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Orlando Pride vs Washington Spirit: Final Score 1-0 as the Pride Earn First Win Since August 2019

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5 years ago

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The Orlando Pride beat the Washington Spirit 1-0 at Exploria Stadium in NWSL Challenge Cup play for the club’s first win since Aug. 21, 2019. Alex Morgan connected with Sydney Leroux in the 10th minute of the match for the game’s only goal and Ashlyn Harris had a big game in net to lead the Pride (1-1-1, 4 points) to the victory. Washington (1-2-0, 3 points) had chance after chance in the second half, but the Pride somehow kept a shutout.

“A much better situation to sit in for a result but the best thing for me was the resiliency the group shown,” said Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner. “I don’t think at times that we were the best team. There’s a lot of pressure we had to face. What we showed tonight was the resilience that’s going to be needed for this group to win ugly. And that’s a clean sheet for the first time in a long, long time. And that’s because our goalkeeper came up big. Our defenders came up big and midfielders and our forwards. It was a whole team collective. The substitutes that came in made an impact to the group.”

Both Morgan and Gunny Jónsdóttir were included in the starting XI in their first game back from international duty. Skinner only sent out three natural defenders — Ali Riley, Phoebe McClernon, and Ali Krieger — but Jónsdóttir slotted in at right back. She got forward on the attacking end often, and the Pride looked to play more of a back three while in possession. While defending, it looked like a 4-2-3-1.

“What I love so much about Gunny, and you know not many people know this, but she was put into the position to play right back last minute, and she didn’t have any preparation whatsoever in the position,” said Harris. “But she said, ‘hey it’s football!’ And I think she took on this role incredibly and she played amazing and she always puts the team first. So, I’m really just happy with her performance coming in here and doing whatever she can for the team.”

Jade Moore, Marisa Viggiano, and Taylor Kornieck started in midfield, with Marta, Morgan, and Leroux up top.

The Pride started the match fast. In the 10th minute, Morgan stole the ball from Dorian Bailey in the middle of the field. The striker looked straight down the field and played a perfect through ball to Leroux, who took one touch to send the ball behind a diving Aubrey Bledsoe and give the Pride the 1-0 lead.

There was some drama in the 25th minute. The Spirit won a free kick, took it quickly, and scored. Washington celebrated, but the referee appeared to be talking to her assistants. The referee called the goal back after a minute and the Spirit had to take it again. Harris made an easy save on the retake. After the game, the referee stated:

“The free kick should have been a ceremonial free kick as the referee marked the spot of the ball. The whistle (mandatory when a free kick is ceremonial) was never blown to restart play when the goal was scored so the direct free kick was retaken.”

Neither team had any significant chances in the rest of the half. The Spirit struggled in possession. They held the ball well in their own areas but were sloppy in the attacking third. Trinity Rodman looked like the best player for Washington in the first half but often did not have any options.

Orlando got players forward when in possession. Often, the Pride’s front four — Leroux, Marta, Morgan, and Kornieck — were all lined up with the Washington defenders.

The halftime stats were fairly even. Washington led in shots (8-7) but both teams had two shots on target. The Spirit also had a bit more possession (53%-47%) but did not create many chances with it.

Washington came out of the break with a ton of energy in the send half. After a brief spell of Orlando possession, the Spirit continuously pressed the Pride starting about 10 minutes after the restart. They won the ball up high, and Orlando struggled to cope. Washington had six corners in the first 15 minutes of the half. Harris came up with a couple of saves, but her best was another penalty stop.

“Yeah we had a good conversation [at halftime],” said Leroux. “We thought that we needed to come out strong again. And I feel like we did and then we were kind of on our back foot for a little while. We dealt with a lot of corners and a lot of pressure. And of course, Ash made a beautiful PK save and beautiful saves throughout the game. She stood on our head for us.”

After a McClernon foul in the box, Ashley Hatch stepped up for Washington. She shot to her right, and Harris was there to deny Hatch. Harris, however, saved it with her leg and stayed down after the play. She looked to be in pain and stretched often for several minutes but was able to stay in the match. After the game, she said she fell on her knee making the save and had a dead leg for a bit that took a while to work itself out.

The Pride remained on the back foot for much of the rest of the half. The Spirit were dangerous on the attack but struggled to connect on the final ball. Orlando, meanwhile, did almost nothing on the attacking side. The Pride sent balls forward, but no one was there.

However, Orlando did get an excellent chance to double the lead shortly after Harris recovered from her injury. Marta sent an excellent pass in to Morgan in the area and she seemed certain to score with her first touch, but Bledsoe got over to make a vital diving save to keep the score at 1-0.

Harris was the key player for Orlando. She made nine saves on the night, and was the obvious choice for the Player of the Match.

There was some chaos in the dying minutes of the match. Krieger went down in the Pride’s box after a nasty fall. She looked to be in a considerable amount of pain and had to be subbed out. At the same time, the Pride quickly got down the field. Kelley O’Hara, who was issued a yellow card moments prior, got a second yellow after a foul on Morgan to break up a counter. The Spirit played stoppage down a player.

Orlando was able to hold on and get the win. It was the first win in nearly a year and a half, and just the fifth in the Skinner era. It was also just the second shutout since July 20, 2019. Orlando was out-shot by a wide margin (20-8), thanks to the strong second half from Washington. The Spirit also had more shots on goal (9-3) and more possession (52%-48%).

“It feels great,” said Harris. “I think we’re going to celebrate this and we’re going to enjoy this but come tomorrow when we wake up, it’s time to put in the work and continue building for success. And continue doing whatever it takes to put the team first and this winning mentality we want to keep pushing and moving forward.”

The Pride now have a little break. Orlando next plays on Saturday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. on the road against the North Carolina Courage to close out the NWSL Challenge Cup group stage. They need a lot of help, but the Pride are still mathematically alive to win the East.

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2025 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Marta

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

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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.

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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.

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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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2025 Orlando Pride Season In Review: Emily Sams

The center back was once again one of the best defenders for the Pride, helping them reach their second straight NWSL semifinal.

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7 days ago

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December 8, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride drafted defender Emily Sams with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. The former Florida State player signed with the National Women’s Soccer League through 2025 and was loaned to Swedish side BK Hacken FF prior to being selected by the Pride and signing a three-year contract through the 2026 season.

Sams had a breakout year in 2024, winning NWSL Defender of the Year and helping the club win the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship. She signed a new deal on Feb. 13, 2025, keeping her in purple through the 2027 NWSL season.

The defender showed her versatility this year, playing several games at right back and center back. She was another key player in a successful season for the Pride, helping them to finish fourth in the league and reach the NWSL semifinals.

Let’s take a look at the defender’s 2025 NWSL campaign.

Statistical Breakdown

The defender’s first appearance this year came in the NWSL Challenge Cup against the Washington Spirit. Sams started and played all 90 minutes without recording any shots or goal contributions. She completed 44 of her 52 passes (87%), including four long balls. Defensively, Sams recorded a tackle, an interception, and an aerial duel won.

Sams played in 25 of the team’s 26 regular-season games, starting 24 times and playing 2,183 minutes — the second-most minutes of any Pride player and the most by an outfield player. She took two shots without putting any on target, so she obviously didn’t score any goals. The defender completed 1,284 of her 1,457 passes (88.1%), including 85 of her 146 long balls (58.2%), but didn’t record any assists. Defensively, she added 42 tackles, 33 interceptions, 92 clearances, and 13 blocks. She committed 11 fouls, suffered 25, and was booked once with a yellow card.

Sams started both playoff games, playing all 180 minutes. She didn’t take any shots or record a goal contribution, completing 82 of her 97 passes (84.5%), including five of her 12 long balls (41.7%). She recorded three tackles, four interceptions, a block, and 10 clearances defensively while committing two fouls, drawing five on her opponents, and being booked once.

While a primary starter in the regular season, Sams only played in three of the four Concacaf W Champions Cup games, starting two and playing 164 minutes without a goal contribution. She took one shot that was off target and completed 85 of her 100 passes (85.%). The defender had five tackles and wasn’t booked.

Best Game

Sams’ best game came on Oct. 18 when the Pride traveled to Washington, D.C. for an afternoon clash with the Washington Spirit. The Pride came back from two deficits to defeat their rivals 3-2 and claim a huge three points.

Sams started alongside Rafaelle at center back and was excellent. She completed 41 of her 46 passes (89%), including both long balls, a key pass, and three into the final third. She finished with one tackle, five clearances, four interceptions, and four recoveries. The defender won two of her four duels (50%) in a game where she helped the Pride keep their late lead.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Sams a 7 out of 10 for the 2025 NWSL season. It’s a decrease from her exceptional 9 in 2024, but still higher than her 6.5 grade in 2023. The grade ties Sams with Rafaelle for the second-highest grade on the team, one point behind Barbra Banda, who was given an eight for her injury-shortened season. Overall, Sams was excellent this year and fully deserves one of the highest grades as she further cements herself as one of the best defenders in the NWSL.

2026 Outlook

Perhaps no player on the Pride is a more definite starter next season than Sams. She’s arguably the team’s best defender and has been a mainstay in the starting lineup over the past three seasons. Her new contract in February means she’ll remain in purple through the 2027 season.

The only question will be where she plays. She’s started at center back and right back several times over the past two seasons, but is best in the middle of the field. However, when Kylie Nadaner and Rafaelle are available, Pride Head Coach Seb Hines has opted to use her at right back.

Regardless, there’s no question that Sams will be a regular starter on the Pride back line as long as she remains healthy. Her presence is something that will be essential if the Pride hope to make a run for a second NWSL Championship next season.

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