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Little Eyes, Big Voices: Why Young Girls Need the Women of the Orlando Pride

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5 years ago

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It’s June 7, and the women of the Orlando Pride have yet to win a match this season, drawing only once while on the road visiting Reign FC. Fans are disappointed, but the support doesn’t waiver. This city stands behind the females that make up the team.

Listen, I’m a grown woman who grew up hating soccer and found inspiration watching the 99ers when I was 12. I wish I’d had local role models I could watch during my formative years. I’m so thankful that little girls today have Malala Yousafzai, Bana Alabed, Amariyanna Copeny, Emma Gonzalez, and so many more girls leading the way for the next generation. They’ve used their platforms to evoke change.

Little girls also need local heroes to inspire them, so why are the women of the Pride some of the role models little girls need?

Dedication

Despite their (so far) winless season, the women don’t stop. They’re working to learn a new system under a new coach who understands change takes time and must be implemented carefully. When seemingly half of your roster heads out for international duties and Sydney Leroux is home awaiting the arrival of her little girl, you have to figure it out and just keep going. It can’t be easy to take the pitch week in and week out knowing everyone is watching and waiting for them to bring home some points, especially when players who don’t typically start are playing more minutes than they otherwise would have seen. There’s a lesson in dedication and perseverance to be had for anyone paying attention.

Pride

The team name may be Pride, but these ladies are the pride of their countries. Little girls can read about these badass women making headlines and think it could be them one day.

They get to see Marta not only as Brazil’s treasure, but as the six-time, FIFA World Player of the Year. Not only does she leave everything she has on the field for Brazil and the Pride, but she’s using her opportunities to advocate for dogs. If you follow her on social media, you know she loves her dogs, but is also working to build a rescue and a call to action for fans to be part of the solution to help the helpless animals.

They get to see Alex Morgan larger than life on streets all over the United States — celebrities like Natalie Portman wearing kits with her name across the back. They get to see her in Maroon 5’s Girls like You video, which aims to celebrate the women of the world. More importantly, little girls get to see a talented woman make a living out of the sport she loves. They get to see her spend her vacations sharing the love of soccer with children around the world who have nothing more than a ball made from old t-shirts and be inspired.

I could keep going about the women making their countries proud with call-ups for the World Cup 2019, but here’s where I’ll let you share your who and why in the comments!

Resistance

Women are a lot of things and I think it’s pivotal that little girls know there is no mold. None of the women mentioned so far are the same or are even being recognized on this list for the same reason. Lereoux is resisting societal standards on what makes a female athlete, and even more so resisting the expectations of motherhood. She’s resisting the men on social media who hide behind screens and tell her what she should or shouldn’t be doing with her body. When a photo of Leroux went viral of her practicing while pregnant the internet had a field day. The one thing she didn’t do? She didn’t resist her doctor, the medical professional in charge of her and little girl’s well being. She knew her limits, she played it safe, and as seen in episode two of Bad as a Mother, she knew when it was time to take off her boots.

Not just in pregnancy, but Sydney is resisting the classical image of motherhood. She’s a model for girls to realize they can have careers, be it in sports or elsewhere, and be great mothers. Through her sharing on social media we see a woman and mom who jokes, laughs, and makes mistakes, and yet the world keeps spinning. I want to be Sydney when I grow up, or in my next life, and I want little girls to know they can clap back at the men and boys that have anything to say about them.

Perseverance

Carson Pickett was born without her left forearm and hand. By any and all accounts, she has a disability, but you wouldn’t know it to watch her play or listen to her talk about life as a professional soccer player. She knows that people are watching. She knows she has a platform to inspire others, not just in playing soccer, but in living a happy and successful life. She’s sharing her message that she has to control what she can control — a message any girl needs to hear regularly.

Equality and Self-Worth

Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris fall into multiple categories here, but I’m going with equality and self-worth. These two women are already role models for little girls playing soccer on small fields or in their backyards. As a couple that is playing together, engaged, and focused on their futures, how can you not be proud to have them for your little girls to look up to? They are unapologetically themselves, and work hard to make sure boundaries are in place for themselves as a couple that also has to work together.

In her story in the 23 Stories series for the USWNT social media campaign, Harris shared that she had to work hard to get where she is and how soccer saved her life. She recognized a group of people who felt unwanted, recognizing those feelings in herself, so she’s using her platform to work with those who struggle with their mental health and addiction. She wants people all over to know that their stories matter, they’re not alone, and that who they are is beautiful. Her message is simply, “Stay.” Life is hard, but it gets better. She encourages today’s youth to undeniably be themselves.

Representation matters.

It’s my motto when I’m searching for books for some of our youngest readers, and I think it’s only fitting in sports as well. It matters in the books we read, the movies we watch, the games we play, and the leadership roles that fill our lives. It especially matters for little girls, who start life loving bugs, loving soccer, loving STEM. It matters that little girls have strong role models to watch regularly so they don’t lose their loves because some YouTube video and a girl on the playground said they only need to worry about the latest makeup palette, when they can love both.

Little girls need to know they can do and be anything. Little girls need to know that they have voices that are worthy. Little girls need powerful women leading the way, and how lucky our city girls are to have these women in their backyard. 

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Final Score 4-1 as Pride Win Their Fourth Straight

Goals by Ally Watt, Barbra Banda, and Julie Doyle saw the Pride beat the Courage for their fourth straight win.

Published

2 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (4-0-3, 15 points) won their fourth straight match and extended their unbeaten run to seven games (4-0-3) with a 4-1 win over the North Carolina Courage (4-3-0, 12 points). The hosts’ goals came from Ally Watt, Julie Doyle, and a Barbra Banda brace, while an Emily Sams own goal was the only score for the visitors.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made just one change to the starting lineup that beat the Washington Spirit 2-1 Friday night. Bri Martinez was suspended after receiving two yellow cards and was replaced by Watt. Hines changed from his usual 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-4-2 for this game with a back line of Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, and Sams in front of Anna Moorhouse. Doyle, Summer Yates, Haley McCutcheon, and Angelina were in the midfield, with Banda and Watt up top.

“We felt today going into the game that there might be an area that we can exploit with North Carolina,” Hines said about the formation change. “You know, they like to high press, be really aggressive in those positions. And so to have two outlets with both Ally and Barbara, it was a joy to watch.”

The game was put out of reach in the last 10 minutes of the first half. Banda and Watt were put together up top for the first time and looked spectacular. Their speed was too much for the opposition to handle, as they both had an impact on the first three goals.

“That was our first game playing together in the front two and, honestly, just learning to play with each other, like just learning from each other in training and just watching her tendencies, and we just had to be there for each other as much as we can,” Watt said about the new partnership with Banda. “I think that’s all we depend on. When one of us has the ball, we need to be forward and be an option for them. And either they’ll find us or they’ll be on the way to goal.”

While the team wasn’t as threatening offensively in the second half, North Carolina wasn’t able to create many chances. They held far more possession, but little of it was in dangerous spaces. As a result, the Pride remained in control throughout.

The Pride got the first chance of the game inside the first minute. Angelina played the ball forward for Yates, who attempted to lift it over the top for Banda. Kaleigh Kurtz got to the ball first, heading back out but only to Yates. The Pride’s leading goal scorer attempted a shot from just outside the box, but it was right to Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy, who blocked it away.

Less than a minute later, the Courage got their first chance of the game. A give-and-go between Ryan Williams and Tyler Lussi enabled the former to send a low cross into the box. It found Narumi Miura near the penalty spot, but the midfielder’s shot was wide.

Yates almost had another opportunity in the sixth minute when Banda made a good run to the end line and played the ball back for her teammate. Yates attempted to turn and shoot with Williams closing down, but the ball got caught under her feet and she was unable to turn it on goal.

In the eighth minute, Doyle sent a good ball down the right for Banda. The forward got behind the Courage defense and caught up to the ball before it went out of play. Her first touch was a pass back for Angelina entering the box, but it was just out of the Brazilian’s reach.

Banda had a chance for her second goal in as many games in the 17th minute when she was sent forward by Yates. The striker was in a foot race with Felicitas Rauch, winning the ball and entering the box. Malia Berkely caught up with Banda, forcing her to cut back, and Murphy came out to block the attempt. Banda won a corner kick, but the Pride couldn’t do anything with it and North Carolina evaded any further danger.

The Pride had another chance in the 22nd minute when Doyle sent a cross into the Courage box. Watt flicked the ball towards the far post, where Abello was making a run, but she couldn’t control it and the ball went out of play.

North Carolina quickly went the other way and created a shot. Ashley Sanchez tried to send the ball into the box, but it was blocked out. It ended up with Lussi, who fired from distance. The shot was beyond the reach of Moorhouse and bounced off the crossbar.

The Pride took the lead in the 29th minute on a fantastic counterattack. Banda intercepted the ball in her own third and sprinted forward. The Zambian was much faster than the opposing defenders and had an equally fast teammate in Watt running alongside. Banda sent a gorgeous ball forward as Watt got behind the North Carolina defense and placed it past Murphy to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.

“The one thing I know is if Barbra’s running towards the goal, you better be up there with her,” Watt said about the goal. “And she played a beautifully weighted ball to my right and so I had to put it on goal, put it on frame. So I just did that and, yeah, it was one of the probably easier goals I’ve scored. Barbra put an easy ball in.”

Despite being up a goal, the Pride remained on the attack. In the 33rd minute, Doyle dribbled towards the box and sent a low pass towards Watt between the penalty spot and the six-yard box. Unfortunately, it was intercepted before it could reach the forward.

The Pride doubled their lead in the 40th minute when Banda sent the ball out wide for Watt. The attacker beat Kurtz and sent a beautiful ball into the box. Banda, who continued her run after the original pass, only had to touch the ball past Murphy to give the Pride a commanding 2-0 lead.

“I just know I got the ball wide. That’s kind of part of our game plan. We just feel, hey, play it wide and we’ll be on the ball,” Watt said about her assist. “And I just trust that we have people in the box. We’ve been really focusing on that and we’ve just really been trying to focus on finally timing our runs down and then we got it. I kind of swooped it with my left foot knowing that Julie and Barbra would be there and it fell perfectly to Barbra and she executed it perfectly.”

In the second minute of first-half stoppage time, the Pride scored a third. It started in their own half when McCutcheon won the ball from Denise O’Sullivan. She sent it forward for Watt, who quickly play Banda behind the Courage defense. Cutting inside to beat Berkely, Banda shot on goal. However, Murphy was there to make the stop. The rebound bounced right to Doyle, who put it in to give the Pride a 3-0 lead at halftime.

After 45 minutes, the Courage had much more possession (67%-33%), but the Pride led every other significant statistical category. The hosts had more shots (8-3), shots on target (8-0), corners (1-0), and crosses (5-4), and better passing accuracy (86%-77%). The biggest surprise in the first half was the Pride, a team that has struggled to hit the frame, put all eight shots on target.

The Pride looked to extend their lead in the 49th minute when Banda made a run behind the Courage back line near midfield. Angelina lifted the ball forward to send Banda through, but she was offside.

In the 51st minute, Haley Hopkins and Sanchez worked together to play the ball across for Lussi. The attacker’s shot was blocked by Abello, but it went right back to her. This time, Lussi attempted to play the ball back across for Sanchez, but Angelina intercepted it and eliminated the threat.

A minute later, the visitors got a goal back. It started with a ball to the top of the box for Manaka Matsukubo. The forward laid it back to Williams, who quickly played it to Hopkins wide open on the far side. Sams moved over to defend and got in front of Hopkins’ shot. Unfortunately, the deflection went past Moorhouse and in, cutting the Pride lead to 3-1.

Watt was looking for her second goal in the 55th minute when she took Berkely one-on-one in the Courage box. After one last cut outside, Watt shot for the near post. Murphy did well to cover that part of the goal and blocked the attempt away.

The Pride put a fourth one in the net in the 61st minute when Yates’ shot was deflected over the goal by Kurtz. Yates took the first corner, sending it to the back post. Banda headed the ball back in front of goal, but it was knocked out for another corner kick. Yates’ second corner was, again, to the back post. Watt got her head to the ball and Doyle beat Murphy to it. The last touch was by Strom, knocking it in and seeming to give the Pride a 4-1 lead.

However, the video assistant referee checked the goal and determined that referee Natalie Simon needed to have another look. After viewing the monitor, Simon determined that Strom was offside.

Right after the call, Hines made his first change of the game as Carrie Lawrence came on for Doyle.

The Pride had another chance for a fourth in the 70th minute when Sams sent Banda down the right. The forward had Watt making a run into the box, but the pass was a bit too far in front.

In the 76th minute, Hines made two more changes. Amanda Allen and Cori Dyke came into the game for Yates and Abello.

Right after the substitutions, Lawrence threw the ball in to Banda. The forward turned Miura, dribbled towards the penalty spot, and put the ball past Murphy to give the Pride a 4-1 lead. It was Banda’s third goal in the last two games, in addition to her two assists. She became the first player in NWSL history to record five goal contributions in her first two starts.

A scary moment occurred in the 81st minute. As Banda closed down Berkely, who was looking to send the ball down field, Berkeley’s foot hit Banda’s right leg. The forward went down in pain as the Pride’s medical staff came out to examine her. That was the last action for Banda as she was replaced by Ally Lemos. At the same time, Mariana Larroquette came on for Watt.

In the 89th minute, the Pride lost another key player to injury when Angelina went down holding her right knee. It occurred during a battle with Riley Jackson. As the two fought for the ball, Angelina’s knee turned the wrong way and she went to the ground. The Pride medical staff attended to the midfield and ended up having to help her back to the locker room. Since the Pride had already used all of their substitutions, they had to finish the game with 10 players.

The fourth official showed 11 minutes of stoppage time, but the Courage struggled to create chances. In the seventh minute, Berkely laid the ball off for Rauch. It was well struck by the left back, but Moorhouse got down to make the stop. That was the last chance by either team as the Pride held on for a dominating 4-1 win.

At full time, the Courage had far more possession (66%-34%), but the Pride had the advantage in shots (14-7), shots on target (12-2), corner kicks (6-2), crosses (10-5), and passing accuracy (83.8%-67.9%).

“I’m really, really pleased with the attitude of the players coming in here after being on the road against Washington and then a quick turnaround for tonight’s game,” Hines said about the performance. “They started really, really well on the front foot, a level intent to put North Carolina under pressure, especially in transition. I thought we were really threatening in transition. And so to be up in the game in the first half was really pleasing.”

It might surprise some to see a 4-1 Pride win when the Courage held so much more possession and 599 passes to the Pride’s 302. Hines said they understood the type of team North Carolina is and were ready to handle being off the ball for much of the 90 minutes.

“There’s different ways to win a game of football. You know, there’s going to be games where we don’t have as much possession as we would like. You know, we have to respect the opponent. North Carolina are a brilliant team,” Hines said. “They like to possess, they get over 500 passes per game, they make it really difficult for you to get any sort of pressure on the ball, and so I thought we identified the moments when to be aggressive, when to win the ball and play that pass forwards, and yet still be threatening. There’s not always going to be games like that. There’s going to be games where we have to possess and ourselves we’re getting 500 passes and maybe more percentage of possession. But, at the end of the day, we scored four goals against a really good side and managed to win the game at the end.”

The Pride are now tied in second with the Spirit on 15 points, just one point behind the Kansas City Current. They’re one more win from evening the team’s all-time record for consecutive wins and two results from equaling the team record for number of games unbeaten.

They’ll look to continue their good form Sunday night when they welcome Racing Louisville FC to Orlando.

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Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride return home looking to extend their winning streak and unbeaten run against the North Carolina Courage.

Published

3 days ago

on

May 1, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (3-0-3, 12 points) return home tonight as they face the North Carolina Courage (4-2-0, 12 points), looking for their fourth consecutive win. This is the first of two regular-season games the teams will play this season, with the return game in North Carolina scheduled for June 15.

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

History

The Pride and Courage have played 23 times since the Western New York Flash moved to North Carolina and became the Courage. The Pride are 5-13-5 in those games (5-10-1 in the NWSL regular season, 0-0-2 in the Fall Series, and 0-3-2 in the NWSL Challenge Cup).

The most recent meeting between the two teams was on Sept. 17, 2023 in Orlando. Ally Watt got the Pride off to a great start, scoring inside the first minute. After assisting on the first goal, Adriana doubled the lead before halftime. Manaka Matsukubo got one back for the visitors, but it wasn’t enough and the Pride won 2-1.

The Pride didn’t show up for the July 29 Challenge Cup contest in North Carolina, getting demolished by the Courage. Brittany Ratcliffe and Malia Berkely gave the hosts a 2-0 halftime lead before Frankie Tagliaferri made it three, and a late brace by Haley Hopkins completed the 5-0 result.

The game prior to that was on June 17 in North Carolina and, again, it was all Courage. Kerolin and Meredith Speck gave the hosts a 2-0 lead before a Haley McCutcheon own goal made it 3-0 to North Carolina. On April 19 in Orlando, the Pride took the lead after halftime when Summer Yates set up Ally Watt for the opening goal. But Denise O’Sullivan equalized in the ninth minute of second-half injury time, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

Prior to that game, the teams last played on Sept. 21, 2022, at Exploria Stadium. The Courage got off to a great start when Debinha scored in the second minute. The Brazilian then assisted Tess Boade in first-half injury time to double the lead, and later added another, dooming the Pride to a 3-0 defeat.

The previous 2022 meeting came on May 18 in North Carolina. The Pride got off to a great start in that game, with Sydney Leroux scoring early. Mikayla Cluff doubled the lead with her first professional goal. A late goal by Brianna Pinto got the Courage back within one, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride took the 2-1 win.

The Pride and Courage were placed in the same division for the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup, so the teams played twice before the regular season started. The first game was on March 26 in North Carolina. Merritt Mathias converted a penalty after Gunny Jonsdottir was called for a handball in the box, lifting the hosts to a 1-0 win. The return match in the tournament took place on April 16 in Orlando. The Courage got off to a fast start, scoring three goals in the first nine minutes. Darian Jenkins netted a brace to make it 3-2, but a late Debinha goal put the game away and North Carolina won 4-2.

The teams played three times during the 2021 NWSL season. On May 22 in North Carolina, goals by Leroux and Alex Morgan gave the Pride a 2-0 lead late into the game. Jessica McDonald scored late to pull one back but the Pride held on for a 2-1 win. On July 4 in Orlando, Debinha and Havana Solaun goals helped the Courage take home a 2-0 win. The final game came on July 31 in North Carolina. Leroux opened the scoring but Brittany Ratcliffe equalized moments later and the teams drew 1-1.

The two teams were also matched up in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup but they only played once in that tournament. Neither team was able to find the back of the net in that game in a scoreless draw.

Similar to the Challenge Cup, the teams were in the same group of the 2020 Fall Series, meeting twice. The first was on Sept. 19 in North Carolina and ended in a scoreless draw. The second was on Oct. 17 at Exploria Stadium. Led by a Debinha brace, the Courage went up 3-0. But the Pride came back with goals by Marisa Viggiano, Kristen Edmonds, and Ally Haran for an exciting 3-3 draw.

The Pride and Courage played three times during the 2019 season. The first game was on April 17 in North Carolina. The Courage took a 1-0 lead into halftime but scored four times in the second half to win 5-0. They played a second time on June 1 in Orlando. Again, it was a dominant performance by the Courage as the Pride fell 3-0. The final meeting that year was another thrashing by North Carolina. The Pride got a goal in that one but still fell 6-1.

The teams also met three times in 2018 but the results were much closer. On May 23 in Orlando, goals by Alanna Kennedy and Rachel Hill saw the Pride come back from a 3-1 deficit. But McDonald scored a winner in the 90th minute and the Courage won 4-3. The Pride went down by three goals in the final two games that season, but were unable to come back and fell 3-0 in both contests.

The 2017 season saw the teams meet for the first time. The Courage took the first game 3-1 on April 29 in North Carolina. They played a second time two weeks later in Orlando when the Pride took the 3-1 win. The final meeting in 2017 came in the final game of the season on Sept. 30. The Pride took a 2-0 lead but the Courage came back to even it at 2-2. It looked headed for a draw until Kennedy netted a late winner, leading the Pride to a 3-2 win.

Overview

The Pride are coming off of their third consecutive win Friday night, a 3-2 thriller against the Washington Spirit. Goals by Angelina, Barbra Banda, and Summer Yates lifted the Pride to a 3-1 lead on the road, but an Anna Moorhouse mistake made it closer than it should’ve been. The two goals conceded ended a two-game shutout streak after a pair of 1-0 wins.

The season started with three draws before the three most recent wins for a six-game unbeaten run. The Pride are one of three teams in the NWSL to have not yet suffered defeat. The other two are the league-leading Kansas City Current and Racing Louisville FC.

Tonight’s opponent has been one of the most balanced teams during the early season. The Courage’s 11 goals scored are tied for second most in the league and their six goals conceded are tied for the second fewest. They have three shutouts on the season, including last weekend against the Seattle Reign. They’ve only conceded multiple goals twice, giving up two against the Utah Royals on March 22 and Angel City FC on April 21. While they’ve scored 11 goals, five of those came in their season opener, a 5-1 win over the Houston Dash.

North Carolina’s marquee offensive signing was Ashley Sanchez, but she’s only scored once so far this season. Tyler Lussi leads the team with three goals, while Bianca St-Georges and Hopkins are just behind with two goals each. Berkely, Pinto, and Dani Weatherholt are the other players contributing goals this season for the Courage.

“We’ve played them in preseason, we’ve played them obviously last year as well. They’re a team that likes to possess the ball, they like to draw you out, have a number of passes within their game. And again, it’s going to be a tough match,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s opponent. “We have to be organized. We have to read the times when to press and when to sit back. And I thought this year we’ve done a terrific job of understanding those moments, as well as being threatening in transition also. So yeah, it’s just reading those cues and those triggers and then hopefully we can get some success on the other side of it.”

The Pride still have an extended injury list with Simone Charley (right leg), Luana (illness), Marta (lower leg), Megan Montefusco (right heel), and Viviana Villacorta (left knee) listed as out, as well as Bri Martinez (suspension). Adriana (leg) and Morgan Gautrat (lower leg) are questionable for tonight’s game. The Courage will be without Sydney Collins (ankle), Julia Dorsey (knee), Estelle Johnson (maternity leave), Kerolin (knee), Clara Schilke (lower leg), and Olivia Wingate (leg).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, Rafaelle, Haley McCutcheon.

Defensive Midfielders: Angelina, Kerry Abello.

Midfielders: Julie Doyle, Summer Yates, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Ally Lemos, Amanda Allen, Evelina Duljan, Mariana Larroquette, Celia, Carrie Lawrence, Alex Kerr, Cori Dyke.

North Carolina Courage (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Casey Murphy.

Defenders: Felicitas Rauch, Malia Berkely, Kaleigh Kurtz, Ryan Williams.

Defensive Midfielders: Narumi Miura, Denise O’Sullivan.

Midfielders: Manaka Matsukubo, Haley Hopkins, Ashley Sanchez.

Forward: Tyler Lussi.

Bench: Marisa Bova, Jenna Winebrenner, Riley Jackson, Dani Weatherholt, Landy Mertz, Meredith Speck, Bianca St-Georges, Brianna Pinto, Victoria Pickett.

Referees

REF: Natalie Simon.
AR1: Rhett Hammil.
AR2: Chris Schurfranz.
4TH: JJ Bilinski.
VAR: Ekaterina Koroleva.
AVAR: Tom Felice.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: Bally Sports Sun.

Streaming: NWSL+.

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

Enjoy the match. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride Midfielder Luana Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

The Brazilian has been placed on the Season-Ending Injury List.

Published

5 days ago

on

April 29, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride announced this morning that midfielder Luana has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, explaining her recent string of excused absences. The Brazilian international has been placed on the Season-Ending Injury list and will immediately begin chemotherapy treatment with the club’s official medical partner, Orlando Health Cancer Institute.   

This news explains Angelina’s celebration on Friday when the midfielder scored her first goal with the Pride. Angelina got onto a ball into the box from Barbra Banda, scored, and made an ‘L’ with her hand. This was obviously a tribute to her teammate both with Orlando and Brazil.

“As a professional athlete I have faced many challenges, on and off the field. I have always fought with courage and determination, and this time will be no different,” Luana said in a club press release. “I really appreciate the support of my family and friends who have strengthened me in this moment. I also want to thank Brazil’s National Team and Orlando Pride for their unconditional support. I kindly ask that my privacy be respected at this time.” 

“On behalf of our club, players, and the entire Orlando community, I want to extend our unwavering commitment to Luana as she begins her treatment,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter said in the club’s press release. “We are thankful to have some of the best medical resources available through our partners at Orlando Health, and we are prepared to do all we can to care for Luana in this moment. We fight our battles together, on and off the field, and the Orlando Pride athletes and staff will be side-by-side with Luana and unified in our support of her throughout this process.”

The Pride signed Luana to a two-year deal through 2025 with a club option year for 2026 on Dec. 14, 2023, bringing her in as part of a complete rebuild of the central midfield, which also included the signings of Angelina and Morgan Gautrat. The move has paid early dividends, with only three clubs allowing fewer goals than Orlando through six matches in 2024.

Luana appeared in the team’s first three games (two starts) prior to her diagnosis and played 192 minutes. The the São Paulo, Brazil native, who will turn 31 on Thursday, has yet to contribute a goal or assist, but as a defensive midfielder, that’s not her primary job. She has passed at an 81% success rate, contributing two tackles and three interceptions. Luana has been cautioned twice, committing five fouls, while drawing six on the opposition.

What It Means for Orlando

This news is awful, and the important thing is not how the loss of a player’s services affects the team on the field. It goes beyond that, obviously, and the important thing is that Luana gets the treatment she needs. The hope is that her condition was caught early and that her treatment is successful.

Without Luana available, the club’s depth will be tested throughout 2024. The Pride will hope to get Gautrat healthy and back on the pitch soon, after she has missed the last two matches with a lower leg injury and has been listed as questionable on the availability report. Angelina and Haley McCutcheon have played as the central midfield partnership the last two matches. While the duo has performed well together, especially in the shutout win over San Diego, the team has missed Gautrat’s control on the ball and ability to anticipate what the opposition will do.

On behalf of The Mane Land, I want to wish Luana and her medical team well on her treatment. Although we want to see her back on the pitch, it is far more important that she beats her illness and regains her health.

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