Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride at Utah Royals: Player Grades and Player of the Match

Published

6 years ago

May 28, 2019

The Orlando Pride are now completely without their internationals, and we got our first long look at the younger players as a couple of them made their 2019 debuts in the 2-0 loss to the Utah Royals.

It was a tall order to ask for a result against one of the best organized defenses in the league over the last two years, in their own house no less, but for a large portion of the match, it seemed like the Pride could steal a point. Which, if anything, says that my optimism hasn’t completely died yet, so I’ll hold on to that as I hammer out another set of grades.

Starters

GK, Haley Kopmeyer, 5.5 — A decent shift from Kop in her fourth start of the year. I liked her distribution in previous matches a bit better, and she stopped what she could. At least, from what I could see. I still haven’t found a good look at the second goal to even see what happened. In the 58th minute, she was set to go 1-v-1 with Amy Rodriguez and I thought she played it perfectly, defending against the chip and putting A-Rod off just enough to send the shot off.

D, Erin Greening, 6 — Greening was definitely a bit more settled in her third start of the year. I liked that she played the ball in possession a bit more, which was lacking in previous outings, and there were a handful of dangerous balls played forward from her. Defensively, it was a “bend, don’t break” kind of shift. Some good stops, a couple of poor moments, but all in all, I thought she did well.

D, Morgan Reid, 6 — In Reid’s second start, she continued to be a calm, steady pillar in the back and bailed out the Pride on a couple of occasions when it looked like Utah would take a shot. I’ve really liked what I’ve seen from her so far.

D, Toni Pressley, 5 — Defensively, Pressley got the work done. Again, I haven’t gotten a good look on that second goal, so I’ll refrain from judgment on that, but it was her distribution that really took a hit in this one. 50% at the end of the first half, and just slightly better in the second. The Pride struggled with playing from the back, and this was partly the reason.

D, Carson Pickett, 6 — Pickett also struggled a bit with moving the ball forward, but I always remain impressed with her ability to intercept some killer passes, and she took out a few in this one to quickly put an end to the Utah attack. After Lo’eau Labonta almost took her out with an intentional kick to the shin, she came back on the pitch and doubled her touches and involvement in the game. Great determination.

MF, Bridget Callahan, 4.5 — Callahan really struggled in the first half, and that doesn’t even include the foul in the box that led to Utah’s first goal. In the second half, though, she disrupted play a lot and helped chip away at Utah’s possession. She also took over corner kicks from Marisa Viggiano later on, which in and of itself was a huge plus.

MF, Dani Weatherholt, 5.5 — I think Weatherholt has been a solid captain so far. She’s always engaging the ref, which I think is an important part of the game, and definitely has stepped up with everyone out. That hasn’t really translated to her play just yet, but it was a decent shift nonetheless. I’d like to see what happens if the midfield can get a bit more consistent. Hopefully, that comes soon.

MF, Chioma Ubogagu, 5 — There were hardly any balls forward from Chi, and I think that should be a big part of her role. The first half saw a couple of sideline passes forward, but nothing to the interior of the field, which is where most of the Pride players were congregating. There were a couple of moments of good movement, but it was usually just operating out of the defensive half.

F, Abby Elinsky, 6 (PotM) — Abby had a superb first half and was set up to repeat in the second, but she took a knock when she collided with an opposing player, and from then on she wasn’t quite the same. She got subbed out in the 75th minute, but I hope we get to see a full 90 from her soon. She impressed me last year, and she did the same here.

F, Rachel Hill, 6 — Hill continues to give everything she’s got, and that absolutely has to all come together at some point…right? Once again, she almost got on the end of several balls, and put a few into the box herself, one of which almost led to a goal in the 88th minute.

F, Marisa Viggiano, 5 — Viggiano got her first career start on Saturday, and it went about as expected. Good effort, and her involvement improved as the game wore on. She always seemed to be around in the rare times when the Pride were on the attack. Those corners though…I’m OK with her not taking any more of those. They just floated a bit too long for me. They gave everyone time to react.

Substitutes

F, Danica Evans (75’), 5 — Evans made her first appearance of 2019 and it took a bit longer for her to get involved than I would have liked. It seemed to be about 10 minutes before she got a touch on the ball. She did finally get involved though, and that included two flip throws into the box, and an off-target header. It’ll be interesting to see if Evans’ playing time increases as the Pride move forward.

F, Caitlin Farrell (84’), N/A — Another 2019 debut, and the first appearance of Farrell’s career. Four minutes in, she almost lit it up when a cross from Hill found her, but her point-blank shot was blocked. I’ll take more of those chances, though.

Have we adjusted our expectations yet? I predicted a seventh-place finish, and that’s still easily attainable, but I’m definitely starting to feel like I was a bit optimistic there. Having said that, I’m enjoying this project of a team and look forward to seeing something new every time a game comes along.

If your spirit isn’t crushed, come down to the comments below and let me know what you saw. If you can’t bring yourself to talk about it, at least vote below on your Pride Player of the Match!

Polling Closed

Player	Votes
Erin Greening	0
Morgan Reid	1
Carson Pickett	1
Abby Elinsky	4
Rachel Hill	2
Other (comment below)	2

Related Topics:Player Grades SBN_migrated

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Viviana Villacorta

Viviana Villacorta returned to the field late in the 2024 season. Let’s see how she performed this year.

Published

18 hours ago

December 2, 2024

Sean Rollins

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride selected Viviana Villacorta with the ninth overall pick of the 2021 NWSL Draft out of UCLA. The defensive midfielder opted to remain in school for her senior season, but tore her ACL shortly after, which kept her out of action for the 2021 NWSL campaign. She suffered an ankle injury in the 2022 season that required surgery and tore her ACL for the second time late in the 2023 season.

Villacorta didn’t re-enter the team until late in the year in 2024, making some league appearances and a playoff appearance as the season wound down. While she didn’t have a significant impact on the championship run, the fact that she got back onto the field was an accomplishment.

Let’s take a look at how Villacorta did in the few minutes she received in 2024.

Statistical Breakdown

Villacorta was in the team for the first time this season on Sept. 28, coming on as a substitute at home against the Houston Dash. She made three regular-season appearances in 2024, starting one — the last game of the season against Seattle Reign FC. She played 69 minutes in the regular season without a goal or an assist, completing 31 of 35 passes (91.2%). Villacorta attempted one shot but it was not on frame. Defensively, she recorded one tackle and two interceptions, commited three fouls, and was not booked.

She also came on as a substitute in the first playoff game against the Chicago Red Stars, making her professional playoff debut. The midfielder played three minutes in the match without a goal contribution, helping to see out the game. She completed four of her five passes (80%).

Best Game

The 25-year-old’s best game has to be her lone start against Seattle on Nov. 2. She had a season-high 26 touches, completed 95% of her 18 passes, and recorded one of her two interceptions in 45 minutes of action. She also took her only shot of the season in that game, though it was off target. She was replaced by regular starter Angelina at halftime.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Villacorta a 5.5 for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but she didn’t play enough minutes (400 across all competitions) this year to get a grade. As a result, she receives an incomplete grade for the 2024 NWSL season.

2025 Outlook

Despite suffering multiple season-ending injuries, the Pride continue to believe in Villacorta, signing her to a new contract on July 16 that runs through the 2025 season with a mutual option for 2026. The defensive midfielder has shown her quality when healthy, but she’s been unable to remain on the field for long periods of time. The Pride have also strengthened that position, adding Angelina and Morgan Gautrat to the roster, as well as Luana, who is attempting to work her way back from cancer treatment. As a result, it will be hard for Villacorta to get significant minutes, even if she is able to remain healthy. With her experience, however, she can be a key depth player at the position.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Amanda Allen (11/28/24)
McKinley Crone (11/29/24)
Sofia Manner (11/30/24)
Mariana Larroquette (12/1/24)

Orlando Pride

2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Mariana Larroquette

The Argentine international’s second season with Orlando did not produce the larger role with the team she may have expected.

Published

2 days ago

December 1, 2024

Michael Citro

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

In the middle of the 2023 season, the Orlando Pride signed forward Mariana Larroquette, adding her to the roster July 6 on a deal through the 2025 season. The Argentine international represented her country in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, meaning she didn’t join the Pride until after the competition. Although she was a signing made with an eye toward bolstering the offense, Larroquette made only five appearances in her first season in Orlando — all of them off the bench. With a full preseason with the Pride under her belt, many expected to see her play a more significant role in 2024, but ultimately, it didn’t work out that way. The Pride’s signing of Barbra Banda didn’t help matters for Larroquette in terms of playing time.

Let’s take a look at how Larroquette performed in her second season in Orlando.

Statistical Breakdown

Larroquette made her season debut March 22 against Angel City, which was one of just four appearances during the regular season — all off the bench — logging 48 total minutes. She did not contribute a goal or an assist, failing to attempt a shot. The 32-year-old completed just 41.2% of her 17 passes without a key pass. Larroquette won four of her six tackle attempts (66.7%) and two headed duels. She committed one foul and drew three on the opposition and was not booked.

In the Summer Cup, Larroquette made three appearances, starting once — in the team’s 2-2 draw against CF Monterrey, in which Orlando captured the extra point in penalties. Larroquette played 107 minutes but did not contribute a goal or an assist, attempting three shots but putting neither on target. She completed 68% of her 25 passes but did not create a scoring chance from them. Defensively, she won two headed duels and recorded three interceptions, but she did not attempt a tackle. Larroquette committed one foul in the Summer Cup, drew four on the opposition, and was not booked.

She did not appear in the Pride’s playoff run.

Best Game

Larroquette’s best game has to be the one in which she started and played a season-high 65 minutes — the Pride’s 2-2 draw and 5-4 penalty shootout victory over CF Monterrey in the Summer Cup. Although Larroquette was already off the pitch by the time the shootout took place, she still made her biggest impact in this match, as it was the only game of the year in which she attempted any shots. While she didn’t impact the scoresheet on the attacking end, Larroquette recorded three interceptions in the match as she helped out in the press and defending the Mexican side.

2024 Final Grade

With 155 total minutes across all competitions, Larroquette fell short of the required 400 minutes to qualify for a grade from The Mane Land staff. As a result, she’s given an incomplete for the 2024 NWSL season. She played more in 2024 than she did in 2023, but she was also on the roster all year.

2024 Outlook

Larroquette’s contract runs through the 2025 NWSL season, but the writing may be on the wall after getting few minutes the last two seasons. She’s also on the wrong side of 30 to see much of an increase in that department. This may be an off-season that sees the club part ways with the veteran striker, who may seek a chance to get more minutes elsewhere as she the shelf life on her professional career grows shorter. If she remains on the roster, I would expect her role to remain the same in 2025, giving the club a few minutes here and there later in games and perhaps seeing a larger role in midseason cup competitions.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Amanda Allen (11/28/24)
McKinley Crone (11/29/24)
Sofia Manner (11/30/24)

Orlando Pride

2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Sofia Manner

The Finnish goalkeeper spent her first season in Orlando. Let’s look back to see how she performed.

Published

3 days ago

November 30, 2024

Michael Citro

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride signed Finnish goalkeeper Sofia Manner on Dec. 1, 2023 on a deal through the 2025 season with an option for 2026. At the time, Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said the club expected Manner to challenge Anna Moorhouse for the starting goalkeeper role. Given that Moorhouse played every minute of the season and McKinley Crone dressed as the primary backup, that didn’t exactly happen.

However, Manner did get some minutes in her first year in Orlando in the Summer Cup, giving Head Coach Seb Hines a look at her under competitive match conditions.

Let’s take a look back at Manner’s first season with the Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

Manner did not play in the regular season, as Moorhouse played every minute of the season (and postseason) for the Pride in goal. However, Manner got the start in Orlando’s second game in the competition, a home match against CF Monterrey on July 28. The contest ended in a 2-2 draw before the Pride won 5-4 in penalties in the ensuing shootout.

Manner played 90 minutes, allowing two goals and making three saves, for a 60% save percentage. She only faced seven non-blocked shots, but five of them were on target. The Helsinki native completed 16 of 21 passes (73%), including four of 10 long balls. Following the draw, Manner made the difference in the shootout, stopping a shot by Merel Van Dongen, who was the only player of the 10 shooters not to convert.

Best Game

Having played in only one match, this is an easy choice. Manner’s debut was her only match of the year, meaning the 2-2 draw vs. CF Monterrey in the Summer Cup was also her best game of the 2024 season. The visitors took the lead twice in the match, but Manner kept her team in the game, allowing the Pride to equalize twice. Once the match moved to penalties, Manner did well to stop a shot from one of Monterrey’s most dangerous players, allowing her team to claim an extra point.

2024 Final Grade

With only 90 minutes to her credit across all competitions in 2024, Manner didn’t play enough to get a grade for the 2024 season, receiving an incomplete from The Mane Land staff. Despite a small sample size, backup goalkeepers don’t always get a chance to play, so it’s good that the coaching staff got a look at the 27-year-old during a competitive match against international competition.

2025 Outlook

With Moorhouse signed through the 2025 season and McKinley Crone also under contract, Manner could remain and try to battle her way up the depth chart. However, if the prospects don’t look good for her to get playing time, there’s a chance that she and the club could mutually agree to part ways. Crone looked good in her limited time, but it’s always nice to have a more experienced option behind Moorhouse as well. Unless there are injuries, I would expect Manner’s minutes to be limited in 2025 as well, unless she can elevate her game and earn more looks.