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Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville FC: Final Score 2-2 as Pride End Three-Game Losing Streak

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2 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (2-5-3, 9 points) came back from a two-goal deficit to draw Racing Louisville (2-4-4, 10 point) at Daytona International Speedway as part of the 2022 Daytona SoccerFest event. The visitors took a 2-0 lead by the 51st minute with goals by Emina Ekic and Savannah DeMelo, but the Pride came back with goals by Kylie Strom and Darian Jenkins.

This game was a regular season NWSL match, but was the league’s first game ever played at a superspeedway. As a result, the infield and pit road areas were converted into a full-size soccer field. Prior to the Pride taking the field, a legends game was played and Chance the Rapper performed during the warmup period.

Gunny Jonsdottir missed this unique event as she is away on international duty with Iceland. Additionally, Courtney Petersen started the game on the bench and Angharad James is away with an excused absence. As a result, the lineup looked a bit different for this match. The back line in front of Erin McLeod consisted of Celia, Megan Montefusco, Toni Pressley, and Strom. Jordyn Listro and Meggie Dougherty Howard were the defensive midfielders behind Viviana Villacorta, Erika Tymrak, and Thais Reiss with Jenkins up top.

The Pride got off to the better start to the game, holding the majority of possession in the opening 20 minutes. As a result, the hosts got the first chance of the game in the third minute through Dougherty Howard. The midfielder faked two defenders to create space but her shot was saved by Katie Lund.

Another chance came for the Pride in the eighth minute when Jenkins set up Tymrak near the penalty spot. However, the midfielder — making her first start of the regular season —sent the shot well over the crossbar.

Louisville got its first chance of the game in the 10th minute when Freja Olofsson found Kristen Davis in the box. The forward quickly took a shot but missed to the left of the target.

In the 14th minute, Dougherty Howard had another decent chance when Reiss found her with a good ball into the box. However, the Pride midfielder couldn’t get around the ball enough and sent it wide.

Louisville had a golden opportunity in the 23rd minute when a turnover by Strom allowed Jess McDonald to set up Ekic in the box. The forward fired on goal from point-blank range but McLeod did well to close down her angle and block the shot.

A minute later, McLeod saved the Pride again. Lauren Milliet found Ekic in the box and the forward shot on goal. McLeod was able to get her fingertips to the ball, knocking it off the crossbar.

The visitors nearly opened the scoring again in the 32nd minute. Milliet sent McDonald through on goal, but the quick decision making by McLeod allowed her to beat McDonald to the ball and collect it before Louisville’s top scorer could reach it.

Two minutes later, Louisville finally converted. It appeared as though McLeod was going to catch the Louisville cross, but the ball bounced off her hands and right to Ekic. After a brief touch, the Louisville forward shot on goal, sending it between Celia’s legs for the opener.

“I told them that one goal doesn’t dictate how well we’re playing right now,” Interim Head Coach Seb Hines said about the first half goal. “You know, you could see that. Once a goal went in we were disheartened. But we have great players who want to continue to do what’s right and try and get the ball and get back into the game. And it was a blip. That was it. It was just one little blip. And like I said, we created opportunities that we could have been up and that’s the final stage that we need to to improve on.”

While the Pride had the better of the early moments in the game, Louisville took over about 20 minutes in. As a result, the Pride had more possession (56.7%-43.3%) but fewer shots (8-6). Meanwhile, the teams had the same number of shots on target (4-4) but Louisville made one of its efforts count.

Unlike the first half, it was Louisville that was the better team at the start of the second 45 minutes. Shortly after kickoff, two Pride players went into the book as Dougherty Howard fouled Olofsson, which resulted in a blocked shot by Davis, in the 47th minute. Three minutes later, Montefusco was booked for a foul on Savannah DeMelo just outside the box.

The foul placed the ball almost touching the edge of the box. Ekic and DeMelo stood over the ball, with the former making the initial run and stepping over the ball. DeMelo then stepped up and put a screamer into the corner, past arms of the diving McLeod, doubling the Louisville lead.

The Pride responded well, pulling one back in the 59th minute. Substitute Kerry Abello’s cross into the box for Jenkins was punched away, but not far enough as Jenkins gained control. With her back to goal, the forward played it back to Strom, whose second touch curled inside the far post and in. It was Strom’s first goal since joining the Pride last year and her first in the NWSL.

“I almost don’t even still believe that happened,” Strom said about her goal. “But D (Darian Jenkins) I think gave me a great pass back and just saw the opportunity and took it. We’ve always been having a bit of difficulty scoring the past few games. So that’s been a focus these past couple of weeks in training. So it was really nice to get when we were going at them. And yeah, it was nice to go in for sure.”

“It’s a big confidence booster,” Hines added. “You know, when that first goal goes in, can we get another one and then can we control the game after that?”

The goal broke a 329-minute scoring drought for the Pride that dated back to the team’s May 27 game against the Washington Spirit, when Cluff and Jenkins scored two second-half, injury-time goals to equalize. Since scoring that goal, the Pride had been outscored 14-0 in a 5-0 loss to the Houston Dash, a 1-0 loss to the Chicago Red Stars, a 6-0 loss to the Portland Thorns, and falling behind 2-0 tonight to Racing Louisville.

After going more than three-and-a-half games between goals before Strom converted, it only took 11 minutes for the Pride to score their next goal. After starting the attack, Jenkins continued her run into the Louisville box. Tymrak received the ball and quickly played it forward. The Louisville defense tried to step up on Jenkins, but Gemma Bonner kept her onside. Jenkins’ first touch with her right foot curled a shot around Lund and in for the equalizing goal.

“We said at halftime we knew it was coming,” Strom said about scoring two quick goals. “And once we got one they were gonna keep falling.”

Louisville nearly took the lead back in the 78th minute. Tymrak’s foul on DeMelo just outside the box set up a set piece from a similar distance and angle to the DeMelo goal. This time Ekic was the only one around the ball. The first-half goal scorer’s strike appeared to be headed inside the near post, but McLeod made an excellent diving save, knocking it away.

Two minutes later, the Pride nearly took their first lead of the game. Tymrak played Jenkins through, in a ball similar to the one that resulted in Jenkins’ goal. The forward attempted to play the ball low to the far corner, but Lund did well to get down and make the save with her right foot.

As time wound down, both teams were looking for a winner. Despite having gone down 2-0 in the second half, the Pride felt that they could come away with three points.

“I thought we were gonna get one in the end,” Strom said. “And it would have been nice to get.”

“The last 10 minutes I kept yelling to people like three more minutes, three minutes,” Celia added. “Give me three more minutes, because I really did think that we had it in us and I could taste it.”

Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the final minutes and the game ended in a 2-2 draw.

The Pride ended the game with more possession (54.4%-45.6%) but the game was statistically very even. Louisville had more shots (15-13), but the teams had the same number of shots on goal (8-8), corners (4-4), and crosses (16-16).

“Bittersweet,” Hines said about the result. “I think the team showed a lot of courage to come back from 2-0 down. You know, we’ve been in this position too often. But I felt that we didn’t deserve to lose that game today. I think that players played terrific. They played how we wanted to play. We wanted to control the game with our passing and move in and create goal-scoring opportunities. Obviously we need to work on the last part of that. But I can’t fault their attitude after this week. From one day to the game today has been first class.”

Despite only getting a draw in what was technically a home game, the point ends a three-game losing streak in which the team was outscored 14-0. It also ended a goalless run of 329 consecutive minutes.

The Pride have a short week as they take the field again on Friday night against the Houston Dash at Exploria Stadium. The team will be looking to build off this result to get their first win since May 18 in North Carolina.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Summer Yates

Summer Yates made big improvements during her second professional season.

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24 hours ago

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December 9, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride drafted Summer Yates in the fourth round (39th overall) of the 2023 NWSL Draft. The former Washington Husky surprisingly dropped far enough for the Pride to select her, and she didn’t disappoint. The midfielder signed a two-year deal prior to her rookie season and took a big leap forward in 2024.

Let’s take a look at how Yates performed during her sophomore year.

Statistical Breakdown

Yates played in 25 of the Pride’s 26 games in the regular season, starting 17 and recording 1,334 minutes. She scored five goals — including her lone penalty on April 26 in Washington — and added a pair of assists. She put 10 of her 17 regular-season shots on target and completed 64% of her 409 passes. While she primarily played in an attacking role, the midfielder also helped defensively, recording 15 tackles and 10 interceptions. She committed 17 fouls, drew a whopping 38 on the opposition, and was not booked.

Yates earned a starting spot in Orlando’s NWSL playoff opener against the Chicago Red Stars, but suffered an injury in the 38th minute, requiring her removal. She didn’t start the final two games, coming off the bench in both. She made three total playoff appearances, recording 53 minutes. She didn’t have a goal contribution or take any shots, and completed 48% of her 23 passes. Defensively, she recorded two tackles while helping the Pride win the championship. She did not commit a foul in the postseason but suffered three, and she was not booked.

Yates played in all three of the Pride’s NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup games, starting in the first and third games while recording 141 minutes. She didn’t have any shots, goals, or assists, but completed 30 of her 42 passes (77%), including four long balls and 26 short passes. Defensively, the midfielder had three successful tackles and made one interception. She did not commit a foul, drew three on her opponents, and wasn’t booked.

Best Game

Yates had several solid performances this season, resulting in her seeing more minutes and starting a playoff game. However, her best performance was on June 21 in a 6-0 drubbing of the Utah Royals at Inter&Co Stadium. The win saw the Pride extend their unbeaten run to 15 games on the season and, despite the lopsided final score, Yates played a key role in the win.

Arguably the biggest moment of the game was when Yates scored in what Hines calls one of the “big five moments.” In the third minute of the first-half stoppage time, with the Pride only up 1-0, Yates and Barbra Banda pressured a short pass to Kate Del Fava, causing the defender to concede possession. Yates took control and calmly put the shot past goalkeeper Amanda Haught to give the Pride a 2-0 lead at halftime.

The attacking midfielder started, playing 80 minutes, and was effective offensively and defensively beyond scoring her goal. She was active throughout the game, touching the ball 44 times and completing 78% of her 18 passes. All three of her shots were on target and she contributed defensively, adding a season-high three tackles and two interceptions.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Yates a composite grade of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season, an improvement from her 5.5 grade last year. She only played in 10 league games last year while recording 108 minutes with no starts, but became a regular contributor this season. Her improvement was obvious and it’s now clear she was the steal of the 2023 draft. While she played well all season, the most important thing is her improvement. In only her second year, her development was obvious, showing she can be a key player for the Pride in the coming years.

2025 Outlook

Yates’ rookie contract was a two-year deal, running through 2024 with an option for 2025. Her play during the first half of the season resulted in a contract extension on July 11, keeping her in Orlando through 2025 with a mutual option for 2026.

The Pasco, WA native became a key player for the Pride during the 2024 season, playing almost every game and starting most of them. Her role on the team in 2025 will likely depend on what happens with Marta. If the Pride captain retires or the club decides not to bring her back, Yates might become a regular starter in the attacking midfield. Otherwise, she’ll likely have a similar role to this year, splitting time with Julie Doyle and starting when Marta or Adriana need a rest.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Ally Watt

The speedy attacker earned a starting role for the playoffs to cap her best professional season to date.

Published

2 days ago

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December 8, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride originally acquired forward Ally Watt from OL Reign on Aug. 15, 2022 in exchange for $125,000 in Allocation Money. That November, she signed a new deal to keep her in Orlando through 2024. Back in July, in the midst of her second full season with Orlando, the 27-year-old signed another new contract through the 2025 season with a mutual option for an additional year.

After the Colorado Springs, CO native played just six matches with Orlando in 2022, she took on a bigger role in 2023, appearing in 19 games during the regular season, but started just six. Her role was similar in 2024, as she played in a lot of games but still only started sparingly. However, she started down the stretch when it mattered most, earning the confidence of Head Coach Seb Hines to keep her in the starting XI throughout the postseason.

Let’s take a look at what made 2024 Ally Watt’s best year in the league so far.

Statistical Breakdown

Watt made 21 appearances for the Pride in the NWSL regular season, starting nine times and playing 879 minutes. Her minutes were concentrated at the beginning and end of the year, as she started six of the first seven and two of the final three regular-season matches. She scored three goals on 22 shots with 14 on target. She also provided an assist. She completed 128 of her 215 passes (60%), four of which were key passes. She also chipped in on the defensive end with 15 tackles, four interceptions, and 30 headed duels. Watt was fouled 15 times on the season and committed the same number herself and was shown one yellow card.

Watt started two of the three NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup matches and came off the bench in the third match, playing 207 minutes in total. She did not record a goal as none of her three shots were on target, and she did not record an assist. The attacker completed 18 of her 39 passes (53%), and she also added three tackles. The speedy forward committed three fouls in the competition, suffered three, and was not booked.

Watt started all three of Orlando’s NWSL playoff matches, playing at her best to close the season. In 196 minutes, Watt attempted four shots (none target), but turned provider with three assists. In the playoffs, Watt completed 26 of her 37 pass attempts (70%). She also succeeded in two tackles in the NWSL Championship, her only tackles of the postseason. She committed three fouls but was not booked.

Best Game

Ally Watt had two goal contributions in a match twice this season. First, she scored one and assisted one in Orlando’s 4-1 victory over the Courage on May 1. Then, in the first round of the playoffs, she had two assists in the 4-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars on Nov. 8. Despite her role in these lopsided victories, her true best game of the season was the 3-2 victory over her former club, Seattle, in the final match of the regular season on Nov. 2. 

Against Seattle, Watt kick-started Orlando’s electric form in front of goal to close the season. While she thought she had assisted Barbra Banda for the first goal of the match in the second minute, the goal was ruled out due to Banda being offside. Instead, Watt was able to break the deadlock just seven minutes later by beating the goalkeeper one on one after she raced behind to receive a lovely ball from Summer Yates. 

This goal was not the only reason to pick this match as Watt’s best of the season. Against Seattle, she was heavily involved for the entire match, setting or tying her highest marks for the season in touches (40), completed passes (20), carries (22), and tackles (three). In hindsight, this match was key to turning Orlando’s fortunes at just the right time after the Pride had slumped to back-to-back losses after securing the NWSL Shield, and Watt was a huge part of making it happen. 

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Watt a composite grade of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season, a solid improvement on her grade of 5.5 from the prior season. Early in the season, prior to the arrival of Banda, Watt played in an advanced attacking role but struggled with her shooting and final touches. After Banda arrived, her minutes dropped for the middle third of the season. Later in the year though, something clicked for Watt, whether from playing in a wider role or alongside a more conventional striker, and her form took off. Watt’s three postseason assists were vital to the Pride winning the NWSL Championship, and her grade reflects how she played at her best in the biggest matches.

2025 Outlook

As mentioned above, the 27-year-old played the best soccer of her career in 2024 and was rewarded with a contract extension through 2025 with a mutual option for 2026. She showed this year that she can compete for the starting role in the winger / wide attacking positions or back up Banda as a striker. Her speed and defensive work rate are valuable aspects to her game that should keep her in the regular rotation in 2025, even if new faces are added to the squad.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Brianna Martinez

The right back played a more significant role during her second season in Orlando.

Published

3 days ago

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December 7, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Brianna Martinez was drafted by Racing Louisville FC with the 17th overall pick of the 2023 NWSL Draft. After failing to impress in Kentucky, the defender became a non-roster invitee to camp with the Orlando Pride, earning a contract on March 29, 2023. The Pride picked up her option for the 2024 season, keeping her in purple for the club’s historic campaign.

Let’s take a look at how Martinez performed during her second season with the Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

Martinez claimed the starting right back position early in the season and held it until Emily Sams took over the role. She regained her starting spot when Sams had to move to her natural center back position to replace an injured Rafaelle, but lost it again when she suffered a non-contact injury in the Summer Cup.

The right back made 13 NWSL appearances this season with eight starts and recorded 696 minutes. She put her only shot on target, but didn’t score a goal or record any assists. The defender completed 196 of her 284 passes (71%), including a cross and 20 long balls, while turning the ball over 119 times. Defensively, Martinez won nine tackles at a 75% success rate while recording 14 interceptions and winning 18 headed duels. She committed 13 fouls, suffered eight, received a yellow card and was sent off once.

With Sams away at the Olympics, Martinez was expected to start all three NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup games. She started the first one on July 20 in North Carolina, but suffered a non-contact injury in the 73rd minute, walking off in tears. She completed 18 of her 26 passes (70%) in those 73 minutes and turned the ball over 14 times. She won one of her two tackles and her only headed duel before exiting the game. She did not commit or suffer a foul and wasn’t booked.

Martinez did not appear in the Pride’s postseason matches.

Best Game

Martinez was a regular starter early in the season, starting five straight games and playing 90 minutes four times between March 22 and April 26. However, the right back’s best game has to be in the 1-1 draw on June 7 away to San Diego Wave FC when she was a significant part of claiming a crucial away point and keeping the Pride undefeated.

Starting and playing 90 minutes, the right back touched the ball 53 times and completed 64% of her 30 pass attempts. She only won one tackle on the night, but recorded a season-high four interceptions, helping to keep the game even when the Wave were pushing forward. She also only recorded one foul in the game, something that has been a problem for the defender at times.

2024 Final Grade

After not playing enough minutes to get a grade in 2023, The Mane Land staff gave Martinez a composite grade of 5.5 for the 2024 season. She was a little inconsistent as a starter, but earned that spot when Sams was forced into the center back role. Unfortunately, she was out due to injury and Cori Dyke’s performance after being inserted into the lineup kept her on the sidelines. Despite the inconsistency, Martinez played well enough to earn a new contract and likely would’ve continued to start if Dyke hadn’t played so well.

2025 Outlook

After taking the starting right back position, Dyke didn’t give it up, starting throughout the championship run. However, the club likes the depth Martinez provides and rewarded the 24-year-old with a new two-year deal on June 24 that will keep her in Orlando through the 2025 season. Martinez will push Dyke for the right back starting spot, although Seb Hines will need to figure out if the club is best served by having Sams, Kylie Strom, and Rafaelle all on the pitch or just two of them. Regardless, Martinez provides another piece the club believes can be a starter.

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