeing, and I’d like to see her start again, so we can see her settled into a game.

MF, Abby Elinsky (78’), 5 — With the little time we got to see Elinsky, one thing that I noticed was her ability to quickly take direction from teammates, specifically Marta. On top of what I already like about her, that malleability will be of benefit moving forward.

There you have it. No second watch for me on this one, as the Yahoo! stream was a hot pile of garbage, so any other impressions of the match from all of you are definitely appreciated. I’m going to use the storm that ended the match as an omen — a good omen that the winds of change are coming, and we’re about to see some thunder and lightning.

Now vote for your player of the match!

Polling Closed

Player	Votes
Haley Kopmeyer	1
Toni Pressley	5
Marta	2
Rachel Hill	4
Other (comment below)	2

Related Topics:Player Grades SBN_migrated

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2023 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Emily Madril

The first-year defender played almost every single minute available in the 2023 season.

Published

7 hours ago

December 6, 2023

Michael Citro

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride selected former Florida State defender Emily Madril with the No. 3 overall selection in the 2023 NWSL Draft. The 5-foot-7 Navarre, FL native decided to forego her last season of eligibility in Tallahassee to begin her professional career. A two-time national champion (2018 and 2021), Madril left FSU, signing a contract with the National Women’s Soccer League through 2025 and was loaned to Swedish side BK Hacken FF.

Following a standout first NWSL season in which she played all but three minutes in the regular season, Madril was rewarded by the Pride with a new contract through 2026.

Let’s take a look at her first season with the Orlando Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

Madril started all 22 of the Pride’s regular-season games in 2023, leading all rookies in minutes played (1,977), and coming off only moments before the end of the club’s season finale against the Houston Dash when the Pride were desperately trying to score a game winner to stay in playoff contention. The defender did not record a goal or an assist on the season, attempting just one shot, which was off target. Madril completed 814 of her 953 passes (85.4%), 46 of her 103 long passes (44.7%), and one of her three crosses, while recording five key passes. There wasn’t much drop-off in her passing rate related to position on the field, as Madril completed 88.7% of her passes in the defensive half and 75.6% in the attacking half. Defensively, she added 19 blocks and 19 interceptions, won 17 of her 28 tackles (60.7%), and was successful on 76 of her 122 duels (62.3%). She also won 54.5% of her 33 aerial duels. She won 23 fouls while conceding only nine and was booked twice during the regular season.

In the NWSL Challenge Cup, Madril appeared in five of the team’s six matches (all starts), and played 450 minutes. She did not score a goal or assist on one and did not attempt a shot. She completed 193 of her 224 passes (86.2%), including 13 of her 25 long passes (52%). Madril passed at an 89% rate in her own half and a 78.3% in the attacking half, recording one key pass, but not attempting a cross in the competition. She recorded 10 blocks and four interceptions on defense, winning 55.6% of her tackle attempts, 68.1% of her duels, and 71.4% of her aerial duels. She committed five fouls, drawing six on the opposition, and was not booked in the tournament.

Best Game

With a number of standout games to choose from, I’ll go with the Pride’s 1-0 win over OL Reign on July 7. Paired with Megan Montefusco as the center back tandem, Madril and her teammates limited the Reign to just five shot attempts (two on target) across the 90+ minutes of the game. Madril had 55 touches and completed 89.1% of her 46 passes. She recorded two tackles and drew two fouls on her opponents while not committing any. Madril and her teammates helped Messiah Bright’s 16th-minute strike hold up over the remainder of the match without constantly being under siege. It was a complete performance and one of the team’s best defensive efforts of the year. It was also just the Pride’s second win ever against OL Reign.

2023 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Madril a composite rating of 6.5 for the 2023 season. There were several shaky moments early in the year for the first-year NWSL defender that prevented that score from rising higher (such as conceding a penalty against Angel City), but as the season progressed and she became more comfortable with Seb Hines’ system, the league, and her teammates, Madril was a solid player on the Pride’s back line. She showed her versatility in being able to play both center back positions as well as right back for a couple of matches. A 6.5 is a good rating for a first-year NWSL center back, and Madril showed that she has the potential to develop into one of the league’s best defenders.

2024 Outlook

Madril is obviously highly regarded by the organization and has a huge upside. She has expressed on multiple occasions how happy she is to be with the Pride, and I would expect her to be in Orlando until/unless the Pride get an offer they can’t refuse from a bigger club or if Madril decides to leave once she’s eligible for free agency. Madril should be a starter on the back line for the Pride in 2024 barring something unforseen.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Sign Defender Emily Madril to New Contract

The center back signs a new three-year deal, keeping her in Orlando through 2026.

Published

1 day ago

December 5, 2023

Sean Rollins

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has signed starting center back Emily Madril to a new three-year contract. The defender originally signed a three-year deal with the NWSL, running through the 2025 season, but this new contract will keep her in Orlando through 2026.

“I had a great rookie year here and had so much fun and love everyone in the Orlando Pride organization,” Madril said in a club press release. “The chemistry that we have in the locker room between all the girls and the entire coaching staff is just amazing and played a big factor in me wanting to stay here in Orlando. I am so excited to be a part of the Pride for the future and continue to be a part of the special thing we are building here.”

After leaving Florida State University following her junior season, Madril signed a three-year contract with the NWSL and went on loan to Swedish Damallsvenskan side BK Hacken. The Pride drafted the defender with the third overall selection in the 2023 NWSL Draft, immediately putting her into the starting lineup.

Madril initially started alongside Caitlin Cosme at center back, before being joined by Megan Montefusco and, eventually, Rafaelle. She showed her versatility on two occasions, starting at right back.

The Boise, ID native started all 22 regular-season games for the Pride, recording a rookie-leading 1,977 minutes, and she only came off late in the season finale against the Houston Dash when the Pride needed a goal. She completed 814 of her 953 passes (85.4%), 46 of her 103 long passes (44.7%), and took one off-target shot. Defensively, she added 19 blocks and 19 interceptions, won 17 of her 28 tackles (60.7%), and was successful on 76 of her 122 duels (62.3%).

Madril also played in five of the team’s six Challenge Cup games, recording 450 minutes. She completed 193 of 224 passes in those games (86.2%) and 13 of 25 long balls (52%). She continued to be a key defensive presence in those midseason cup matches, recording 10 blocks and four interceptions, as well as winning 10 of her 18 tackles (55.6%) and 32 of her 47 duels (68.1%).

“Emily came in and made an immediate impact, just as we expected she would when we drafted her,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter said in the club’s release. “She was a reliable presence in our back line throughout the entire season and showed her potential to be one of the best defenders in the league. Her maturity and professionalism shined throughout the entire year, and we are very happy to be able to have her with the Pride for the years to come. She is an important part of what we are building here, and she wants to be a part of it, which we are very excited about.”

Madril has also had a presence for the United States at the international level, receiving call-ups for the U-19, U-20, and U-23 U.S. Women’s National Teams.

What It Means for Orlando

Madril was a key piece of the Pride’s team in 2023 and the club hopes she’ll be for a long time to come. She showed early on that she can become one of the best defenders in the NWSL and her time at right back indicated she has the versatility valued by Carter and Pride Head Coach Seb Hines.

The 24-year-old was already signed to a three-year deal through the 2025 season, so this keeps her in Orlando for an additional year. Terms were not disclosed, but it’s likely she got a raise as well. If she continues to improve on how she played this season, the Pride will undoubtedly look to extend her even further into the future. For next year, she’ll likely continue starting alongside Rafaelle, making up a formidable center back pairing the club can count on.

Orlando Pride

2023 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Anna Moorhouse

The 2023 NWSL season was Anna Moorhouse’s first as the Orlando Pride’s starting goalkeeper.

Published

2 days ago

December 4, 2023

Sean Rollins

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The 2023 NWSL season was Anna Moorhouse’s second with the Orlando Pride and her first as the team’s starting goalkeeper. She was originally signed prior to the 2022 season, backing up veteran Erin McLeod that year. However, the Canadian international left the team, resulting in Moorhouse taking over the starting role.

Let’s take a look at Moorhouse’s first season starting for the Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

Moorhouse started 19 of the team’s 22 regular-season games, playing 1,623 minutes. The team’s record in those games was 9-9-1, as she conceded 22 goals, saving 72 of her 94 shots faced (76.6%). She ended the year with seven clean sheets, 19 catches, six punches, and four drops. The Pride’s number one completed 387 of her 573 passes (67.5%) out of the back and 115 of her 292 long balls. The passing accuracy in her own half was 79.1% and 32.4% in the opposing half. She conceded one foul and won two, getting sent off in the third minute of the team’s 1-0 loss to OL Reign on Sept. 3.

The English shot stopper also played in four Challenge Cup games, recording 360 minutes. She conceded 10 goals in the competition with no clean sheets and saved 13 of her 23 shots faced (56.5%). Moorhouse had three catches, one punch, and no drops in the secondary competition. She successfully completed 69 of her 111 passes (62.2%) and 29 of her 68 long passes (42.6%). Similar to the regular season, her pass completion percentage was far higher in her own half (76.4%) than in the opposing half (35.9%). Additionally, she won a foul and didn’t concede any.

Best Game

Moorhouse’s most active game was the season opener against the Portland Thorns, where she faced 27 shots and made 12 saves. However she conceded four goals and one was her fault. Her best game of the year came on Oct. 2 in Los Angeles and it was a critical one. Adriana scored in the 22nd minute against Angel City FC to give the Pride a 1-0 lead and the visitors held on for dear life to claim three points that put them in the running for a playoff spot.

One of Moorhouse’s seven clean sheets, the goalkeeper made seven saves on the night, her second-most of the season. Most of Angel City’s shots were right at the goalkeeper, but she was sure-handed, something that plagued her earlier in the year. In the 57th minute, Claire Emslie beat Haley McCutcheon to the ball inside the six-yard box, but Moorhouse was decisive in coming out, forcing the forward to send her shot into the side netting. Her biggest moment of the game came in the 86th minute, when substitute Sydney Leroux got her head on the ball and put it on target. Moorhouse tipped the attempt over the crossbar, maintaining the Pride’s narrow 1-0 lead.

2023 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Moorhouse a composite grade of 6 out of 10 for the 2023 NWSL season. Shot stopping was her strength, but she struggled at other aspects, especially holding onto the ball. On multiple occasions this season, her inability to hold onto a catch resulted in second chances and goals for the opposition. She struggled in the team’s penultimate game against Racing Louisville, effectively ending the Pride’s season, and her third-minute red card against OL Reign was likely a determining factor in a crucial 1-0 loss. However, she had seven clean sheets on the season and was the team’s best goalkeeper.

2024 Outlook

Moorhouse’s initial contract was a two-year deal, running through the 2023 season. While there were questions about her dependability in goal this season, Seb Hines and Haley Carter were pleased with her performances, awarding her with a new contract on Oct. 5, keeping the goalkeeper in purple through at least the 2025 season. The Pride now have four goalkeepers under contract for next year, and Moorhouse will be challenged for her role as the starter by new signing Sofia Manner.