Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Suffer First Loss of the Season
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The Orlando Pride (4-1-3, 15 points) fell for the first time in the 2021 NWSL regular season, losing 2-1 to the Houston Dash (3-3-1, 10 points) at BBVA Stadium. A poor first half for the Pride was the difference as the Dash scored twice in eight minutes.
After keeping multiple starters out of the starting lineup in Kansas City, tonight’s game in Houston featured a familiar look. Taylor Kornieck’s midweek knock meant she was questionable for this game and ultimately kept out of the lineup. She was replaced by Meggie Dougherty Howard, who moved into an attacking role. Chelsee Washington was given her second NWSL regular season start alongside Gunny Jonsdottir in the defensive midfield.
Here’s the starting Xl for tonight’s match against the @HoustonDash. 🚀@orlandohealth | #HOUvORL pic.twitter.com/kr6Snm2r2L
— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) June 26, 2021
The Pride got the first real good chance of the game in the fifth minute. Alex Morgan headed the ball toward the Dash goal twice, forcing Jane Campbell to punch the ball back out. However, the Dash ultimately were able to clear. After that, the first half was all Houston.
In the 10th minute, Allysha Chapman sent a lovely ball into the Pride box, looking for Nichelle Prince near the back post. Fortunately for the Pride, the ball was just over the head of Prince and went out for a goal kick.
The Dash attack continued as the home side won three corner kicks in two minutes. The third corner resulted in two shots as the Pride defense was unable to clear.
The Dash finally converted in the 18th minute. Kristie Mewis sent a cross into the box which found Maria Sanchez. The first shot was right at Ashlyn Harris, who attempted to punch the ball out rather than catching it. Her punch attempt was poor, sending the ball off the post beside her and it bounced right back out front to Sanchez, who put it away for the game’s opening goal.
Calidad 🤘#HOUvORL | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #NWSLSuperSaturday pic.twitter.com/TyNQpLvC54
— National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) June 27, 2021
Houston nearly doubled its lead in the 20th minute when Mewis found Veronica Latsko in front of goal. The forward took a little too much time, allowing Phoebe McClernon to slide in before Latsko could get a shot off.
However, the Dash did double their lead six minutes later. As happened too frequently in the first half, Latsko found herself wide open between the center backs in the Pride box. Sophie Schmidt found the forward, who put the ball past Harris for the second goal of the game.
.@V_Latsko12 lifting off‼️#HOUvORL | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #NWSLSuperSaturday pic.twitter.com/1d97yBD7HM
— National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) June 27, 2021
The Pride defense has been stellar this year but struggled in this game. After just 26 minutes, the Pride conceded twice for only the second time this year and the first time in the NWSL regular season. The only other time they’d conceded two goals was the first Challenge Cup game in Louisville on April 10.
“I think we just needed to step up a little bit,” Jonsdottir said about the first half defense after the game. “Not give them the space we were giving them. We were kind of far from each other. That happens with fatigue. Communication wasn’t really there.”
The Pride nearly gave the Dash their third goal in the 30th minute through an own goal. Nichelle Prince beat Courtney Petersen to the end line, as happened often in this game, and cut the ball back in front of goal. McClernon was able to deflect the ball but almost did so into her own net. Fortunately for McClernon and the Pride, the deflection was wide of the goal.
The final chance for the Dash in the first half came from Gabby Seiler. The midfielder slipped in between two Pride defenders, creating space to receive a long pass. She had a great opportunity for a shot on goal, but sent the shot above the target.
“I wasn’t happy with the first half,” Jonsdottir said following the game. “I don’t think we really showed up for the first half. The first half showed that we were fatigued and we were not playing like we wanted to. But we got to halftime. And then we kind of got the team together and decided to give everything we got and we did that. Unfortunate not to put in another.”
The Pride got off to a great start in the second half. Just a couple of minutes into the second period of play, the Pride won three straight corners. While the second corner forced Jane Campbell into a good save, the third resulted in the team’s first goal.
The low corner by Marta found the head of Jonsdottir at the near post. The Icelandic international beat her defender to the ball and headed it toward the far post, bringing the Pride back to within a goal.
.@Gunnhildur_Yrsa pulls one back for @ORLPride!#HOUvORL | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #NWSLSuperSaturday pic.twitter.com/4a6GCtYQr8
— National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) June 27, 2021
“It was a great corner from Marta and I got a little touch,” Jonsdottir said about her first goal with the Pride. “So I guess it’s half my goal and half hers.”
“We got the goal because of our energy and commitment to each other,” Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner said about the goal. “Everything we’re trying to do was there.”
The Pride had another good chance in the 59th minute when Katie Naughton took down Morgan just outside of the box. Marta stepped up to take the free kick and sent it low toward the near post. Campbell did well to get low and caught the bouncing ball before it reached the goal line.
In the 63rd minute, the Dash nearly scored their third as they looked to put the game away. Another dangerous Mewis corner found the head of Latsko, who was looking for her second goal. She made good contact with her head but was unable to get over the ball and sent it just over the net.
While Mewis had set up most of the chances for the Dash, she nearly got a goal of her own inside the final 10 minutes. In the 81st minute, Mewis found some space at the top of the box and sent a low shot toward the far post. Harris’ dive showed how close to the post the shot was but it travelled just wide of the target.
Two minutes into injury time, Morgan had a chance to net the Pride’s second, receiving the ball in the box. It appeared as though she had time to bring it down, but with her back to goal, attempted an acrobatic flick. She wasn’t able to get much on it and Campbell made the save.
The Pride were dominated in every statistical category in the first half, but drew closer with a much better second 45 minutes. In the end, the Dash led in total shots (14-7), possession (55%-45%), corners (8-6), and crosses (26-12). The Pride were able to record more shots on target (4-3).
The struggles of the team can largely be chalked up to playing three games in six days and staying on the road between the second and third of those matches. The players were clearly tired from it and it had an impact on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
“I can only speak for myself. I was a bit tired. I’m not gonna lie,” Jonsdottir said. “I was also coming off of two games in the FIFA window and then these games with the travel, it’s a lot to learn. But as I say, all you can do is your best.”
“You’re gonna suffer when the schedule is put in front of you where it’s almost at risk of your players’ health,” Skinner added. “We found that out against Kansas. So I think it’s a ridiculous way of putting a schedule together where a team has five days of freshness on another team.”
The loss is the Pride’s first of the 2021 NWSL regular season and the second of the year. The other loss came on April 14 in the NWSL Challenge Cup, a 1-0 loss to NJ/NY Gotham FC. The loss ends a seven-game unbeaten run, the second longest to start a season in the Pride’s six-year history. The longest ever unbeaten run was nine games, occurring between Aug. 5 and Sept. 30 of 2017.
Despite the loss, Skinner said that he’s proud of his team for fighting through a difficult week. The final game of a two-game road trip and three games in six days was not an easy task.
“I’m more proud of the players tonight than I am whenever they’ve won a game,” Skinner said. “Because, although the technicality maybe suffered, we had the guile and the togetherness and the focus to try and get back in the game.”
The Pride still sit atop of the NWSL standings. A Portland Thorns loss ensured that the Pride would remain three points ahead of them and two points ahead of the North Carolina Courage.
The Pride will look to bounce back from this loss and begin a new streak when they welcome the North Carolina Courage to Exploria Stadium on July 4.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Sign Goalkeeper McKinley Crone to New Contract
The Pride have signed backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone through 2026.
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JRPRIDE130242055-scaled.jpg)
The Orlando Pride announced this afternoon that the club has signed backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone to a new contract. The deal runs through the 2026 NWSL season.
“Mac has played an important role in our goalkeeping corps, continuing to push our group each day while investing in herself both on and off the pitch,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “We are very excited for her to continue her career with us here in Orlando, where we can continue to support her development as a player. We believe she can become a competitive goalkeeper in this league, and we look forward to providing her with the resources and environment to reach her potential.”
Crone went undrafted in 2023 before joining the Pride as a non-roster invitee during preseason. The Maitland native continued with the Pride as a training player and was awarded with a National Team Replacement Player contract on June 27, 2023 when Marta and Adriana departed for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The 25-year-old signed a second National Team Replacement Player contract and was signed for the remainder of the season on Sept. 13, 2023.
Her play in training and during her call-ups earned Crone a NWSL contract for the 2024 season. She only made the team sheet once in 2023, but became the regular backup this year. Anna Moorhouse was called up to the England National Team when the NWSL went on break for the Olympics, opening a spot for Crone. She made her professional debut in a 1-1 draw with the North Carolina Courage on July 20 in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. The young goalkeeper made five saves on six shots while conceding once and helping the Pride maintain their unbeaten record this year in all competitions.
“To be staying here in Orlando, the place I grew up, means everything to me. Being given the chance to represent this city as well as this club has been a huge honor, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue living out my dream,” Crone said in a club press release. “What we are building here is really special and I can’t wait to continue to be a part of it for years to come. This club and this city mean so much to me and I will do everything I can to help bring championships to the City Beautiful. Roll Pride!”
Prior to joining the Pride, Crone played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Alabama. Her final three seasons for the Crimson Tide saw her make 66 starts, play 9,519.77 minutes, and concede 70 goals while making 229 saves. She had a goals-against average of 1.10 and saved 76.6% of the shots she faced. She finished her collegiate career with Alabama’s record for single-season wins (10), career shutouts (23), and career wins (41).
What This Means for Orlando
Crone has worked her way from a non-roster invitee last preseason to the team’s primary backup. When the club signed Finnish goalkeeper Sofia Manner during the off-season, it was expected the newcomer would be behind Moorhouse. However, Crone has been on the team sheet for every game this season, while Manner only appeared during the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.
During the summer break tournament, Crone’s five saves topped the Pride’s goalkeeping group, which saw Crone, Manner, and Moorhouse start one game each. In addition to equaling Moorhouse with a team-best one goal conceded, she saved two penalties in the shootout, more than Moorhouse and Manner.
Crone’s role as the primary backup this season and her play in the Summer Cup makes her the obvious choice for the same role next year. For this reason, it was a matter of when and not if the Pride would attempt to sign her to a new contract. With Moorhouse and Manner already signed through the 2025 season, the Pride now have their goalkeeping corps for next year.
Orlando Pride
Finding Glory? The Orlando Pride “Just Keep Winning”
As Orlando’s NWSL rivals stumble, the Pride have shown no signs of slowing down.
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Nearly two months ago, the Orlando Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 2-1 for a gritty road win to enter the Olympic break on top of the league table and favorites for the NWSL Shield. If any fans were anxious about the Pride’s form dipping in their return to action, they should now let go of those fears.
While Orlando has continued to rack up points with stingy defense and timely goals, the other credible contenders for the shield, the Current and the Washington Spirit, have both dropped points. Now, there are just eight matches remaining in the regular season, and the Pride have a six-point lead in the table. So, to paraphrase the ever-optimistic Dory from Finding Nemo (and also from the sequel, Finding Dory), “just keep winning.”
Since returning from the break, Orlando has won at the last-place Houston Dash and against fourth-place NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. The latter match featured 12 Olympians, and could have passed for a gold medal rematch due to Gotham’s U.S.-heavy squad and Orlando’s Brazilian contingent. Both the Dash and Gotham games were ones Orlando would be disappointed not to win, but winning is never a given in a league as competitive as the NWSL. Just ask the Current, who started the season unbeaten through 15 matches and set the pace at the top of the table, only to lose three straight and drop to third. On the other end of the table, both Utah Royals FC and Seattle Reign FC are on two-match winning streaks, showing just how quickly things can change for better or worse.
Orlando, however, leads the league and is not slowing down, because the Pride have avoided the trap games and off nights that can bite most teams. It is a testament to values instilled in the squad by Head Coach Seb Hines, now the winningest coach in Pride history, that the players have remained focused and ready for each match. Following the win over Gotham, Orlando’s fifth straight, center back Kylie Strom put it simply, “at the end of the day, we have to stick to our principles, and we did exactly that.”
Strom was referring specifically to the team’s defensive performance, but around the pitch, players are staying true to the other key principles that got them here. In recent matches, defense, as well as squad depth and versatility, have set this club apart from the competition.
Defensively, the numbers speak for themselves. Orlando now has five clean sheets in its past six NWSL matches and has only conceded 12 times in 18 matches. During the previous six matches, the Pride have started seven different players in the back four positions, and that does not include Rafaelle, who has been struggling with leg injuries this season. One of the players deputizing due to injuries to Rafaelle and Bri Martinez is Cori Dyke, who despite only starting three matches to this point in her debut season, is beginning to thrive in the environment the staff and other players have created.
Dyke exemplifies how squad depth has also been key to this defensive run. Despite a couple of injuries, the Pride still have not trailed in a match since the first month of the season, nor have they conceded a goal past the 75th minute. This stat could only be achieved because the roster is ready top to bottom to do the dirty work of defending, whether the players on the pitch are regular starters, or late game specialists. Also, it never hurts to be able to bring on Orlando’s newest addition, veteran defender Carson Pickett, to help see out games.
Orlando’s depth and versatility have also shown for the attack in recent weeks. While outsiders may wrongly view the Pride offense as a one-player “Barbra Banda show” due to her team-high 12 goals, the Dash and Gotham games demonstrated how lethal Orlando can be even without a goal from Banda. Against Gotham, it was Adriana who contributed two great goals within 20 minutes to put the game out of reach right after kickoff. Despite a slower start to 2024 following her electric debut campaign, Adriana now sits on five goals for the season. This tally brings her level with Marta, who has hit her highest individual goal mark since 2019, and Summer Yates, who subbed on and scored her fifth of season, a game winner, against the Dash.
Again, Yates’ goal highlights how the Pride players continue to perform well, whether they start or come off the bench. Goals are not the only way Pride attackers have contributed from the bench either, though Julie Doyle did almost have the goal of the season on Sunday if not for the offside flag. Doyle was also critical to seeing out the win and clean sheet because she drove the ball into the opposition half and toward the corner flag repeatedly to kill time and disrupt the flow of the match. Watt performed much the same role after her introduction as well, ensuring that Gotham did not have as many chances to score towards the end of the match.
At the end of the day, these are the types of contributions that Orlando will need to keep winning and maintain their lead at the top of the table. This includes the way the defense doesn’t let the opposition breathe, no matter who is playing. It includes timely goals from the entire Pride roster and not just Banda. And, it includes players in each position remaining focused and doing what they have done to be in the position they are in today. That position is one where they finally have daylight between them and their rivals at the top.
While there are still eight matches to go, the Pride will know that if they can take care of business against the teams outside of the top four in the NWSL, such as this weekend’s against the Chicago Red Stars, the path for other teams to catch them will get much trickier.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Loan Amanda Allen to Lexington SC
The Pride have sent Canadian international forward Amanda Allen on loan to USL Super League side Lexington SC.
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The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has sent forward Amanda Allen on loan to USL Super League side Lexington SC. The loan is for the 2024-25 USL Super League season, which runs through May, and includes a right to recall.
“Amanda has shown her potential and maturity during her time here in Orlando and we’re happy to find an opportunity for her to get more minutes on the field,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Amanda has played an important role so far this season and we are happy to be able to give her the opportunity to compete in Lexington. We look forward to watching her play and will continue to support her from afar during this loan spell.”
The Mississauga, Ontario, native joined the Pride on April 3, 2023 on a three-year deal running through the 2025 season. She made her debut on May 6, 2023 against Racing Louisville FC, becoming the youngest player to play for the Pride at 18 years, two months, and 15 days old.
In her two years in Orlando, Allen has made 17 appearances with two starts while recording 293 minutes with one assist in all competitions. That includes 11 NWSL regular season appearances, three Challenge Cup appearances, and three NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup appearances. Her assist came in this year’s season opener in a 2-2 draw against Racing Louisville when she found Summer Yates for the late equalizer.
Allen has spent time with the Canadian National Team and the youth squads. The 19-year-old forward is currently at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, where she started in the team’s first two group games.
What This Means for Orlando
The Pride have two primary forwards this season in Barbra Banda and Ally Watt, with the other forwards usually being left on the bench or out of the matchday squad. Even veteran and Argentina international Mariana Larroquette has found it hard to see the field. The club views Allen as part of the future of this team, but she was unlikely to see much more time this year in the regular season or postseason.
This loan gives the 19-year-old an opportunity to see first-team minutes at a high level, as the USL Super League is a first division league. The team was already heavy on forwards, resulting in the waiving of rookie Alex Kerr on Aug. 29. This move clears more space at the position while stating that Allen is part of the future of the team.
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