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Orlando Pride Face an Adjustment Period

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4 years ago

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The Orlando Pride lost four players, including three starters, to the Summer Olympics. The absence of these players has resulted in some new players joining the team and others changing positions until those missing players return. Saturday night’s 2-0 loss to OL Reign showed the difficulty of the situation.

The start of the Olympic Games means that the Pride are without three key starters in their lineup. This includes Alex Morgan (United States), Marta (Brazil), and Ali Riley (New Zealand). Additionally, the team also lost backup goalkeeper Erin McLeod (Canada) to the tournament.

To prepare for these losses, the Pride made some significant moves. Defenders Amy Turner and Kylie Strom were brought in to cover the loss of Riley and forward Jodie Taylor was brought in to replace Morgan.

With Carrie Lawrence on the injured list, the only two players who could replace Riley at right back were Gunny Jonsdottir and Ali Krieger. While Jonsdottir played right back during the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, Krieger was a veteran of the position at the international level before moving into the center back role with Orlando. While she hasn’t played the position in a couple of years, it was seen as an easier transition for Krieger than other players.

Saturday night showed that the move back outside won’t be as easy as some might’ve thought. Krieger had a difficult time handling Tziarra King and her giveaways were a part of both Reign goals. In the 10th minute, Krieger got trapped on the right touchline, giving the ball away to King. Early in the second half, she was trying to dribble out of trouble, took too heavy a touch, and lost the ball to Eugenie Le Sommer, and King ended up with the second goal for the Reign.

While Krieger had a nightmare of a game, it wasn’t much better for Turner. The English center back is experienced, but was starting alongside Phoebe McClernon for the first time. The two had their own troubles with communication and organization as the Reign were able to slice through the Pride defense, resulting in 18 shots with 12 on target.

Additionally, Turner could’ve given up the third goal in the 59th minute when a good run by Le Sommer resulted in Turner chasing her down from behind. Turner slid in attempting to stop her from getting a shot on goal, but took the French international down in the process. Fortunately for the Pride, Ashlyn Harris was up to the task again, making her fifth consecutive penalty save.

Turner’s night got worse 10 minutes later when her comfort in the box was taken advantage of by OL Reign. The center back ended up playing the ball right to Le Sommer, who could’ve made it three. However, Krieger did well to challenge the attacker, forcing her touch outside and the Pride were able to clear.

On the attacking end, the Pride had been using Sydney Leroux up top in the absence of Morgan. Leroux scored a brace in Kansas City during her first game as a forward this season. She then scored a last-minute equalizer against Racing Louisville on July 9.

The addition of English international Taylor was supposed to make things easier. Leroux would go back to her natural outside position, creating chances for Taylor to score. But that didn’t happen against OL Reign. In fact, the Pride were held to just seven shots with none ending up on target.

While the Pride have made some good moves, it will undoubtedly take time for players to adjust to their new team or roles. Once the Olympic players return, they will return to their previous positions. But by that point, the Pride could slide further down the standings, significantly hindering their chances of a playoff run.

Making matters worse is the coaching situation. The sudden departure of Marc Skinner has caused the need for the Pride to bring in Becky Burleigh as the interim head coach. Burleigh might bring new ideas and formations into the fold, which could require an adjustment period as well.

The game against OL Reign was the first time we’ve seen Turner starting alongside McClernon, and Krieger on the right. Additionally, left back Courtney Petersen moved into the midfield — a position she has played a few times previously. It was a difficult night for the Pride and it showed that there will have to be an adjustment period for the players, as some reacclimate to former positions and others get used to being alongside new partners. The speed in which they adjust could determine the success of the season.

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Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Stars FC: Final Score 6-0 as Pride Open The Season With A Dominant Performance

Pride start 2025 NWSL season with a dominating home win over Chicago Stars FC.

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9 hours ago

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March 14, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride (1-0-0, 3 points) opened the 2025 NWSL season with a dominant 6-0 win over Chicago Stars FC (0-1-0) tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. Haley McCutcheon, Ally Watt, and Julie Doyle netted goals for the Pride, while Barbra Banda scored a brace. The other goal was an own goal by Hannah Anderson just after halftime.

The fans showed up for the celebration with an announced attendance of 19,237. That’s the second-highest home attendance in club history and the largest crowd for a Pride game at Inter&Co Stadium.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines displayed the same lineup that drew 1-1 with the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup last Friday night. Anna Moorhouse was in goal behind a back line of Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Kylie Nadaner, and Emily Sams. Morgan Gautrat and McCutcheon were the defensive midfielders behind Angelina, Marta, and Watt. Banda took her usual starting position up top.

The night started on a high as the Pride celebrated their double last season. Recently retired alumni Carrie Lawrence, Celia, and Megan Montefusco carried the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship trophies onto the field before the two banners were raised above The Wall.

“It’s great. It’s, again, an incredible achievement to get both the shield and the championship,” Hines said. “It’s incredibly difficult as well in this league. The parity between the teams and all the challenges that come along with it. But to do that for the city, or we said, we always wanted to give back to the city and bring a championship to the city. And you know, as a representation of what we did last year, to see the banners in our home stadium is great for us.”

“Kylie and I were looking at them. They’re so beautiful,” McCutcheon said about the new banners. “But I think what’s even more beautiful is seeing those fans out there. I don’t know how many we had tonight, but it was absolutely electric and I think one of the biggest crowds I’ve seen since I’ve been here.”

When the game started, the Pride went on the early attack, putting the Stars on their heels. In the second minute, Watt was unable to control Marta’s cross, but the ball went right to McCutcheon. The defensive midfielder’s shot was deflected and blocked by Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. Chicago was unable to clear, allowing Banda to get a shot of her own. However, Naeher was up to the task, tipping it over the crossbar.

In the seventh minute, the Pride took the lead. Angelina sent Banda into the box and the forward shielded Bea Franklin off the ball. Her shot from a tight angle was blocked by Anderson, going right to Gautrat. The midfielder laid it off for McCutcheon, who blasted her shot past Naeher to give the Pride an early 1-0 lead.

It was the quickest goal the Pride have scored in a season-opening game in club history. Additionally, McCutcheon has now scored in three of the last four games after scoring in two of the three playoff games last year.

“I think that with the special players we have and their qualities, they take a lot of attention from defenders,” McCutcheon said of her goal streak. “And so if I can find myself getting those opportunities, I just feel like I’ve been in the right place at the right time and made the most of that. So I want to continue to do that.”

In the 17th minute, Banda made a run down the right, sending a cross into the box. She was looking for Marta or Angelina making runs into the six, but it was blocked by Anderson. The ball went directly to Abello at the top of the box, but her shot was blocked by Shea Groom. Finally, the Pride got a shot that reached the end line when Gautrat took a shot from the top of the box. However, her attempt missed wide.

The Stars got their first real chance in the 29th minute when Ally Schlegel’s cross into the six-yard box was blocked out of play by Moorhouse for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece found the head of Franklin, who put the attempt on target, but it was right to Moorhouse and didn’t cause the Pride shot stopper any trouble.

Moorhouse immediately threw the ball long and to the right for Marta. The Pride captain cut inside to beat Camryn Biegalski with Banda sprinting down the middle of the field. The Brazilian sent a hard ball across that Banda did well to chest down. The Zambian shot, but Naeher was up to the task, blocking it wide for a corner kick.

Marta’s ensuing corner kick headed out and cleared away by Nadia Gomes.

In the 34th minute, an Angelina corner kick was cleared out wide where the Brazilian took control. She sent another cross that was just out of the reach of Rafaelle and off Nadaner. Unfortunately, neither could redirect the ball on goal.

In the 37th minute, Watt dribbled to the end line and her cross was blocked out of play by Anderson for another corner kick. Marta’s set piece was to the near post where Watt outjumped Biegalski and Taylor Malham, knocking it past Naeher to give the Pride a 2-0 lead.

“I saw the ball come off Marta’s foot and I ran into the front post. And I just hoped to God I don’t get punched in the face, because I know Alyssa (Naeher) was coming off her line,” Watt said about her goal. “And we’ve been working so hard on set plays for the last week, because we get a lot of corners. We get a lot in attack, we get a lot of corners, and honestly, we should score off more. But, I just, I made my run. I keep making my run, and then Marta always puts in a fabulous ball. So I just had to make sure I was in the right spot. And I was.”

In the second minute of stoppage time, Rafaelle tried to send Banda behind the Chicago back line. Franklin got there first but misplayed the ball. Banda took possession and turned her, attempting to beat Naeher to the near post. However, the ball hit the outside netting.

“It’s renowned that 2-0 is always a dangerous scoreline and that next goal is vitally important. And so we talked about that at halftime with the team that we have to continue our momentum, our aggressive nature,” Hines said about his halftime speech. “And getting that third goal so early into the second half really kind of put the game at rest. And we could have the ability to rotate and make some substitutions and get players time on the field while still being aggressive and still trying to score more goals.”

That was the final chance of the first half as the Pride took a 2-0 lead into the break.

The Pride started the second half like they ended the first, striking early. In the 47th minute, Gautrat sent a cross into the six-yard box for Banda, but Anderson stepped in the way. However, the ball bounced off the center back and in to give the Pride a 3-0 lead.

“I think tonight, coming in at 2-0 at halftime is always kind of a weird scoreline. And so to start off, I think we scored the first two minutes into the second half,” McCutcheon said about the early second-half goal. “So again, just when we come out on the front foot, not only from half to half, but dead balls, things like that. We’ve really just tried to lock in on. We call them big five moments.”

The Pride had a chance for a fourth in the 49th minute when Naeher misplayed a pass back from Franklin. The goalkeeper was attempting to clear the ball upfield, but gave it right to Watt instead. The attacker had plenty of time and tried to curl her second touch into the top left corner, but sent the attempt off target.

Hines made his first three changes in the 62nd minute. Cori Dyke, Julie Doyle, and Prisca Chilufya came on for Rafaelle, Gautrat, and Watt. The Rafaelle change wasn’t surprising as she returns to full fitness. The move sent Dyke to right back and moved Sams to center back alongside Nadaner.

The Pride netted a fourth in the 65th minute and it was one of the substitutes. It started when Sams collected a Stars clearance and played Banda down the right. The striker used a nice touch to beat Anderson, giving her a path into the box. She played the ball central, where Chilufya was making a run, but Doyle called for it behind her. Chilufya wisely let it go and Doyle put it in to give the Pride a 4-0 lead.

In the 72nd minute, Doyle went down with a non-contact injury. After passing the ball forward for Banda, the midfielder held her right knee with tears in her eyes. After receiving treatment from the medical staff, she was helped off the field and replaced by Ally Lemos.

When play resumed, the Pride were given a good chance when Angelina’s shot was off the arm of Franklin just outside the box. Marta stepped up to take the set piece, curling it around the post.

Banda netted her first of two goals in the 80th minute when Chilufya played her forward. Anderson got to it first, but misplayed the ball, allowing Banda to split her and Franklin. Malham tried to challenge the striker, but was no match. Banda opened up and took the attempt well, putting it past Naeher to make it 5-0.

Three minutes later, Hines made his final change of the game as Viviana Villacorta came into the game for Marta.

The best goal of the night came in the 87th minute and it was Banda again. She intercepted a weak pass from Malham to Franklin, giving herself a shot from distance. It was a rocket over the outstretched arm of Naeher to give the Pride a 6-0 lead.

The goal tied a club record that was set on June 24, 2024 when the Pride won 6-0 over the Utah Royals in the same stadium. Banda scored a brace in that game as well.

“I think that’s huge. I think scoring goals is usually the last thing to come as we’re going through preseason and finding ourselves in the first match. So to get a six right off the bat is really good to kind of get in a flow,” McCutcheon said about tying the club record. “That’s something that we’ve worked really hard all preseason doing. And so we want to just be more dynamic on all fronts. And obviously we did that, and you score six goals, it’s going to be tough to lose that game, so we’re feeling good about it.”

It looked like the Pride scored a club-record seventh goal in the second minute of second-half stoppage time when McCutcheon played the ball long for Chilufya. Banda made a diagonal run to the middle and her international teammate found her. Chilufya passed the ball in, but the flag went up because Banda was offside on the initial pass from McCutcheon.

That was the final attempt for either team as the Pride came away with a 6-0 win. The Pride dominated this game in every way, ending with more possession (63.6%-36.4%), shots (26-8), shots on target (8-2), crosses (23-3), and corner kicks (13-2). They also had better passing accuracy (88.6%-76.2%) in the 90 minutes.

“It’s a good start to the year, especially with the celebration at the start and the banners and the trophies being in front,” Hines said. “It was always worrying because, obviously, that’s in the past, and that was all that we achieved last year. And trying to flip that mindset to the task at hand. And obviously priority was winning the game tonight and getting off to a good start. And yeah, I thought we played some really good football. I thought we were defensively pretty solid. And yeah, to score six goals in NWSL is a massive achievement. So yeah, it’s been a really good day for all of us.”

In addition to tying the club record for most goals in a game, it’s the Pride’s first-ever season-opening win. Previously, they’d drawn three times and lost five times to open seasons. It’s the first time the Pride have won a home opener since 2016, when they defeated the Houston Dash in front of a club-record crowd of 23,403.

The Pride continue their recent domination over the Stars. They’re now 3-0-1 in their last four games, dating back to 2023. They’ve outscored Chicago 10-1 in the last two games, which includes the playoff game last year and tonight’s season opener.

The Pride will look beyond this celebratory night as they prepare for their first road game of 2025. They’ll travel north to face NJ/NY Gotham FC on March 23 in New Jersey.

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Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Stars FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride kick off the 2025 NWSL regular season tonight at home against Chicago Stars FC.

Published

21 hours ago

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March 14, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride open the 2025 NWSL regular season against Chicago Stars FC. This is the first of two times the teams will meet in the regular season.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

History

The Pride and Red Stars have played every season since Orlando’s entrance into the NWSL except 2020. The teams have played 21 games, with the Pride going 7-12-2. The Pride have struggled against the Stars in Orlando with a record of 2-7-2, with one of those wins coming in the 2024 playoffs.

The Pride and then-Red Stars last met on Nov. 8, 2024 in the NWSL playoffs in Orlando. It was the Pride’s first-ever home playoff game and they dominated. Ally Watt set up a Haley McCutcheon goal in the 26th minute to give the hosts the lead, and Barbra Banda netted a brace on either side of halftime. Marta made it 4-0 with a penalty in the 57th minute, sealing the result. It would’ve been a clean sheet, but Anna Moorhouse cleared the ball off of Jameese Joseph and into her own net, ending the game with a 4-1 result.

The teams met in in Illinois in the last regular-season meeting on Sept. 8, 2024. Marta’s 37th-minute goal was the difference as the Pride came away with a 1-0 win. On March 29 in Orlando, the Pride took the lead early through a Taylor Malham own goal, but Mallory Swanson equalized in the 64th minute, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

The first meeting of 2023 was on May 27 in Illinois. Orlando dominated the entire 90 minutes, with Chicago only getting two chances on its home field. But the Pride struggled to hit the target, and Yuki Nagasato’s goal was the difference as the Pride fell 1-0.  The Aug. 20 matchup was the debut of Pride center back Rafaelle, and the Brazilian scored in the 15th minute to give Orlando the lead. The hosts continued their attack, resulting in four more goals. Messiah Bright scored a pair, new signing Mariana Larroquette scored her first Pride goal, and Mikayla Cluff capped off the night with a goal as the Pride won 5-0.

The first meeting of 2022 took place on May 22 in Orlando. Sarah Griffin gave the visitors the lead, and Bianca St. Georges and Swanson made it 3-0 Chicago. It appeared as though the Red Stars would run away with the game, but the final 10 minutes saw three goals and two penalties for an exciting finish. Sydney Leroux missed a penalty, but Amy Turner scored the Pride’s first goal late. Swanson converted her penalty moments later, and Leah Pruitt scored her first goal for the Pride a minute after that in a 4-2 Red Stars win. The second meeting of the 2022 season was on June 12 in Illinois. Swanson capitalized on an early Pride turnover and the Red Stars held on for the 1-0 win.

The teams met three times during the 2021 season, but didn’t play until Aug. 8 in Illinois. Jodie Taylor and Leroux scored for the Pride before halftime. The 2-0 win ended a six-game winless streak and was the first NWSL victory for interim head coach Becky Burleigh.

The second meeting was Oct. 13 in Bridgeview, a rescheduled game that was originally supposed to take place Oct. 2. Kealia Watt scored early and the Red Stars defended that lead for 84 minutes on their way to a 1-0 result. The teams met again Oct. 29, 2021, in Orlando in the final game of the regular season. The Red Stars controlled the game but the Pride held off the Chicago attack for 65 minutes, at which point Watt scored the lone goal in a 1-0 Chicago win.

The Pride and Red Stars didn’t play in the 2020 Fall Series, so the last meeting prior to 2021 came in 2019. The first game was June 30 at Exploria Stadium. Goals by Chioma Ubogagu and Marta were topped by a Sam Kerr hat trick as the Red Stars won 3-2. The second game was on Aug. 21 in Bridgeview. The Pride took a 2-0 lead with goals by Rachel Hill and Ubogagu. Tierna Davidson cut the lead in half for Chicago, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride won 2-1. 

The third meeting in 2021 came on Sept. 11 in Orlando. Casey Short stole the game for Chicago with the game’s lone goal five minutes into second-half injury time as the Red Stars won, 1-0.

The 2018 NWSL season saw the Pride and Red Stars meet three times. On May 2 in Bridgeview, Hill and Ubogagu scored in a 2-0 Pride win. They met in the same location May 26, with a Leroux brace and goals by Hill, Alex Morgan, and Dani Weatherholt leading to a 5-2 Pride win. The Red Stars were led by a Kerr brace in a 3-1 Chicago victory on Aug. 25 in Orlando in the third meeting of 2018.

The Pride and Red Stars met three times in 2017 — the first year that they played that many games against each other. A Christen Press goal on July 1 lifted Chicago to a 1-0 win. On July 22 in Bridgeview, a Press brace led her team to a 2-1 win. The final meeting came a week later in Orlando. Morgan and Sofia Huerta traded goals in a 1-1 draw.

The Red Stars won both meetings in 2016 by 1-0 final scores.

Overview

The Pride kicked off their 2025 campaign a week ago at home against the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup. Rafaelle scored on her return from injury in the 41st minute, but Leicy Santos equalized with a free kick dart in the 72nd minute. The game ended in a 1-1 draw and Washington took the trophy on penalties.

While the Pride didn’t get off to the start they wanted, tonight’s match counts in the standings. The night will kick off with the raising of the team’s 2024 NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship banners. Then, the Pride will look to start the new season with a bang and make it a memorable evening for the fans.

Rafaelle played 45 minutes Friday night in her first game since July 6, 2024. It’s likely she’ll start again tonight alongside Kylie Nadaner with Emily Sams on the right. However, it’s unclear whether the Brazilian is ready to go 90 minutes, and the team doesn’t want to rush her back too early.

The Stars will be missing their best player in Swanson, who has been missing since the start of preseason and remains out due to personal reasons. That will make the task of going up against the Pride’s vaunted back line that much more difficult.

The Pride will likely continue to go with Banda and Watt as the primary attackers in front of club captain Marta. They played together at the end of the 2024 regular season and in the postseason. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines seems to like Watt’s speed to create opportunities for Banda.

It will be interesting to see if we see Angelina in the attacking midfield again. She started there early last season, but found her spot in the defensive midfield. She moved back to her regular role after halftime last weekend when Julie Doyle came on for Rafaelle.

“I am so excited to start the season. It was a short off-season, but I think we are going to pick up right where we left off,” Nadaner said leading into tonight’s game. “Having the core group return along with some new faces is exciting and we are ready to go. We can’t wait to see those banners go up in the rafters before the match and then turn our attention to Chicago and hopefully come away with three points at home.”

There aren’t any surprises in the Pride injury report this week. They’re still without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), Carson Pickett (foot), Aryssa Mahrt (knee), and Oihane (pending visa);

Meanwhile, the Stars are without Jenna Bike (hamstring), Ava Cook (knee), Natalia Kuikka (knee), Maitane (calf), Leilanni Nesbeth (illness), Ludmila (suspension), and Swanson (excused absence).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.

Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Prisca Chilufya, Viviana Villacorta, Julie Doyle, Cori Dyke, Summer Yates, Ally Lemos, Brianna Martinez, Zara Chavoshi.

Chicago Stars FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Alyssa Naeher.

Defenders: Taylor Malham, Hannah Anderson, Bea Franklin, Camryn Biegalski.

Defensive Midfielders: Julia Grosso, Cari Roccaro.

Midfielders: Shea Groom, Ally Schlegel, Nadia Gomes. 

Forward: Jameese Joseph.

Bench: Catherine Barry, Chardonnay Curran, Justina Gaynor, Sarah Griffith, Manaka Hayashi, Micayla Johnson, Halle Mackiewicz, Sam Staab.

Referees

REF: Shawn Tehini.
AR1: Zach McWhorter.
AR2: Brian Marshall.
4TH: Richonne Clark.
VAR: Katja Koroleva.
AVAR: Rhett Hammil.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: Prime Video.

Twitter: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

Enjoy the match .Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Final Score 1-1 as Pride Drop Challenge Cup In Penalties

The Pride drew the Spirit in the Challenge Cup before falling 4-2 on penalties.

Published

1 week ago

on

March 7, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride opened the 2025 campaign tonight with a 1-1 draw against the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup at Inter&Co Stadium, falling 4-2 in penalties. Rafaelle gave the Pride the lead in the 41st minute, but Leicy Santos equalized with a great set piece in the 72nd minute.

This was the first time seeing Pride Head Coach Seb Hines’ starting lineup for 2025. Anna Moorhouse was in goal behind a back line of Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Rafaelle, and Emily Sams. Morgan Gautrat and Haley McCutcheon were the defensive midfielders behind Ally Watt, Marta, and Angelina with Barbra Banda up top.

The game saw the return of Brazilian center back Rafaelle, who had been out since July 6, 2024. It was also Angelina’s introduction in the attacking midfield for the first time since early last year. Primarily a defensive midfielder last season, Hines moved her forward where she could be creative.

“Rafa missed a lot of football last year. You can see what she brings when she’s on the field,” Hines said about the center back. “And so getting her to 45 minutes was a goal of ours.”

“We felt tonight that was an area that we could exploit with Washington’s press,” Hines said about starting Angelina in the attacking midfield. “We would have liked to get her the ball a lot more in that first half in that position. But again, it’s that understanding in chemistry and more work on the training field that would have helped us get her in those positions where she can be threatening.”

The Spirit had the first chance of the game in the 10th minute when the Pride tried to play the ball out of the back. They worked it from left to right, ending up on the foot of Sams. She played it central for McCutcheon, but the pass was off target. Santos took possession and shot from outside of the box but missed wide. 

Watt nearly gave the Pride the lead in the 14th minute when the attacker tried to chip Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury. The goalkeeper got a touch to the ball, causing it to hit the top of the crossbar. The ensuing corner kick by Angelina was too close to Kingsbury, who caught it.

The Spirit had another good chance in the 18th minute when Gabrielle Carle played a beautiful ball forward for Brittany Ratcliffe on the right. Teenage midfielder Chloe Ricketts was making a run to the top of the box and Ratcliffe found her. Ricketts tried to beat Moorhouse to her right post, but the Pride shot stopper did well to get down and make the save.

A Watt cross caused problems for the Spirit in the 21st minute when Kingsbury lost control. It was free for a brief time, but nobody in purple was there to jump on it. Kingsbury was able to get back on the ball and end the threat.

In the 36th minute, Watt stuck her foot out and intercepted Narumi Miura’s pass back for Esme Morgan. As the attacker entered the box, Miura tripped her from behind and referee Alex Billeter pointed to the spot.

As Marta stood over the ball, the video assistant referee called for Billeter to take a second look. Replays showed that the contact between Miura and Watt was just outside the box. Billeter agreed and awarded the Pride a free kick instead. That could have been a major talking point, because Billeter did not allow play to continue after the foul, although Banda was first to the loose ball, appeared to have advantage, and may have scored had the whistle not blown.

However, on the set piece, Angelina tapped the ball to Marta, who fired a shot into the wall. The ball bounced back to Rafaelle, who sent it through several bodies and into the far corner to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.

“It’s always a great pleasure to score, especially with my whole team supporting me and happy for me to be back,” Rafaelle said. “First of all, I’m really happy to be back. I know scoring is a big moment in the game, but for me, just playing a few minutes and being with the team, that’s the best feeling ever.”

In the second minute of first-half injury time, Watt knocked the ball off Casey Krueger’s foot and out for a corner kick. Rafaelle got her head to Marta’s set piece, sending the ball towards goal. However, Kingsbury was there to catch it before it reached the goal line.

Banda turned McKeown in the third minute of stoppage time and went on a strong run into the box. McKeown went down while challenging Banda and the striker got into the box. The center back caught back up with Banda as she challenged Carle. There was contact and Banda went down, but Billeter determined it wasn’t enough to point to the spot for a second time.

The final attempt of the first half came in the dying seconds. Ashley Hatch did well to turn McCutcheon and create space for a shot from outside the box. However, the attempt was right into the arms of Moorhouse, who caught the ball as the halftime whistle blew.

Hines made one halftime change, and it was an interesting one. While Rafaelle coming off wasn’t surprising, Julie Doyle replaced her. As a result, Sams moved from right back to center back, McCutcheon moved from the defensive midfield to right back, and Angelina moved from the attacking midfield to defensive midfield.

“We would have liked to keep her (Rafaelle) on the field for longer,” Hines said about the substitution. “But, you know, you’re putting a player at risk at that moment. So it was nice to see her contributing and getting a goal because we know that she can contribute in goal-scoring moments as well.”

The Pride took the first attempt at goal of the second half when Banda dribbled inside and shot from outside the box. The attempt was off the head of McKeown, who crumbled to the ground and received treatment before continuing.

The visitors got their first second-half attempt in the 50th minute when Ricketts played the ball wide for Krueger, who sent it into the box. Ratcliffe made a run between Sams and Nadaner, diving to head the ball. However, the attempt went wide of the near post.

Things got a little feisty in the 52nd minute when Ricketts came in late on Sams in the Pride box, taking out the center back. Moorhouse took exception to the challenge and sprinted out to confront Ricketts. As more players came running in, Billeter told everyone to back up and eventually regained control of the situation.

Marta tried to make something happen in the 65th minute, twisting and turning to find space for a shot. Morgan knocked the first attempt away, but it went right back to the Pride captain. She used some nifty footwork to create a second shot but sent it high and wide of the target.

Hines made his second change shortly after, bringing Ally Lemos on in the 67th minute. This time it was a more straightforward change as she replaced Gautrat.

The Spirit went on the attack following the substitution, creating chances deep with set pieces. The first was in the 70th minute when Marta fouled Hal Hershfelt. Makenna Morris’ free kick found McKeown in the box. She volleyed the ball into the box, but McCutcheon knocked it away. It ended up back with McKeown, whose shot went across the box and nowhere near the target.

The visitors got another chance in the 72nd minute when Angelina was called for a foul on Miura near the top of the Pride box. Santos took the set piece. Moorhouse got her hands to it but couldn’t keep it from slipping inside the near post to even the game at 1-1.

“Great goal by them,” Nadaner said about the goal. “Sometimes you just got to put your hands up.”

The Pride went on the attack after the equalizer, trying to retake the lead. Marta won a corner kick in the 75th minute, which Angelina sent into the box. The cross was behind the attackers, but Marta got her head to it. She tried to turn it on goal, sending it wide.

Hines made two more changes in the 82nd minute as Summer Yates and Prisca Chilufya replaced Watt and Banda. It was a Pride debut for Chilufya, who joined the team this off-season.

The Pride nearly retook the lead in the 85th minute when McCutcheon played Banda at the near post. The striker had the inside position on the defender and tried to turn it on goal, but it went wide.

The Spirit nearly had a chance in the 87th minute when Krueger sent a high ball down field and Sams misplayed it. Hatch controlled the ball and dribbled into the box, but Abello did well to come across and knock it out for a corner kick.

The ensuing set piece was tipped by Moorhouse, going to Santos beyond the back post. Her shot was blocked and the Spirit players called for a handball, but Billeter decided it wasn’t, as it deflected up off Chilufya’s foot and onto her hand.

It looked like the Pride had a late winner when Yates was taken down by Carle in the 90th minute. Angelina sent the ball behind the back line and Nadaner dove, heading it past Kingsbury. However, the flag went up for offside, a correct decision.

That was the final decent chance for either team as the 90 minutes ended 1-1. Since it’s the Challenge Cup, the game went to penalties to see who got the trophy.

Doyle and Angelina converted the first two attempts, but were equaled by Hatch and Rebeca Bernal. Yates took the third kick for the Pride, sending it wide. Miura took the third for the Spirit. Moorhouse got her hands to it, but it was too strong and Washington took the lead.

The Pride’s fourth penalty was a weak one to the right by Lemos and Kingsbury made the stop. That left it up to McKeown. The forward-turned-center back powered it past Moorhouse to give Washington the trophy.

The Pride ended the game leading every major statistical category, including possession (52.2%-47.8%), shots (13-9), shots on target (4-3), crosses (11-7), corner kicks (7-1), and passing accuracy (80.8%-79%).

“Football’s a cruel game, you know? Losing to penalties is never nice,” Hines said about the game. “I thought we did really well throughout the game. I thought our press was really, really good, and we had some good opportunities. But again, we have to take into consideration this is the first game of the year. And it’s a final. And, obviously, you want to win every game, but I think it’s always hard losing a final and losing a trophy. But I think it’s going to help us have that hunger to continue to start where we left off from last year.”

This is the first time the Pride have lost to the Spirit since Aug. 4, 2023, in the previous version of the Challenge Cup. Last season, they went 3-0-0 against tonight’s opponent, clinching the NWSL Shield and winning the NWSL Championship against the Spirit.

With the Challenge Cup behind them, the Pride now look forward to the NWSL regular season. They’ll kick off the new campaign next Friday night when they host the Chicago Stars.

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