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Orlando Pride vs. OL Reign: Final Score 2-1 as Late Megan Rapinoe Goal Halts Pride’s Unbeaten Run

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2 years ago

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A second-half, injury-time goal saw OL Reign (7-4-6, 27 points) defeat the Orlando Pride (5-6-6, 21 points) 2-1 at Exploria Stadium, putting an end to Orlando’s seven-match unbeaten run. The Pride took the lead in the 37th minute when Meggie Dougherty Howard took advantage of a mistake in the back, but second-half goals by Bethany Balcer and Megan Rapinoe lifted the visitors to the win.

Pride Interim Head Coach Seb Hines only made one change to the team that beat San Diego Wave FC 1-0 and NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-1 last weekend. Toni Pressley was unavailable for selection due to being in COVID protocol and was replaced by Carrie Lawrence. As a result, the back four in front of Erin McLeod was Celia, Megan Montefusco, Lawrence, and Kylie Strom. Dougherty Howard and Jordyn Listro were the defensive midfielders behind Erika Tymrak, Viviana Villacorta, and Kerry Abello, with Julie Doyle starting up top.

OL Reign dominated this game from the start. The Pride were unable to get the ball out of the back, repeatedly turning the ball over in their own end. It was 37 minutes before the Pride got their first real chance of the game. However, they stayed in the game because of some blocked shots by Lawrence and Montefusco, as well as the Reign only putting five of their 15 shots on target.

Rose Lavelle got a shot off for the game’s first chance in the fifth minute and Rapinoe took one in the sixth minute, but both were blocked away. They had another chance in the 11th minute when Celia conceded a corner. Rapinoe sent it to the near post but Alana Cook flicked it over the crossbar.

In the 13th minute, a Pride turnover gave Lavelle the opportunity to fire on goal from the top of the box. The ball beat McLeod but was off the crossbar, the closest chance of the opening minutes.

Two minutes later, Jess Fishlock sent a cross into the box that found the foot of Jordyn Huitema near the six-yard box. The forward volleyed the ball towards goal but it was right at McLeod, who made the catch.

In the 21st minute, Villacorta reached out for a ball near the sideline and appeared to roll onto her left ankle. The midfielder went down and required treatment. She tested her ankle on the sideline while the Pride played with 10, but ultimately wasn’t able to continue and was replaced by Mikayla Cluff.

“I’m not sure. Hopefully, fingers crossed, it’s nothing too serious,” Hines said about Villacorta’s injury. “We have to remember that this is her first season back from an ACL. So the way that she’s progressed and she’s been such an important part of our success.”

In the 34th minute, Strom tripped up Huitema as she attempted to beat her about 30 yards from goal. The ensuing free kick was taken by Rapinoe, who sent a bending ball into the box. The ball skipped past several players on its way through, without anyone being able to get a touch on it.

After 36 minutes of play, the game had been dominated by OL Reign. The visitors led in every statistic, recording seven shots and 13 crosses. Conversely, the Pride hadn’t created any chances, recording no shots, corner kicks, or crosses. But somehow they managed to score first.

In the 37th minute, the visitors attempted to play the ball out of the back. The Pride were pressing Sam Hiatt but she played the ball right to Dougherty Howard. The midfielder took a long shot at goal — the team’s first of the game — which deflected off Cook and went past Phallon Tullis-Joyce to give the Pride a very unexpected 1-0 lead.

The visitors nearly equalized a minute into first-half injury time. An OL Reign cross was tipped by the sliding foot of Lawrence and met the head of Balcer at the back post. However, McLeod showed quick reflexes to get to the ball before it got past her and pushed it away.

At halftime, OL Reign had more shots (8-2), shots on goal (3-1), corners (1-0), crosses (14-0) and passing accuracy (84.8%-77.4%). The Pride had slightly more possession (50.1%-49.9%) but were absolutely dominated in the first 45 minutes. However, the mistake by OL Reign allowed the hosts to go into the locker room with a one-goal lead.

“I thought we started the game slow and scared,” Hines said about the first half. “That was our message at halftime was do what we’ve been doing well to get to this point.”

“I think the first half, the last 20 minutes we dominated and we stuck to our principles and we were calm,” Tymrak said about the team’s mindset at halftime. “We were urgent going forward, were confident in how we wanted to play, and at halftime we said we have to keep that going and we play like that. We have this game.”

OL Reign started the second half as they’d played in the first. In the 53rd minute, Fishlock sent a ball towards the back post that was directed for Balcer. However, it was a little too far for the forward and Strom was able to see it out of play.

Following the chance for OL Reign, the Pride made their first second-half substitution. As he’s done in previous games, Hines took off Doyle minutes into the start of the half and brought on Ally Watt. It was Watt’s second appearance for her new team and her first in front of her new hometown fans.

In the 56th minute, the visitors found the equalizer. It started on a headed clearance by Lawrence that didn’t go very far. Tymrak was immediately on Rapinoe, who had collected the ball, but Rapinoe flicked it over Tymrak’s head, creating enough room for a cross. The ball landed on the head of Balcer who was charging into the six-yard box. McLeod got a hand on it but it wasn’t enough and it went into the bottom corner of the goal to even the game at 1-1.

The Reign nearly scored a second just a minute later when a quick throw-in by Rapinoe allowed Huitema to send in a cross at the end line. The cross reached Lavelle right in front of goal but she put it over the crossbar.

The Pride got their first second-half chance in the 67th minute, when Tymrak sent the ball forward for Watt, one of the league’s fastest players. Watt beat the Reign defenders to the ball and was able to get a shot off, but it was over the crossbar.

Following the Pride’s chance, the Reign went back on the attack. Fishlock found Rapinoe overlapping on the left in the 69th minute, allowing the latter to get off a cross. It was just out of reach for McLeod and glanced off the crossbar but none of her teammates were there to get on the end of it.

The Pride nearly had a second chance of the half in the 70th minute when Tymrak sent a low ball into the box. It was behind Dougherty Howard, but the first-half goal scorer managed to flick it on with her heel. Unfortunately, Tullis-Joyce got to it before any Pride attackers could.

Lavelle sent a ball towards the back post in the 73rd minute to set up another opportunity. Sofia Huerta beat her defender to the ball, allowing a chance with McLeod closer to the near post. However, it was a poor attempt and instead of redirecting it on goal, she hit it out of play for a goal kick.

Hines made two more subs in the 76th minute — one offensive and one defensive. On the attacking side, Gunny Jonsdottir came on for Abello. Defensively, Haley Hanson came on for her second appearance for the Pride, replacing Celia.

With time winding down, the visitors continued to push for a winner. In the 90th minute, Fishlock received a short clearance just outside the box. She quickly fired towards goal but hit it wide.

Two minutes into second-half stoppage time, the Reign got their second goal. Huerta sent a great ball towards the back post where Rapinoe was making a run. The forward slid in, getting her foot to the ball and knocking it in to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

“We knew they were good at whipping balls in the box, and they definitely executed on that,” Montefusco said about the second Reign goal. “So we have to give it to them.”

The Pride got one more chance a minute later through Tymrak. The midfielder took a shot from the top of the box that appeared to be heading just inside the post but Tullis-Joyce was able to make her way across the goal and catch it. That was the last action of the game.

In the end, the Pride had more possession (51.9%-48.1%), but OL Reign had more shots (15-8), shots on goal (5-3), crosses (25-6), and more accurate passes (81.2%-78.5%). Additionally, both teams had two corner kicks.

“I felt the second half was better,” Hines said after the game. “It’s a sucker punch at the end because I felt like we were starting to get momentum and we looked like the team that was going to get the winning goal. But, you know, football’s a cruel game at times. And it’s a learning moment for all of us.”

“It’s tough. I’m not gonna lie,” Montefusco said after the game. “You know, I thought our team has been building something really special. Obviously, you can see that out in the field. We put everything out there. It’s just really defeating to go down at the very end like that.”

The Pride will now have two weeks to reflect on this defeat before returning to action on Sept. 9 when they welcome the Portland Thorns to Exploria Stadium.

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Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 0-0 as Pride Remain Unbeaten in 2024

The Pride played to a scoreless draw with the Kansas City Current, ending their win streak but extending their unbeaten run.

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2 days ago

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September 13, 2024

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride (14-0-6, 48 points) saw their six-game winning streak come to an end, but extended their unbeaten run tonight with a scoreless draw against the Kansas City Current (11-3-6, 39 points) at Inter&Co Stadium.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines deployed the same lineup as the previous two games, wins over NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Chicago Red Stars. It’s the first time Hines has used the same lineup in three consecutive games since a three-game stretch last year from April 29 to May 14. Anna Moorhouse started in goal behind a back line of Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke. Haley McCutcheon and Angelina were the defensive midfielders behind Summer Yates, Marta, and Adriana with Barbra Banda up top.

The Current are a good transition team and put most of their players behind the ball looking for the counterattack. This strategy made them hard to break down, so quality chances for the Pride were hard to come by. Despite finding Kansas City hard to break down, the Pride were able to create several decent looks. The Current also found opportunities on counterattacks, and nearly scored before halftime, but the Pride were able to come away with a clean sheet.

“It’s incredibly tough,” Hines said about the Current playing behind the ball. “Kansas are a great team. They’ve got a lot of players who could really hurt you in transition, and obviously we were mindful of that. We probably weren’t as brave as we usually are in the middle to attacking third. But I thought, again, we created enough opportunities to try to win it. I think, you know, Kansas’ game plan was trying almost a smash-and-grab kind of game plan. Try to be defensively solid and hit us on the counterattack. There was probably one or two moments where we lacked a little bit of concentration, but nothing resulted in a goal, which was pleasing.”

The Pride got off to an attacking start, getting into the Kansas City box inside the first minute. Banda’s cross was blocked but not cleared. Adriana took possession, playing it back to Yates, who found McCutcheon at the top of the box. The midfielder took the game’s first shot, but Debinha got in front to block it.

The Current got their first chance of the game in the 12th minute when Debinha played Ellie Wheeler wide on the right. Hailie Mace was making a run with space towards the back post where Wheeler sent the cross. The Kansas City defender attempted to volley the ball on target but missed wide.

Marta took the game’s first shot on target in the 17th minute. Receiving the ball while pushing forward, the Pride captain shot from distance between a pair of defenders. It was a solid strike but too close to Current goalkeeper Almuth Schult, who made the easy stop.

A minute later, Banda got her first attempt at goal. Shielding Vanessa DiBernardo, the striker was aiming for the near post but missed wide.

On the other end, DiBernardo got a shot for herself, Kansas City’s first attempt on target. The midfielder’s shot from outside the box was curving away from Moorhouse and towards the far post, but the Pride goalkeeper was able to dive to her right and push the ball away.

The Current created an attack in the 23rd minute when Debhina received a pass, spun her defender, and played Temwa Chawinga forward. The league’s top goal scorer quickly found Nichelle Prince to her right, and the Canadian took Sams into the box. However, the Pride center back did well to stay in front of the attacker, blocking the eventual shot.

The visitors nearly had a dangerous chance in the 27th minute when Sams knocked the ball off of Prince’s foot, but the forward got a fortunate bounce. Chawinga was making a run to the top of the six and Prince played the ball in for her. However, Strom got to it first, clearing the ball away to end the threat.

The Pride went the other way and Adriana put the Pride’s second shot on target in the 28th minute. Receiving a pass forward from Marta, the midfielder had Banda making a run into the box. It looked like she would play her teammate through, but took a long-distance shot instead. It was on target, but didn’t cause any trouble for Schult.

Chawinga had a chance in the 31st minute after taking possession just inside the Pride half of the field. The striker dribbled to the top of the box and took a touch inside to lose Dyke. She had just enough space to get a shot off and put it on target, but the low attempt was easily collected by Moorhouse.

The Current got a breakaway in the 40th minute when Prince tried to play the ball over the back line. It fell for Sams, who misplayed it, enabling Chawinga to get in on goal. As Chawinga dribbled around Moorhouse, Dyke retreated to the goal line. Chawinga let the ball get a little too far in front of her, missing wide of the near post.

The Pride players felt they should’ve had a goal in the 43rd minute when Strom’s cross into the box was too close to Schult. While her teammates couldn’t reach it, the ball sailed to the goal line. Schult caught the ball right in front as Banda and Yates threw their arms up, claiming the ball crossed the line. However, it was clearly still in play.

In the 45th minute, Banda found Adriana to her right. The midfielder looked to take Mace into the box one-on-one, but shot from distance instead. The ensuing corner kick was played short and ruled to be offside on the return pass, the last action of the half as the referee blew for the break with no stoppage time.

While the Pride had more possession (53%-47%), corner kicks (4-0), crosses (12-3), and slightly better passing accuracy (86%-85%), the Current recorded two more shots (7-5) and both teams put two chances on target.

“We just needed to stay locked in,” Dyke said about the halftime message. “With the way they were sitting off, we know that they were just waiting for their moment to pick us off and go. So, just going into the second half, being super disciplined. But also, we wanted a goal. We wanted those three points. So to still go at them and bring that high energy in the second half.”

It looked like the Current had a great chance to open the scoring in the 46th minute when Debinha played Prince behind the back line. The forward shot for the far post and Moorhouse just got a touch on it and tipped it wide. However, the flag went up as Prince was well offside when the ball was played through.

Banda nearly gave the Pride the lead in the 52nd minute when she won the ball from Lo’eau LaBonta, tapped the ball around Alana Cook, and fired on target. It took an excellent save from Schult to tip the ball over the crossbar and keep the game scoreless.

The ensuing corner kick was cleared away to Dyke, who played it back outside for Marta. McCutcheon met the Brazilian’s second cross but sent her header wide of the near post.

In the 56th minute, LaBonta lifted a pass just over the foot of McCutcheon to Chawinga near the top of the box. The striker took a touch inside to get space from Dyke and shot on goal. The shot was heading inside the near post, but Moorhouse tipped it wide. The ensuing corner kick was cleared and the game remained scoreless.

Hines made his first change of the game in the 60th minute. It was a somewhat surprising one as Yates and Julie Doyle tend to replace each other around the hour mark. However, this time it was Evelina Duljan coming on for Yates.

Bia Zaneratto, who came on when the Pride made their substitution, played the ball forward for Chawinga in the 64th minute. The striker got behind Dyke and sent a low shot for the far post. Moorhouse was unable to get down to get a piece of it, but the ball rolled wide of the target anyway.

During the buildup, Angelina went down and required medical attention. It was a scary moment for the Pride as the midfielder suffered an injury earlier this year. Fortunately, she was able to get up on her own and continue.

The crowd buzzed with excitement in the 67th minute when Duljan played Banda into the opposing third of the field. However, the striker was the only player in purple near the ball while the Current had several defenders back. The Zambian sent a weak ball towards goal that rolled wide without causing any problems for Schult or the Kansas City defense.

The Pride had a great opportunity in the 71st minute when Wheeler went over Duljan, giving the Pride a free kick just outside of the box. Angelina tapped the ball so Marta could shoot, but the Pride captain didn’t get much on it and the Current were able to clear.

Shortly after the set piece, Hines made his second change of the night as Morgan Gautrat, fresh off her new contract, came on for Angelina.

Marta showed her skill in the 80th minute with a stepover that left DiBernardo injured on the ground. The veteran took a long-distance shot for the far post, but Schulte dove and knocked it wide.

The Current cleared, but the Pride quickly regained possession. Receiving the ball from Banda outside the box, Marta took another shot from distance, forcing Schult into another diving save. This time the goalkeeper was able to hold onto the ball.

Desiree Scott upended Strom in the 85th minute, causing the center back to flip and land on her back. Strom required some medical attention after the hard fall, but she was eventually able to continue. In the meantime, the Pride were awarded a free kick.

Marta sent the set piece into the box where McCutcheon beat Michelle Cooper to the ball. She tried to flick the header to the far post and it got past a diving Schult, but the ball bounced just wide.

The Current went the other way and created a chance of their own. Chawinga dribbled forward and played a give-and-go with Zaneratto. She had space for a shot but was too far in front of the ball and fell over while attempting to shoot, sending her shot wide.

The fourth official showed eight minutes of stoppage time and that was enough for the Pride to create a pair of chances. In the sixth minute, Banda dribbled into the opposing third and found Adriana to her right. She laid it off for the midfielder, who shot but sent the attempt over the crossbar.

Duljan tried to create something in the eighth minute with some fancy dribbling, getting past two defenders. Cook blocked the shot, sending it straight to McCutcheon for a second attempt that went wide. That was the final chance for either team as the game ended scoreless.

At full time, the Pride had more possession (52.1%-47.9%), shots (15-12), shots on target (5-3), crosses (18-6), and corner kicks (8-2), and better passing accuracy (88.3%-84.4%). However, despite their statistical advantages, they weren’t able to find a winning goal.

“I think every game, especially at home, we want to walk away with three points. Kansas were a tough nut to crack at times. You know, they got a lot of bodies behind the ball. Very difficult for us to try and create anything,” Hines said about the game. “But I also think there was quite some good opportunities to score as well. I thought their keeper was phenomenal. I thought she was busy enough to try and keep them in the game. But yeah, we’ll take the positive. Another clean sheet, another great defensive display, and we move on. We move forward.”

The clean sheet by Moorhouse is her 11th of the year, tying a league record held by AD Franch and Casey Murphy. It’s her 17th clean sheet as a member of the Pride, extending her team record.

The Pride have now claimed clean sheets in six of their last seven games and four straight. The last time they conceded was to Chawinga on July 6 in the Pride’s 2-1 win in Kansas City. The four straight shutouts breaks a Pride team record and leaves them one short of the league record.

“I think it’s just the heart of this team,” Dyke said about the team’s recent defensive success. “Like everyone is just willing to work so hard for each other. And I think that’s what drives us.”

“I think the stats speak for themselves. You know, I think oftentimes the defense are the unsung heroes, but we take a lot of pride in that,” Abello added. “And, like I said, the clean sheets speak for themselves. And at the end of the day, that’s what’s winning us games and that’s what’s putting us at the top of the table. Yes, we’re dangerous in the attack and yes, we’re putting goals on teams, but being number one in goals conceded, or fewest goals conceded, I think that’s the difference for us so gotta hand it to the back line.”

While the draw ends the Pride’s six-game win streak, it extends their unbeaten run to 20 games this season and 21 games dating back to last year. If you include the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, the Pride have now gone 24 games unbeaten in all competitions.

The Pride remain in first place, extending their lead over the second-place Washington Spirit to seven points. However, the Spirit play the Houston Dash Sunday with a chance to get within four points.

As for the Pride, they’ll head back out on the road, taking on Bay FC on Friday, Sept. 20 in San Jose, CA.

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Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride return home for a battle against the Kansas City Current.

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2 days ago

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September 13, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (14-0-5, 47 points) welcome the Kansas City Current (11-3-5, 38 points) to Orlando in a matchup between two of the best teams in the NWSL. This is the second and final time the two teams will face off in the 2024 NWSL regular season.

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

History

The Current joined the NWSL in 2021 after the team’s ownership group bought the Utah Royals and relocated the club to Kansas City. It’s the second NWSL team in the city — FC Kansas City played there from 2013 to 2017 before moving to Utah — and the team was known as NWSL Kansas City for its inaugural season.

The Pride and Current have played seven games against each other, all in the regular season. Orlando has a 3-2-2 record in the series and are 1-1-1 at home.

The two teams last met on July 6 in Kansas City. Barbra Banda gave the Pride the lead, but the hosts responded two minutes later through Temwa Chawinga. Despite a second yellow card for Carrie Lawrence dropping the Pride to 10 players just before halftime, Marta converted a second-half penalty, lifting her team to a 2-1 win.

The first time the teams met in 2023 was on April 23 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City. It was scoreless after an hour before the Current got a quick flurry of goals by Debinha and CeCe Kizer, lifting Kansas City to a 2-0 win. On June 23, 2023 in Orlando, the visitors took the lead through Debinha, and Kizer doubled the advantage just before halftime. Marta converted a penalty to pull one back, but the Pride fell 2-1.

Their first meeting in 2022 came on July 31 in Kansas City while the Pride were in the middle of their seven-game unbeaten run. The Pride opened the scoring when Erika Tymrak found the head of Celia and doubled the lead just after halftime through Julie Doyle. The Current stormed back with goals by Elyse Bennett and Kizer, pulling out a 2-2 draw.

The first meeting in 2022 was on May 14 at Exploria Stadium. The Pride took the lead early in the second half on a Gunny Jonsdottir goal. Bennett scored late in the second half, and the visitors appeared to win the game a minute into injury time through Kristen Hamilton. However, Kylie Strom was pulled down in the box five minutes later, resulting in a penalty. With Marta injured, the only player willing to step up to take the penalty was center back Toni Pressley, who drilled the ball into the roof of the net, pulling out a 2-2 draw.

The teams played twice during the 2021 NWSL season, with the first game occurring May 30 at Exploria Stadium. Courtney Petersen found Alex Morgan just outside the six-yard box and the striker headed in the game’s lone goal as the Pride won 1-0.

The Pride and Current met again on June 23 at Legends Field in Kansas City. The Pride had a weakened squad as then-coach Marc Skinner left some key players at home, preparing to lose them to the Olympics. It looked to be costly when Mariana Larroquette gave the hosts the lead late in first-half injury time. But the Pride responded well. Two minutes after Larroquette’s goal, Sydney Leroux’s shot took a deflection off a defender and went in to make it 1-1. Shortly after halftime, Leroux scored on a great individual effort from just outside the box. Marta then scored the goal of the game, beating Kansas City goalkeeper Abby Smith from the top of the center circle, lifting the Pride to a 3-1 win.

Overview

The first meeting this year between the Pride and Current was a matchup of the only two undefeated teams in the NWSL. Since then, the teams have gone in different directions. The Pride won the next three games, extending their winning streak to six and their unbeaten run to a league-record 20 games.

The growth of the Pride was seen in their most recent contest against the Chicago Red Stars away from home. Last year, the team couldn’t find the back of the net despite dominating play for 90 minutes. The Red Stars scored on a counterattack, pulling out a 1-0 win. The Pride learned from those mistakes Sunday night when Marta gave the visitors the lead in the 37th minute. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines addressed last year’s game prior to the start and they were able to keep Chicago off the score sheet, winning 1-0.

The most impressive part of the Pride’s season has been their defense. The back line has seen multiple changes, including an Olympic injury to center back Rafaelle, causing Emly Sams to move inside and rookie Cori Dyke starting the last three games at right back. However, the teamwide defending has kept their opponents from scoring, resulting in the Pride conceding the fewest goals in the league.

The last meeting between the Pride and Current was the last game before the Olympic break. The Current had extended their unbeaten run to 17 games, a new league regular-season record. The Pride’s win in Kansas City matched that feat and they surpassed it the following game.

The Current have struggled since the Olympics ended, losing their first two games — 4-1 to the Washington Spirit and 2-1 to the North Carolina Courage. They returned home on Sept. 7, where they beat the last-place Utah Royals 1-0. 

Despite their recent struggles, the Current are still in third place and contenders for the NWSL Shield, sitting three points behind the Spirit and nine points behind the Pride. They’ve had the most potent attack this season, scoring a league-high 43 goals. The biggest offensive threat has been Chawinga, who leads the league in goals this year with 15 in 19 games. She’s three ahead of second-place Banda, who has scored 12 goals in 15 games. The 15 goals scored by Chawinga is 10 ahead of Bia Zaneratto and Lo’eau LaBonta, who have five goals each.

In addition to scoring frequently, Chawinga has been the primary provider for the Current, tallying a team-high six assists, one ahead of Vanessa DiBernardo. Zaneratto has also been a significant factor in goal contributions, adding four assists to her five goals.

Stopping Chawinga will be the primary task for the Pride tonight. Their 12 goals conceded this year is the fewest in the league and they’re coming off a similar game where they had to shut down a player who posed the most significant threat. The Pride kept Chicago’s Mallory Swanson off the score sheet and the attacker only took two long-distance shots.

“Competitive game. Both teams want to go after it,” Hines said about tonight’s game. “I think, for us, like you said, quick turnaround from the game on Sunday against Chicago to playing against Kansas, who are also trying to win the shield this season. So I expect a competitive game on Friday. We have to focus on ourselves. We’re obviously coming to our own place in front of our own fans, and we want to continue that momentum. For us, it’s another game. It’s the next game in the schedule, and we want to continue to keep winning and keep that separation from the pack that’s trying to chase us.”

The Pride are without seven players tonight due to injury, including Grace Chanda (thigh), Simone Charley (ankle), Mariana Larroquette (thigh), Luana (illness), Sofia Manner (concussion), Megan Montefusco (heel), and Rafaelle (foot). Additionally, Ally Lemos is with the U-20 USWNT at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Kansas City is without Alex Pfeiffer (knee), Gabrielle Robinson (knee), and Mallory Weber (knee) due to injury. Claire Hutton is on international duty with the U.S. U-20s and Michelle Cooper (ankle) is listed as questionable.

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, Cori Dyke.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Angelina.

Midfielders: Summer Yates, Marta, Adriana.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Morgan Gautrat, Ally Watt, Carrie Lawrence, Brianna Martinez, Julie Doyle, Carson Pickett, Evelina Duljan, Celia.

Kansas City Current (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Almuth Schult.

Defenders: Elizabeth Ball, Kayla Sharples, Alana Cook, Hailie Mace.

Midfielders: Debinha, Vanessa DiBernardo, Lo’eau LaBonta.

Forwards: Ellie Wheeler, Temwa Chawinga, Nichelle Prince.

Bench: AD Franch, Bia Zaneratto, Desiree Scott, Stine Ballsager, Michelle Cooper, Izzy Rodriguez, Bayley Feist, Kristen Hamilton, Hildah Magaia.

Referees

REF: Alyssa Nichols.
AR1: Brian Marshall.
AR2: Ben Rigel.
4TH: Alejo Calume.
VAR: Shawn Tehini.
AVAR: Matthew Rodman.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: Amazon 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 Sign Midfielder Morgan Gautrat to New Contract

The Pride have signed defensive midfielder Morgan Gautrat through 2025 with a mutual option for 2026.

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3 days ago

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September 12, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride announced this afternoon that the club has signed midfielder Morgan Gautrat to a new contract. The deal runs through the 2025 NWSL season with a mutual option for 2026.

“Morgan has come in and proven to be a great addition to our club. She has quickly become someone that our younger players can look to for guidance and advice off the pitch, while also putting in strong, consistent performances on it,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Morgan knows how to win at the club and international level and has helped bring that knowledge and professionalism into our locker room. We are very excited to have Morgan with us for the future.”

The Pride acquired Gautrat in a trade with the Kansas City Current on Jan. 11. In exchange for the veteran defensive midfielder and $50,000 in allocation money, the Pride sent a 2024 international spot to the Current.

Gautrat has made 14 appearances in all competitions this season for the Pride (13 regular season and three NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup), with nine starts and recorded 711 minutes. She started alongside Angelina when Haley McCutcheon was at right back, but has split time with the Brazilian in recent weeks as both players have spent time on the injured list.

“I am so excited to be staying here with the Orlando Pride for the next couple of years. What we have here and the culture that is being created is something so special and I am thrilled to be a part of it,” Gautrat said in the club’s press release. “Growing up playing here in Florida and now playing here professionally has only solidified that Orlando is home. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to represent this badge and will work as hard as I can to help the club achieve all of its goals.”

Gautrat was the first overall pick of the 2015 NWSL Draft by the Houston Dash out of the University of Virginia. She went on to play for the Chicago Red Stars, French side Olympique Lyonnais, and the Current before joining the Pride.

Internationally, Gautrat represented the United States at the 2010 U-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The St. Simons Island, GA, native made her senior team debut on June 15, 2013, making 88 appearances for her country with eight goals and 11 assists. She was part of the 2015 and 2019 United States teams that won back-to-back World Cup titles.

What It Means for Orlando

The Pride spent the last couple of years in a full rebuild, replacing aging veterans with young players. They narrowly missed out on the playoffs in 2023, spurring the feeling that they could compete this year. For this reason, they brought in several veterans to fill out the lineup, including Gautrat.

While Gautrat hasn’t been a regular starter for the Pride, the depth she provides the team has been valuable, especially when Angelina was injured. She’s currently behind Angelina and McCutcheon on the depth chart, but will slide into the starting role when either is injured, McCutcheon is needed on the back line, or when Angelina is away on international duty with Brazil.

The midfielder has had some trouble with injuries the past few years, contributing to her absence from the national team and her trade from Kansas City. Those problems have arisen at times this year when she suffered a lower leg injury and a concussion. However, she’s been healthy for most of the season and provides a veteran presence in a young locker room, making her a valuable part of the 2025 squad.

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