Connect with us

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Utah Royals: Final Score 2-0 as the Pride Once Again Can’t Score

Published

5 years ago

on

The Orlando Pride (3-11-2, 11 points) failed to find the back of the net in back-to-back games after losing to the Utah Royals, 2-0 in front of 5,279 fans at Exploria Stadium. After a goalless first half, Christen Press and Amy Rodriguez each scored in the last 30 minutes to lead the Royals (8-6-3, 27 points) to victory.

“Obviously the result isn’t what we wanted, but I think everyone on the field tonight gave it their all and that’s not what we’re lacking,” Rachel Hill said. “I think it’s getting better. There’s times that we need to stay more focused. Overall, I think that everyone gave it their all tonight and we did the best we could.”

With Marta and Julie King suspended because of red cards, Skinner was forced to make a few changes to his starting XI. Kristen Edmonds got her first start of the year, slotting in at left back. Shelina Zadorsky remained at center back and partnered with Ali Krieger. Erin Greening played right back. Alanna Kennedy, Joanna Boyles, and Marisa Viggiano played in the midfield, and Chioma Ubogagu, Rachel Hill, and Claire Emslie led the forward line.

The Pride attempted to use a high press in the match and it caused a few problems for the visitors. However, Orlando was limited in front of the net and finished the first half with just one shot on goal.

Press was the best player on the field all game. She created two chances and had three shots on goal. She was faster than any Pride player, and it almost led to a goal in the 16th minute.

She started her run from Utah’s half and got past the entire Pride team and into the box. Approaching the 18, she used a cut against Krieger and glided past the defender. Press sent in a shot, but Ashlyn Harris was able to save it.

“With Rodriguez you get runs and then she likes to kind of hang off your back shoulder, almost in an offside position,” said Zadorsky. “So it makes it tough to know where she is at all times. And then you got Press who’s just a technician and really good with the ball. Obviously one of the best dribblers. It’s really unfortunate she got in behind our line because despite that, and despite those two chances I felt that we were pretty solid.”

Utah should have gone ahead in the 29th minute. Press sent a perfect through ball to Katie Stengel off the volley. Stengel muscled off Krieger and sent toward the near post. Harris just barely got a foot on it and the shot banged off the post.

Orlando really only had one chance in the first half. The Pride won the ball back from Utah inside Orlando’s final third. Kennedy looked up and saw Ubogagu making a forward run and sent a perfect ball over the top. Desiree Scott was right on Ubogagu’s heels and forced Ubogagu to make an awkward shot. Nicole Barnhart was able to deny the striker, and the game remained scoreless.

The match went into half the way it started — 0-0. Utah led in shots (8-4), shots on target (5-1), and corners (3-2). Possession was fairly even with Orlando having 48%, but Utah was the better team in the first 45.

Not much happened to start the second half. Orlando was on the back foot as Utah pressed, but there were not many good chances until the 60th minute. It looked inevitable all game that Press would find the back of the net and it happened when Lo’eau LaBonta sent a perfect ball over the top of Orlando’s defense. Press timed her run perfectly and volleyed it past Harris. The ‘keeper got a hand to it but was unable to keep it out, and the visitors went up 1-0.

The biggest moment of the match for the Pride happened in the 65th minute. Emslie and Barnhart went for a 50/50 ball. The two collided in the box, and the referee called a foul on Emslie. The Pride players immediately ran to the referee for an explanation as they believed Emslie got to the ball first and then Barnhart charged into her.

“Having seen a picture of the challenge, not only is it a penalty, it’s also last player. So, it’s effectively a red card, which we were given last week,” said Skinner. “Which was rescinded by the way. As in terms of we were told that it was a mistake and it shouldn’t have been a penalty. So we shouldn’t have lost the game last week. If that’s going to happen, then I don’t know how you build to win a game of football.”

Alex Morgan came on for Ubogagu in the 68th minute. It was the first time that Morgan has played for the Pride since April 27 when Orlando fell 1-0 to the Royals. Morgan finished with just one shot, 12 touches, and a 25% passes accuracy on eight passes.

Utah doubled its lead in the 73rd minute. Coming from the counter attack, Vero Boquete dribbled down the middle of the field. Rodriguez made a great run to get behind the Pride’s defense and A-Rod just had to chip the ball past Harris to make it 2-0.

The Pride tried to throw players forward at the end of the match but could not find the net. Orlando finished with 12 shots, compared to Utah’s 15, and did not register a shot on goal in the second half — Utah had four. The Royals also led in possession (55%).

Skinner talked almost exclusively about the officiating after the match. He was livid about another game that he felt came down to poor officiating. Two weeks in a row he feels as if the calls did not go his team’s way, and cost the Pride points.

“I think I sit here two weeks in a row and I’ll suggest that referee decision has changed the complexity of the game,” said Skinner. “If I’m judged on my job, they should be judged on their job. I’ve just gone to the referee to ask about the decision. With just gesturing with my hands to say, ‘What was that?’ he told me to put my hands down using his hand. Otherwise, he wouldn’t talk to me. Now I don’t know where the fairness is.

“I’m not talking about him in a personal stance. I’m talking about the decision he has to make is incorrect. And that for me ruined the game.”

Despite the loss, Skinner said he will keep after his players to continue working as the season winds down.

“I’m going to keep driving hunger into my team,” said Skinner. “Because I’ll remind them of this season. If anybody stops running for this team, from now until the end of the season, they won’t touch the floor. They won’t play for the Orlando Pride again. I think I have a good group of people and they’re going to want to fight harder. So we’re going to have to go and fight harder against Chicago. We’re not giving anything away; nobody is tanking in my teams.”

It’s a quick turnaround for Orlando. The Pride play the Chicago Red Stars on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at Seat Geek Stadium.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Sign Zambian Forward Prisca Chilufya

Pride add to their attack by signing Zambian international Prisca Chilufya from FC Juarez.

Published

11 hours ago

on

January 31, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has signed Zambian forward Prisca Chilufya to a three-year deal that runs through the 2027 season. She’s the third Zambian attacker to join the Pride in the last 10 months.

“We are thrilled to welcome Prisca to the Orlando Pride. Prisca is a dynamic forward who brings exceptional ability, speed, and a proven scoring record to our attack,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Her experience in both international competition with Zambia and her success in Liga MX Feminil demonstrates the kind of top-tier talent we’re committed to bringing to Orlando. She represents both immediate impact and long-term potential, and we believe she will thrive in our environment. Her three-year commitment reflects our shared vision for building something special. We can’t wait for our fans to see her take the pitch in purple.” 

The 25-year-old attacker joins the Pride from FC Juarez in Mexico. Since joining the team in 2023, she’s made 48 appearances and scored 14 goals. She’s scored four goals this year in just over half a season.

“I am honored to be joining Orlando Pride, a club with such a strong vision and commitment to excellence in women’s soccer,” Chilufya said in the club’s release. “I’m excited to bring my experience and skills to the NWSL, which is one of the most competitive leagues in the world. The opportunity to play alongside such talented teammates and learn from the coaching staff here in Orlando is something I’ve dreamed about. I’ve watched as the Pride have been built something special, and I want to contribute to the team’s success both on and off the field.” 

Before moving to Mexico, Chilufya played for Tomris Turan of the Kazakh Women’s Championship, making 14 appearances and scoring 18 goals during the 2022-2023 season. She moved to that club from fellow Kazakh club BIIK Kazygurt — which she helped win the championship in 2021.

On the international level, Chilufya has been a regular for Zambia since making her debut in the 2018 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics. She took part in all three of Zambia’s games in the 2024 Paris Olympics, serving as an alternate for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Most recently, she played in the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

What It Means for Orlando

This signing comes on the heels of the Pride transferring Brazilian star Adriana to the Saudi Women’s Premier League. It’s not surprising the club made a move to bring in an attacker and that the player was Zambian.

Chilufya is the third Zambian international the Pride have signed in the last year. It started with the acquisition of striker Barbra Banda, who quickly became a focal point of the Pride’s attack. Then they signed Grace Chanda, whose injury during the Olympics has thus far kept her from making her Pride debut.

The impact Chilufya will make on the team is unknown, but it won’t be easy to break into the lineup. With Adriana gone, Chanda will likely move into the attacking midfield if she’s healthy. Meanwhile, the club re-signed club captain Marta to a new two-year deal, and she’ll obviously play the 10 role. Julie Doyle and Summer Yates both played on the left side in 2024 and are expected to continue sharing responsibility there in 2025. Such competition for a starting spot can only help the club, pushing all of these attackers to develp their game.

Regardless of which players seize a starting spot, the Pride have added depth, something Carter continually tries to do. Head Coach Seb Hines will have plenty of choices in an attacking midfield that can be devastating to NWSL defenses at times. It’s a good move for the Pride after losing a key piece in the attack.

Continue Reading

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.

Published

2 days ago

on

January 30, 2025

By

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.

Continue Reading

Opinion

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.

Published

1 week ago

on

January 24, 2025

By

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!

Continue Reading

Trending