Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Claim First Home Win This Season
The Orlando Pride (3-5-3, 12 points) found a second-half goal to beat the Houston Dash (4-4-3, 15 points) 1-0 at Exploria Stadium, ending a six-game winless streak. It was also the Pride’s first win at home in 2022. The difference was a deflected ball off the head of Kylie Strom in the 79th minute that bounced in off defender Ally Prisock.
Pride Interim Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes from the team that drew Racing Louisville 2-2 last weekend in Daytona. Kerry Abello joined the starting lineup in place of Thais Reiss, who moved to the bench. Carrie Lawrence also came into the starting lineup, replacing Toni Pressley at center back. It was Lawrence’s first start since May 27 against the Washington Spirit.
The back line in front of goalkeeper Erin McLeod consisted of Celia, Megan Montefusco, Lawrence, and Strom. Viviana Villacorta and Jordyn Listro were in the midfield behind Meggie Dougherty Howard, Erika Tymrak, and Abello, with Darian Jenkins up top.
Houston came into this game missing 10 players. Elizabeth Eddy was out injured and seven players were on international duty at the Concacaf W Championship and Euro 2022.
The Dash created the first chance of the game off the kickoff. Former Pride player Marisa Viggiano drew a foul by Dougherty Howard, and Emily Ogle sent the free kick into the box looking for Ebony Salmon. However, the forward hit it poorly and the shot went wide of the target.
The first opportunity for the Pride came in the ninth minute when Dougherty Howard looked for Jenkins in the box. However, Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell did well to come out and collect the ball before Jenkins could get to it. A minute later, Dougherty Howard blocked a Dash pass and it went right to Jenkins. The striker was able to find enough space to take a shot, but it was blocked.
The best first-half chance for the Pride came in the 17th minute. Abello found Jenkins on the right side. The forward quickly took a shot on that skipped past the defender and the diving Campbell. However, it drifted just wide of the far post.
In the 21st minute, Tymrak found Jenkins on the left. The forward had Strom outside, which would’ve been the safer ball, but carried it inside instead. She found enough space for a shot but it was from distance and right at Campbell.
The Pride had another great chance in the 35th minute when Strom found Abello on the left side of the box. The midfielder beat her defender to create a shot, but it was from a tight angle and right at Campbell, who made the catch.
Huge stops for @jane_campbell1 this first half against @ORLPride! @HoustonDash | #HoldItDown pic.twitter.com/qcnqag7ito
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 8, 2022
The Pride continued to press forward, creating shots by Jenkins and Dougherty Howard. But these shots were from distance and right at Campbell, creating no trouble for the Houston goalkeeper.
Similarly, the Dash had a pair of late shots by Bri Visalli and Haley Hanson, but they were from distance and right at McLeod.
At halftime, the Pride had more possession (50.8%-49.2%), shots (8-3), shots on target (5-2), corners (3-1), and crosses (3-1). But most of their attempts were right at Campbell, allowing Houston to get out of the first half even.
“We talked before the game about starting fast, putting the emphasis on Houston, making it uncomfortable early on,” Hines said after the game. “And I thought we did that. We created some good opportunities but not clear-cut opportunities. I think we could have been a little bit more patient in the attacking third rather than just going straight towards goal. We hit some out-of-range shots, which a player like Jane Campbell, she’s going to deal with them pretty easily.”
“I think we were really positive,” Jenkins said about the first half. “I think we had Houston facing their own goal most of the half. I think our mindset going into the second half was just to keep building on those opportunities. Keep taking those shots, one’s bound to go in, follow up on the ball. The more you shoot, the more you’re likely to score. So we just kept that going and then we got the goal.”
It appeared as though the Pride had a breakaway in the 53rd minute when Villacorta sent Jenkins through in the Dash half. However, after a brief hesitation, the assistant referee raised the flag signaling offside, which appeared on the replay to be the wrong decision.
Jenkins had another chance in the 63rd minute, when she received the ball from Celia near the top of the box. The forward took aim but got under the ball and it sailed well over the target and into the upper level of the stands.
Good, quick passing through the midfield by Strom and substitute Courtney Petersen set up Jenkins for a cross in the 73rd minute. She had Mikayla Cluff, who came on for Dougherty Howard at halftime, in the box, but the cross was over her head and the substitute had no chance of reaching it.
The Pride finally broke through in the 79th minute. Lawrence played a long ball into the box, which found the head of Strom. The defender attempted to flick the ball on for Cluff, who was closer to goal, but it went off the leg of Prisock and in for the game’s first goal.
We have liftoff
Kylie Strom with back to back goals for the @ORLPride #PrideOfOrlando pic.twitter.com/Odnxnlfdhn
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 9, 2022
The goal was initially credited to Strom, but was later changed officially to a Prisock own goal.
It was the first time that the Pride had taken the lead in seven games. The last time the Pride scored first in a game was on May 18 against the North Carolina Courage in Cary, NC. Sydney Leroux opened the scoring in the fourth minute of that game, which was also the Pride’s most recent win.
Following the goal, Houston went on the attack and put pressure on the Pride. It started with a shot by Salmon that was blocked by Celia. Listro had a chance to clear, but it went right to Ryan Gareis, who sent the shot wide.
Despite Orlando having a goal kick, Houston quickly regained possession of the ball. Viggiano found Salmon for another shot, but she sent that one well above the target.
“You’re always most vulnerable after you score and we switched off,” Hines said. “So that’s something that we’re going to talk about in review is that, as soon as we all cross that halfway line, we’re ready to go. And we were disorganized after we scored. It was like a moment of relief that we scored, but now we have to switch on straightaway.”
The hosts should’ve doubled their lead in the 82nd minute. Petersen sent a cross in from the left that was blocked by Prisock. However, the clearance attempt went right to Chelsee Washington with plenty of space. The second-half substitute should’ve gone for the far post, where there was plenty of space, but shot it right at Campbell, who made the stop at the near post.
With time winding down, the Dash pushed forward in an attempt to score an equalizer. Three minutes into injury time, Hanson sent a ball into the box for Gareis. The latter went down in the box after a collision but the referee waved play on. It was the best opportunity the Dash had in the second half.
The Pride ended the game with more possession (52.2%-47.8%), shots (11-7), shots on target (7-2), corners (5-1), and crosses (16-6) in what was arguably their best performance of the year. However, the most important fact was that they came away with a 1-0 win
“I think the players understand today that winning is hard. It’s hard work,” Hines said. “It’s a collective effort. They had a real grit and determination on and off the ball. And, you know, Houston causes some problems. So we had to try and figure it out. They clogged the middle — the areas that we like to exploit — so we had to get some thinking at halftime on how we’re going to create more goal-scoring opportunities. We deserve a goal. It was a lucky goal, but we deserved it. We deserved the win last week. We deserved the win this week. So that little bit of luck on our side.”
“It’s just a big, huge win for us,” Jenkins added. “It shows that all of our hard work really paid off. I think we’ve definitely dealt with some trials and tribulations up until this point, and it just shows how resilient we are as players, and our coaching staff, and being able to work through all of this. And really, like I’ve said before, you can really see the results of us just working through this new identity that we’re developing with this club and us as players. So, it’s amazing to feel all that hard work pay off and finally get the winning result.”
The win broke a six-game winless streak that dated back to May 18 and was the team’s first home win of the season, including the NWSL Challenge Cup. The most recent home win prior to tonight’s game was on Sept. 11, 2021, a 3-1 win over Racing Louisville.
After a short week, the Pride now have a bit of a break and will look to build on this result when they travel to take on the Washington Spirit next Sunday afternoon.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Re-Sign Marta through 2026 Season
The Pride captain returns to Orlando for two more seasons with a new deal that could take her through the end of her playing days.
Orlando Pride talisman and team captain Marta will most likely end her illustrious playing career in the City Beautiful after inking a new two-year contract with the club through the end of 2026. The club announced the signing today, just 47 days after concluding her most productive season since 2017 and the Pride’s — and arguably any NWSL team’s — best season ever.
The 38-year-old Brazilian, who will turn 39 in February, said after the Pride won the NWSL Championship in November that she’d like to play one or two more seasons. This contract will allow her to do just that, putting her on track to play 10 seasons in Orlando and retire (if she chooses to do so at that time) at age 40.
Marta, who was out of contract after captaining the Pride to the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship in 2024, was a priority for Orlando this off-season, with the Pride announcing Dec. 10 that the club was in negotiations with the captain over her return. That business is now concluded with today’s announcement.
“Coming off the most successful season in our club’s history and, personally, one of the best of
her professional career, re-signing Marta was a key business priority for us during this offseason,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Sporting Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “The impact she has made on our team, our locker room, and our community is evident, of course through her incredible skill as a player, but even more so through her selfless and exemplary leadership style. We are thrilled to have secured her as a member of the Pride for the next two years and look forward to seeing what more we will accomplish during her tenure.”
“This is a team where everybody works for each other, where everyone believes in each other,
and I’m so excited to continue this journey with this club,” Marta said in the club’s release. “Last year we proved everyone wrong and did something so special as a team, and that’s why I’m so happy to have the opportunity to sign for two more years. Personally, it also means a lot to me that I will reach 10 seasons as an Orlando Pride player, a special number for me as I have worn the No. 10 jersey most of my career. As I have said many times, I love living in Orlando, I love the community, and I love the way that people embrace and enjoy Orlando Pride soccer. I can’t wait for the season to start.”
Marta has been a fixture with the Pride since 2017, signing on April 7 from Swedish side FC Rosengard on a two-year deal with a club option for 2019. On Oct. 24 of that year, Marta signed a new one-year deal with a club option for 2020, although ultimately the NWSL regular season was scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pride further extended her stay in Orlando on Feb. 17, 2021, with a new one-year contract through the 2021 season with a club option for 2022, using Allocation Money. In 2022, she signed a new two-year contract, taking her through what turned out to be a magical 2024 championship season.
The attacking midfielder is coming off a season in which she was a finalist for NWSL MVP and NWSL Midfielder of the Year, scoring nine goals and adding one assist in 23 games (19 starts), logging a total of 1,739 minutes. In all competitions, Marta scored 11 goals. Following the season, Marta was named to the 2024 NWSL Best XI First Team and the 2024 FIFPRO Women’s World XI.
Since her arrival in Orlando, Marta has become the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (128), goals (42), and assists (19). Of her 42 goals, 14 were game winners, including the strike against the Kansas City Current in the 2024 NWSL semifinals that ultimately pushed the Pride into the NWSL Championship game against the Washington Spirit.
A professional player since 2000 — at the age of 14, when she broke in with Vasco de Gama — Marta became one of the most feared attacking players in the world, winning FIFA World Player of the Year six times over her considerable career, including five straight times (2006-2010). The native of Dois Riachos, Alagoas, Brazil has represented her native Brazil on the world stage since 2002, scoring 119 goals in 204 caps for her country. With 17, Marta holds the world record for career goals in the World Cup and scored in five different iterations of the competition. She has also scored in five consecutive Olympic Games, finally calling an end to her international career after the 2024 Paris Olympics, in which she led her team to the Silver Medal — her third time claiming silver.
Marta has become such an icon in women’s soccer that FIFA named an award after her — the FIFA Marta Award. She won the very first Marta Award in December for a goal she scored for Brazil against Jamaica in 2024.
What It Means for Orlando
Orlando has its captain back and even at her age, she’s one of the league’s best attacking midfielders. She had been slowed in recent years by injuries, including an ACL tear that cost her almost all of the 2022 season. Working her way back from that injury throughout the 2023 campaign, which saw the Pride tie for the final playoff spot, only to see the position go to Gotham on goal differential, Marta turned back the clock in 2024 with her MVP finalist performance. Her nine goals in 2024 were second in her Pride career only to her 2017 season, in which she scored 13 times and finished second to Sam Kerr in the Golden Boot race.
If the Pride get the 2024 version of Marta — or even close to it — for the next two seasons, the club will take that every day of the week.
However, this is not a move without risk. Marta figured to be one of the team’s most expensive players under her previous few deals, and she is about to turn 39 next month and 40 just before the final year of her new (final?) playing contract. Although it would be foolish to bet against Marta turning in another outstanding season, the reality of age catches up with everyone eventually. With her in the lineup, the Pride will have someone who can keep possession with her on-ball and passing skills. She’ll continue to smartly release pressure in the midfield with her timely and accurate switches of play. And she’ll likely continue to contribute to the team’s offensive numbers, looking first to set up striker Barbra Banda. She will be the port the Pride turn to in a storm.
The Orlando icon is a lock to be a future member of the Legends Terrace at Inter&Co Stadium, with her name likely being enshrined next to inaugural inductee, Kaká’s. Having the opportunity to potentially sign Marta through the end of her playing days is worth the risk for the Pride. Although Seb Hines would do well to try to get his aging star as much rest as possible during a long season, she’ll be on the pitch for almost every meaningful minute as long as she remains fit.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Need to Address Center Back Depth This Off-Season
The Pride’s starting center backs are strong, but departures have created a depth issue that Haley Carter must address.
The Orlando Pride are in arguably the best roster scenario of any off-season in team history. While the team was breaking records on the field, Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter was busy keeping the team together for the foreseeable future. The result is that most of the roster is intact for 2025, but there are some issues that need to be resolved.
Following the 2024 NWSL campaign, only two contracts expired — 21-year-old midfielder Evelina Duljan and club captain Marta. While Duljan will depart the club, the Pride stated they’re in discussions with Marta about returning next season. If the club re-signs Marta, it will have its entire double-winning starting lineup back.
With the possible exception of replacing Marta, the biggest issue for the Pride this off-season involves the three retirements announced prior to the end of the season. Right back Celia, center back Megan Montefusco, and versatile defender Carrie Lawrence all ended their professional careers. Celia’s absence won’t affect the team much as it has plenty of right back options, but the loss of Montefusco and Lawrence — both of whom have plenty of experience at center back — leaves the team short of depth at the position.
The lack of central depth on the back line was on full display during last season. Montefusco had surgery on her right foot, ending her season before it began. Head Coach Seb Hines moved left back Kylie Strom to a center back role alongside Rafaelle and Emily Sams — who played most of 2023 at center back — to right back. However, Rafaelle’s absence due to injury forced Sams into her natural center back position.
In addition to Strom, Sams, and Rafaelle, three other players started at center back last season. Hines used a center back pairing of Brianna Martinez and Kerry Abello once, putting the two together in the second regular season game, a 1-1 draw with Angel City FC. Cori Dyke was only used in the position late in the season when Sams was given a rest. While all three have played center back before, it’s not the first choice for any of them.
Abello and Dyke played the position in college but have primarily played in different positions professionally. Abello started as a left attacking midfielder before moving back to left back last season. Dyke moved from central midfield to center back for her senior year at Penn State and became the starting right back after the Olympic break. Martinez has usually played right back since joining the Pride. The trio only made five combined starts at center back in 2024, with Abello appearing three times and Dyke and Martinez once.
While there are players that can play center back, only three have at least one full professional season of experience at the position. If Hines has the same vision as last year, Strom and Rafaelle would start at center back and Sams at right back when everyone is healthy. While Sams and Strom proved to be an effective partnership, the Pride boss will want the Brazilian international in the lineup if she’s available. However, Rafaelle suffered a partial tear to her right quadricep tendon late last season and it’s unclear when she’ll be ready to play again. As a result, the Pride could begin the season with only two regular center backs.
If Rafaelle isn’t ready to go when the season starts and Strom or Sams go down, it’s currently most likely that Abello would move over to center back and be replaced by Carson Pickett on the left. Considering that it’s the position that Abello has the least experience of her three potential roles, that’s a less than ideal scenario. Signing a natural center back would enable Hines to make a like-for-like change in the lineup and keep everyone else in their familiar spots.
Carter and Hines have built a team full of versatile players, preparing them for these situations. Nearly everyone on the team has played multiple positions in league games and some have played offensive and defensive roles. As a result, players can take over positions they’re less familiar with when needed with at least some experience, even if just one game.
While Abello, Dyke, and Martinez are capable of filling in at center back in an emergency, the Pride would ideally have someone more experienced in that role. Since the rest of the roster is nearly complete for the first game, Carter can focus on ensuring there’s plenty of depth. The first position in need of additional bodies is the center back position.
Orlando Pride
Top 10 Moments of 2024: Orlando Pride Win NWSL Championship
Our No. 1 moment of 2024 features the Orlando Pride bringing home an NWSL Championship to clinch the league’s double and cap a historic season.
As we count down to the new year of 2025 — which will be Orlando City’s 11th in MLS, the Orlando Pride’s 10th in the NWSL, and OCB’s third in MLS NEXT Pro — and say goodbye to 2024, it’s time to look back at the club’s 10 best moments of the year as selected by The Mane Land staff via vote.
What do you do after you’ve won the NWSL Shield, went unbeaten for 24 consecutive games, set NWSL records for wins, points, clean sheets, and consecutive shutout minutes? Well, to paraphrase Jake Taylor in Major League, there’s only one thing left to do…win the whole f#@%ing thing! That’s exactly what the Orlando Pride did after the 2024 NWSL regular season. The Pride earned the right to play at home up until the championship game by virtue of finishing with the league’s best record in the regular season, and doing all those things I mentioned above. So, the team entered the postseason needing three victories to leave no doubt about which team was the league’s best.
It’s not that a regular-season title would be a hollow victory without a playoff championship, but it had been a few years since the league’s shield winner had completed the double and won the NWSL Championship. Orlando had high aspirations after such a successful regular season, and three wins in a row — even against a trio of the better teams in the league — seemed like child’s play for a Pride team that had winning streaks of eight, six, and three matches during the regular season. On the other hand, every team wanted to be the one to bring down the mighty Pride.
The team’s run to the double started at home against the Chicago Red Stars, a team that the Pride have famously struggled against, especially in Orlando. I won’t belabor it here, as it was the No. 5 moment in our countdown of the club’s biggest moments of the year in 2024. I’ll simply point out that the Pride breezed past the Red Stars so easily that Barbra Banda and Marta were playing goal frame challenge after Orlando built up a big lead, and Anna Moorhouse gave up a silly goal just to give Chicago one solitary moment of happiness in the match. I kid, but only just. Few playoff wins have come more easily.
That left the Pride with an NWSL semifinal matchup against the Kansas City Current — a team desperate to beat Orlando for perceived slights earlier in the season and because the title game was scheduled to take place in their home stadium. If Current players didn’t like Orlando celebrating in their stadium, they hadn’t seen anything yet. But first, the Pride had to get past Kansas City, a team they beat while down a player on the road July 6 and played to a scoreless stalemate in Orlando on Sept. 13.
The Pride took care of business, building a 3-1 lead after falling behind early, with Haley McCutcheon and Banda starting the comeback and Marta ultimately scoring the game-winner (our No. 7 moment of the year). Orlando had to withstand a desperation rally attempt by the Current that came too close for comfort after a late penalty kick goal cut the lead to one, but the Pride held on as they did throughout the season and booked their ticket to Kansas City to face the Washington Spirit.
If fans needed some good omens, there were a few. The Pride had swept the season series, so they knew they could beat Washington. Orlando had played the Spirit in a trophy-clinching game weeks earlier, beating them to clinch the NWSL Shield (our No. 2 moment of the year). The Pride and the Spirit headed to CPKC Stadium on Nov. 23 with a championship trophy on the line.
The game was every bit as tight and nervy as you could expect from a championship match. The teams were physical with each other, and referee Alyssa Nichols was letting them play. Well, everyone except Banda, who was called for every collision and bump, even when she was trying to fight through a hold by the defense. The Spirit and their fans no doubt weren’t happy when the physical play wasn’t called on the game’s only goal.
Angelina won the ball in the midfield and Washington’s Leicy Santos bodied her from behind, trying to win it back. The Brazilian fought Santos off in a physical confrontation and then launched a good long ball down the right channel for Banda to run onto.
Despite getting to the ball first, Banda had a lot left to do from the right flank. She cut inside, flicked the ball with her back heel to beat her defender, working her way nearly to the corner of the six. Former Pride goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury saw the ball on Banda’s left foot and thought Orlando’s striker might try to pick out a runner in the middle of the box. Instead, Banda smashed the ball with her left foot. Kingsbury got a piece but the shot had a lot of powper and surprised the goalkeeper, opening the scoring in the 37th minute.
That was the only goal celebration in the 2024 NWSL Championship. The Pride held off Washington’s repeated advances into the final third. The Spirit chased the game hard, finishing with advantages in many statistical categories, including possession (58%-42%), shots (26-9), shots on target (5-3), corner kicks (8-3), crosses (25-11), and passing accuracy (79%-69%). But the league’s best defense in the regular season held strong, and the Pride had their second major trophy in a 48-day span with the 1-0 win over Washington.
The Pride were even more effusive in their celebrating than they’d been in their last trip to Kansas City, when they’d suffered down a player for more than half the game and won the battle of the NWSL’s last two undefeated teams in the Current’s seemingly impenetrable home fortress. Team captain Marta can perhaps be forgiven for getting on the bad side of the television censors when expressing the intense relief of finally winning the league championship. Pride fans, who had suffered through some miserable seasons since the team’s inception, likely were experiencing similar feelings.
Upon returning home, the Pride were honored with a parade through downtown Orlando, showing off the team’s two trophies to a huge crowd downtown in front of City Hall. The players, coaches, and front office were showered with adulation from the fans, and rightfully so. Even entering the season with raised expectations, few could have foreseen the club achieving so much, and it was the culmination of an extraordinary amount of work and chemistry from everyone.
While winning the NWSL Shield is considered by some to be the bigger accomplishment of the two trophies Orlando won in 2024, doing the double was twice as nice. With the victory, the Pride became the first professional sports team from Orlando to win a major league trophy. As such, the NWSL Championship is worthy of the top spot on our list of the biggest moments of 2024. It wasn’t a unanimous choice by our staff in the voting, but it was the overwhelming winner.
This concludes our list of the the top 10 moments of 2024 for Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and OCB. There’s no doubt the list was heavy on the Pride accomplishments this season, but that’s what happens when you win the double and set so many league and club records along the way. We had a lot of fantastic moments to choose from in 2024, so if we didn’t pick yours, well…maybe next year. We tried to work OCB into the list, but the Young Lions didn’t make the final 10 in our staff vote. Hopefully you enjoyed reliving these moments as much as we did writing about them.
Previous Top Moments of 2024
10. Orlando City’s massive second-half surge clinches top-four spot in Eastern Conference.
9. The Orlando Pride sign Zambian international striker Barbra Banda ahead of the 2024 season.
8. Facundo Torres scores his 47th goal for Orlando City, breaking the Lions’ all-time goal record.
7. Marta’s magical goal pushes the Orlando Pride past Kansas City and into the NWSL Championship.
6. Orlando City wins nervy three-game MLS Cup playoff series to advance past Charlotte FC.
5. Orlando Pride pick up the club’s first-ever playoff win in their first-ever time hosting a postseason match.
4. Orlando Pride rewrite club and NWSL record books throughout 2024 season and playoffs.
3. Orlando City dumps rival Atlanta United to advance to the club’s first-ever MLS Eastern Conference final appearance.
2. Orlando Pride earn the club’s first trophy by claiming the 2024 NWSL Shield with a win over Washington.
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