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Orlando Pride vs. San Diego Wave FC: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Extend Unbeaten Run to Six Games with Road Victory

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2 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (4-5-6, 18 points) held onto a one-goal lead for 67 minutes to beat San Diego Wave FC (7-5-4, 25 points), 1-0 at Torero Stadium in the first meeting ever between the two clubs. The hosts hit the woodwork three times, but the lone goal was a Meggie Dougherty Howard penalty conversion in the 23rd minute. 

Pride Interim Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes to the starting lineup that drew Angel City FC 2-2 last weekend. Carrie Lawrence was out due to concussion protocol and was replaced by Megan Montefusco, who returned from a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation. Additionally, Julie Doyle re-entered the lineup in place of Darian Jenkins.

As a result, the Pride lined up with a back line of Celia, Montefusco, Toni Pressley, and Kylie Strom in front of Erin McLeod. Dougherty Howard, Jordyn Listro, and Viviana Villacorta were in the midfield behind an attacking line of Kerry Abello, Doyle, and Erika Tymrak.

The game got off to a frantic start with the hosts having multiple early chances. Inside the first 30 seconds, Amirah Ali found herself with the ball right in front of goal when Strom’s wayward header fell at her feet. However, McLeod did well to get down and make a huge stop with her right leg. In the third minute, Ali sent a cross into the box looking for Kelsey Turnbow, but the ball was a bit too high for the forward. 

“Before the game started, we talked about how they were going to come out and stretch and, especially the first 10 minutes, it was going to be difficult to play,” Dougherty Howard said about the opening minutes. “But we needed to stay committed to our game plan and not get frustrated when the ball would bobble up or we’d have difficulty playing out and just stick with what we wanted to do. And I think things did settle down after that first initial period.”

The Pride got their first chance of the game in the fifth minute when Turnbow fouled Villacorta just outside of the San Diego box. Pressley and Villacorta stood over the ball but it was Dougherty Howard who took it. The Pride midfielder got the ball over the wall but it was just wide of the post. Even if it had been on target, it appeared as though Kailen Sheridan had it covered.

The Wave quickly pushed the other way and had their closest chance of the first half. Former Pride forward Taylor Kornieck sent a long ball for Alex Morgan, who was running alongside Montefusco. Morgan did well to shield the center back, creating a chance on goal. The former Pride star beat McLeod but the shot was off the post, allowing the Pride to escape the danger.

The Wave had another great chance in the ninth minute when the hosts had a three-on-two break. Morgan led the attack and had two teammates across from her, but decided to take the shot herself. It was probably an ill-advised decision as the shot skipped wide of the near post and out of play.

In the 22nd minute, Doyle attempted to cross the ball into the box from the left. Kaleigh Riehl attempted to block the cross, but it hit her outstretched arm. Referee Adorae Monroy didn’t hesitate to point to the spot as Riehl’s arm was clearly extended away from her body

It was only the second penalty this season for the Pride. The first was taken by Pressley after no other Pride players stepped up — something that resulted in Marta chastising her team after that game. This time, Dougherty Howard immediately grabbed the ball and walked to the spot. After a slight hesitation, Sheridan dove the right way, but it was an excellent penalty by Dougherty Howard, on the ground and just inside the post.

“I have kind of been preparing for that,” Dougherty Howard said about taking the penalty. “The last few weeks, if we have a penalty, that I was planning on taking it, so I’ve been training on them. Take some deep breaths, stay calm, and just know if you get it in a good spot, it’s going to be really hard to save. So I’m just trying to find a corner, stay calm, and thankfully it went in.”

It was Dougherty Howard’s second goal in her NWSL career and her first as a member of the Pride.

“If they’re on the field, if they’re feeling it,” Hines said about who would take the penalty. “Meggie was feeling it. She was practicing them yesterday. She stepped up and slotted it home. Can’t ask for more than that really.”

Following the goal, the game settled down and was mostly played in midfield. Both teams had excellent chances up to that point but few opportunities were created throughout the remainder of the first half.

In the 39th minute, Morgan cut back in the box to lose her defender. She should’ve been able to take the shot herself, but lost control for a brief moment and was forced to dump it back to Turnbow. It was a good opportunity for the forward but her shot was over the goal.

The Pride had a dangerous moment two minutes into injury time when a San Diego free kick sailed into the Pride box. Montefusco attempted to head it out but it glanced off the top and went right to Celia. The right back attempted to clear it but sent it towards her own goal. Morgan was on the chase but couldn’t get to it before the ball went out of play for a corner kick.

In the opening minutes, it looked like San Diego would dominate the game. However, the first half ended quite even. San Diego had more possession (53.3%-46.7%), shots (5-4), corner kicks (2-0), and crosses (10-3), but the teams had the same number of shots on goal (2-2). More importantly, the Pride had an attempt from the spot and took a one-goal advantage into the break.

San Diego players felt that they should’ve had a penalty five minutes into the second half. After Tymrak beat Turnbow, the Wave forward quickly won it back and sent the ball in for Morgan. Both Morgan and Montefusco went for the ball and it appeared as though Montefusco kicked the back of the striker. However, Monroy determined that there wasn’t enough contact for a foul.

The Pride nearly made a costly mistake in the 53rd minute when Katie Johnson sent the ball into the box. McLeod was too close to the near post, creating an open goal. Johnson was aiming for McNabb but Celia did well to cover the open space and clear it away.

In the 57th minute, a Kornieck shot created a little more chaos in the Pride box. Pressley tried to clear the ball, but her attempted clearance rolled back across the six-yard box. Fortunately, McLeod was in the right position this time and was able to jump on the ball.

In the 59th minute, Listro fouled Morgan as she was entering the box. It was close to being a penalty, but the contact was made just outside of the area. The ensuing free kick setup consisted of Turnbow and Emily van Egmond standing next to the ball as Morgan was just behind. Turnbow and van Egmond tapped it, allowing Morgan to run up and fire towards goal.

The ball slammed on the far post — the second time in the game that Morgan hit the woodwork — and went right to Kornieck in front of goal. The forward tried to put the rebound in, but Montefusco was there to block it out of play. The following corner found the head of Kornieck but her shot was wide and the Pride were able to clear.

In the 66th minute, Turnbow sent a cross into the box looking for Kornieck at the far post. Kornieck tried to lift her foot high enough to redirect it in. Had she knocked it down or directly ahead, it would’ve been an equalizer. However, the ball went straight up and over the crossbar.

Kornieck had a pair of chances in the 70th and 73rd minutes from Westphal corner kicks. The first one was right into the arms of McLeod and the second was just wide of the near post.

As time wound down, San Diego had the majority of the chances. In the 84th minute, a van Egmond cross found Morgan but her header wasn’t very strong, allowing the Pride to clear. In the 88th minute, Sofia Jakobsson stormed into the box. After fighting off Celia, she had contact with Jenkins. Both players went down and Jakobsson thought she earned a penalty, but a goal kick was awarded.

In the 89th minute, a van Egmond ball into the box was flicked on by Kornieck for Kristen McNabb. The defender headed it toward goal but couldn’t get it down enough as it bounced off the top of the crossbar. It was the third time in the game that San Diego had hit the woodwork.

“The post was one of our best players as well,” Hines said after the game. “But there’s been other games where we’ve not won games and we’ve dominated, so we probably deserved that luck today.”

Four minutes into injury time, McLeod was called upon for one more big save. A nice run by substitute Marleen Schimmer created a shot just outside the box. It was a hard, low shot on target but McLeod did well to get down and make the stop without allowing a rebound.

San Diego led most statistical categories, with more possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (19-8), shots on target (6-2), corners (5-1), and crosses (22-8). However, the Wave hit the post twice and the crossbar once, allowing the Pride to hold on to win.

“This one was, I mean, it was massive,” Hines said about the win. “We’re running out of games as we’re coming towards the end of the season. You know, I’ve said from the start, we are reaching to get to playoffs and it’s really important that we start picking up wins and three points and what better way to do it with a 1-0 win away from home. So I’ll keep saying that we have to keep this momentum going. We have to look at the next game. Obviously enjoy the moment right now. But again, we’re looking forward, you know, to Gotham and then trying to get three points away from home again.”

“This team has been through a lot this year,” Montefusco added. “And to come out here and win like we did tonight. We played football, and we played great soccer tonight. And I’m just so proud of this team. It’s emotional honestly.”

The win extends the Pride’s unbeaten run to six games (2-0-4) dating back to the team’s 2-2 draw with Racing Louisville FC on July 3. Three of the team’s four wins have now come away from home.

“Honestly, I think it’s just we changed our mentality,” Montefusco said about winning the second game in this unbeaten run. “We know we’re the underdog but now we know we have it in us that we can do it. And we train so hard every single day. We train with that underdog mentality. And we put in so much work and, like I said, we’ve been through a lot, so I think we’ve had to have these hard conversations with each other which has brought us extremely close.”

The Pride are now even on points with Angel City FC for seventh in the NWSL. The Los Angeles-based club has two games in hand, but the Pride are only three points behind OL Reign for the final playoff spot, with both teams having played 15 games. Orlando will visit Gotham next Saturday.

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Orlando Pride Sign Goalkeeper Kat Asman

The Pride have signed goalkeeper Kat Asman to a two-year contract through the 2026 NWSL season.

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December 11, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride announced this afternoon that the club has signed Kat Asman to a two-year contract through the 2026 season. The Portland Thorns selected Asman in the 2024 NWSL Draft.

“Kat is a phenomenal addition to our goalkeeping corps and is someone we expect to provide competition and push this group to be even better than they have been,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “We are so excited for what she brings to the group both on and off the pitch and are confident she will play an important role in our upcoming season. Kat is a great fit for our club, and we look forward to providing her the atmosphere and tools to grow her game and make an impact in Orlando.” 

Asman was selected by the Thorns with the 39th overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft. The Thorns needed a goalkeeper due to starter Bella Bixby’s pregnancy, which would cause her to miss significant time. While the rookie was on the roster, she was behind Shelby Hogan, Mackenzie Arnold, and Lauren Kozal. As a result, she didn’t make any NWSL or NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup appearances in 2024.

The Roswell, GA, native was already fourth-choice goalkeeper and Bixby will likely return to her starting position in 2025, leaving the rookie with no place in the squad. The Pride came to her rescue by signing the 24-year-old to a two-year contract.

“I am extremely excited to join the reigning NWSL champions,” Asman said in the club’s release. “A big reason I felt so drawn to joining the Pride is their drive to creating a connected team culture that thrives on building relationships off the field in order to cultivate results on the field. Over the last season, I’ve been able to watch Orlando have an unforgettable season, and I feel very blessed that I get to be a part of everything this team will continue to build in the future.”

Prior to being drafted by the Thorns, Asman spent four years starting for the Penn State Nittany Lions, where she was a teammate of Pride defenders Kerry Abello and Cori Dyke. She played 87 games in State College with 323 saves and 27 clean sheets. Additionally, she became one of four women in Penn State history to win 50 games.

Internationally, Asman has participated in training camps for the USWNT U-14 through U-18 youth teams.

What It Means for Orlando

This signing may not have much of an impact on the Pride in 2025, although the addition may bring into question Sofia Manner’s future with Orlando. Anna Moorhouse started all 26 regular-season games and all three playoff games in 2024, while McKinley Crone was the backup in all of those games. Manner was only on the team sheet for the Summer Cup matches, playing the second game and being an unused sub in the other two.

The Pride will likely have three goalkeepers on the roster for 2025, meaning one of the four currently under contract is likely on their way out. The club signed Crone to a new contract through 2026 on Sept. 6, indicating she’s part of the Pride’s future plans. With Moorhouse under contract next season, it might mean Manner is departing. The Finnish shot-stopper signed a two-year deal on Dec. 1, 2023, with an option for 2026. But with her lack of ability to lock down even the primary backup role this year, we could see a corresponding move in the coming days.

Regardless of who makes way for Asman, it’s likely she’ll be third string. The club seems content with Moorhouse and Crone as the top two goalkeepers and Asman has yet to make a professional appearance. There isn’t much for Carter to do this off-season to beef up the team, but determining who will be the third goalkeeper next season will be something to watch.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Haley McCutcheon

The veteran midfielder spent her third year in purple and contributed to the team’s run to glory.

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December 11, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Haley McCutcheon was still known as Haley Hanson when she joined the Orlando Pride on Aug. 18, 2022 in a midseason trade with the Houston Dash. The Pride gave up $75,000 in Allocation Money and a second-round draft selection. She joined Orlando for the stretch run, making her debut with the Pride on Aug. 20 in a 2-1 win over Gotham FC. Following the 2022 season, the Nebraska product signed a new contract through 2024 on Oct. 26 of last year. The Pride extended McCutcheon’s stay in Orlando on Dec. 20, 2023 by inking her to a deal through 2026.

Once again, the versatile veteran contributed in a number of different roles on the pitch, but she saved her best for last, scoring her first goals of the season in the Pride’s playoff run, helping Orlando get past Chicago and Kansas City and into the NWSL Championship against Washington.

Let’s look back at McCutcheon’s third year with the Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

McCutcheon appeared in 22 games during the regular season, starting 18 and logging 1,700 minutes, which was the sixth-most playing time among all outfield players behind three of the team’s defenders (Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, and Emily Sams), and attackers Marta and Barbra Banda. Of her 18 starts, the first two games of the season saw her at left back, while she was in the midfield for her last 16 starts, although there were a few moments here and there where she moved around as needed when subs were made.

She did not score a goal or provide an assist in the regular season, largely due to a lack of clinical finishing, as she put only two of her 18 shot attempts on frame. She completed 80.4% of her passes, but tallied no key passes and completed just three crosses and 12 long balls on the season. Defensively, however, she shone brightly with 31 tackles and 23 interceptions, winning 69 headed duels. She committed 16 fouls, drew eight, and was booked twice.

In the NWSL playoffs, McCutcheon started in all three games, logging 270 minutes. She scored two goals, finishing the two of her three shots that hit the target, but did not record an assist or a key pass in the postseason. The midfielder connected on 62.8% of her 75 postseason passes. She contributed three tackles and three interceptions on the defensive end. She committed two fouls, did not draw one on the opposition, and was booked once.

McCutcheon made two appearances in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup (both starts), playing 162 minutes. She did not have a goal contribution or attempt a shot, but she was successful on two of three dribble attempts and completed 84% of her 55 passes, albeit without a completed cross or key pass and only one successful long ball. Defensively, she won four of her five tackle attempts (80%), recorded no interceptions, and won a headed duel. She committed two fouls, drew none on the competition, and was not booked. She attempted one penalty shot but saw her potential winning effort saved against North Carolina.

Best Game

There were a few decent options for McCutcheon’s top match of the year, but the standout for me is the Pride’s 3-2 playoff semifinal win over the Kansas City Current on Nov. 17. Ironically, it was one of her poorest passing performances of the season at just a 49% completion rate, but she managed to contribute in important ways on both ends of the pitch.

Her most important contribution came in the 41st minute with Orlando trailing 1-0. Ally Watt took the ball to the end line up the right channel and cut a pass back into the middle of the penalty area. With Adriana and Barbra Banda occupying the defenders, McCutcheon made a smart late run into the box, splitting her two teammates to get into an open area just as the ball arrived. McCutcheon’s first touch was a hard shot close to the goalkeeper, but the movement was too quick for Almuth Schult to recover and keep it out. With her second goal of the postseason, McCutcheon pulled the Pride level and they kicked on to take a 3-1 lead, ultimately winning 3-2 and advancing to the NWSL Championship.

That wasn’t McCutcheon’s only contribution, although it was her only shot attempt of the match. Her 51 touches in the game showed how involved she was, and her two tackles and two interceptions illustrate her importance to the defensive effort as the Pride held off the Current’s desperation rally attempt. She picked up one foul in the game and was booked in the 12th minute of stoppage time after Danielle Chesky awarded Kansas City a penalty, perhaps trying to give Vanessa DiBernardo a little more time to think about it. Aside from her stats and her goal, McCutcheon showed leadership, often pointing out assignments like an extra coach on the field. She was solid throughout Orlando’s postseason run, but this match was probably her biggest contribution to the three-game postseason sweep.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives McCutcheon a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season. This is an improvement over the 6 we gave her last year and the 5 out of 10 grade she received in 2022. She was in the lineup nearly every game, missing just four games from Sept. 20 to Oct. 11. She sat out two of those (officially) with a knock and the last of those was an extra day of rest after the Pride had clinched the NWSL Shield. Other than that, she was on the field.

2025 Outlook

I don’t expect McCutcheon’s role to change much next season, although Seb Hines might like to get her more rest in 2025. With Luana’s illness and injuries to Angelina and Morgan Gautrat, McCutcheon ate up minutes in the Orlando midfield in 2024. Fewer injuries to that position group and/or adding depth in th off-season — and potentially the development of Ally Lemos — could help McCutcheon manage her minutes next year. Regardless of how much time she spends on the pitch, she will likely be one of the key, and vocal, veteran leaders pushing the Pride forward as they try to defend their NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship.

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Orlando Pride Announce Roster Decisions Following 2024 NWSL Season

There aren’t many surprises in the Pride’s roster status update following the 2024 NWSL season.

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1 day ago

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December 10, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride updated the team’s roster status today following the 2024 NWSL season and announced some off-season decisions. The team is well intact for the 2025 season with 25 players currently under contract and only four players officially departing.

The players under contract for 2025 or beyond include forwards Amanda Allen, Barbra Banda, Simone Charley, Julie Doyle, Mariana Larroquette, Adriana, and Ally Watt; midfielders Kerry Abello, Angelina, Luana, Grace Chanda, Morgan Gautrat, Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon, Viviana Villacorta, and Summer Yates; defenders Cori Dyke, Brianna Martinez, Carson Pickett, Emily Sams, Rafaelle, and Kylie Strom; and goalkeepers McKinley Crone, Sofia Manner, and Anna Moorhouse.

The long list of players under contract is largely due to the work done during the season to sign several players to new contracts. Yates, Doyle, Gautrat, Crone, Watt, Villacorta, Dyke, Martinez, and Abello all re-signed midseason before their contracts expired.

Celia, Carrie Lawrence, and Megan Montefusco announced their retirements from professional soccer during the season, effective at the end of the year. Additionally, Evelina Duljan is out of contract and the club has decided not to bring the young attacker back.

Probably the biggest news from the updates is that the club is in discussions for club captain Marta to return for the 2025 season. The Brazilian saw her two-year contract expire, but had a resurgence at 38 years old, resulting in being named an NWSL MVP finalist.

Just as important to re-signing players were the midseason contract extensions of Pride Head Coach Seb Hines and Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter. The pair that led the Pride to the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship signed new deals earlier this year through the 2026 season with options for 2027.

What It Means for Orlando

There weren’t going to be any major surprises because 25 of the 30 players were already under contract and three had announced their retirements. Duljan’s departure is a little surprising because she’s only 21 years old and was a highly-touted addition prior to the season. However, she only played in 11 games in all competitions and didn’t appear to be a major factor going forward with the young players in the squad.

The other big news is that the club is in discussions about a return for Marta. The captain has been with the Pride for eight seasons and lost a step after suffering a torn ACL two years ago. However, she was excellent this year, scoring 11 goals and leading the team to the double. The question was whether the club would want to re-sign the attacker — who will be 39 in February — or if she would want to ride off into the sunset with the most successful season in Pride history. The Brazilian sports icon has repeatedly said when asked that she would like to play one to two more years. That being the case, the most likely place for her to do that was in Orlando.

Regardless of the Marta decision, the Pride are in great shape moving forward. They have nearly all of their key players returning next season, setting them up for potentially another run at an NWSL Championship. However, Carter has vowed to continue trying to make the squad better, so having a lot of returning faces doesn’t mean there won’t be some activity this off-season.

Post-2024 Orlando Pride Player Contract Statuses

(Current club players in italics)

  • Kerry Abello — Under Contract
  • Amanda Allen — Under Contract
  • Adriana — Under Contract
  • Angelina — Under Contract
  • Barbra Banda — Under Contract
  • Grace Chanda — Under Contract
  • Simone Charley — Under Contract
  • McKinley Crone — Under Contract
  • Celia — Retired
  • Julie Doyle — Under Contract
  • Evelina Duljan — Out of Contract
  • Cori Dyke — Under Contract
  • Morgan Gautrat — Under Contract
  • Mariana Larroquette — Under Contract
  • Carrie Lawrence — Retired
  • Ally Lemos — Under Contract
  • Luana — Under Contract
  • Sofia Manner — Under Contract
  • Brianna Martinez — Under Contract
  • Haley McCutcheon — Under Contract
  • Megan Montecusco — Retired
  • Anna Moorhouse — Under Contract
  • Marta — Out of Contract
  • Carson Pickett — Under Contract
  • Rafaelle — Under Contract
  • Emily Sams — Under Contract
  • Kylie Strom — Under Contract
  • Viviana Villacorta — Under Contract
  • Ally Watt — Under Contract
  • Summer Yates — Under Contract

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