Orlando Pride
2022 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Celia
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/OPvPortland-2019.04-8-scaled.jpg)
The Orlando Pride acquired fullback Celia Jimenez Delgado (commonly known simply as Celia) from the OL Reign in a trade on Dec. 18, 2021, along with Leah Pruitt, the 10th overall pick in 2022 (which became Caitlin Cosme), and the Reign’s natural 2023 second-round pick, in exchange for defender Phoebe McClernon.
The fullback made her Pride debut in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup on April 3 against the Washington Spirit and became a regular for Orlando for much of the year, playing on the right side of the Pride’s back line.
Let’s look back at her first season in Orlando.
Statistical Breakdown
After beginning the season injured, Celia played in the Pride’s final three matches in the NWSL Challenge Cup, starting two and playing 176 minutes. The native of Andalusia, Spain did not score a goal or assist on one and attempted just one shot, which was off target. She passed at a 62.7% success rate and was accurate on 58.3% of her long balls. She completed two of her five crosses and contributed two key passes in the tournament. Defensively, she tallied five clearances, four interceptions, and a block, winning three of her five tackle attempts, 81.8% of her 11 duels, and all three of her aerial duels. She committed two fouls without drawing any and did not get booked in the competition.
In the regular season, Celia appeared in 18 of the Pride’s 22 games, starting 17 and going the full 90 just seven times, playing a total of 1,287 minutes. She tied for second on the team in goals, which sounds impressive until you get to the total, which was two — still, not bad at all for a fullback. She attempted just five shots that weren’t blocked, got three of them on target, and scored on two of those for a 66.7% conversion rate. Despite recording seven key passes, Celia did not register an assist in her first season with the Pride, and was successful on only five of 24 cross attempts. She passed at a 71.4% success rate, but went just 29.4% on her long passes. Defensively, she finished the season with 41 clearances, 26 interceptions, and four blocks. She also won 60% of her 35 tackle attempts, 52.8% of her 108 duels, and 61.5% of her 13 aerial duels. She conceded 23 fouls, won just seven, and picked up one yellow card on the year.
Best Game
I’m going to go with Celia’s 57-minute performance in the Pride’s 2-1 win at NJ/NY Gotham FC on Aug. 20. The fullback put Orlando on the board first with her goal early in the second half. She actually made two nice plays in the box on the goal. The first was a header at the back post to set up a chance for Julie Doyle, who missed the ball. It deflected off of a defender and found its way back to Celia’s side and she quickly attacked the ball. This time she swept it in herself to put the Pride ahead.
Sometimes you just need to cause a little chaos and good things will happen 🫡@celiajimdel | #NJNYvORL | #PrideOfOrlando pic.twitter.com/od56yC4SPr
— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) August 21, 2022
The team went on to build a two-goal lead before Gotham pulled one back to set up a nervy finish, but the Pride held on to win. In addition to scoring her goal, Celia attempted two of her five shots on the season in this match and recorded one of her three shots on target. She also put in a fairly solid shift in her own half without conceding a foul in the game.
2022 Final Grade
The Mane Land staff gives Celia a composite rating of 6 out of 10 for her 2022 season. Her ball skills helped the team build attacks up the right side, and while not spectacular, the Spaniard was generally a solid attacking piece. She could stand to be a little more secure in defending. Her crossing from the outside could use some work but she’s adept at cutting inside and picking out shorter passes to combine with other players in the attacking third.
2023 Outlook
Celia’s contract expired at the end of the 2022 season. The Pride will need to come to terms with the right back to keep her in Orlando. The Pride have a couple of fullbacks already signed for 2023 with the late-season addition of Haley Hanson — and her subsequent new two-year contract — as well as Kylie Strom still being under contract. Celia showed she can be a useful squad player, but it remains to be seen how Orlando will fill out the outside back position in the off-season. At 27, Celia should have plenty of games left in her at this level. While her defending is sometimes chaotic, she was hardly alone in that aspect this past season. She was able to provide a little help offensively. We think she’d be a useful player to keep around at least for depth or for when the team is chasing the game.
Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)
- Kaylie Collins (10/11/22)
- Parker Roberts (10/13/22)
- Haley Bugeja (10/14/22)
- Anna Moorhouse (10/15/22)
- Thais Reiss (10/15/22)
- Marta (10/16/22)
- Chelsee Washington (10/18/22)
- Ally Watt (10/18/22)
- Haley Hanson (10/19/22)
- Jordyn Listro (10/20/22)
- Leah Pruitt (10/21/22)
- Carrie Lawrence (10/22/22)
- Erika Tymrak (10/23/22)
- Julie Doyle (10/24/22)
- Darian Jenkins (10/25/22)
- Viviana Villacorta (10/26/22)
- Toni Pressley (10/27/22)
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Sign Goalkeeper McKinley Crone to New Contract
The Pride have signed backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone through 2026.
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JRPRIDE130242055-scaled.jpg)
The Orlando Pride announced this afternoon that the club has signed backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone to a new contract. The deal runs through the 2026 NWSL season.
“Mac has played an important role in our goalkeeping corps, continuing to push our group each day while investing in herself both on and off the pitch,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “We are very excited for her to continue her career with us here in Orlando, where we can continue to support her development as a player. We believe she can become a competitive goalkeeper in this league, and we look forward to providing her with the resources and environment to reach her potential.”
Crone went undrafted in 2023 before joining the Pride as a non-roster invitee during preseason. The Maitland native continued with the Pride as a training player and was awarded with a National Team Replacement Player contract on June 27, 2023 when Marta and Adriana departed for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The 25-year-old signed a second National Team Replacement Player contract and was signed for the remainder of the season on Sept. 13, 2023.
Her play in training and during her call-ups earned Crone a NWSL contract for the 2024 season. She only made the team sheet once in 2023, but became the regular backup this year. Anna Moorhouse was called up to the England National Team when the NWSL went on break for the Olympics, opening a spot for Crone. She made her professional debut in a 1-1 draw with the North Carolina Courage on July 20 in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. The young goalkeeper made five saves on six shots while conceding once and helping the Pride maintain their unbeaten record this year in all competitions.
“To be staying here in Orlando, the place I grew up, means everything to me. Being given the chance to represent this city as well as this club has been a huge honor, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue living out my dream,” Crone said in a club press release. “What we are building here is really special and I can’t wait to continue to be a part of it for years to come. This club and this city mean so much to me and I will do everything I can to help bring championships to the City Beautiful. Roll Pride!”
Prior to joining the Pride, Crone played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Alabama. Her final three seasons for the Crimson Tide saw her make 66 starts, play 9,519.77 minutes, and concede 70 goals while making 229 saves. She had a goals-against average of 1.10 and saved 76.6% of the shots she faced. She finished her collegiate career with Alabama’s record for single-season wins (10), career shutouts (23), and career wins (41).
What This Means for Orlando
Crone has worked her way from a non-roster invitee last preseason to the team’s primary backup. When the club signed Finnish goalkeeper Sofia Manner during the off-season, it was expected the newcomer would be behind Moorhouse. However, Crone has been on the team sheet for every game this season, while Manner only appeared during the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.
During the summer break tournament, Crone’s five saves topped the Pride’s goalkeeping group, which saw Crone, Manner, and Moorhouse start one game each. In addition to equaling Moorhouse with a team-best one goal conceded, she saved two penalties in the shootout, more than Moorhouse and Manner.
Crone’s role as the primary backup this season and her play in the Summer Cup makes her the obvious choice for the same role next year. For this reason, it was a matter of when and not if the Pride would attempt to sign her to a new contract. With Moorhouse and Manner already signed through the 2025 season, the Pride now have their goalkeeping corps for next year.
Orlando Pride
Finding Glory? The Orlando Pride “Just Keep Winning”
As Orlando’s NWSL rivals stumble, the Pride have shown no signs of slowing down.
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/OPvNJNY-2024.09.01-72-1-scaled.jpg)
Nearly two months ago, the Orlando Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 2-1 for a gritty road win to enter the Olympic break on top of the league table and favorites for the NWSL Shield. If any fans were anxious about the Pride’s form dipping in their return to action, they should now let go of those fears.
While Orlando has continued to rack up points with stingy defense and timely goals, the other credible contenders for the shield, the Current and the Washington Spirit, have both dropped points. Now, there are just eight matches remaining in the regular season, and the Pride have a six-point lead in the table. So, to paraphrase the ever-optimistic Dory from Finding Nemo (and also from the sequel, Finding Dory), “just keep winning.”
Since returning from the break, Orlando has won at the last-place Houston Dash and against fourth-place NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. The latter match featured 12 Olympians, and could have passed for a gold medal rematch due to Gotham’s U.S.-heavy squad and Orlando’s Brazilian contingent. Both the Dash and Gotham games were ones Orlando would be disappointed not to win, but winning is never a given in a league as competitive as the NWSL. Just ask the Current, who started the season unbeaten through 15 matches and set the pace at the top of the table, only to lose three straight and drop to third. On the other end of the table, both Utah Royals FC and Seattle Reign FC are on two-match winning streaks, showing just how quickly things can change for better or worse.
Orlando, however, leads the league and is not slowing down, because the Pride have avoided the trap games and off nights that can bite most teams. It is a testament to values instilled in the squad by Head Coach Seb Hines, now the winningest coach in Pride history, that the players have remained focused and ready for each match. Following the win over Gotham, Orlando’s fifth straight, center back Kylie Strom put it simply, “at the end of the day, we have to stick to our principles, and we did exactly that.”
Strom was referring specifically to the team’s defensive performance, but around the pitch, players are staying true to the other key principles that got them here. In recent matches, defense, as well as squad depth and versatility, have set this club apart from the competition.
Defensively, the numbers speak for themselves. Orlando now has five clean sheets in its past six NWSL matches and has only conceded 12 times in 18 matches. During the previous six matches, the Pride have started seven different players in the back four positions, and that does not include Rafaelle, who has been struggling with leg injuries this season. One of the players deputizing due to injuries to Rafaelle and Bri Martinez is Cori Dyke, who despite only starting three matches to this point in her debut season, is beginning to thrive in the environment the staff and other players have created.
Dyke exemplifies how squad depth has also been key to this defensive run. Despite a couple of injuries, the Pride still have not trailed in a match since the first month of the season, nor have they conceded a goal past the 75th minute. This stat could only be achieved because the roster is ready top to bottom to do the dirty work of defending, whether the players on the pitch are regular starters, or late game specialists. Also, it never hurts to be able to bring on Orlando’s newest addition, veteran defender Carson Pickett, to help see out games.
Orlando’s depth and versatility have also shown for the attack in recent weeks. While outsiders may wrongly view the Pride offense as a one-player “Barbra Banda show” due to her team-high 12 goals, the Dash and Gotham games demonstrated how lethal Orlando can be even without a goal from Banda. Against Gotham, it was Adriana who contributed two great goals within 20 minutes to put the game out of reach right after kickoff. Despite a slower start to 2024 following her electric debut campaign, Adriana now sits on five goals for the season. This tally brings her level with Marta, who has hit her highest individual goal mark since 2019, and Summer Yates, who subbed on and scored her fifth of season, a game winner, against the Dash.
Again, Yates’ goal highlights how the Pride players continue to perform well, whether they start or come off the bench. Goals are not the only way Pride attackers have contributed from the bench either, though Julie Doyle did almost have the goal of the season on Sunday if not for the offside flag. Doyle was also critical to seeing out the win and clean sheet because she drove the ball into the opposition half and toward the corner flag repeatedly to kill time and disrupt the flow of the match. Watt performed much the same role after her introduction as well, ensuring that Gotham did not have as many chances to score towards the end of the match.
At the end of the day, these are the types of contributions that Orlando will need to keep winning and maintain their lead at the top of the table. This includes the way the defense doesn’t let the opposition breathe, no matter who is playing. It includes timely goals from the entire Pride roster and not just Banda. And, it includes players in each position remaining focused and doing what they have done to be in the position they are in today. That position is one where they finally have daylight between them and their rivals at the top.
While there are still eight matches to go, the Pride will know that if they can take care of business against the teams outside of the top four in the NWSL, such as this weekend’s against the Chicago Red Stars, the path for other teams to catch them will get much trickier.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Loan Amanda Allen to Lexington SC
The Pride have sent Canadian international forward Amanda Allen on loan to USL Super League side Lexington SC.
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/MarkThor-PridevChicagoRedStars-032924-OCOP1702-1-scaled.jpg)
The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has sent forward Amanda Allen on loan to USL Super League side Lexington SC. The loan is for the 2024-25 USL Super League season, which runs through May, and includes a right to recall.
“Amanda has shown her potential and maturity during her time here in Orlando and we’re happy to find an opportunity for her to get more minutes on the field,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Amanda has played an important role so far this season and we are happy to be able to give her the opportunity to compete in Lexington. We look forward to watching her play and will continue to support her from afar during this loan spell.”
The Mississauga, Ontario, native joined the Pride on April 3, 2023 on a three-year deal running through the 2025 season. She made her debut on May 6, 2023 against Racing Louisville FC, becoming the youngest player to play for the Pride at 18 years, two months, and 15 days old.
In her two years in Orlando, Allen has made 17 appearances with two starts while recording 293 minutes with one assist in all competitions. That includes 11 NWSL regular season appearances, three Challenge Cup appearances, and three NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup appearances. Her assist came in this year’s season opener in a 2-2 draw against Racing Louisville when she found Summer Yates for the late equalizer.
Allen has spent time with the Canadian National Team and the youth squads. The 19-year-old forward is currently at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, where she started in the team’s first two group games.
What This Means for Orlando
The Pride have two primary forwards this season in Barbra Banda and Ally Watt, with the other forwards usually being left on the bench or out of the matchday squad. Even veteran and Argentina international Mariana Larroquette has found it hard to see the field. The club views Allen as part of the future of this team, but she was unlikely to see much more time this year in the regular season or postseason.
This loan gives the 19-year-old an opportunity to see first-team minutes at a high level, as the USL Super League is a first division league. The team was already heavy on forwards, resulting in the waiving of rookie Alex Kerr on Aug. 29. This move clears more space at the position while stating that Allen is part of the future of the team.
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks ago
Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Set New NWSL Unbeaten Record
-
Orlando City B2 weeks ago
Orlando City B vs. Atlanta United 2: Final Score 4-1 as Young Lions Blast Atlanta
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. Sporting Kansas City: Player Grades and Man of the Match
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks ago
Orlando Pride Focused On More Than Records
-
Orlando Pride6 days ago
Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. Sporting Kansas City: Five Takeaways
-
Podcasts2 weeks ago
PawedCast Episode 442: Sporting Kansas City Rewind, OCB-Atlanta, Nashville Preview, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. Sporting Kansas City: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More