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Friday Flashback: The Orlando Pride’s First Victory

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5 years ago

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April 23, 2016 is notable in Orlando soccer history for several reasons. Not only was it the very first home game for the Orlando Pride, but it was also the day that the club earned its first ever NWSL victory. Since April 23 just so happened to be yesterday, the time is ripe to hop in the time machine and take a look back at a very important day for Orlando soccer.

There was rather a lot of buildup ahead of the Pride’s home opener against the Houston Dash. While the team had lost a close 2-1 match in the season opener against the Portland Thorns, it was a tight game in which the fledgling franchise had accounted itself well. With the announcement that over 21,000 tickets had been sold for the home opener at the Citrus Bowl, and a roster featuring national team players like Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris, there was quite the buzz surrounding the game.

For all of the hype, the game started rather drably. The first half didn’t feature very many quality chances. The best opportunity of the opening 45 fell to Houston’s Janine Beckie, who found herself clean through on goal facing down Harris. However, as she’s done so many times in the years since, the U.S. international was equal to the task, and the 19th-minute chance went wanting.

Suffice it to say that the game was a rather livelier affair once the second half began, and there was a goal not even 90 seconds after the restart. Jasmyne Spencer got the ball to Morgan in the box and, while she slipped during her shot, the ball went in off Andressa’s leg for the Pride’s first goal at home. In the 57th minute the lead was doubled. Lianne Sanderson came on as a substitute to start the second half, and she displayed excellent awareness to bag the team’s second goal. The Pride were awarded a free kick about 25 yards from goal, and rather than sit on her heels and allow the Dash time to properly defend their goal, Sanderson took it quickly and scored into the far corner.

Things got even better just a few minutes after that. Harris made an excellent save and the Pride counterattacked from there, bringing the ball up the field where Spencer found Steph Catley on the left wing. She provided a good pass to Morgan at the top of the six-yard box and the striker made no mistake in firing the ball home at the near post.

Andressa was able to pull one back for the visitors with a well taken goal in the 75th minute but it didn’t matter, and the Pride ran out 3-1 winners on the back of a well-rounded performance.

The game was important for several reasons. Not only was it a win, but it was the franchise’s first ever win, first home win, and first points in the NWSL. The club also set an NWSL attendance record in the process, with the announced crowd of 23,403, blowing out the previous mark of 21,145 set by the Thorns in 2015. While that mark has since been eclipsed twice by the Thorns it remains the third highest NWSL regular season attendance, and is the only game out of the top 10 highest NWSL attendances not to be played at Providence Park.

While attendances at Pride games no longer reach those lofty numbers, the home opener helped prove that women’s soccer is more than viable in Orlando, and it’s a night plenty of us look back on very fondly.

Do you have any specific memories from the Pride’s first ever victory? If so, feel free to share them in the comments, and I’ll see you guys next week.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Emily Sams

A look at the season that finished with Sams as the 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year.

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15 hours ago

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December 17, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride selected former Florida State defender Emily Madril with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. Sams, a two-time national champion (2018 and 2021), left FSU, signing a contract with the National Women’s Soccer League through 2025 and was loaned to Swedish side BK Hacken FF. After a stellar first year with Orlando, in which she played all but three minutes in the regular season, Sams was rewarded by the Pride with a new contract through 2026.

All that Sams did with that new contract was win NWSL Defender of the Year and help the club win the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship. Let’s take a look at her award-winning second season with the Orlando Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

Sams appeared in 25 games during the regular season, starting 24 and logging 2,185 minutes, which was the most playing time among all outfield players and second only to goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse. The only match she didn’t start and play the entire match was against the Portland Thorns — the game after the Pride won the NWSL Shield.

She scored her first professional goal on two shots — both of which were on target —  and provided three assists in the regular season. Sams completed 1,159 of her 1,314 passes (88%), tallied three key passes, and completed one cross and 83 long balls. Defensively, she contributed 24 tackles and 26 interceptions, winning 31 headed duels. She committed 21 fouls, suffered 21, and was booked twice.

In the NWSL playoffs, Sams started in all three games, logging 270 minutes. She did not score any goals or even take a shot, however she did record an assist. The defender connected on 144 of her 158 postseason passes (91%). Defensively, Sams contributed four tackles and three interceptions but did not commit any fouls, nor was she booked.

Sams did not make any appearances in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup as she was with the USWNT at the 2024 Olympics.

Best Game

You might think that if a defender scores a goal in a match, that would be their best match — especially if it is that player’s first professional goal, and it’s an absolute banger like Sams scored in the Pride’s 3-2 victory over Seattle Reign FC on May 19.

However, that wasn’t her best match, though it was a good performance. Naturally, the defender of the year had plenty of great matches to choose from. Her performance in the title match earned her Player of the Match on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast, but her best match was actually the Pride’s first match of the season.

The Pride went down two goals and ultimately went down to 10 players when Kylie Strom received a second yellow. The team was able to come back thanks to an own goal before Strom was off and a goal from Summer Yates after. For 28 minutes of normal time, plus 12 minutes of stoppage time, the Pride defense held Louisville in check while down a player.

Sams was the leader of the defense in that match logging five tackles and two interceptions, while committing one foul. She was 48 of 52 (93%) passing, with 70 touches and played the entire match. Sams wasn’t culpable on either of Louisville’s goals.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives Sams a composite rating of 9 out of 10 for the 2024 season. It’s a big jump from the 6.5 we gave her last season, but it’s easy to see why. The Pride made the decision to build the defense around Sams when they drafted her, and it paid dividends in 2024. The NWSL Defender of the Year wore a Pride uniform, and helped her club win two trophies as the number one defense in the league. It’s hard to ask for more than that.

2025 Outlook

It might be difficult for Sams to top her 2024 season, but I know that she will try in the second year of her current contract. As unlikely as it might seem, Sams might be able to improve in 2025. It’s amazing to think that it will only be her third professional season. As good as she’s been, there’s still room for her to grow her game. Depending on which players are available, Sams may play either center back or fullback. No matter which position she plays, she will be a leader and will anchor the back line that will try to defend the club’s first titles.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Angelina

Angelina was a key player during her first season with the Pride.

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2 days ago

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December 16, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride signed defensive midfielder Angelina on Dec. 13, 2023 as a restricted free agent. It was a three-year deal through the 2026 season and the Brazilian international quickly became a key part of the starting lineup. A surgical procedure early in the season kept her out for five games and she played for Brazil at the 2024 Summer Olympics, but she was present for the final stretch of the season.

Let’s take a look at Angelina’s first season in Orlando.

Statistical Breakdown

Angelina was a key player in the Pride’s starting lineup, taking up her spot in the defensive midfield. She played most of the regular-season games, but missed the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup because she was with Brazil at the Olympics. 

The midfielder made 21 appearances in the NWSL regular season, starting 16 games and recording 1,487 minutes. Of her 11 shots, six were on target and she scored two goals. Additionally, she completed 82% of her 849 passes, including two assists, three key passes, and three crosses. Defensively, Angelina had 39 successful tackles, 21 headed duels won, and 14 interceptions on the year. She committed 19 fouls, suffered 22, and was booked once.

In the playoffs, Angelina started all three games, recording 266 minutes. She put one of her four shots on target and didn’t score, but completed 80% of her 116 passes and assisted Barbra Banda’s game-winning goal in the NWSL Championship. She was also active defensively in the postseason, completing 10 tackles and making seven interceptions. She committed two fouls in the playoffs, suffered one, and was booked once.

Best Game

Angelina had several games where she was a force going forward, assisting in the buildup to goals and completing a high percentage of her passes. However, her best game was in the NWSL semifinal against the Kansas City Current and it was because of her defensive play. The midfielder only completed 64% of her 41 passes — a low number for her — and took one off-target shot. However, she played a strong defensive game.

The Pride went down a goal in the 33rd minute, but equalized shortly before halftime. A Banda goal early in the second half gave the Pride the lead and they had to stand tall defensively. That’s when Angelina made her biggest impact, touching the ball 61 times while recording three tackles and a season-high six interceptions. Her play in the defensive midfield had a significant impact on the Pride holding on for the win and reaching the NWSL Championship for the first time in club history.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Angelina a composite grade of 8 out of 10 for her first season with the club. She helped the Pride control the midfield all season, a major reason why they were unbeaten in their first 23 regular-season games. Her contributions to the attack helped the Pride outscore opponents when needed, and her defensive prowess contributed to the best defense in the NWSL. She brought stability and a sense of calm to Orlando’s midfield all season. For these reasons, we considered her one of the best players on the team for 2024.

2025 Outlook

Angelina signed a three-year deal prior to the 2024 NWSL season, keeping her in purple through the 2026 NWSL season. She proved herself to be an essential part of the starting lineup, often serving as the team’s best defensive midfielder and a key link between the back line and the attackers. Provided she is healthy, the Brazilian will remain a regular starter and a key player in the team moving forward.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Kerry Abello

A switch from midfield to left back led to a place on the NWSL Best XI Second Team for Abello. Vamos!

Published

3 days ago

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December 15, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride selected Kerry Abello 24th overall in the 2021 NWSL Draft, but didn’t sign her to a contract until Jan 28, 2022, because Abello decided to return to Penn State for a fifth season. On Feb. 23, 2023, the Pride re-signed Abello to a new two-year contract through 2024 with an option for 2025, and on March 1, 2024 they re-signed her to a new three-year contract through the 2026 season.

When writing about Abello, there is of course only one way to get started, and that is to say, “vamos!“

Statistical Breakdown

After two seasons playing primarily as a midfielder Abello moved to the starting left back for the 2024 season and played in every game during the NWSL regular season, starting all but one and playing 2,122 minutes. Offensively, she took nine shots, putting five on target and scoring one goal. Abello completed 78.2% of her passes, with two key passes and two assists, completing seven crosses and 36 long balls. She was also one of only two defensive players in the NWSL to have more than 50 progressive carries (carries of more than 10 yards in the attacking half of the field) and more than two goal contributions during regular-season play. On the defensive side, she won 35 tackles, had 26 interceptions, and won 28 headed duels. She committed 19 fouls and suffered 15 fouls, earning two yellow cards.

In the NWSL playoffs, the Penn State product started all three games, playing 266 minutes. She did not register a goal contribution, took one off-target shot, completed 74.4% of her 90 passes. Defensively, Abello won four tackles and intercepted the ball once. She committed four fouls and was fouled once. She earned one yellow card, which came in the 31st minute of the championship match.

Abello played in two of the Pride’s three NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup matches, starting one game and coming off the bench in the other, logging a total of 94 minutes. She did not score a goal but assisted on one while not taking any shots in the competition. Abello completed 86.3% of her passes, completing one key pass, two crosses, and three long balls. On the defensive side, she won one tackle, one interception, and one headed duel. Abello committed two fouls, suffered none, and was not booked.

Best Game

After opening the season with three consecutive draws, the Pride finally got their first win of the season on April 12, defeating the Utah Royals 1-0. The team went on to win a club-record eight consecutive games, and it all started with an assist from Abello in the 68th minute against Utah, as the left back ventured all the way forward to the byline to play a cross into the danger zone in front of the goal to Marta, who did what Marta does and put it away for the game-winning goal.

“I saw that Ally (Watt) was getting into a crossing position and I knew that I had to make that back post,” Abello said about the play. “So I got up there and she hit it back post and I knew that we had other players in the box. So my only thinking was just to put it back across and let them do their thing. Someone almost got to it which opened up that path to Marta who put it away.”

Abello went the full 90 minutes in the Pride’s first clean sheet of the 2024 season, playing solid defense (blocking three shots, winning two tackles and making one interception), and contributing offensively as well, with a team-leading five progressive carries and four completed passes into the attacking third, along with two successful take-ons and the aforementioned one game-winning assist. Marta may have scored the goal, but I thought Abello was the player of the match, and that this was her best overall performance during the 2024 season.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives Abello a composite rating of 7 out of 10 for the 2024 season. This is a big improvement over the 5.5 we gave her last year and the 5 she received in 2022. She established herself as a critical part of an outstanding defense, and she was one of only four Pride players (along with fellow defensive players Anna Moorhouse, Emily Sams and Kylie Strom) to play more than 2,000 NWSL minutes during the 2024 season.

2025 Outlook

For much of the 2024 season, the Pride did not have a natural left back to compete with Abello for minutes, due to Strom moving inside, but the late season acquisition of Carson Pickett, who is signed through the 2025 season, means that there will be increased competition at left back next season. Abello made the NWSL Best XI Second Team, and was a rock on the left side for the Pride, so it is likely her position to lose when the season starts next spring. The former midfielder adapted extremely well to the left back role in 2024, making darting runs up the left side of the field and showing her offensive acumen when she was on the ball. She developed a good partnership with Adriana on the left wing, staying wide when Adriana would cut inside or using her dribbling ability to cut inside herself.

Abello’s ability to get forward and participate in the attack did sometimes lead to her being slightly out of position when tracking back on defense, but for a player in her first full season as a left back at the NWSL level, I thought she was excellent, and I expect another solid season from her in defense in 2025. I can only hope that she also delivers another viral commercial that we can enjoy and talk about all season long as well.

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