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Orlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Final Score 2-2 as Pride Claim Point on Late Equalizer

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2 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (3-5-6, 15 points) had to come back twice, but managed to pull out a 2-2 draw against Angel City FC (5-5-3, 18 points) at Exploria Stadium. Former Orlando fullback Ali Riley gave the visitors the lead just before the half but Julie Doyle came off the bench to score her second goal in as many games in the second half. Angel City responded with a goal off a set piece by Cari Roccaro, but an own goal by Paige Nielsen in second-half injury time caused the game to end in a draw.

Pride Interim Head Coach Seb Hines made only two changes to the team that drew 2-2 with the Kansas City Current last weekend. Starting center back Megan Montefusco was suspended due to yellow card accumulation and replaced by Toni Pressley. Additionally, Darian Jenkins returned to the lineup, replacing Doyle. As a result, the back four behind Erin McLeod consisted of Celia, Pressley, Carrie Lawrence, and Kylie Strom. The midfield was made up of Meggie Dougherty Howard, Jordyn Listro, Erika Tymrak, Viviana Villacorta, and Kerry Abello, with Jenkins up top.

The first chance of the game was for the Pride in the fourth minute. A quick pass by Villacorta allowed Strom to find Abello in the box. The midfielder attempted a shot from the left of goal, but it skipped across the six-yard box and out for a goal kick.

In the 24th minute, Tymrak found Dougherty Howard near the box. The Pride midfielder attempted to curl the ball around Angel City goalkeeper Didi Haracic, but it was deflected out of play.

Three minutes later, Strom nearly found Tymrak in the box. It was a good run by Tymrak and a good ball through by Strom, but it was a bit too far and Haracic was able to beat the Pride midfielder to it.

Tymrak had a great chance in the 29th minute when Strom gave her the ball inside the Angel City box. The midfielder should’ve been able to put the shot on target, but it somehow managed to flick up onto her arm. The referee didn’t call a handball, but it provided Angel City with an opportunity to clear.

After messing up her first golden opportunity, Tymrak was given a chance to redeem herself in the 39th minute. She received the ball in nearly the exact position as her 29th-minute chance. This shot was hit towards the goal but was well over the crossbar.

Angel City didn’t have many great chances in the first half, but made the Pride pay for missing theirs. In the 40th minute, Riley received the ball on the left. It appeared as though she would attempt a cross, but instead went for goal and beat McLeod to the far post.

After failing to score in her 24 appearances with the Pride, the right back has now scored twice in her last three games with Angel City.

The Pride did have one last chance to equalize before the end of the half. Jenkins cut inside from the right and into the box, creating enough space to get a shot off. But it was blocked and the Pride went into the break down 1-0.

The visitors had slightly more possession in the first half (50.9%-49.1%) but the Pride had more shots (7-4), crosses (8-2), and corners (2-0) in the first 45 minutes.

“Seb just told us to play with courage,” Abello said about the halftime talk. “You know, we need to want the ball. Everyone needs to want to get on the ball and turn and go forward. And not that we weren’t playing with courage, but I think we needed even more of a drive and Seb, he believed in us.”

The visitors nearly doubled their lead right after the break. Coming on as a halftime substitute, Simone Charley was one-on-one with Lawrence heading into the Pride box after a long ball by Megan Reid. The center back fell, allowing Charley to be free in on goal. However, she lost control of the ball, allowing the Pride to escape the dangerous situation.

The Pride should’ve had the equalizer in the 49th minute when some nice moves by Abello created enough space to send the ball into the box. The cross sailed over the head of Haracic to Jenkins at the back post with a wide open goal in front of her. She headed the ball down, but it was straight down, resulting in it bouncing over the crossbar instead of into the open net from just a few feet in front of the goal line.

In the 63rd minute, Tymrak played a ball into the box, looking for Abello at the near post. The ball was a bit too far for the midfielder and Tyler Lussi knocked it out of play. The ensuing corner was to the near post where Celia and Lussi came together. However, the ball bounced out of play and Angel City was able to clear.

The Pride got their equalizer a minute later. It started with a Doyle cross that was headed on towards goal by Tymrak. The shot was blocked and ended up with Savannah McCaskill at the top of the box facing the goal. Pressured by Villacorta, McCaskill played it back to Nielsen. However, Doyle beat her to the ball and shot into the roof of the net.

It was Doyle’s second goal of the season and her second in two games. She also scored the second goal last week in the Pride’s 2-2 draw with the Current.

“She’s been terrific,” Hines said about Doyle’s current goal streak. “She was fortunate enough to start off having given a really good performance against Kansas, but these are the decisions you have to make as a head coach. So she made an immediate impact and that’s all we can ask. When players come onto the field as a substitute, can you make an impact in a game? And she certainly did that today. With getting a goal and making difficult runs, finding the spaces.

“We’re talking about a rookie. We’re improving her, developing her. You know, going through a slight bit of adversity, how are you going to react not starting? And she showed today, her reaction was brilliant.”

Angel City didn’t wait long to answer, doing so in the 72nd minute. First, Charley got her head to a Lussi cross, putting it on target. McLeod did well to get down and knock it out of play for a corner kick.

The ensuing corner kick was flicked on by the head of Nielsen. It landed at the feet of Villacorta and Roccaro. Villacorta was unable to get her foot to the ball and Roccaro quickly shot on target, putting it past McLeod and giving the visitors a 2-1 lead.

The Pride nearly found another equalizer in the 79th minute when Strom played Abello behind the Angel City defense. The midfielder shot with her second touch, but sent it just wide of the post.

The hosts had another good opportunity in the 87th minute when Mikayla Cluff was fouled by Jun Endo. Thais Reiss stepped up to take the free kick but sent it straight into the wall. The ball bounced right back to Reiss, who sent a second shot into the wall, allowing Angel City to clear.

The Pride continued to pressure, looking for a second equalizer. They were given a boost when the fourth official held up five minutes in injury time. They didn’t need much of those five minutes as they found a second equalizer inside the first minute of added time.

The team worked the ball out to Abello on the left, with the final ball coming from Reiss. Abello quickly sent a hard cross into the box, where Doyle was making a run and Cluff was heading towards the back post. Nielsen got to the ball before either Pride attacker, but knocked the ball into her own net, evening the game at 2-2.

“I was just so thankful,” Abello said about having a part in the equalizer. “I was definitely a little disappointed at some of my chances missed earlier in the game. So my one goal is just to make a difference, make something happen. You know, it’s not always going to be pretty and at the end of the day, it was a deflection but I was happy with the chance I took to just drive across the goal.”

After the equalizer, the Pride continued on the attack. Two minutes into injury time, Doyle made a good run toward the end line and won a corner. The ensuing set piece was knocked out of play for a second corner, but that one was cleared away.

The final chance of the game for the Pride came in the fourth minute of added time when Jasmyne Spencer fouled Reiss at the top of the box. Tymrak took the free kick but sent it wide.

Despite barely hanging on to a draw in the final minutes, it was Angel City that had the last chance of the game. Endo found former Pride player Dani Weatherholt in the box and the midfielder shot on goal. But it was right at McLeod who made the save and ended the game.

Other than the scoreline, it was a dominant performance by the Pride. They ended the game with more possession (52.6%-47.4%), shots (16-9), corners (7-4), and crosses (28-9). The difference in the game was the lack of shooting precision as the Pride only put one shot on target and Angel City put four on frame.

“Entertaining. Happening more often than not,” Hines said about the game. “I said in pregame that what you’ll find today is two teams that are both wanting to win, needing to win to get three points. We’re obviously chasing Angel City. Obviously chasing the playoffs as well. So I felt that we dominated the game in possession. Even out of possession I think we’re in controlled spaces, that they were patient in trying to pull us out of positions. But you know, we’re allowing the right people to have time and space on the ball. And there was a few little adjustments that we had to make at halftime. We had to increase the energy on our shifts across to keep them spaces tight and the players did that. But the game is all down to goals and we created a lot of good opportunities to score. We have to take them and when we do take them, we’re going to be even more of a threat than we showed today.”

This draw is another point for a team pushing for the sixth and last playoff spot. And while the team will be happy to extend its unbeaten run to five games, they’ll also look back at several missed opportunities that could have resulted in the Pride claiming all three points. 

“It’s the hardest part of the game, right? Putting the ball in the goal,” Hines said about the missed chances. “And I don’t know if it’s repetition in training. The players have showed that they can put the ball in the goal in training. We created them sort of opportunities in training as well.”

This is the third game this season that the Pride have come back to score an equalizer in second-half injury time. They previously did it on May 14 against the Current and on May 27 against the Washington Spirit — both at Exploria Stadium.

“I think it’s our leaders,” Abello said about the team’s ability to come back. “You know, I think it’s players that really step up and our leaders, not just our older players, but our younger players coming on. Thais came on today and brought so much energy and a voice and arrangement and I think that’s what really drives us late in the game. I wish it wasn’t always coming down to an equalizer at the end of the day. But I think it says so much about our team and our identity and the work we put in at training.”

The draw keeps the Pride in playoff contention, six points behind OL Reign for the final playoff spot. However, the Pride have a game in hand.

They’ll look to extend their unbeaten run to six games next Saturday night when they travel out west to face expansion side San Diego Wave FC for the first time.

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Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars: Final Score 4-1 as Barbra Banda Brace Lifts Pride to First-Ever Playoff Win

The Pride advance to the NWSL semifinals with a 4-1 win in their first-ever home playoff match.

Published

4 days ago

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November 8, 2024

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride kicked off their 2024 NWSL playoff campaign with a dominant 4-1 win against the Chicago Red Stars. Haley McCutcheon opened the scoring in the 26th minute before Barbra Banda netted a first-half brace with goals in the 39th minute and first-half injury time. A Marta penalty put the game away in the 56th minute, though Jameese Joseph got a consolation goal for Chicago at the hour mark.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made one change to the team that beat Seattle Reign FC 3-2 in the regular season finale as Angelina started in place of Viviana Villacorta. The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke. Angelina and McCutcheon were the defensive midfielders behind Summer Yates, Marta, and Ally Watt with Banda up top.

This game was never in doubt for the Pride as they dominated the entire 90 minutes. They were better than the 3-0 halftime scoreline and it would’ve been a clean sheet if not for a Moorhouse mistake in the 60th minute and two Orlando shots off the woodwork. Overall, it was a great way to start the playoffs for the club.

The Pride kicked off the game and started quickly. Immediately after the start, Angelina found Banda making a run behind the Chicago back line. The striker was looking to slip the ball inside the far post but missed just wide.

A minute later, Banda played a nice long ball to the right side of the field where Watt was making a run. She took Taylor Malham one-on-one and found enough space for a shot but missed the target.

The Pride’s third chance of the game came in the fifth minute when Yates made a run into the middle of the field. She let her final touch get a little too far in front of her, but Angelina was there to shoot from just outside the box. Unfortunately, this attempt also went wide.

It looked like the Pride would open the scoring in the 10th minute when Marta and Angelina combined to send Banda behind the Red Stars’ back line. The striker was in on goal with only goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher to beat, but decided to pass it across for Yates instead of shooting. The pass was behind the midfielder and Bea Franklin was able to clear.

“We always talk about setting a tone early. And so, you know, having that fear factor when a team comes to our environment, and, you know, we always want to make it difficult,” Hines said about creating four chances in the first 10 minutes. “So that first 5-10 minutes is really important to set a tone.”

In the 19th minute, McCutcheon found Watt on the right. The attacker attempted a shot from a tight angle, but Malham blocked it out for a corner kick. The set piece by Marta was headed back out to the Pride captain and her second ball in was cleared, ending the threat.

The Pride finally broke through in the 26th minute from another set piece. It started with a give-and-go between Abello and Watt, enabling the former to send a cross into the box that was cleared behind the goal by Cari Roccaro. The ensuing corner kick was short to Yates, whose cross was blocked to Angelina. Franklin got in front of the Brazilian midfielder’s shot, but it went straight to Watt, who tried to put it on target. While the attacker couldn’t get much on the ball, McCutcheon was in the right place at the right time to redirect the ball in with her head, giving the Pride a well-deserved 1-0 lead.

“I think we started on the front foot. We almost had one from kickoff I think. So yeah, we had just put the pressure on, you know, going forward. And I was happy to be the one to score,” McCutcheon said about the early conversion. “I honestly thought I was offside, so I didn’t really celebrate, but I’m happy that it was onside. And then, yeah, got the team going from there.”

Yates made a cut to beat Joseph in the 34th minute and the two bumped knees when the Orlando midfielder tried to move past her. The second-year player grimaced as the Pride medical staff looked at her and, after receiving more treatment off of the field, was forced to depart. She was replaced in the 38th minute by Adriana.

“Summer got a dead leg, charley horse, whatever you call it, which is pretty significant,” Hines said about Yates’ condition after the game. “But we’ll assess it going into next week. We had to bring her off because it was really painful for her.”

Immediately after the substitution, the Pride doubled their lead. Angelina won the ball off of Mallory Swanson and Sams picked it up, playing a long pass on the ground for Banda, who let it run and then blazed past the Red Stars back line, putting herself in alone on goal. Nobody could catch up with the speedster, who slipped it past Naeher to give the Pride a 2-0 advantage.

Banda nearly had her second goal in the 44th minute when she played a quick give-and-go with Adriana, getting in behind the back line on the left side. The striker was too fast for Natalia Kuikka to keep up, setting herself up for a curling shot around Naeher. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to get around it enough and the ball bounced wide of the far post.

Banda scored her second of the night and gave her team a 3-0 lead in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time after Watt sent the ball long into the Chicago half of the field. Roccaro tried to keep up with the striker, but was unable to as Banda played the ball past Naeher.

“Honestly, those balls are always very dangerous,” Banda said about her second goal of the night. “And I think I saw the keeper, she came out, but my instincts were right because I knew if she had to touch me, it was going to be a penalty. That’s why I had to put the ball down and I had to find the post. So I think my instincts were not wrong.”

“2-0 is always a dangerous scoreline, especially when you go into halftime,” Hines said about the importance of the third goal. “You know, the next goal is really important. So to go into halftime with 3-0 it kind of puts us at ease a little bit.”

It was an absolutely dominant first half by the Pride as they outshot their opponents 13-0 and put three of those shots on target. While Chicago had slightly more possession (53%-47%), the Pride also had more crosses (11-2) and corner kicks (4-1).

Hines made one halftime change, replacing Watt with Julie Doyle. It was the second substitution after Yates was forced off with an injury in the first half.

Marta tried to chip the ball into the Red Stars box in the 49th minute and it hit Hannah Anderson’s arm just outside the 18-yard box. The Pride captain took the set piece and went for goal, rattling the crossbar just above the upper right corner of the net.

A minute later, Marta found Doyle on the left and the midfielder’s second touch was forward for Banda into the Chicago area. She tapped the ball around Naeher and it looked like she would score the first hat trick in Pride history but hit the near post with the net empty.

In the 54th minute, Dyke’s throw-in for Banda in the box saw the striker get behind her defender. Anderson reached out and grabbed her shirt just as Banda entered the box. Referee Alyssa Nichols didn’t award a penalty, but the video assistant referee had the official go to the monitor. After a short check, Nichols pointed to the spot.

It seemed like Banda might take the penalty as she was sitting on a hat trick, but Marta — the regular penalty taker — took it instead. The captain didn’t take any chances with the attempt, hitting the ball hard past Naeher to give the Pride a 4-0 lead.

“Fully deserved the penalty as well, which Barbra won. Class that as an assist. Anytime a player gets a penalty, we class that as an assist,” Hines said. “So Barbra contributed to that also, and Marta puts it away like she’s done all season.”

The only way the Red Stars were going to get on the board in this game was from a mistake and that happened in the 60th minute. Dyke played the ball back to Moorhouse and the goalkeeper took a touch with Joseph putting pressure on her, rather than simply clearing it up the field. As a result, Moorhouse’s attempted clearance was blocked into the net by Joseph, cutting the Pride lead to 4-1.

A Chicago corner kick in the 72nd minute gave the Red Stars their best attack of the game. The set piece went long to Anderson, who headed the ball towards goal. Moorhouse was caught in a bad position, but Sams cleared it off the line.

The Pride broke the other way with Marta sprinting towards the Chicago box. Banda was making a run on the far side but was covered, so the captain played it back for Adriana instead. Taking a touch to create space, the Brazilian’s shot was straight to Naeher.

Abello dribbled the ball into the Red Stars’ box in the 78th minute before running out of space and playing it back for Doyle. The midfielder had plenty of time to shoot and forced Naeher to tip the attempt over the crossbar. The ensuing set piece was punched away by Naeher.

A similar play occurred on the other side of the box in the 81st minute, but this time it was Adriana playing the ball back for second-half sub Morgan Gautrat. The defensive midfielder’s first touch was a shot that was tipped over the top by Naeher. Again, the Pride were unable to create anything from the corner kick.

Chicago broke out of the back in the 84th minute after Gautrat gave up possession near midfield. Swanson found Jenna Bike charging down the right. The second-half substitute took a touch inside to lose her defender and shot, but the attempt was right into the arms of Moorhouse.

Hines made his final two changes in the 87th minute as Banda and Marta made way for Carson Pickett and Villacorta.

Adriana was sent behind her defender in the 88th minute but was unable to get enough space for a shot. Moving towards the center of the box, she played it back for Angelina, running behind her. However, Angelina’s shot was right to Naeher.

The final chance of the game came in the third minute of stoppage time when Swanson sent Bike down the right again. Slipping behind her defender, Bike sent a shot towards goal that Moorhouse tipped wide. The ensuing corner kick was headed by Anderson and Ally Cook, before Joseph sent it over the crossbar with her right foot.

The Pride finished the game with the advantage in possession (50.7%-49.3%), shots (27-8), shots on target (9-4), crosses (13-7), corner kicks (8-7), and passing accuracy (82.7%-82%).

“Brilliant, brilliant from start to finish,” Hines said about the performance. “Started the game really well, created two opportunities within the first two minutes. You can see the hunger within the team. You can see the commitment and fully deserved. I think we were phenomenal today.”

“Oh my gosh, I think we’re finding form at the perfect time,” McCutcheon added. “Getting Barbra going is massive for us. And so, yeah, we’re just firing on all cylinders. And can’t be more excited to make history again.”

In a season full of making history, the Pride did it again in this game. They lost 4-1 to the Portland Thorns in 2017 and matched that score tonight but were on the right side this time. The first home playoff game in team history resulted in the first postseason win in team history in front of 11,496 fans.

The Pride have already advanced to the NWSL semifinals for the first time and can reach the NWSL Championship if they beat the winner of the match between the Kansas City Current and North Carolina Courage at Inter&Co Stadium next weekend.

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Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride face the Chicago Red Stars in their first-ever home playoff game.

Published

5 days ago

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November 8, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview as the Orlando Pride prepare for their first-ever playoff home game against the Chicago Red Stars. This is the first time the two teams have met in the postseason and the third time they’ll play this year.

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

History

The Pride and Red Stars have played every season since Orlando’s entrance into the NWSL except 2020. The teams have played 20 games, with the Pride going 6-12-2. The Pride have struggled against the Red Stars in Orlando with a record of 1-7-2.

The Pride and Red Stars last met on Sept. 8 in Illinois. Marta’s 37th-minute goal was the difference as the Pride came away with a 1-0 win. On March 29 in Orlando, the Pride took the lead early through a Taylor Malham own goal, but Mallory Swanson equalized in the 64th minute, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

The first meeting of 2023 was on May 27 in Illinois. Orlando dominated the entire 90 minutes, with Chicago only getting two chances on its home field. But the Pride struggled to hit the target, and Yuki Nagasato’s goal was the difference as the Pride fell 1-0.  The Aug. 20 matchup was the debut of Pride center back Rafaelle and the Brazilian scored in the 15th minute to give Orlando the lead. The hosts continued their attack, resulting in four more goals. Messiah Bright scored a pair, new signing Mariana Larroquette scored her first Pride goal, and Mikayla Cluff capped off the night with a goal as the Pride won 5-0.

The first meeting of 2022 took place on May 22 in Orlando. Sarah Griffin gave the visitors the lead, and Bianca St. Georges and Swanson made it 3-0 Chicago. It appeared as though the Red Stars would run away with the game, but the final 10 minutes saw three goals and two penalties for an exciting finish. Sydney Leroux missed a penalty, but Amy Turner scored the Pride’s first goal late. Swanson converted her penalty moments later, and Leah Pruitt scored her first goal for the Pride a minute after that in a 4-2 Red Stars win. The second meeting of the 2022 season was on June 12 in Illinois. Swanson capitalized on an early Pride turnover and the Red Stars held on for the 1-0 win.

The teams met three times during the 2021 season, but didn’t play until Aug. 8 in Illinois. Jodie Taylor and Leroux scored for the Pride before halftime. The 2-0 win ended a six-game winless streak and was the first NWSL victory for interim head coach Becky Burleigh.

The second meeting was Oct. 13 in Bridgeview, a rescheduled game that was originally supposed to take place Oct. 2. Kealia Watt scored early and the Red Stars defended that lead for 84 minutes on their way to a 1-0 result. The teams met again Oct. 29, 2021, in Orlando in the final game of the regular season. The Red Stars controlled the game but the Pride held off the Chicago attack for 65 minutes, at which point Watt scored the lone goal in a 1-0 Chicago win.

The Pride and Red Stars didn’t play in the 2020 Fall Series, so the last meeting prior to 2021 came in 2019. The first game was June 30 at Exploria Stadium. Goals by Chioma Ubogagu and Marta were topped by a Sam Kerr hat trick as the Red Stars won 3-2. The second game was on Aug. 21 in Bridgeview. The Pride took a 2-0 lead with goals by Rachel Hill and Ubogagu. Tierna Davidson cut the lead in half for Chicago, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride won 2-1. 

The third meeting in 2021 came on Sept. 11 in Orlando. Casey Short stole the game for Chicago with the game’s lone goal five minutes into second-half injury time as the Red Stars won, 1-0.

The 2018 NWSL season saw the Pride and Red Stars meet three times. On May 2 in Bridgeview, Hill and Ubogagu scored in a 2-0 Pride win. They met in the same location May 26, with a Leroux brace and goals by Hill, Alex Morgan, and Dani Weatherholt leading to a 5-2 Pride win. The Red Stars were led by a Kerr brace, resulting in a 3-1 victory over the Pride on Aug. 25 in Orlando in the third meeting of 2018.

The Pride and Red Stars met three times in 2017 — the first year that they played that many games against each other. A Christen Press goal on July 1 lifted Chicago to a 1-0 win. On July 22 in Bridgeview, a Press brace led her team to a 2-1 win. The final meeting came a week later in Orlando. Morgan and Sofia Huerta traded goals in a 1-1 draw.

The Red Stars won both meetings in 2016 by 1-0 final scores.

Overview

The Pride went unbeaten through their first 23 games of the season, capping off the run with a 2-0 win over the Washington Spirit on Oct. 6 to clinch the NWSL Shield. A heavily-rotated team lost to the Portland Thorns 2-0 the following game and a mostly-first choice lineup lost 3-1 to NJ/NY Gotham FC for their second-consecutive loss.

Returning home for the season finale Saturday, the Pride were able to gain a little momentum by defeating Seattle Reign FC 3-2. However, the final three games were arguably the three worst performances of the regular season. Fortunately, the Pride didn’t lose any more players during the season’s final stretch, so Head Coach Seb Hines will have his full complement of players who led the team since the Summer Cup break ended.

Tonight, the Pride will play in just their second playoff game all-time and the first in Orlando. The only other playoff game was on Oct. 7, 2017, in Portland, which the Pride lost 4-1 away from home. That was back when only four teams made the postseason, with the Pride being the fourth seed.

The big question for the Pride in this game is how the defense will perform. The Pride conceded just 13 goals in the first 23 games of the season and then gave up seven in the final three. Rather than spectacular performances by the opposition, those goals largely were due to defensive errors and a lack of concentration, especially on set pieces.

The Pride took a commanding lead atop the league earlier this season, giving them plenty of room for a poor performance here and there. They won’t have that luxury tonight as the winners will move on to the semifinals and the losers will see their season come to an end.

The Red Stars had an opportunity to avoid the league’s best team in the quarterfinal round but lost 3-1 to the Kansas City Current at home on Sunday. As a result, they finished the regular season in the eighth and final playoff spot. The Red Stars were in the middle of the league in both goals scored and conceded this year. Their 31 goals scored were eighth most and their 38 goals conceded were seventh most.

While Chicago has leaked goals at times this year, the Pride have struggled to break the Red Stars down, only scoring once in each of their two matchups this season. However, the meeting in Orlando was in the third game of the season when the Pride were still finding themselves.

Defensively, the key to the game will be stopping Swanson. The U.S. international leads the team with seven goals and four assists in 24 games this season. The key to the Pride’s success in Bridgeview was their ability to keep Swanson off the ball. If they can do similar tonight, they’ll create most of the chances and have a good chance of getting through.

“We feel good. We feel excited,” Hines said about tonight’s game. “First game in Pride history that we’re hosting a playoff game. Hopefully, we’ll get a good turnout. We’ll need the fans to push us forward to get the win. But the players are excited, they’re ready, they’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. So, yeah, we’re excited that we get to host the Chicago Red Stars in the first playoff game.”

The Pride moved Rafaelle (thigh), who has been out since the Olympics, to the season-ending injury list on Tuesday. Other Pride players out for this game include Megan Montefusco (heel), Luana (illness), Simone Charley (ankle), and Grace Chanda (thigh). All of those players have season-ending injuries or illnesses.

Chicago will play tonight without Ludmila (suspension), Ava Cook (knee), Sam Staab (Achilles), and Sarah Griffith (ankle).

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, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Celia, Carrie Lawrence, Carson Pickett, Julie Doyle, Morgan Gautrat, Ally Lemos, Viviana Villacorta, Adriana.

Chicago Red Stars (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Alyssa Naeher.

Defenders: Natalia Kuikka, Hannah Anderson, Cari Roccaro, Taylor Malham.

Defensive Midfielders: Bea Franklin, Julia Grosso.

Midfielders: Mallory Swanson, Shea Groom, Jameese Joseph.

Forward: Ally Schlegel.

Bench: Mackenzie Wood, Camryn Biegalski, Tatumn Milazzo, Julia Bianchi, Chardonnay Curran, Leilanni Nesbeth, Rosella Ayane, Jenna Bike, Ally Cook.

Referees

REF: Alyssa Nichols.
AR1: Stephen McGonagle.
AR2: Rhett Hammil.
4TH: Nabil Bensalah.
VAR: Ekaterina Koroleva.
AVAR: Tom Felice.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: 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 Defender Celia Announces Her Retirement

Veteran Pride right back Celia has announced she will retire from professional soccer after the 2024 season.

Published

5 days ago

on

November 7, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride announced this afternoon that defender Celia Delgado Jimenez, better known as Celia, announced her retirement following the 2024 NWSL season. The right back joined the club via a trade with the OL Reign following the 2021 season.

“Celia has contributed so much to our club and our city. She is an important leader in our locker room and has always challenged her teammates and everyone around her to be their best,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “We want to thank her for all the work she has put in for the Pride, both on and off the pitch, and the role she has played in making Orlando a place people want to play and work. Celia will always be a part of our Pride family, and we are certain she is going to be successful in this next chapter of her life. We are excited to support her in any way she needs in this transition and appreciate all she has done for us, the community, the NWSL, and the women’s game at large.” 

The 29-year-old defender joined the Pride on Dec. 18, 2021, in a draft-day trade with OL Reign. The deal also included the acquisition of Leah Pruitt and the pick used on center back Caitlin Cosme for Phoebe McClernon. She signed a new two-year contract on Jan. 16, 2023, which expires at the end of the 2024 season.

In three seasons with the Pride, Celia has made 37 appearances with 26 starts and recorded 2,137 minutes in all competitions. She’s scored three goals and provided one assist. The right back was a main feature in the 2022 squad, appearing 21 times with 19 starts. However, her time on the field has diminished the last two seasons, making 16 appearances with seven starts.

This year, the former Spanish international made three league appearances with one start for 74 minutes. She also started all three games in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, recording 270 minutes with a goal and an assist.

“I have given my all to soccer, and in return, soccer has given me everything. While I am courageously competitive, this sport has always meant more to me than just the results,” Celia said in the club’s press release. “Soccer has taught me that the journey — the actions and decisions taken to reach the finish line — truly defines us. This principle has been my guiding star throughout my career. After more than 15 years as a professional athlete, I have been fortunate to play internationally in the most competitive leagues and teams and to represent the Spanish National Team in World Cups and Euros. I couldn’t ask for a better gift than to conclude this chapter by winning the (NWSL) Shield and being surrounded by the most genuine and extraordinary group of people. To Orlando, my team, and the incredible community that embraced me, thank you for giving me a place to call home.”

The Spaniard came to the United States in 2013 to attend Iowa Western. She transferred to Alabama in 2015 and was selected with the 36th overall pick in the 2018 NWSL College Draft by the Seattle Reign. While with the Reign, Celia spent time with Australian club Perth Glory and French club Lyon during the off-season.

Celia represented Spain 23 times and was on the country’s 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup rosters. She started all three games in the 2015 competition as the youngest player on the team. Additionally, she helped Spain to win the 2018 Cyprus Women’s Cup.

The veteran has also made an impact off the field while in Orlando. She was the Pride’s nominee for the 2024 Lauren Holiday Impact Award for her work with SpaceKids Global. She used her aerospace engineering degree to inspire young girls interested in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM).

What It Means for Orlando

Celia joined the Pride at the beginning of the club’s rebuild. She was the primary starting right back until October 2022, when the club made a trade with the Houston Dash to acquire Haley McCutcheon. This year, she found herself behind Brianna Martinez, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke.

Her position on the depth chart in 2024 means she was rarely involved in games, even though she was on the team sheet for 18 regular-season matches. As a result, her departure won’t impact the team very much on the field. However, it does provide more roster space. The Pride have now seen two veteran defenders announce their retirements after Megan Montefusco called it a career on Nov. 1.

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