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Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville FC: Final Score 2-0 as Pride Waste Chance to Climb Back into Contention

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2 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (5-8-7, 21 points) fell 2-0 to Racing Louisville FC (3-8-8, 17 points), putting a dagger in the team’s playoff chances. Nadia Nadim and Savannah DeMelo scored the goals for the hosts, who hadn’t won any of their previous 13 matches and hadn’t scored more than one goal since July 3 — the last time Louisville faced the Pride.

Sitting in ninth with 21 points, the Pride needed three points out of this game to give themselves any realistic chance of claiming a postseason spot. They are now seven points behind OL Reign for the final playoff spot with only three games remaining. While they can mathematically catch some of the teams currently in playoff positions, they have a -17 goal differential.

Pride Interim Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes to the team that lost 2-0 to the Portland Thorns last weekend. Haley Hanson and Darian Jenkins entered the lineup in place of Celia and Kerry Abello, who started on the bench. The back four in front of Anna Moorhouse consisted of Hanson, Megan Montefusco, Toni Pressley, and Kylie Strom. Meggie Dougherty Howard, Mikayla Cluff, and Jordyn Listro were in the midfield and the attack was Jenkins, Julie Doyle, and Erika Tymrak.

The Pride had more possession and chances in this game but were unable to convert on any of them. They forced Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund into seven saves but half of their shots were off target. The lack of finishing and an early poor defensive play were the keys to the result.

The Pride had a great chance to score the first goal in the third minute when Dougherty Howard drew a foul just outside of the box. Strom played the free kick short and forward to Dougherty Howard, who immediately touched it to Tymrak. The attacker had a great look but hit the crossbar. The rebound ended up at the feet of Pressley, but she sent it right to Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund.

Louisville got its first chance a minute later when Wang Shuang found Emina Ekic in the box. The midfielder had enough space for a shot on goal but sent the ball over the crossbar.

In the seventh minute, a defensive mistake by the Pride nearly resulted in the first goal. Ekic sent a long ball over the top for Nadim, who was charging behind the back line. Pressley attempted to slide and knock the ball away, but completely missed, allowing Nadim to take control. The Danish international tried to chip Moorhouse but sent the shot over the goal.

The hosts took the lead in the 10th minute through their leading scorer. A good ball by Lauren Milliet sent Jessica McDonald down the right. The U.S. international let the ball run through her legs, which completely fooled Strom. McDonald used the space to blow past Strom easily and feed Nadim, who beat Montefusco, right in front of goal. It was an easy finish for the striker, who scored her sixth goal of the season.

“It always sucks to go down,” Jenkins said about conceding first. “But we’ve been down the first half a lot of times this season and come back from it.”

The Pride had an excellent chance to equalize in the 17th minute when Dougherty Howard sent a great ball across the box. The ball rolled right to the feet of Doyle who had an open goal in front of her. As she attempted to tap the ball into the goal, she somehow managed to completely miss it, squandering a golden opportunity.

Louisville nearly doubled its lead in the 19th minute when Milliet sent a cross towards the back post. McDonald was at the post but the ball sailed closer to the goal and looked as though it might sneak inside the far post. However, it ended up going out of play and the Pride were able to survive the danger.

In the 26th minute, Jenkins made a nice run into the box. Pulling up at the top of the box, she fired towards the far post but Lund made a nice diving block to maintain Louisville’s lead.

Following the chance by Jenkins, Louisville found its footing again and started to create chances. In the 29th minute, DeMelo found Ekic in the box but her shot was right at Moorhouse. Three minutes later, Emily Fox made a good run into the box. After her initial shot was blocked, she beat Hanson down the end line. Her goal was to find McDonald in front of goal but it was blocked out for a corner kick.

The hosts had another chance in the 43rd minute when Shuang sent a low cross inside the six. McDonald was charging in from the far post but Moorhouse beat her to it. The ball popped free, but the referee blew the whistle for a foul on McDonald.

That was the last real chance of the first half. At the break, the Pride had more possession (54%-46%), shots (7-6), corners (4-1), and crosses (4-3). The teams had the same number of shots on goal (2-2) and both completed 78% of their passes. The difference in the two teams during the first 45 minutes was the Pride’s inability to finish.

“We told the players that we needed just a little bit more energy, closing down a little bit quicker,” Hines said about his halftime message. “In possession move the ball a little bit quicker, threats in behind.”

While the Pride dominated much of the first half, Louisville came out of the break on the front foot. In the 49th minute, McDonald found Jaelin Howell in the box. There was contact in the box and Howell went down but the referee determined that it wasn’t a penalty.

A minute later, the hosts doubled their lead. The goal started as a give-and-go between DeMelo and Wang, allowing DeMelo to find space at the top of the box. The midfielder sent a shot into the top corner of the goal, beyond the reach of Moorhouse, giving Louisville a commanding 2-0 lead.

Racing nearly scored a third in the 52nd minute when Shuang took a shot from the left of goal. Moorhouse got down to block the shot but was unable to collect it, resulting in a rebound at the top of the six-yard box. Nadim was there but went to the ground and handled the ball before tapping it in.

In the 56th minute, the Pride got their first chance of the second half, thanks to a mistake in the back by Louisville. After winning the ball on the right side and in her own third, Satara Murray played it forward for Wang. The Chinese international played it right back to Murray but it was a poor pass, forcing Murray to reach out for the ball.

Tymrak took control and dribbled towards the Louisville goal. She was looking to use her right foot to curl the ball just inside the near post from outside of the box but Lund did well to get a hand to it and knock it away.

Down 2-0 and needing three points, Hines made three of his five substitutions in the 59th minute. Gunny Jonsdottir, Abello, and Leah Pruitt came on for Listro, Strom, and Doyle. While Doyle is a forward, the other two changes were attacking substitutions.

In the 64th minute, Hanson made a good run to the end line and attempted a cross into the six-yard box but it was blocked out for a corner kick. The ensuing corner ended up with Abello but she sent the ball right into the arms of Lund. Two minutes later, a poor clearance gave Tymrak a chance from outside of the box. She hit the ball well, but Lund blocked it away.

Hines made two final changes in the 67th minute as the Pride looked to climb back into the game. However, these changes weren’t quite as attacking as Courtney Petersen and Ally Watt came on for Jenkins and Tymrak.

In the 76th minute, Pressley cleared the ball out for a corner. Shuang’s corner was bending towards the far post, went over the arms of Moorhouse, and appeared to be headed in. There were Louisville players at the back post but none could get on the end of the ball and it went out of play for another corner kick.

A minute later, Louisville came inches away from making it 3-0. Milliet sent a curling ball into the box that met the head of Howell. The midfielder redirected the ball towards goal and over Moorhouse who was caught too far off her line. But it bounced off the bottom of the crossbar, allowing Pressley to clear it away.

Lund nearly made a critical mistake in the 81st minute that would’ve given the Pride some life. Pruitt sent a seemingly harmless shot from well outside of the box towards goal. Even though the ball appeared to be heading wide, Lund decided to play it with her feet. The ball bounced off her foot and out of play for a corner kick. However, a bounce in the opposite direction could’ve easily resulted in an own goal.

A minute later, Pruitt sent Petersen down the right from near midfield. The second-half substitute was behind the Louisville defense and got a shot off from inside the box. She was looking for the far post but sent the shot well wide of the target.

Two minutes into second-half injury time, Watt had a chance to score her second Pride goal when she got her head to a Jonsdottir free kick. But the header was wide of the post. That was the final chance for either team as Louisville finished off the 2-0 win, their first since May 22.

In the end, the Pride had more possession (53.7%-46.3%), shots (14-11), shots on target (7-5), corners (9-5), crosses (12-11), and passed more accurately (74.9%-72.5%). But they were unable to find the back of the net, resulting in a devastating result.

“Disappointed,” Hines said about his feelings about the game. “We felt that coming in here would be a great opportunity to bounce back from the last couple of results. The game’s built on taking chances and Louisville took their chances and we didn’t.”

“Goals change games,” he continued. “We score within the first couple of minutes and that changes the whole momentum of the game and we build on that. But it wasn’t meant to be and resulted in us losing the game.”

“We’re really unlucky to not score in the first half, myself included. We just need to take better advantage of our scoring opportunities because other teams are taking advantage on theirs, especially against us,” Jenkins said after the game. “And we just really need to put away our chances and kind of get on the same page. I think we’re kind of all over the place, which led us down ultimately to the loss in our game.”

It’ll be a short break between games for the Pride as they take the field again on Wednesday night when they welcome the North Carolina Courage to Exploria Stadium.

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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.

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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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