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Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 2-0 as Pride’s Slide Continues

The Pride played one of their better matches of 2023 but remain winless after a mistake turned the game in KC’s favor.

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3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Even when the Orlando Pride play well they can’t seem to find a way to score or take points from games. The Pride played one of their better games this season but still found a way to lose to the previously winless Kansas City Current at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, KS.

Orlando (0-4-0, 0 points) controlled possession and created some chances — and a lot of set pieces — but once again the toothless Pride failed to score. That let the Current (1-3-0, 3 points) hang around and they pounced when a poor touch at the top of her own box by Jordyn Listro gifted Debinha an easy opening goal in the second half. CeCe Kizer added another moments later and that was essentially that.

“Obviously disappointed with the result. I think we had a game plan. We stuck to the game plan in moments, but didn’t really execute in terms of creating too many opportunities in the attacking third,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said after the match. “I don’t think there was a lot between ourselves and Kansas (City) but you know, we had a lot of corners, a lot of shots, but didn’t really make the keeper work, and it’s a sort of another moment where they’ve capitalized on us giving the ball away and you know, it changes the whole game.”

Hines’ lineup included Carly Nelson in goal for her second straight start behind a back line of Kylie Strom, Caitlin Cosme, Megan Montefusco, and Emily Madril. Haley McCutcheon and Listro patrolled the central midfield behind an attacking line of Marta, Viviana Villacorta, and Adriana. Ally Watt got the start up top.

The Pride got the first look at goal four minutes in with a drive by Adriana from outside the top of the box. She got decent power on the near-post effort but Cassie Miller had it covered all the way.

Other than that, the first 15 minutes belonged to the hosts. Their best chance came when Debinha headed off the post in the ninth minute but those watching on the Paramount+ stream only saw it on replay because the broadcast inexplicably went to a replay of a Kansas City cross attempt that hit the outside of the post while play was still live. The ball then skipped across the front of goal where Nelson eventually covered it.

There was a video check to see if the Current should receive a penalty due to CeCe Kizer going down in the scrum, but nothing was given.

Moments later, there was another rugby scrum in the penalty area in front of Nelson but eventually the Pride cleared a ball off a Current player and out for a goal kick.

The Pride started to settle into the game 15-ish minutes in and controlled possession for a while but did little other than win some set pieces, but nothing came of them. The best chance for an Orlando goal came off a Marta corner in the 24th minute that was directed toward goal. It was nearly deflected in off of Kate Del Fava but skipped just wide. Pride players wanted a handball call but Del Fava’s arm was tucked in close to her body and the review did not prompt the referee to take a look.

Kansas City created some trouble on the counter in the 39th minute when Del Fava’s cross was headed well over the bar by Kizer. Madril wasn’t marking her tightly enough but the cross was a bit behind the KC forward, making it a difficult chance.

Watt got down the right side in the 43rd minute and took a shot but pushed it well to the left of goal. Two minutes later, Watt cut back onto her left foot and curled in a dangerous cross that was just out of the reach of a diving McCutcheon. That was it for the first half.

Orlando held a slight advantage in possession (50.9%-49.1%) and had more corners (4-1) and passing accuracy (82.3%-78%). Both teams attempted just four shots and each got just one on frame.

The Pride simply couldn’t take the lead despite a good first half and Hines said the Current’s low block made it difficult to connect the attack and get a goal.

“It was difficult. They had five defenders covering the width,” he said. “Their engagement line was a lot lower as well. So, you really have to be creative and problem solve in them moments. Decisive passing, unselfish running will create space and move defenders out of position. Again, it’s difficult when a team sets up like that.”

The second half had a bit more ebb and flow to it than the first half but neither side

The hosts nearly struck right out of the break with a ball in behind for Debinha. Strom did well to get back and break up the play and got some help from Cosme to snuff out the chance in the 47th minute.

The next few minutes saw Watt send in a couple of crosses and Adriana head one off a defender for a corner. The Pride again couldn’t do much with their set piece.

Kansas City got on the front foot in the 51st minute after knocking Marta down — cleanly in the view of the referee — and getting forward, where Michelle Cooper hit a shot right at Nelson. Moments later, after Orlando turned it over trying to play out of their half, it was Kizer curling in a shot that made for a comfortable save for Nelson.

Marta and Adriana got into the box in the 57th minute but with the ongoing recovery from her knee surgery, the captain couldn’t beat her defender and tried to backheel it to her fellow Brazilian international but Adriana was nowhere near where Marta thought she’d be.

Messiah Bright came on and had an early opportunity in the 61st minute off a Strom cross but her header was well wide .

Three minutes later, the game turned on Listro’s mistake. Nelson played a ball out of her area between defenders for Listro, but her touch was all wrong and she lost control. Hailie Mace picked up the loose ball and fed Debinha, who cut to her right across the box and fired back against the grain past Nelson to make it 1-0 in the 64th minute.

Although it was Listro’s poor touch, it was a lot for Nelson to ask of her midfielder who was running back toward goal under pressure from Mace. The wiser play may have been to launch a long ball in that situation.

“It’s a tough industry, because teams will capitalize on the mistakes, and that’s where we’re at right now. We’re giving teams an opportunity to win the game,” Hines said.

“I think that one goal just kind of put us out a little bit,” Madril said. “I think, overall, we were right there with them the whole game and could have had a couple of goals.”

Four minutes later, the Current killed the game as the Pride got stretched. A cross in from Mace —this time on the right side — found Kizer and she buried it to make it 2-0 in the 68th minute.

Bright nearly pulled one back two minutes later when she got her head to a corner kick cross, but her attempt hit the woodwork from close range.

Strom did well to poke the ball away from Debinha moments later when the Brazilian star got in behind but tried to cut back to her left once she got into the box.

Adriana’s shot that stayed well wide to the right of goal was as close as the Pride got to spoiling the clean sheet down the stretch before the whistle mercifully blew on yet another loss in a growing string of them for Orlando.

The Pride led in most of the major statistical categories, with more possession (52.4%-47.6%), shots (14-11), corners (9-1), and passing accuracy (79.2%-77.1%), but the glaring stat is that the Current had a lopsided advantage in shots on target (5-1) and that, coupled with taking advantage of the other team’s mistakes, ultimately made the difference in a close match.

“We came in ready to win this game. We feel like we’ve been building for a while and we’re almost there,” Montefusco said. “We had a lot of possession and it felt like we were in control. It’s just, you know, again, in this league it’s all about fine margins, little details, and unfortunately we had some errors.”

The Pride will once again look for that elusive first result of the season as they head back on the road Saturday night, visiting the San Diego Wave at 10 p.m.

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2025 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Marta

The captain once again provided the competitive spark for the Pride in 2025.

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1 day ago

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December 11, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Marta signed with the Orlando Pride way back in 2017. She has been the constant for the club through ups and mostly downs. That all changed last season as she captained her club to two trophies. In 2022, she signed a new two-year contract, taking her through 2024. She then signed yet another two-year contract through 2026.

Marta didn’t have the same type of year as she did in 2024, but she was still one of the better players for the Pride. She remains the heart of this team, showing the others what passion and effort looks like even as she edges closer to the end of her playing career. Let’s take a look at the GOAT’s 2025 season.

Statistical Breakdown

Marta started and played the full 90 minutes in the 2025 Challenge Cup match. She did not record a goal contribution and took two off-target shots. However, her free kick was blocked, resulting in Rafaelle’s opening goal. Marta also set a shot up for the defender in the match but the effort was off target. The Brazilian legend completed 26 of her 37 passes (82%), took four corner kicks, and she did not record a completed long ball. Defensively, she recorded three tackles and won three headed duels. She committed one foul, drew one on the Washington Spirit, and was not booked.

During the regular season, Marta made 22 appearances (18 starts), playing 1,599 minutes. She contributed four goals and an assist, putting 13 of her 27 shots on target. She completed 519 of her 731 passes (71%), 13 crosses, and two of her four long balls (50%) with 43 chances created. On the defensive end, the Brazilian contributed 22 tackles, 19 interceptions, and one blocked shot. She committed 14 fouls, drew 28 on the opposition, and was not booked.

Marta started both playoff games, playing all 180 minutes. She took one shot but did not record a goal contribution, although she was involved in both goals against the Reign, working a give-and-go with Julie Doyle prior to Haley McCutcheon’s opening goal and drawing the penalty that handed Luana the late insurance tally. The captain completed 52 of her 69 passes (75.4%), including three of her six long balls (50%) and four key passes. She recorded one tackle, two interceptions, and one clearance defensively while committing one foul, drawing six on her opponents, and being booked once.

Marta participated in one of the Concacaf W Champions Cup matches against Pachuca. She played all 90 minutes and scored the Pride’s only goal on two shots, one of which was on target. She completed 27 of 34 passes (79%). Defensively, she recorded three tackles, while committing two fouls, and suffering two fouls. She was not booked.

Best Game

While Marta had several good games, I think her best game was the Pride’s 3-2 victory over the Washington Spirit on Oct. 18. Marta was named Player of the Match by both Michael Citro and myself on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast. The captain caused an own goal and scored on a penalty kick to give the Pride an important road win heading into the playoffs. Washington scored first on a Kerry Abello own goal, but Abello then corrected that mistake by scoring one for her own team minutes later. The Spirit took the lead again and held it at halftime. Seb Hines substituted Marta in at the start of the second half, and it’s a good thing he did. It literally only took her 52 seconds to even the score.

In the 70th minute, Ally Watt was fouled in the box, setting up a penalty for the Pride. There was no doubt who would take the kick, and it turned out there was no doubt Marta would bury it in the back of the net for the winning goal.

Marta might have only played 45 minutes plus stoppage but her impact was monumental. In this match, she took one shot, which was on target, scoring the aforementioned goal. She had 27 touches, completed nine of her 13 passes (70%), two of her three long balls (67%) and took one corner kick. Defensively, she contributed one block and one clearance. She committed one foul, did not suffer any fouls, and was not booked.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Marta a composite rating of 7 out of 10 for her ninth season with the club. This was a point lower than the 8 we gave her last year. Much like many of the Pride’s players, Marta’s 2025 wasn’t as good as her 2024, but she was still a critical part of the successes of the team. In 2024, she had a banner year, but despite being a year older, she was still productive in 2025.

2026 Outlook

The 39-year-old is entering the last year of her contract, and it would be surprising — though not totally inconceivable —that she will get another. Despite the fact she will turn 40-years-old before the beginning of the season, she will remain the Pride’s captain as long as she can take to the pitch. Assuming she’s healthy, there’s no reason to assume she can’t contribute to at least the same level as she did in 2025. There’s even a possibility that she finds something closer to her 2024 form. No one plays with more passion than Marta, and I will not doubt what she can do when she has the look in her eye.

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This concludes our 2025 Orlando Pride player-by-player Season in Review series. We hope you’ve enjoyed looking back on the players’ performances from the past year as we move closer toward seeing what lies ahead in 2026.

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2025 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Jacquie Ovalle

The Pride broke the world transfer record to land the Mexican international in 2025.

Published

2 days ago

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December 10, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride signed Mexican international winger Jacquie Ovalle for a then-world record transfer fee on Aug. 21, acquiring the attacker’s services from Tigres UANL in Liga MX Femenil. While the club did not announce the transfer fee, it was reportedly around $1.5 million. That transfer record has since been broken a couple of times since, but it was an ambitious move by the Pride to try to provide Barbra Banda a playmaking wing of the highest caliber.

The move ultimately didn’t pay many dividends in 2025, as Banda went down with a season-ending injury before Ovalle arrived, and the Mexican international struggled to get comfortable with her new team, the new league, and a new culture in what could best be described as an inconsistent performance after she joined the Pride.

Let’s take a look at Ovalle’s first season in the City Beautiful.

Statistical Breakdown

Ovalle was signed well after the season-opening NWSL Challenge Cup, so she saw no action in the competition. She made her Pride debut in the regular season on Sept. 7 off the bench. It was an inauspicious start, as Orlando got flattened 5-2 at Chicago that day, with all of the goals happening in the second half. Ovalle played in eight regular-season matches with Orlando, starting seven and logging 666 minutes. She contributed a goal and two assists in her time on the pitch with the Pride, attempting 20 shots and putting seven on target. She completed 84% of her 201 passes during the regular season, with 18 key passes. Ovalle was accurate on 19 of her 48 crosses (39.6%) and three of her seven long balls (42.9%). Defensively, Ovalle chipped in 13 tackles, three interceptions, and five clearances but no blocks during the regular season. She committed six fouls, drew five, and received one yellow card.

In the playoffs, Ovalle started both of the Pride’s matches and played 173 minutes. She did not log a goal contribution in the postseason, putting one of her six shot attempts on target. The winger completed 34 of her 42 passes (81%) with two key passes but completed just three of her 13 crosses and neither of her two long balls. On the defensive end, Ovalle recorded three tackles, one clearance, and two interceptions. She committed three fouls, drew two on her opponents, and was not booked.

Ovalle appeared in two of Orlando’s games in the Concacaf W Champions Cup, logging 57 minutes off the bench without a goal contribution, attempting one off-target shot. She completed 10 of her 13 passes (76.9%) without a key pass, chipping in three tackles on the defensive end. She committed two fouls, drew two on her opponents, and she wasn’t booked in the competition.

Best Game

There were a few possible games to choose from in this category, and while I was close to choosing the match with her lone goal of the season (Sept. 26 in a 2-1 road win over San Diego), I ended up going a different route. Still, she scored a nice goal, so here it is:

Instead, I’m going back to her first NWSL start. Ovalle started for Orlando for the first time on Sept. 13 in a 1-1 home draw against Bay FC. She was excellent all game long, but her best moment came in the 70th minute, when La Maga sent in a perfect cross for Ally Watt to flick home with a header to equalize, rescuing a point for Orlando.

Ovalle was Fotmob’s highest rated player in the match from either side with a rating of 8.4 and was a danger all night. She fired eight shot attempts, putting three on target and one off the woodwork. She also completed six of her nine crosses in the game, creating four scoring chances in the game with key passes. One of those should have been an assist on a Marta goal on a beautiful back-post ball, but the captain hit the left post with her shot. She chipped in two tackles, one interception, a clearance, and a recovery on the defensive end, committing two fouls and drawing one in what was a standout performance.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Ovalle a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for her 2025 season. While the Mexican winger played inconsistently, that was to be expected after a midseason move to a new team that was missing its attacking focal point with Banda out. There were signs of the kind of magic moments Ovalle can bring to the Pride attack, they were too few and far between. In fairness, in most of the matches she played there was no one close to her level in the attack with her, and she looked at times too eager to make something happen. Three goal contributions isn’t bad for her first eight NWSL games, but Ovalle clearly needs another threat up top with her to help provide her the space she needs to shoot or deliver one of her lethal passes.

2026 Outlook

Ovalle will be a starter next season and will get to go through a full preseason training camp with the club, which should help her get a better understanding of both what Seb Hines wants from her and how her teammates like to play. She should also get to play with Banda (finally), which could create one of the most dynamic attacking tandems in the league, because some of Banda’s struggles were due to poor service, which Ovalle can help with, and some of Ovalle’s issues were down to a lack of the kind of quick, decisive attacking movements that Banda provides. I expect Ovalle’s production in both goals and assists to jump in 2026 for multiple reasons, but with a healthy Banda, there will be a lot more room for her (and Marta) to operate. A front line of Marta, Banda, and Ovalle is tantalizing.

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2025 Orlando Pride Season In Review: Emily Sams

The center back was once again one of the best defenders for the Pride, helping them reach their second straight NWSL semifinal.

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4 days ago

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December 8, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride drafted defender Emily Sams with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. The former Florida State player signed with the National Women’s Soccer League through 2025 and was loaned to Swedish side BK Hacken FF prior to being selected by the Pride and signing a three-year contract through the 2026 season.

Sams had a breakout year in 2024, winning NWSL Defender of the Year and helping the club win the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship. She signed a new deal on Feb. 13, 2025, keeping her in purple through the 2027 NWSL season.

The defender showed her versatility this year, playing several games at right back and center back. She was another key player in a successful season for the Pride, helping them to finish fourth in the league and reach the NWSL semifinals.

Let’s take a look at the defender’s 2025 NWSL campaign.

Statistical Breakdown

The defender’s first appearance this year came in the NWSL Challenge Cup against the Washington Spirit. Sams started and played all 90 minutes without recording any shots or goal contributions. She completed 44 of her 52 passes (87%), including four long balls. Defensively, Sams recorded a tackle, an interception, and an aerial duel won.

Sams played in 25 of the team’s 26 regular-season games, starting 24 times and playing 2,183 minutes — the second-most minutes of any Pride player and the most by an outfield player. She took two shots without putting any on target, so she obviously didn’t score any goals. The defender completed 1,284 of her 1,457 passes (88.1%), including 85 of her 146 long balls (58.2%), but didn’t record any assists. Defensively, she added 42 tackles, 33 interceptions, 92 clearances, and 13 blocks. She committed 11 fouls, suffered 25, and was booked once with a yellow card.

Sams started both playoff games, playing all 180 minutes. She didn’t take any shots or record a goal contribution, completing 82 of her 97 passes (84.5%), including five of her 12 long balls (41.7%). She recorded three tackles, four interceptions, a block, and 10 clearances defensively while committing two fouls, drawing five on her opponents, and being booked once.

While a primary starter in the regular season, Sams only played in three of the four Concacaf W Champions Cup games, starting two and playing 164 minutes without a goal contribution. She took one shot that was off target and completed 85 of her 100 passes (85.%). The defender had five tackles and wasn’t booked.

Best Game

Sams’ best game came on Oct. 18 when the Pride traveled to Washington, D.C. for an afternoon clash with the Washington Spirit. The Pride came back from two deficits to defeat their rivals 3-2 and claim a huge three points.

Sams started alongside Rafaelle at center back and was excellent. She completed 41 of her 46 passes (89%), including both long balls, a key pass, and three into the final third. She finished with one tackle, five clearances, four interceptions, and four recoveries. The defender won two of her four duels (50%) in a game where she helped the Pride keep their late lead.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Sams a 7 out of 10 for the 2025 NWSL season. It’s a decrease from her exceptional 9 in 2024, but still higher than her 6.5 grade in 2023. The grade ties Sams with Rafaelle for the second-highest grade on the team, one point behind Barbra Banda, who was given an eight for her injury-shortened season. Overall, Sams was excellent this year and fully deserves one of the highest grades as she further cements herself as one of the best defenders in the NWSL.

2026 Outlook

Perhaps no player on the Pride is a more definite starter next season than Sams. She’s arguably the team’s best defender and has been a mainstay in the starting lineup over the past three seasons. Her new contract in February means she’ll remain in purple through the 2027 season.

The only question will be where she plays. She’s started at center back and right back several times over the past two seasons, but is best in the middle of the field. However, when Kylie Nadaner and Rafaelle are available, Pride Head Coach Seb Hines has opted to use her at right back.

Regardless, there’s no question that Sams will be a regular starter on the Pride back line as long as she remains healthy. Her presence is something that will be essential if the Pride hope to make a run for a second NWSL Championship next season.

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