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Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Final Score 2-1 as Poor First Half Sinks the Pride

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5 years ago

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KISSIMMEE, FL — The Orlando Pride fell to the Houston Dash 2-1 in Orlando’s first home game of the year. But rather than at Exploria Stadium, the match was played at Osceola County Stadium without fans. Kristie Mewis continued her hot run of form for the Dash (3-1-0, 9 points) with two assists, and Houston completely dominated Orlando (0-2-1, 1 point) in the first half behind goals by Shea Groom and Veronica Vlatsko.

Sydney Leroux provided a spark immediately after halftime with her first goal since 2018, but the Pride couldn’t find an equalizer. The second half performance was a huge improvement from Orlando over the opening 45 minutes, but the hole was too deep to climb out of.

“It was an absolute tale of two halves,” said Orlando Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner after the match. “I don’t know how many games I have been involved when that’s applied. We were nowhere near good enough first half. We weren’t brave enough on the football. We didn’t want the football enough. We were running like we were a yard off the pace and so at halftime we spoke about what it means to play for Orlando.

“There was no real tactical kind of adaptation, it was more about the energy and the fire they need to take to wear our jersey. And it just wasn’t present in the first half from from the collective. So in the second half, they got better, they understood that, and you know it took a bad situation the first half to get a reaction for the second period and I was really, really pleased that even though you take the loss you have a growth within the game. And what I need my younger players to understand is that you can’t waste time and so it’s really important that’s the key message from this game.”

Ashlyn Harris was not with the team tonight because of the death of her grandmother. Rookie Brittany Wilson got her first NWSL start in net in place of the U.S. international. Toni Pressley took a bench role tonight, but she entered the match at the start of the second half. Rookie Konya Plummer got her first NWSL start in Pressley’s place. Meanwhile, Sydney Leroux and Kristen Edmonds returned to the starting lineup after not traveling to Houston two weeks ago because of COVID-19 concerns.

“I knew that there was a chance a couple of days ago [that I’d start] and so for all of these games I’ve been preparing as if I was going in or if I was starting,” Wilson said. “So the weeks kind of look the same. I was really studying everything that we were doing. I was doing all my protocols and stuff that I would do pregame. But this week I knew a couple days in. I was able to get in with the back line, know our game plan, really lock it in, and then just prepare mentally, and at the end of the day, once the whistle blew, I just tried to let it all go and do my best.”

Houston took control of the game quickly. After a few offside calls, the Dash found the opening goal in the 17th minute. Carrie Lawrence turned the ball over near midfield, and it took her a while to get up and recover. Brianna Visalli played a wide-open Mewis down Orlando’s right side, and Mewis sent in a perfect cross. Groom came flying into the box unmarked and headed in the game’s opening goal.

It was a scary moment a few minutes later. Lawrence took the ball to her stomach blocking a shot, and the trainers were immediately called onto the field. She was stretchered off the field and eventually brought to a hospital for precautionary reasons.

Abby Elinsky came on for the Lawrence. She took the right wing spot and Kristen Edmonds dropped to right back.

“I think with Kristen it just showed that we were comfortable in moving her around the field because we understood the base knowledge was there,” Skinner said. “Obviously, physically she gave everything tonight. She’s out on her feet at the end. So I was really, really pleased with her but I need my players to understand every position, and that’s going to be the ask of the players and the commitment to put it for next season. You have to give everything you have to give, but you have to understand the roles and responsibilities for everyone. And for 90 minutes, you’ve got to concentrate harder than the opposition, and you’ve got to work harder than them.”

Wilson made an excellent one-on-one save on a Latsko breakaway in the 26th minute. However, she was in the exact same position minutes later, and the Dash got the better end of it this time. Latsko made a run towards goal, and Orlando’s back line was lost. Ali Krieger stepped up to push Latsko off, but Edmonds kept the Dash forward on. Mewis played the perfect ball in, and Latsko rounded Wilson and easily scored to double Houston’s lead.

Houston led in every statistical category at the break except for fouls. Houston had 11 shots, four shots on target, and three corners — the Pride finished the half with goose eggs in all those categories. The visitors also held 63% possession. Skinner said that “the players weren’t happy with the first half.” He did not change much tactically, but instead spoke to the players about improving their mindset.

Orlando made one change to start the half. Plummer’s night was over, and Skinner brought on Pressley. The veteran’s presence was immediately felt as she helped bring Orlando back into the match.

Pressley sent a long ball up top. Edmonds then played Elinsky out wide. Elinsky sent in a low cross to the front post, and Leroux was the first one there. She emphatically sent it into the back of the net to cut Houston’s lead to 2-1 on the Pride’s first shot of the match.

“Yeah, it’s nice,” Leroux said of scoring her first goal since 2018. “I mean, I did spend a year pregnant. And then a year of not playing soccer, because of you know the whole coronavirus situation. So, I think it was nice. It’s been my second game — my proper second game — so I felt good. I feel fit. And I wish we had more time but unfortunately, it is what it is. So I’m excited to look ahead to next season and this next game coming up.”

Wilson made a spectacular save and then a blunder right before the hour mark. First, an unmarked Sophie Schmidt sent a great shot from outside the box destined for the top corner. Wilson got up and made a one-handed save that will likely be in the running for save of the week. Two minutes later, Mewis took a shot that should’ve been an easy save, but the Wilson spilled it. Luckily for the Pride, it went out for a corner.

The match was relatively uneventful after that moment. Both teams had a few chances, but Orlando only had one real opportunity to get that equalizer. Marta had an excellent chance to tie the game in the 77th minute. She was one-on-one with Jane Campbell, but she hit her shot at Campbell, making for an easy save from the ‘keeper.

Houston killed the game off late on. The Dash slowed the pace of play some and eventually took the ball into the corner, winning multiple corner kicks. It was a great improvement in the second half, but the Dash never looked like they were going to give up another goal.

In the second half, Orlando was outshot 9-5, but both teams had three shots on target, giving Houston a final margin of 20-5 (7-3 on target). Their passing accuracy increased from 63% to 67% in the second half, and possession was much closer (43%-57%). That gave Houston a final possession margin of 59.4%-40.6% and a passing accuracy edge of 78.1%-64.3%. The Pride conceded 10 corners in the match without winning a single one.

While it still was not spectacular, Orlando vastly improved in the second half and will look to build on that performance for the Pride’s final match of the NWSL Fall Series.

The Pride play in their first and only match of 2020 in Exploria Stadium on Oct. 17 when the North Carolina Courage come to Orlando in what is expected to be the season finale for both clubs. 

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Orlando Pride’s Biggest Off-Season Needs

Here are the most critical needs for the Pride as they look to build on their 2025 campaign.

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11 hours ago

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December 15, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride regressed slightly in 2025, which isn’t a surprise after a historic 2024 campaign. Still, they finished fourth in the NWSL and were only knocked out of the semifinal after a last-minute goal.

The year showed some of the Pride’s strengths and weaknesses, including what the team needs to obtain during the off-season to get back to the mountaintop. The starting lineup is intact, but the team certainly needs some depth, something that hindered Pride in 2025.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the moves the Pride might make before the start of the 2026 season.

Striker Depth

The biggest need for the Pride was apparent during the 2025 season — striker depth. The team has lived offensively off of the presence of Barbra Banda, the team’s star striker. But the Zambian international suffered a hip injury that ended her season early. Head Coach Seb Hines played several players up top looking to replace the production but with little success.

The closest the Pride had to a replacement for Banda was Ally Watt. However, the Colorado native is returning home to play for Denver Summit FC. Aside from Banda, the closest player to a true striker currently on the roster is the young Simone Jackson. The 22-year-old attacker showed promise, but she’s not ready to take a leading role if necessary.

The Pride ended the 2025 season with 33 goals scored — seventh fewest in the league and the second fewest among playoff teams. A slightly better attack would’ve seen the Pride fighting for the NWSL Shield instead of a playoff spot.

This off-season, the Pride need to acquire backup depth that can fill in as a starter if necessary. It will take pressure off Banda, provide the striker with rest, and ensure the team doesn’t struggle to score as much as it did this year if she gets injured.

Backup Number 10

Something else that became obvious this season was the Pride’s lack of a true number 10 other than Marta. The legendary attacker, who has one year left on her contract, will be 40 years old when the 2026 season begins.

Hines has multiple options for the creative midfielder role, none of which is the ideal solution. Ally Lemos was the most commonly chosen option, but the young midfielder is more of a distributor and better in a defensive midfield position. However, with Angelina and Haley McCutcheon already filling those roles, there was no place for her. So she spent most of the season in the attack.

The other option is Summer Yates. The former University of Washington standout slipped to the fourth round of the 2023 NWSL Draft, allowing the Pride to select her. The 25-year-old has shown signs of being the possible eventual replacement for Marta, but she struggled to stay healthy in 2025 and was inconsistent throughout the year as a result.

The Pride signed Mexican star Jacquie Ovalle, but she’s a wide player. Hines might still decide to use Lemos and Yates in the backup No. 10 role, but the Pride really need someone who can create in the attack and support Banda up top.

A True Center Back

Hines has spoken at length over the past two years about wanting players with versatility. Most of the roster can play two, three, or even four positions with varying degrees of success. But that’s not always the best option.

The Pride currently have four true center backs — Emily Sams, Kylie Nadaner, Rafaelle, and Zara Chavoshi. Other players, like Cori Dyke and Kerry Abello, have filled in at times but neither are true center backs.

Four center backs on the roster is typically enough, but the Pride have had trouble. Rafaelle has been injured several times since joining the club, and Nadaner missed the final third of the season with an “excused absence.” It’s unknown when the veteran vice captain will return, and another Rafaelle injury would leave the Pride with two true center backs.

The Pride addressed the situation slightly this off-season by signing free agent Hailie Mace. The right back can also play in the middle if necessary but will likely start at fullback for the Pride. That creates some depth, because Hines started Sams at right back five times during the regular season, leaving the rookie Chavoshi as the lone center back on the bench. Sams was in her natural center back position in nearly all of the other games, replacing Nadaner or Rafaelle.

Another issue is Rafaelle’s age. While the Brazilian signed a new contract at the end of October, keeping her in purple through 2028, her age could result in a decline in the coming years.

Adding another natural, veteran center back would give the Pride some much-needed depth and prepare the team for any unforeseen injuries.

One More Left Back

The Pride’s roster construction has been somewhat questionable, being overloaded in some positions and bare in others. For example, the Pride have three natural right backs — Dyke, Oihane, and Mace — and no natural left backs. Abello has been the starter the last two seasons after joining the club as an attacking player. Carson Pickett was the lone natural left back but is out of contract and appears to be departing the team.

Even if Abello continues to start at left back, it would be wise to have someone comfortable in that position behind her. Nadaner was the former starter in the position before moving central, a position where she’s proven to be superior.

While Abello has been good at the left back position, the question is the same as center back — what if she gets hurt? Right now, the backup would either be right footed or unfamiliar in that role. Acquiring a natural left back would offer support, allowing the Pride to give Abello a rest without losing too much at the position.

The Pride won’t be able to address all of these issues this off-season. The current NWSL roster rules allow teams to have a maximum of 26 players and the Pride currently sit at 23. So, it really comes down to which are most important. The far and away biggest concern is a striker to back up Banda. Next is probably getting a number 10 to back up Marta and replace her when the Brazilian decides to retire.

The defensive additions are less critical, as the Pride still have one of the best defensive teams in the NWSL. That’s unlikely to change with the current roster. Instead, they need to figure out how to score more goals if they want to get back to being the dominant team in the league.

While the Pride have some needs, the roster is in pretty good shape compared to some other teams. The starting lineup will return next year and the bulk of the roster has had significant success over the past two years. With some additional depth, the Pride could once again be the team to beat in the NWSL.

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2025 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Marta

The captain once again provided the competitive spark for the Pride in 2025.

Published

4 days ago

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December 11, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Marta signed with the Orlando Pride way back in 2017. She has been the constant for the club through ups and mostly downs. That all changed last season as she captained her club to two trophies. In 2022, she signed a new two-year contract, taking her through 2024. She then signed yet another two-year contract through 2026.

Marta didn’t have the same type of year as she did in 2024, but she was still one of the better players for the Pride. She remains the heart of this team, showing the others what passion and effort looks like even as she edges closer to the end of her playing career. Let’s take a look at the GOAT’s 2025 season.

Statistical Breakdown

Marta started and played the full 90 minutes in the 2025 Challenge Cup match. She did not record a goal contribution and took two off-target shots. However, her free kick was blocked, resulting in Rafaelle’s opening goal. Marta also set a shot up for the defender in the match but the effort was off target. The Brazilian legend completed 26 of her 37 passes (82%), took four corner kicks, and she did not record a completed long ball. Defensively, she recorded three tackles and won three headed duels. She committed one foul, drew one on the Washington Spirit, and was not booked.

During the regular season, Marta made 22 appearances (18 starts), playing 1,599 minutes. She contributed four goals and an assist, putting 13 of her 27 shots on target. She completed 519 of her 731 passes (71%), 13 crosses, and two of her four long balls (50%) with 43 chances created. On the defensive end, the Brazilian contributed 22 tackles, 19 interceptions, and one blocked shot. She committed 14 fouls, drew 28 on the opposition, and was not booked.

Marta started both playoff games, playing all 180 minutes. She took one shot but did not record a goal contribution, although she was involved in both goals against the Reign, working a give-and-go with Julie Doyle prior to Haley McCutcheon’s opening goal and drawing the penalty that handed Luana the late insurance tally. The captain completed 52 of her 69 passes (75.4%), including three of her six long balls (50%) and four key passes. She recorded one tackle, two interceptions, and one clearance defensively while committing one foul, drawing six on her opponents, and being booked once.

Marta participated in one of the Concacaf W Champions Cup matches against Pachuca. She played all 90 minutes and scored the Pride’s only goal on two shots, one of which was on target. She completed 27 of 34 passes (79%). Defensively, she recorded three tackles, while committing two fouls, and suffering two fouls. She was not booked.

Best Game

While Marta had several good games, I think her best game was the Pride’s 3-2 victory over the Washington Spirit on Oct. 18. Marta was named Player of the Match by both Michael Citro and myself on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast. The captain caused an own goal and scored on a penalty kick to give the Pride an important road win heading into the playoffs. Washington scored first on a Kerry Abello own goal, but Abello then corrected that mistake by scoring one for her own team minutes later. The Spirit took the lead again and held it at halftime. Seb Hines substituted Marta in at the start of the second half, and it’s a good thing he did. It literally only took her 52 seconds to even the score.

In the 70th minute, Ally Watt was fouled in the box, setting up a penalty for the Pride. There was no doubt who would take the kick, and it turned out there was no doubt Marta would bury it in the back of the net for the winning goal.

Marta might have only played 45 minutes plus stoppage but her impact was monumental. In this match, she took one shot, which was on target, scoring the aforementioned goal. She had 27 touches, completed nine of her 13 passes (70%), two of her three long balls (67%) and took one corner kick. Defensively, she contributed one block and one clearance. She committed one foul, did not suffer any fouls, and was not booked.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Marta a composite rating of 7 out of 10 for her ninth season with the club. This was a point lower than the 8 we gave her last year. Much like many of the Pride’s players, Marta’s 2025 wasn’t as good as her 2024, but she was still a critical part of the successes of the team. In 2024, she had a banner year, but despite being a year older, she was still productive in 2025.

2026 Outlook

The 39-year-old is entering the last year of her contract, and it would be surprising — though not totally inconceivable —that she will get another. Despite the fact she will turn 40-years-old before the beginning of the season, she will remain the Pride’s captain as long as she can take to the pitch. Assuming she’s healthy, there’s no reason to assume she can’t contribute to at least the same level as she did in 2025. There’s even a possibility that she finds something closer to her 2024 form. No one plays with more passion than Marta, and I will not doubt what she can do when she has the look in her eye.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

This concludes our 2025 Orlando Pride player-by-player Season in Review series. We hope you’ve enjoyed looking back on the players’ performances from the past year as we move closer toward seeing what lies ahead in 2026.

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2025 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Jacquie Ovalle

The Pride broke the world transfer record to land the Mexican international in 2025.

Published

5 days ago

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December 10, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride signed Mexican international winger Jacquie Ovalle for a then-world record transfer fee on Aug. 21, acquiring the attacker’s services from Tigres UANL in Liga MX Femenil. While the club did not announce the transfer fee, it was reportedly around $1.5 million. That transfer record has since been broken a couple of times since, but it was an ambitious move by the Pride to try to provide Barbra Banda a playmaking wing of the highest caliber.

The move ultimately didn’t pay many dividends in 2025, as Banda went down with a season-ending injury before Ovalle arrived, and the Mexican international struggled to get comfortable with her new team, the new league, and a new culture in what could best be described as an inconsistent performance after she joined the Pride.

Let’s take a look at Ovalle’s first season in the City Beautiful.

Statistical Breakdown

Ovalle was signed well after the season-opening NWSL Challenge Cup, so she saw no action in the competition. She made her Pride debut in the regular season on Sept. 7 off the bench. It was an inauspicious start, as Orlando got flattened 5-2 at Chicago that day, with all of the goals happening in the second half. Ovalle played in eight regular-season matches with Orlando, starting seven and logging 666 minutes. She contributed a goal and two assists in her time on the pitch with the Pride, attempting 20 shots and putting seven on target. She completed 84% of her 201 passes during the regular season, with 18 key passes. Ovalle was accurate on 19 of her 48 crosses (39.6%) and three of her seven long balls (42.9%). Defensively, Ovalle chipped in 13 tackles, three interceptions, and five clearances but no blocks during the regular season. She committed six fouls, drew five, and received one yellow card.

In the playoffs, Ovalle started both of the Pride’s matches and played 173 minutes. She did not log a goal contribution in the postseason, putting one of her six shot attempts on target. The winger completed 34 of her 42 passes (81%) with two key passes but completed just three of her 13 crosses and neither of her two long balls. On the defensive end, Ovalle recorded three tackles, one clearance, and two interceptions. She committed three fouls, drew two on her opponents, and was not booked.

Ovalle appeared in two of Orlando’s games in the Concacaf W Champions Cup, logging 57 minutes off the bench without a goal contribution, attempting one off-target shot. She completed 10 of her 13 passes (76.9%) without a key pass, chipping in three tackles on the defensive end. She committed two fouls, drew two on her opponents, and she wasn’t booked in the competition.

Best Game

There were a few possible games to choose from in this category, and while I was close to choosing the match with her lone goal of the season (Sept. 26 in a 2-1 road win over San Diego), I ended up going a different route. Still, she scored a nice goal, so here it is:

Instead, I’m going back to her first NWSL start. Ovalle started for Orlando for the first time on Sept. 13 in a 1-1 home draw against Bay FC. She was excellent all game long, but her best moment came in the 70th minute, when La Maga sent in a perfect cross for Ally Watt to flick home with a header to equalize, rescuing a point for Orlando.

Ovalle was Fotmob’s highest rated player in the match from either side with a rating of 8.4 and was a danger all night. She fired eight shot attempts, putting three on target and one off the woodwork. She also completed six of her nine crosses in the game, creating four scoring chances in the game with key passes. One of those should have been an assist on a Marta goal on a beautiful back-post ball, but the captain hit the left post with her shot. She chipped in two tackles, one interception, a clearance, and a recovery on the defensive end, committing two fouls and drawing one in what was a standout performance.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Ovalle a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for her 2025 season. While the Mexican winger played inconsistently, that was to be expected after a midseason move to a new team that was missing its attacking focal point with Banda out. There were signs of the kind of magic moments Ovalle can bring to the Pride attack, they were too few and far between. In fairness, in most of the matches she played there was no one close to her level in the attack with her, and she looked at times too eager to make something happen. Three goal contributions isn’t bad for her first eight NWSL games, but Ovalle clearly needs another threat up top with her to help provide her the space she needs to shoot or deliver one of her lethal passes.

2026 Outlook

Ovalle will be a starter next season and will get to go through a full preseason training camp with the club, which should help her get a better understanding of both what Seb Hines wants from her and how her teammates like to play. She should also get to play with Banda (finally), which could create one of the most dynamic attacking tandems in the league, because some of Banda’s struggles were due to poor service, which Ovalle can help with, and some of Ovalle’s issues were down to a lack of the kind of quick, decisive attacking movements that Banda provides. I expect Ovalle’s production in both goals and assists to jump in 2026 for multiple reasons, but with a healthy Banda, there will be a lot more room for her (and Marta) to operate. A front line of Marta, Banda, and Ovalle is tantalizing.

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