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Orlando Pride at Portland Thorns: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Are Dominated on the Road

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The Orlando Pride (4-3-4, 16 points) fell 2-1 to the Portland Thorns (6-3-1, 19 points) in a game they were never really in. The Thorns dominated the game but failed to convert on most of their chances.

The Pride displayed the most unique back four so far this season. With Phoebe McClernon recovering from an injury and Ali Riley with New Zealand for the Olympics, Amy Turner and Kylie Strom received their first starts for the Pride. Other than those two changes, the lineup was pretty much as expected.

The first half hour of the game was all Portland, with the Pride unable to maintain any possession. While the Pride defense was able to intercept passes into the box, more often than not they would immediately give it back to the Thorns for another chance.

The Thorns nearly opened the scoring in the 21st minute by forcing an own goal. Rocky Rodriguez found Morgan Weaver in the box. Gunny Jonsdottir was able to deflect the pass, but the deflection got past Ashlyn Harris and nearly into the corner of goal. Fortunately for the Pride, it hit the post and Turner was able to clear it.

While the Pride was able to clear the danger, it went right back to the Thorns and they responded with three great chances. First, Weaver was sent through and nearly had a shot but Turner beat her to the ball. Seconds later, another dangerous ball was sent through but Courtney Petersen sent it out of play.

In the 24th minute, Kelli Hubly found herself with a golden opportunity. Celeste Boureille found Hubly alone at the top of the six. With only Harris in front of her, the defender sent a shot toward goal but it soared over the crossbar.

Two minutes later, the Thorns finally broke through with a wonderful individual effort. Sophia Smith was able to win the ball in her own third and carried it all the way to the Pride’s box with little resistance. Her long-distance strike beat Harris to the near post for the game’s opening goal.

The Thorns nearly scored a second in the 33rd minute when Smith found Marissa Everett in the box. It would’ve been a breakaway on goal but Everett was judged to be just offside. It was a break for the Pride as replays appeared to show Everett was even with the defender and VAR isn’t used in the NWSL.

In the 38th minute, a poor challenge in the box by Strom gave Meghan Klingenberg the opportunity to go down. Rodriguez stepped up to take the penalty but it was poor and Harris was able to get down to make yet another penalty save.

The penalty save seemed to wake the Pride up a little as they quickly created a couple of chances. In the 36th minute, Sydney Leroux sent a dangerous cross into the box but it was just a bit high for Jonsdottir. In the 42nd minute, Petersen found Leroux in the box but her header was just over the crossbar.

A head injury to Taylor Kornieck extended injury time and the Thorns nearly took advantage. Nine minutes into added time, Smith was sent through on goal. Harris came off her line and forced Smith into a poor shot that traveled wide of the goal.

“First half we weren’t near it in terms of tackling, we weren’t near it in terms of game plan,” Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner said after the game. “It was a poor half from us, the first half. It took us too long to react.”

The start of the second half was similar to much of the first half with the Thorns dominating. They had a couple of blocked shots at the top of the box before an errant shot gave the Pride the ability to clear via a goal kick.

After very little action around her net, Thorns goalkeeper Bella Bixby was finally forced into action in the 52nd minute. Crystal Thomas made a nice run to the end line and sent a cross into the box. It was intended for Abi Kim, who had come on for Erika Tymrak at halftime, but Bixby came off her line to catch it.

After several chances, the Thorns were finally able to double the lead in the 58th minute. The initial free kick was cleared, but it went right to Klingenberg, who sent it right back in. Weaver beat Turner to the ball inside the six and headed it on goal. Harris got a hand to it, but it wasn’t enough as the ball was deflected into goal.

Weaver was a headache for the Pride all game long and nearly created a third goal for the Thorns in the 71st minute. A great run allowed her to find second-half substitute Yazmeen Ryan at midfield. Ryan was behind the Pride defense with only Harris to beat but her second touch was far too strong, allowing the Pride goalkeeper to collect.

Three minutes later, the Pride had a great opportunity to get back into the game. A nice cross by Petersen found the head of Kornieck at the top of the six-yard box. Kornieck directed the ball towards goal, but it went wide of the target, just beyond the outstretched arm of Bixby.

The Pride did end up getting a consolation goal late. Five minutes into the second half’s stoppage time, Kim found Marisa Viggiano at the top of the box. The midfielder’s second touch was a rocket past Bixby, cutting the Thorns lead in half.

“The ball got played down the right flank,” Viggiano said about her goal. “Abi Kim made a great run to get on the end of it. Syd made a great run near post and Abi crossed it. They drew a lot of attention. And I just yelled at her to leave it. I found myself at the top of the box, took a touch, shot it, and it went in.”

The goal was too little, too late for the Pride as they didn’t leave enough time to complete the comeback. The Thorns held possession over the remaining few minutes and defeated the visiting Pride 2-1.

“When we got back into the second half, and once we started to exact the game plan, we found lots of spaces that we needed to occupy and created some chances,” Skinner said about the second 45 minutes. “We started to have some momentum towards the end.”

“It’s an intimidating place to come,” he continued. “It’s a place where the players knew exactly what they needed to do. We were slightly off at moments and paid for that first half.”

Despite the close score, this game was all Portland. The Thorns led the Pride in possession (54.3%-45.7%), corners (12-4), total passes (384-318), shots (20-6), and shots on target (6-2). The Pride did come out on top in duels won (72-50) and tackles won (14-11). But those Pride accomplishments were because they spent most of the game defending.

The Thorns and the Pride entered the game tied at the top of the NWSL, but the result sent them in opposite directions. While the Thorns are now alone atop the league standings, the Pride find themselves down in fifth. The Pride will take the field again next Saturday night when they host OL Reign at 7 p.m. at Exploria Stadium.

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Extend Emily Sams’ Contract through 2027

NWSL Defender of the Year Emily Sams has extended her deal with the Orlando Pride on the heels of a stellar 2024 season.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride announced this afternoon that the club has extended the contract to 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year Emily Sams. The U.S. international, who was recently named to the 2025 SheBelieves Cup roster, signed a new deal to remain with the Pride through the 2027 NWSL season.

Sams, 25, was previously under contract through 2026. She likely received a bump in pay to commit to an additional year after having a career year in helping lead the Pride to the 2024 NWSL Shield and 2024 NWSL Championship. She also received her first cap with the United States Women’s National Team in 2024.

“Extending Emily’s future with the Pride through 2027 represents an important milestone for our club,” Orlando Pride Vice President and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Emily embodies everything we value in a Pride player — exceptional talent, unwavering commitment, and strong leadership both on and off the field. Her defensive prowess and ability to read the game have been instrumental to our back line, and her presence in the locker room helps drive the culture we’re building here in Orlando. This extension reflects not only our belief in Emily’s abilities but also our commitment to maintaining a core group of players who understand what it means to represent this club and this community.” 

Selected third overall in the 2023 NWSL Draft, Sams appeared in 25 games during the 2024 regular season (24 starts) and logged 2,185 minutes, which was the most playing time among all outfield players and second on the club only to goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse. The only match she didn’t start and play the entire 90 minutes was the road game against the Portland Thorns — the match immediately after the Pride won the NWSL Shield. This came on the heels of playing all but three minutes of her rookie season in 2023.

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%). Defensively, she contributed 24 tackles and 26 interceptions, winning 31 headed duels.

In the NWSL playoffs, Sams started in all three games, logging 270 minutes. She did not score or attempt a shot, but she recorded an assist. The defender connected on 144 of her 158 postseason passes (91%). Defensively, Sams contributed four tackles and three interceptions.

Due to her participation as an alternate on the USWNT at the Summer Olympics, Sams did not appear in the Summer Cup matches. She was moved to the active roster for a match during the Olympics but did not feature.

Sams led the Pride to numerous club and league records, including the longest shutout streak in NWSL history (554) and the most shutouts in one season (13). For her efforts, she became the first Orlando player to win NWSL Defender of the Year and made the NWSL Best XI first team. She received a rating of 9 out of 10 from The Mane Land staff following the 2024 campaign for her performance throughout the season.

Along with all the other awards she won, Sams became the first player to win an Olympic Gold Medal and the NWSL Championship in the same year.

What It Means for Orlando

This is great news for Orlando Pride fans. In an off-season that saw multiple U.S. internationals leave the NWSL to play overseas, the NWSL is still a star-studded league, and Sams is one of those stars. To have a player of her caliber commit to Orlando when competing against historic clubs that have UEFA Champions League-winning ambitions for the services of top players is a win for the Pride. That isn’t to say she couldn’t or won’t be sold at some point, but by locking her into a deal for an additional year is important, even if a deal comes along that is too good to pass up (and has the player’s blessing).

Sams is just entering the prime of her career and is already one of the best defenders in women’s soccer, as shown by her Defender of the Year turn in 2024. She will be counted on to anchor the Pride back line for the remainder of her time in Orlando and she likely has more development to come. This is a player the Pride will continue to build around as a cornerstone of the club.

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Sign Two Players to Short-Term Contracts

With a couple of active roster slots open, the Pride have signed two of their non-roster invitees to short-term contracts.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride have signed goalkeeper DeAira Jackson and midfielder Aryssa Mahrt to short-term contracts. Both players were non-roster invitees to the club’s 2025 preseason camp and have obviously made an impression in a short time.

“We’re pleased to welcome both DeAira and Aryssa to Orlando. Both players bring unique qualities that will enhance our roster during this period,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “DeAira brings important depth to our goalkeeping unit with her strong shot-stopping ability and commanding presence in the box. Aryssa’s technical ability and vision give us additional options in the final third. These signings reflect our commitment to maintaining a competitive roster while providing opportunities for talented young players to showcase and develop their abilities at the professional level.” 

Jackson joins the Pride out of Grand Canyon University, where she was the 2024 WAC Goalkeeper of the Year and a member of the All-WAC first team following her last collegiate season. After playing two seasons at Cal State Fullerton, she transferred to Grand Canyon University and became the school’s all-time shutout leader with 16 in just two seasons. Nine of those came in her senior campaign, which set the school record for most clean sheets in a season. She was also the Outrigger No Ka Oi Tournament MVP and a two-time WAC Player of the Week in 2024. The Fontana, CA native appeared in 43 matches for Grand Canyon across two seasons, compiling a record of 25-11-7, the aforementioned 16 shutouts, a 0.89 goals-against average and a save percentage of .781, facing 415 shots in 3,754 minutes.

Mahrt played three seasons at the University of Wisconsin, appearing in 62 games (61 starts) and playing 4,503 minutes. The Milwaukee, WI native scored 21 goals and added 15 assists, putting 78 of her 114 shots on target. Eight of her goals were game winners. Mahrt started all 21 games in her senior season, leading the Badgers in goals (10) and assists (4). She has represented the United States at the youth level with both the U-14 and U-16 sides. Her soccer lineage includes a great grandfather who played for the Malaysian National Team.

What It Means for Orlando

Ultimately, these signings don’t mean much overall, aside from that the club rates these players as optional replacements. Grace Chanda, Simone Charley, and Rafaelle are still technically not part of the active roster, but may be reinstated whenever they are deemed healthy. Because there are available active roster spots available, why not use them? Additionally, Emily Sams and Anna Moorhouse have been called up to their national teams for upcoming competitions.

Orlando’s college scouting has been good, and no doubt the Pride would like to have these players stick around to push players in training and potentially fill in when players are forced out of the lineup by injury or international duty.

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Seb Hines Has Decisions To Make For Orlando Pride’s Back Line

What will the Pride’s back line look like when everyone is healthy?

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

As the 2025 NWSL season approaches, the Orlando Pride’s roster is taking shape. While the lineup will mostly remain the same, the departure of Adriana and the addition of Prisca Chilufya will impact changes. Additionally, the team has a key previously injured player returning for next season, something that will force Head Coach Seb Hines to make some tough decisions.

One of the most interesting situations impacting the Pride is the back line. Last season, Rafaelle went down with an injury that forced Emily Sams back to her natural center back position, partnering with Kylie Strom. The duo were terrific down the stretch, lifting their team to 14 shutouts, including in the NWSL Championship.

The move forced rookie Cori Dyke to take a more significant role, starting at right back. It was a tough situation for the 24-year-old, but she handled it brilliantly. Dyke was excellent during the final stretch of the season and especially during the playoffs, helping the team win the league title.

When Rafaelle returns from her injury and is fit to play, Hines will have three center backs, all of which have proven to make strong pairings on the back line. So how will the Pride boss handle the situation? Let’s take a look at some of his options.

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

While Rafaelle is a Brazilian international and a great center back, Sams and Strom were fantastic together for much of last season. Sams began the year at right back, while Rafaelle and Strom were the center back pairing. When Sams was forced to move to her natural position, Dyke took over as the starting right back.

Dyke had a strong rookie campaign, especially after taking over. Taking her out of the starting lineup with how she performed would be difficult for Hines. It would be surprising to see Rafaelle healthy and on the bench, but the back line of Kerry Abello, Strom, Sams, and Dyke was the best in the league last year and Hines might not want to rock the boat.

Go Back To The Start of 2024

Another option is to go back to how the back line looked at the start of 2024. While Sams was a regular at center back in 2023, Hines moved her to right back to begin last season. In a corresponding move, Strom — who had been the starting left back since 2022 — moved to center back alongside Rafaelle.

With everyone healthy, Hines could give that lineup another chance. After all, Strom was more solid at center back than left back and Sams proved she’s more than capable of playing right back. This is probably the most likely option and would ensure the team’s three best defenders are on the field.

Return to 2023

The Pride acquired Rafaelle on July 3, 2023, while the league was in the middle of the FIFA Women’s World Cup break. When the Brazilian joined the team, she started with Sams at center back and Strom was the starting left back. Strom has much more experience at left back than Sams does at right back, so Hines could send her back to her original position.

However, Strom had her best season as a member of the Pride in 2024 while playing center back. It’s hard to believe that Hines would send his vice captain back to left back after playing her in the middle all of last year. Rafaelle and Sams are the team’s only other experienced center backs, so this option is a possibility, even if it is unlikely.

Take Advantage of Versatility

When it comes to acquiring defenders, one of the primary things Hines and Haley Carter consider is versatility. Almost everyone on the back line can play center back and at least one of the outside back positions. This gives Hines an opportunity that few coaches have with their rosters.

Hines could move the players around, pairing all three center backs at times and moving Strom to the left and Sams to the right occasionally. Even Dyke can play center back, as she did in college. Moving players around would give them breaks during the season, keeping them fresh.

This decision could also backfire. Players get comfortable with their positions, so moving them around constantly could impact their quality. It would be a risky choice and is unlikely, but given the versatility of the players, it is an option for Hines. He could also take advantage of their versatility by playing a back line of three center backs, using Strom, Rafaelle, and Sams, while pushing Kerry Abello and Dyke up to wingback.


The Pride won the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship in 2024, one of the best seasons for any team in league history. They have most of the team returning, so they’ll be a favorite to repeat in 2025. While most of the lineup will be back, there are still some questions to be answered. One of those is who will start along the back line. We’ll find out soon enough, and it will be interesting to see what Hines decides.

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