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Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Final Score 5-0 as the Pride Get Dismantled on the Road

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3 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (2-3-2, 8 points) were completely outclassed by the Houston Dash (3-1-2, 11 points), falling 5-0 in Texas. The hosts were led by a Nichelle Prince hat trick, with Rachel Daly and Michelle Alozie adding to the tally in a game the Pride were never in.

Pride Head Coach Amanda Cromwell made some significant changes to the team’s back line to start this game. Celia (illness) and Carrie Lawrence (ribs) were omitted from the team that traveled to Texas entirely. Starting left back Courtney Petersen made the trip but started the game on the bench. As a result, the back four consisted of Kerry Abello, Megan Montefusco, Toni Pressley, and Gunny Jonsdottir. The forward positions were much more typical, with Jordyn Listro, Viviana Villacorta, and Mikayla Cluff in the midfield and the normal front line of Sydney Leroux, Leah Pruitt, and Darian Jenkins.

“We had to make a lot of different moves and move players around and get them out of spots they’re usually in,” Cromwell said about the lineup changes. “It doesn’t make you feel super comfortable, but I know Gunny (Jonsdottir) was down for the challenge (of moving to right back) and she was fine with it.”

This game was all Houston from start to finish. The Pride left too many pockets of space in the back and looked disconnected up top. Several Houston chances were created by bad turnovers and poor marking by the Pride.

The first chance in the game came in the fifth minute when Shea Groom found Daly in the Pride box. The Dash captain found space between the two center backs but couldn’t quite get her foot to the ball, allowing Erin McLeod to collect it.

The Pride got their first chance a minute later when Abello sent a cross into the Dash box. There were forwards charging in, but the cross was too close to Jane Campbell and the Houston goalkeeper was able to catch it.

Orlando had another chance in the 10th minute when a long cross by Jonsdottir reached Leroux near the back post. Leroux dove to get her head to the ball and sent it toward the opposite post, but the attempt went wide. That was the first of several missed opportunities for Leroux on the night.

Following that chance by Leroux, it was all Houston, a common theme for the Pride after the first 10 to 15 minutes of a half. In the 12th minute, Sophie Schmidt found Nichelle Prince darting in behind the Pride back line. However, Montefusco did well to beat her to the ball, allowing the Pride to gain possession.

A minute later, Schmidt attempted to catch McLeod off her line. It appeared as though the ball would beat McLeod if it were on target, but the ball went over the crossbar.

The ineptitude of the Pride in this game was on full display in the 17th minute when Pressley attempted to play the ball back to McLeod. It was a very poor pass that rolled wide of McLeod, leaving the goalkeeper chasing it towards her own net. Fortunately, it went wide and out for a corner kick.

In the 20th minute, Daly found Groom, who quickly played it forward for Prince. The forward controlled the ball inside the Pride box, but Montefusco did well to get back and win it.

After 12 minutes of complete domination by the hosts, the Pride finally got another chance in the 22nd minute. Leroux received the ball on the left side of the box and shot on target, but it was right at Campbell and the Dash shot stopper got down to block it away.

Following that chance, Houston took back control of the game. Maria Sanchez sent a dangerous ball through the box in the 24th minute, but no Dash players could get on the end of it.

Three minutes later, Houston got its much-deserved first goal. Daly had the ball near midfield and sent a long pass for Prince behind the Pride back line. Prince was able to beat Listro and Pressley didn’t do much to cover. As a result, McLeod was forced to cut down Prince’s angle. However, the forward put it past the Pride goalkeeper and on goal. Jonsdottir got her foot to the ball, attempting to clear it off the line, but only put it into the back of the net.

“I think we need to come out stronger in the first half because I feel like we’re always chasing the game,” Pruitt said about conceding the first goal. “So I think we just need to learn how to come out hot in the beginning.”

The Dash nearly scored a second in the 30th minute off of a bad Pride mistake. Listro’s throw-in was quickly played back by Leroux and the defender attempted to play it square to Villacorta. It was a terrible pass that sent Villacorta chasing the ball. Groom was the first to reach the ball and played it to Daly. Fortunately, the Dash’s top goal scorer coming into the game sent it over the crossbar.

Two minutes later, the Dash doubled their lead. Sanchez sent a great ball into the box, but it should’ve been handled by the back line. Despite being between two defenders, Daly was the only one to get her head on the ball, sending it over McLeod, who got caught off her line. The ball sailed just inside McLeod’s left post and the Dash took a 2-0 lead.

The Pride responded well to the second goal, quickly creating a chance of their own. In the 34th minute, Cluff sent a cross into the box for Leroux, breaking in on the back post. The forward was able to get her foot to it in a sliding effort, but the shot was wide of the target.

Five minutes later, the Dash made it three. After receiving the ball on the left from former Pride midfielder Marisa Viggiano, Prince used a sharp cut back to beat Jonsdottir. Her shot on goal was deflected by Montefusco, but the deflection redirected it into the back of the net.

Despite being up 3-0, the Dash didn’t stop their attack. In the 40th minute, another Pride turnover gave Groom enough space to attempt to beat McLeod over the top again. However, the ambitious shot was off target.

The Pride had another attempt and a shout for a penalty in the 42nd minute. Jenkins sent a long cross for Leroux near the back post, very similar to Cluff’s ball earlier in the half. Leroux and Haley Hanson were battling, with the latter appearing to tug on Leroux’s jersey. As a result, Leroux’s shot was right at Campbell who made the save. The Pride players appealed for a penalty, but referee Luis Guardia said no.

After Groom had tried to beat McLeod from distance twice in the first half, Hanson attempted to get on the scoresheet in the 44th minute. The defender took a shot from distance but sent it off target.

Despite the 3-0 halftime scoreline, the statistics looked as though the Pride were much better. Orlando had more possession (52%-48%) and crosses (7-6), as well as better passing accuracy (78.2%-73.9%). However, Houston had more shots (8-6) and shots on goal (3-2).

“One thing that we changed was our formation,” Petersen said about the halftime changes. “We matched them in a 3-5-2 and I think that helped us a lot in the midfield. And at the end of the day, we said we have nothing to lose. You know, we’re going into halftime at 3-0. And we have to push, you know. We have to go for a goal.”

As the second half began, Cromwell made a couple of changes in an attempt to get back into the game. Julie Doyle and Petersen were brought on for Jonsdottir and Pressley. However, it didn’t make much of a difference.

Just four minutes into the second half, the Dash made it a 4-0 game. Groom took the ball towards the end line, where she ran out of space. Doyle tried to push her out of play but was unsuccessful. Montefusco had a chance to clear it away, but her poor attempt went right to Prince.

While it was a poor defensive effort for the Pride, Prince deserves plenty of credit for the goal. Her first touch was a chip over McLeod and just inside the far post, giving her team a 4-0 lead.

The goal marked Prince’s first hat trick at the club level — she had one for Canada — and was the first hat trick in the nine-year history of the Houston Dash.

Despite the bad start to the half and falling behind by four goals, the Pride still attempted to get back into the game. In the 55th minute, Leroux sent a cross into the box but it was cleared away by Katie Naughton.

A minute later, Leroux nearly got one back for the Pride when she got her head to a good Petersen cross. The ball beat Campbell but not the post as it hit the woodwork, allowing Houston to clear.

Leroux had another chance in the 58th minute when she was sent down the left by Petersen. She looked to beat Campbell, but sent the ball high and wide of the target.

The Dash nearly increased the lead to five in the 60th minute when Sanchez found Hanson open in the box. The defender lost Cluff to find the space to get the header on goal, but it hit the crossbar. The rebound went to Sanchez, who followed the play, but her attempt was off target.

Alozie came on in the 81st minute during a double substitution that also saw the hat trick hero leave. The late addition made an immediate impact, nearly making it 5-0. Less than a minute after coming on, the attacker was sent through by Emily Ogle. Montefusco was initially with her but slipped, allowing Alozie to go in alone on goal. She fired past McLeod, but sent her shot wide of the target.

Six minutes later, she had another opportunity and did make it five. Groom made a long run through the midfield, through several tired Pride defenders, eventually sending it forward for Alozie. Parker Roberts, who had come on in the 76th minute, attempted to keep up but the forward was too quick. The two had a brief stumble but Alozie stayed on her feet. After missing her first breakaway, Alozie sent the second chance right by McLeod’s left foot and in for the fifth goal of the game.

Each team had a chance as the game neared full time, despite the result having been decided. In the 89th minute, Kylie Strom had a shot from the penalty spot but sent it well off target.

Houston had its final attempt three minutes into injury time when Groom made another good run and played it through for Joele Anderson. The second-half substitute put it past McLeod but was unable to hold her run and was judged offside. That was the final chance for either team as the Dash came away with a commanding 5-0 win.

In the end, the Pride held more possession (58.2%-41.8%) and were much more accurate with their passes (81.1%-68.8%). However, the Dash had more shots (14-12) and more shots on target (6-3) throughout the 90 minutes.

“The first half puts you in a bind and so we changed things up. I’m always a coach, so I’m going to go for it. You know, I’d rather lose 5-0 trying to get it back to three, get some goals, then stay at 3-0 not trying,” Cromwell said about the game. “So we changed formation. Obviously we’re pushing, I think the shots ended 14-12. I think we hit the post, had some chances. But nothing fell our way tonight. Everything they touched in the box was golden and it just feels pretty bad.”

“I think it’s about just forgetting about the previous games and just moving forward,” Pruitt added. “So I think we just need to forget about it, work to the next game, and just try to be positive. And we have talent and we have the mentality to win. So we just have to figure out how to do it.”

The 5-0 defeat matches the worst result in the seven-year history of the Pride. They previously lost 5-0 on April 17, 2019 to the North Carolina Courage away and then lost 6-1 on Sept. 14, 2019 to the same opponent in the same location.

“In the transition game, we have to be so much better defending,” Cromwell said about conceding five times. “We have to help Erin (McLeod) out. We have to help each other out. Be closer in pressure cover situations. There’s a lot of things we could’ve done better defensively to give ourselves a chance in this game.”

While it was a strong performance by Houston, multiple goals were caused by defensive mistakes. The center back pairing of Montefusco and Pressley left too much space for Daly and Prince and too many balls were given away in dangerous positions.

“I think we just need to have confidence on the ball,” Pruitt said about the turnovers. “There is a lot of goals that we’ve given up that were on us. So I feel like if we can fix that and just play together, it’ll be a lot different outcome. And if we can capitalize on the mistakes that other teams make, it could be a totally different game.”

The Pride will now have an extended break as they don’t play until next Sunday. The team will look to bounce back as they face the Chicago Red Stars in Bridgeview, IL.

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Orlando Pride Offense through the Lens of Goal-Creating Actions

Can an analysis of the Pride’s offense in 2024 using goal-creating actions help project how they will perform in 2025?

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1 week ago

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February 15, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

We are one week away from the season opener for Orlando City and three weeks away from the season opener for the Orlando Pride, wrapping up what has felt like a long off-season. Oddly enough, both off-seasons were the shortest in club history, but they have felt extra long, probably because of the elongated conversations around several players and whether these players would stay in Orlando, leave Orlando, or come to Orlando.

At this point, the rosters are probably pretty close to being locked in to what they will be when the seasons open, but there still may be some final changes, and if there are, hopefully they will be positive ones for the teams in purple.

Several weeks ago, I wrote about how the Pride were bringing back all of their goals and nearly all of their minutes played from 2024, and while that has changed now with Adriana’s departure to Al Qadsiah FC in Saudi Arabia, the Pride are still bringing back most of their goals and minutes and will likely be among the favorites, if not the favorite, when sportsbooks start posting their NWSL futures odds. As of this moment, I cannot find anyone who has odds posted, and very few sites have released their season previews and power rankings, but I have a hunch that the defending champions, bringing back nearly every key contributor, will be near the top of those lists. And they should be because, and let’s revel in this once again, they are the defending champions!

The Pride are bringing back two players who combined for 28 goals in NWSL play last season. If we include the playoffs, then Barbra Banda scored 17 goals and Marta added 11, and they ranked second and fourth, respectively, for most goals scored. What interested me, however, was that they only combined together to create four of those goals as a partnership.

Using Opta’s tracking and fbref.com’s database of goals, I was able to create a ranking of the most prolific partnerships during the 2024 NWSL season. For every goal scored, Opta tracks what they call goal-creating actions, which are the two plays immediately preceding a goal that led to a player scoring a goal. For example, let’s flash back to the playoff semifinal when Banda gave the Pride a 3-1 lead against the Current by smashing a ball into the net harder than a home run off the bat of Elly De La Cruz (my son’s favorite baseball player). In related news, I am also excited for baseball season.

In the video below, Banda is the goal scorer, and the prior two plays are a completed pass by Haley McCutcheon to Kylie Strom and then the assist on a completed pass from Strom to Banda. Opta tracks those as the two goal-creating actions for Banda’s goals, with Strom’s pass being the final action preceding the goal.

Staying in that same game, I am sure you remember Marta’s wondergoal (wondergoal is still underselling how great of a goal this was — this was an all-time great run down the field) that made the score 3-1. On that play, Banda received the assist, as she passed the ball to Marta, but the two goal-creating actions were actually both by Marta as she beat multiple defenders and the goalkeeper off the dribble to get herself into shooting position. Opta’s tracking shows this goal as scored by Marta, from two consecutive goal-creating actions of Marta take-ons. Yes Banda passed the ball to Marta, but this goal was created by Marta’s magic, and the GOAT taking on and beating multiple defenders.

Opta tracks the following seven different types of goal-creating actions:

  • Fouled
  • Interception (stealing a pass)
  • Pass (live-ball)
  • Pass (dead-ball)
  • Shot
  • Tackle (stealing the ball directly from the other team’s player)
  • Take-On (beating a defender off the dribble)

During the 2024 NWSL season there were 502 total goals scored, including the playoffs and including own goals. Opta’s tracking does not have an assist for every goal, nor does it have a goal-creating action for every goal, and that makes sense for how soccer is played. Sometimes goals happen unassisted, as a player, usually a striker, makes a tackle or interception themselves and then is in on goal and scores unassisted, or a player wins a loose ball in the box and slots it home, or a player finishes a rebound and the official scorer does not give the asisst to the player who took the original shot.

Opta’s tracking shows 481 non-own goals in 2024, with 312 of those goals (approximately 65%) having an assist. Of those 481 non-own goals, 447 (approximately 93%) had a primary goal-creating action, and this also makes sense, as it is much more likely, based on the list of goal-creating actions, that there was one of those than there was a true assist. I am much more interested in the goal-creating actions than I am the assists, as I believe they are better descriptors of how goals happened.

Looking at the Pride, which I know is really why you are here, the following table lists the player combinations that led to more than two goals during 2024:

Player CombinationGoals
Adriana and Barbra Banda5
Barbra Banda and Marta4
Ally Watt and Barbra Banda4
Adriana and Marta3
Barbra Banda and Julie Doyle3

For these counts it does not matter who created the goal and who scored it, these were the two Pride players involved in the final product. It may be a bit of a surprise to see that the top combination was Adriana and Banda, but Adriana scored three goals in 2024 that came directly from a foul on Banda (5/11 vs. Bay FC), a rebound from a Banda shot (6/30 vs. Angel City), and a foul on Banda (10/20 vs. Gotham). Banda scored two goals that resulted from an Adriana live-ball pass (5/19 vs. Seattle) and a rebound from an Adriana shot (7/6 vs. Kansas City). Adriana and Banda’s five goal combinations tied them for fourth in all of NWSL in 2024, with the combination of Esther González and Yazmeen Ryan of Gotham FC leading the league with seven.

It is a fair criticism of this statistic to say something along the lines of, “Well, Adriana did not intend to miss her shot and for Banda to score the rebound, so who really cares if it was an Adriana shot or someone else’s shot that Banda rebounded?”. Conversely, Adriana had to put a shot on target and have struck it well enough that it could not be saved and held, and Banda had to beat other players to the ball to score it, and both players had to have earned the right to be on the field at the same time.

I do not think goal-creating actions are the be-all, end-all, but I do think they tell more of a story than just assists. As another example, the action that immediately preceded five of Banda’s 17 goals was her winning a take-on against her defender. That total led the league in 2024, and she and Portland’s Sophia Smith were the only two players with more than three take-ons that led directly to goals in 2024. Two of those five goals for Banda had teammates credited with assists, but just as with the Marta goal against Kansas City when Banda was credited with the assist, the goals really came more from the effort by Banda as the goal scorer rather than from the pass that gave her the ball initially.

On a different note, those top combinations I showed tally up to 19 of the 54 goals scored by the Pride in 2024. The Pride benefitted from three own goals, meaning they scored 51 goals themselves, so those top combinations did not even account for half (37%) of the team’s goals last season. That is the sign of a team that is diverse in its attack, and even though Adriana is gone, they bring back everyone else who was involved in all of their goals, plus they will have Grace Chanda, Simone Charley, and Prisca Chilufya as additional offensive options in 2025. Losing Adriana will hurt, but I think the Pride will have her departure covered.

Goals are exciting, and of course are how teams win games, so as watchers and analyzers of soccer, we spend a lot of time thinking about how they happened. I like goal-creating actions as a statistic but I know on many goals there are different plays that happened in succession that led to the goal, and the goal-creating action stat only shows the final two plays. Those final two plays are critical though, so I think it is a good statistic to analyze, just in conjunction with others as well.

It is no accident that Banda was all over that list of top Pride combinations, she led the league in goal-creating actions and goal-creating actions plus goals, and with her available for the full season in 2025 I expect that she is going to be right near the top again this season, if not the league leader for the second consecutive season.

I cannot wait to watch the Pride’s offense this year. I think they are going to be creating goals and goal-creating actions at an even higher rate than last season.

Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando Pride Acquires Spanish International Oihane Hernandez

The Pride have acquired Spanish right back Oihane Hernandez from Real Madrid Femenil, signing her to a two-year deal.

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1 week ago

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February 14, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride defensive signings continue, but this time it’s a new player instead of a new contract. The club announced the signing of Spanish international defender Oihane Hernández this afternoon to a two-year contract through the 2026 season with a mutual option for 2027.

“Oihane is a technically gifted defender who excels in both defensive organization and distribution from the back,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “She brings world-class experience and a championship mindset from her time with Spain’s national team. Oihane’s ability to perform in high-pressure situations and her tactical understanding and ability to read the game will be invaluable assets as we continue building a championship-caliber roster. We’re delighted to bring her to the City Beautiful.”

The 24-year-old has been a regular for the Spanish Women’s National Team and was a member of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup champions.

“I’m excited to join the Orlando Pride and begin this new chapter in my career,” Hernández said in the club’s release. “The club’s vision and ambition really influenced me to make the move to Orlando. “I am impressed by the professional environment and the enthusiasm of the staff, teammates, and passionate fanbase. I am ready to give everything for the badge and build on the team’s success.”

Hernández joins the Pride from Real Madrid Femenino for an undisclosed fee. The right back spent the last two seasons at Real Madrid, making 31 appearances and recorded a pair of assists. Prior to moving to the Spanish capital, she played for Athletic Club Femenino in Bilbao, representing the club from 2019 to 2023. She made 109 appearances for the club, scoring three times.

Internationally, Hernandez came up through the youth ranks with Spain, playing in the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, the 2017 UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship, and the 2018 UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship. That led to her making her senior team debut on Sept. 2, 2022 in a World Cup qualifier against Hungary.

During the 2023 World Cup run, Hernandez played in six games for the eventual champions. She started in the round of 16 and quarterfinals before coming off the bench in the World Cup Final against England.

More recently, Hernandez played for Spain in four games of the 2024 Summer Olympics. She won a bronze medal in that tournament.

What It Means For Orlando

Hernandez comes in to be the starting right back for the Pride. It’s interesting that the signing comes on the same day that the club awarded Cori Dyke a new contract. During her 2024 rookie season, Dyke became the Pride’s starting right back, taking over when Brianna Martinez was injured and playing well in the stretch run and postseason.

This move creates more depth at a position that was already well stocked. Prior to this move, the players that would likely play right back other than Dyke were Martinez, Haley McCutcheon, and Emily Sams. However, this move allows McCutcheon to remain in the defensive midfield and Sams to remain at center back, where she won the NWSL Defender of the Year last season.

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Orlando Pride Extend Contract of Defender Cori Dyke through 2027

The Pride extend a second defender through 2027 in as many days with a new deal for Cori Dyke.

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1 week ago

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February 14, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Just a day after locking down defender Emily Sams through 2027, the Orlando Pride have done the same with defender Cori Dyke. The Pride announced this morning that Dyke’s contract has been extended through the 2027 season. This extension comes on the heels of an outstanding rookie season, in which she stepped into the starting right back role down the stretch, helping Orlando win the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship in 2024.

“Cori has consistently demonstrated her value both on and off the field since joining the Pride, and we’re thrilled to secure her future with the club,” Orlando Pride Vice President and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Her tactical intelligence, versatility, and leadership qualities make her an integral part of what we’re building here in Orlando. Beyond her technical abilities, Cori embodies the culture and commitment to excellence that we strive for. This extension is a reflection of the hard work and dedication she brings to this organization every day and we’re excited to see her continue to grow and contribute to our team’s success.”  

The Pride selected Dyke in the second round (No. 22 overall) in the 2024 NWSL Draft out of Penn State. She signed a one-year contract on March 11, 2024. However, she impressed enough to inked a new deal through 2025 with an option for 2026 on July 10, 2024. Dyke has impressed the club in her short time with Orlando, earning yet another new deal.

The 24-year-old native of San Jose, CA made 21 appearances (11 starts) in the Pride’s 26 NWSL regular-season games during her rookie campaign, logging 1,095 minutes. She didn’t score a goal, but she notched one assist. Dyke attempted one (off-target) shot and completed 425 of her 542 pass attempts (78%) in her first professional season. Defensively, she finished with 20 tackles, 11 interceptions, and 23 headed duels. In the Pride’s playoff run, Dyke started all three games, playing 254 minutes, helping Orlando lift its second trophy of the season.

Dyke also appeared in two of the Pride’s three matches in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup last year, starting both and recording 180 minutes.

The Pride recorded a clean sheet in 12 of Dyke’s 26 appearances a year ago, including in the NWSL Championship match against Washington.

Dyke played in 108 games (all starts) for the Penn State Nittany Lions in her college career, recording 9,069 minutes, nine goals, and nine assists. She played as a central midfielder for the first four years in college, but moved to center back for her final season. Despite moving to the back line, the 2023 season was her most productive offensively, as she recorded five goals and six assists.

Dyke received several accolades during her five collegiate seasons. As a freshman, she was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and Freshman Best XI First Team by Top Drawer Soccer. During her final season in the midfield, she was named to the 2022 Big Ten Women’s All-Tournament Team. Dyke moved to center back for her senior season and was named Big Ten Defender of the Year. She was also named All-Big Ten First Team and the United Soccer Coaches named her a second-team All-American and first-team All-North Region.

On the international stage, Dyke has represented the U.S. Women’s National Team from the U-14 through U-23 levels, helping the U-19 team win a CFA Tournament in 2017. 

What It Means for Orlando

Carter locking up players she believes will be part of the team’s core moving forward is nothing new. Dyke was thrown into a difficult position as a rookie and helped keep some of the league’s best attacking players quiet in the second half of the 2024 season and throughout the playoffs. She provides plenty of versatility with major college experience in central midfield and at center back in addition to having shown her ability to play fullback at the professional level last season.

Any time you can extend the contract of a young, talented player, it can only be seen as a positive. Dyke’s role in 2025 remains to be seen, as the team is getting players healthy again and defender Carson Pickett is going through a full training camp under Seb Hines. The back line would be just fine if it remained as it was at the end of 2024, but there is some belief that it can be even better in 2025. Where Dyke fits in will be revealed when the season starts, but she is an excellent option whether starting or providing depth and pushing her teammates to be better.

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