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Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Final Score 4-2 as Pride Lose in Challenge Cup

The Pride couldn’t hold onto their early lead, falling 4-2 to the Washington Spirit in the Challenge Cup.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (0-1-1, 1 point) continued their 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup campaign with a 4-2 road loss to the Washington Spirit (1-1-0, 3 points). The Pride took an early lead with Tori Hansen’s first professional goal, but the Spirit ended the first half with three unanswered strikes by Lena Silano, Sam Staab, and Marissa Sheva.  The Pride got one back right after the break through Ally Watt, but Ashley Sanchez put it away in second-half injury time.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines used a heavily rotated lineup for this game, replacing every position from the team’s 1-0 win over Racing Louisville FC Saturday night. Kaylie Collins got the start in goal in front of a back line of Brianna Martinez, Caitlin Cosme, Hansen, and Celia. Thais Reiss and Jordyn Listro were the defensive midfielders behind Haley Bugeja, Kerry Abello, and Amanda Allen, with Watt up top.

Seven of the 11 starters for the Pride had made fewer than two appearances this season. Cosme’s four starts this season were the most, but she’s fallen out of favor recently and been replaced by Megan Montefusco in regular season games. The only three players with more than one start in the starting lineup were Cosme, Abello, and Watt, with the latter two starting three games each this season.

“The only way you’re going to be able to manage games is by playing games,” Hines said about his youthful lineup. “And we saw this as an opportunity to play a lot of the players who haven’t been playing minutes in the season.”

The Pride had the first chance of the game when Celia’s cross attempt was blocked out by Maddie Elwell for a corner. After Camryn Biegalski knocked the first corner out of play, the second ended up with Listro, who found Cosme behind the Spirit defense. Unfortunately, the center back’s shot was just wide of the far post.

The Pride won their third corner of the game when Allen’s shot was blocked out of play by Staab. The corner kick by Thais Reiss went into the six-yard box and bounced around until Hansen back-heeled it past Aubrey Kingsbury for her first professional goal.

“Thais played a great ball in and, honestly, I thought I was going to head it in,” Hansen said about her goal. “And then I think I headed it and there was a big jumble. And then the ball was at my feet and I just tapped it with my back heel and it went. So, very happy about that. I’m more of a header scorer, so it’s nice to get one with my feet and a back heel is even better.”

The first chance for the hosts came in the 13th minute when Maddie Elwell sent a cross into the Pride box. Civana Kuhlmann came flying through the air to get her head on the ball, but sent it just over the crossbar.

The Spirit had an even better chance to equalize in the 24th minute when a cross into the Pride box was flicked on by Staab and found the foot of Amber Brooks at the far post. The defender was behind the Pride back line and should’ve gotten her shot on target, but tipped it wide.

The hosts dominated possession in the first half and found their equalizer in the 33rd minute. It started when Abello fouled Chloe Ricketts, giving the Spirit a free kick. The initial ball was cleared and Sheva’s attempt was blocked. It went right to Silano, whose low shot went between the legs of Cosme and past the diving Collins to even the game at 1-1.

Washington felt it should’ve had a penalty in the 36th minute when Kuhlmann got goalside on Martinez. The defender leaned into the forward and both went to the ground. The Spirit players and fans were audibly upset as referee Joshua Encarnacion waved play on.

Washington didn’t dwell on the call, scoring a second goal two minutes later. Martinez fouled Paige Metayer, giving the hosts another set piece. Staab stepped up to take the kick and curled it into the box. It went around the two-player wall and over the arm of Collins to give the Spirit a 2-1 lead.

It was a great goal that gave Collins little chance and Sheva topped that strike just five minutes later. The Pride’s inability to clear again gave the midfielder a look at goal from long distance. Surprisingly, Sheva’s second touch was a shot. It got over the diving Collins and grazed the bottom of the crossbar to give Washington a 3-1 lead just before halftime.

“I think we just started having to defend more. And kudos to the Spirit, they had some really, really great finishes,” Hansen said about conceding the long-range goals. “But we can’t let off the brake and we have to keep going once we do score that goal, because we’re in the driver’s seat when we’re up 1-0, and we let them back into the game. And we’ve got to learn from that.”

“They were some worldies,” Abello said about the three first-half goals from outside of the box. “Sometimes you’ve got to hold your hands up and say dang, that was a really good goal. But I still think that means we need to get some better pressure on them outside of the box.”

It should’ve been 4-1 just two minutes later when Kuhlmann dribbled into the Pride box and played it back for Sheva. Collins came off her line towards Kuhlmann, who drew two defenders, leaving Sheva open with an empty goal in front of her. Fortunately, she hit it wide of the target.

The Pride were fortunate to have the early lead, but the stats were a reflection of how the 45 minutes actually went. The Spirit had more possession (58.5%-41.5%), shots (10-4), shots on target (3-2), crosses (12-8), and passing accuracy (81.4%-71.9%). The Pride had more corners (4-1), with one resulting in their only first-half goal.

“Just to be a little bit more aggressive with our press,” Hines said about his halftime message. “I think there was moments where we allowed Washington to dictate the play. And that’s okay in certain moments, certain areas, but now we’re down 3-1. We have to start putting pressure on them. Start creating turnovers and being threatening in the attack.”

The Pride made one halftime change, bringing Summer Yates on for Bugeja and the rookie made an immediate impact. In the 49th minute, the midfielder won the ball from Kuhlmann from behind and sent a long pass forward for Watt behind the Spirit back line. Watt handled the ball well and played it past Kingsbury to get the Pride back within a goal.

“We came out on fire,” Hansen said about the early second-half goal. “Obviously, being down 3-1 at halftime is not something you want to go into halftime doing, but we believed in each other and we came out. Summer Yates, great player, played an amazing ball to Ally. It was a great finish and it kind of shifted the momentum towards us.”

It looked like the Spirit might get that goal back in the 53rd minute when a Biegalski shot was tipped by Collins. It went right to Silano to the right of goal, but the flag went up for offside.

Aiding the Pride in staying in the game was a halftime substitution by the Spirit. Staab’s set pieces caused problems for the Pride defense in the first half, but she was replaced by Tara McKeown at halftime. The Pride continued to give up free kicks, but they were falling into the arms of Collins.

As the game crossed the hour mark, both teams made changes. The Spirit went to their all-time leading goal scorer Ashley Hatch, who replaced Kuhlmann. Meanwhile, Hines made his second and third changes of the game. In the 61st minute, Maliah Morris made her second professional appearance, coming on for Allen. For more experience, Erika Tymrak came on in the 66th minute for Reiss.

The Spirit had their second decent chance of the half in the 71st minute when Silano played the ball back for Sanchez, who had just come on for Nicole Douglas. The Washington star tapped the ball to her right and shot towards goal, but the shot was blocked.

Looking for an equalizing goal, Hines made his final substitution in the 76th minute an attacking one, bringing on Messiah Bright for Celia.

The Pride almost had a chance in the 82nd minute when a long ball was sent into the box for Bright. But Kingsbury did well to come out strong and snatch it out of the air. A minute later, Bright attempted to send Watt behind the Spirit defense. Watt was unable to keep control, but was deemed offside anyway.

Four minutes into second-half injury time, the Spirit put the game away. Collins came way out of her box to the right of goal to clear the ball away, but she sent it directly to Sanchez. The Spirit star quickly played the ball towards the far post of the empty goal. Collins spirited back to her net and might’ve gotten a touch to it, but the U.S. international extended the score to 4-2, putting the game away.

It was a deserved result based on the performances of both teams. Washington had more possession (58.8%-41.2%), shots (18-7), shots on target (4-3), crosses (27-13), and passing accuracy (74.5%-61.5%). The Pride had more corners (6-5), but not enough possession or chances to get a result.

“Disappointed,” Hines said after the game. “You know, you never want to lose the game by (allowing) four goals. It’s a hard one because we took the lead, Tori scored a terrific goal, and you go 1-0 up early on in the game and you’re looking for the team to manage it from that moment and I don’t think we did. I don’t think we managed the game too well. I think we showed a little bit of naivety within the team, and we allowed them to get back into it. The goals were disappointing. And I don’t know how many goals they’ll score like that in the season, let alone in one game. But we have to learn from it. We had a really young team, a team that hadn’t played together. And again, we use every game as a learning moment for us.”

“I’m proud of the team,” Abello added. “We got ahead. We started off strong and they scored some pretty great goals against us. And some of those we can’t do anything about. But I was proud of the way we came out in the second half. It was a winnable game, so it’s frustrating that we didn’t come away with the win or even an equalizer. But at the end of the day, I think we learned a lot and I think that’s the exciting thing about Challenge Cup games is we have so many young players on the field that got a chance to play a full 90 or close to a full 90 and that will only help us going forward.”

The fact that the Pride lost this game wasn’t a surprise after making 11 changes to the starting lineup. However, a familiar situation popped up again at the end of the game. While the team was without its starting goalkeeper and both starting center backs, Sanchez’s last-minute goal was the fifth the team has given up in second-half stoppage time. Even if this one was a different situation because they were chasing the game.

With their midweek Challenge Cup game behind them, the Pride will look to build on the two-game league winning streak when they travel to New Jersey to face NJ/NY Gotham FC Sunday evening.

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Orlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Final Score 3-2 as Pride Complete Comeback Win

The Pride scored three goals in the final 20 minutes to turn a 2-0 deficit into a win.

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3 hours ago

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April 25, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride (5-1-0, 15 points) bounced back from last week’s loss, coming back to defeat Angel City FC (2-2-2, 8 points) 3-2 tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. The visitors took an early lead through Riley Tiernan in the ninth minute and Katie Zelem doubled the advantage just before halftime. But the Pride came storming back in the final 20 minutes with goals by Marta in the 72nd minute, Barbra Banda in the 76th minute, and an own goal by M.A. Vignola in second-half stoppage time.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made three changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the Washington Spirit on April 19. Cori Dyke started in place of Oihane, who left injured at halftime against Washington, and Ally Lemos also got the start for Haley McCutcheon. Prisca Chilufya got her first start as a member of the Pride, replacing Ally Watt.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was made up of Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, and Dyke. Lemos and Morgan Gautrat were the defensive midfielders behind Angelina, Marta, and Chilufya with Banda up top.

The first half was hard to watch for Pride fans. Despite flying across the country, Angel City dominated the first 45 minutes. The Pride looked much better coming out of the half, putting the opposition on the back foot. After failing to challenge Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson in the first half, the Pride put her under constant pressure as the game wound down. The pressure paid off as the Pride netted three goals in the final 20 minutes.

Angel City was the team on the attack early in this game. The first shot came in the sixth minute when Zelem received a pass back and attempted a shot from long distance. However, the shot sailed over the top of the goal.

In the ninth minute, the visitors took the lead. Kennedy Fuller sent a long ball down the right sideline where Tiernan was making a run behind Nadaner. The forward cut back to lose Nadaner before entering the box. It was a tight angle, but Tiernan went for the near post anyway. Moorhouse should have had that space covered, but the ball slipped between her and post to give Angel City an early 1-0 lead.

Angel City nearly scored a second in the 25th minute when Fuller used some nifty footwork before knocking the ball off Chilufya for a corner kick. Her set piece into the box found Vignola near the penalty spot and the defender put the ball on target. It looked to be past Moorhouse, but the Pride goalkeeper did well to dive backwards and tip it wide.

The visitors should’ve had a second in the 31st minute when Tiernan was sent forward. The attacker dribbled to the end line before playing the ball across the box. It was a bit too far in front of Fuller, but it went straight to Zelem with an open goal. However, the midfielder lost her footing and sent the attempt wide.

The Pride finally took their first shot of the game in the 33rd minute off a set piece. Marta’s corner kick was to Dyke near the top of the box. The right back fired on goal but sent her attempt well off target.

In the 40th minute, Abello got down the left and sent a cross into the box. She was aiming for Banda at the near post, but Savy King got her head to it first, cleaning it across the box.

The Pride kept possession and it ended up back up with Abello. The left back’s ball towards the six was blocked by Sarah Gorden, but it went right back to Abello. The defender took a second shot, sending it well wide of the target.

On the other end, Angel City extended their lead. Claire Emslie found Zelem to her left just outside of the box and the midfielder played Fuller just inside the 18. After making a move to lose her defender, Fuller took a shot at goal, forcing Moorhouse to tip it over the crossbar.

The ensuing corner kick was won by Alanna Kennedy, but she couldn’t put her header on goal. Gautrat and Abello both had a chance to clear the danger, but neither were able to get anything on the ball. It fell right to Zelem, who put it past Moorhouse to give the visitors a commanding 2-0 lead shortly before halftime.

The final chance of the first half came in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Banda fouled Tiernan from behind as she entered the Pride third of the field, earning a yellow card. The ensuing set piece went to Nadaner and Kennedy. It was redirected towards goal, but Moorhouse was there to catch it.

After 45 minutes of play, the Pride had the advantage in possession (57%-43%), crosses (12-5), corner kicks (7-4), and passing accuracy (85%-79%). But Angel City took more shots (8-5) and put more on target (4-0).

“Angel City are a good team in transition. And so, if you give away the ball in dangerous areas, they can punish you,” Hines said about the halftime deficit. “And ultimately, the first goal comes from a transition moment. The second goal is a set piece, and it’s unfamiliar territory for us. You know, it’s been a while since we’ve been a couple of goals down in games. But, again, two halves are never the same. We rectified it in our halftime team talk. And, yeah, we went after it. You know, nothing to lose at that point.”

“I think we just weren’t ourselves individually,” Abello added about the first half. “I think our press was a little off and we kind of got it in our heads. And they broke it a few times. And when they break it with players like Alyssa Thompson and Gisele and Emslie, you feel that, right? Because those players can do really dangerous things and then we weren’t connecting our passes. On the flip side, we’d win the ball and give it right back to them. And honestly, I think that was the hardest part for us, is just keeping possession. Because, again, they have dangerous players that can exploit you when you give the ball away. So yeah, not our best half.”

The Pride were the more attacking team coming out of the locker room and created a pair of chances in the 50th minute. It started when Marta’s cross was off Gisele Thompson and out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece went to the far side of the box, where Marta redirected it towards goal. But Kennedy was there to head it away.

Orlando recycled, creating an even better chance. Abello found Marta at the back post from the left with nobody on the Brazilian. Marta tried to volley the ball into the empty net, but it got caught in her feet and she was unable to get a shot off, allowing Anderson to collect it.

The Pride won another corner kick in the 51st minute, this time taken by Marta. She found Nadaner at the far post. The center back tried to get over the ball, but it was a little behind her and Nadnaer’s header was wide of the target.

A scary moment occurred in the 53rd minute. Gautrat and Kennedy went up for the ball and the Pride defensive midfielder elbowed Kennedy in the face. The former Pride player was down for several minutes before rising with a black eye. After a medical examination, it was determined she couldn’t continue and was replaced by Madison Hammond.

In the 59th minute, Hines made a triple substitution trying to get his team back into the game. Watt, McCutcheon, and Oihane came on for Chilufya, Gautrat, and Dyke.

It looked like the Pride had a chance to get a goal back in the 66th minute when Marta beat Vignola to a free ball and sprinted down the field. She played Banda forward and the striker had Watt — the fastest player on the field—  on her right. It looked like Banda tried to play her the ball but put it into the feet of King instead.

The Pride got a goal back in the 72nd minute when Lemos sent Oihane down the right. Nobody closed down the right back, allowing her to send a cross into the box. It was behind Banda, but went straight to Marta, who turned it on goal. Anderson got a hand to the ball, but knocked it into the bottom corner, cutting the Pride deficit to 2-1.

“I think it gave us belief,” Pickett said about the goal. “I think we, deep down, have belief, but we kind of need that, ‘Okay, we’re really in this game, and we can fight back, claw back.’ It gave us that extra bit of confidence to go there and continue to score, because we saw that we can. We could find a way to break them down, and we need to do it again and again.”

“That goal was everything,” Abello added “I think, up until that goal, we had so much momentum, and we all thought we were going to score that first goal to get us back in the game. But, as time drags on, you’re like, is it going to come? Is it going to come even with good chances? And so, for her to put that away early enough for us to be like, oh, we still have so much time left. We have the momentum. We can do this. So, that goal changed everything.”

Immediately after the goal, Hines made the final two changes for the Pride. Grace Chanda and Carson Pickett came on for Angelina and Nadaner.

The Pride found their equalizer in the 76th minute. Watt sent a cross through the box from the right, but it went over everyone. Pickett recovered the ball before it crossed the touchline, sending in a cross of her own from the left. Banda and Zelem attacked the ball at the near post and the Zambian got there first, heading it off the inside of the post and in to even the game at 2-2.

“I love a good left-footed service,” Pickett said about her assist. “So, when you see people like Ally Watt and Barbra Banda in the box, you put it on their head. Or you try to find their head. So, I think that’s what I was aiming for.”

The goal was Banda’s fourth of the season, allowing her to maintain her team lead.

Oihane had a chance to give the Pride the lead in the 79th minute when she played Banda forward into the box. King got there first and knocked the ball off Banda’s foot, but it went straight to Oihane. The Spanish international had a clear shot on Anderson and the goalkeeper did well to get down and make the stop.

Seconds later, Marta played Watt into the box. The attacker had gotten behind her defender and had a clear chance on goal. But, again, Anderson did well to get down and tap the ball wide. Anderson palmed the ensuing corner kick away and a foul was called on the Pride, ending the threat.

In the 85th minute, Watt received a throw-in before being pushed over by Vignola. Marta’s free kick was headed out, falling to the foot of Oihane. The defender took a right-foot volley towards goal, but sent it well off target.

The fourth official showed eight minutes of stoppage time and the Pride completed their comeback in the third minute. Pickett sent a curling ball into the box where Vignola was first to reach it. Watt was charging in from the right, forcing Vignola to make a quick decision. The ball went off Vignola’s chest, past Anderson, and in to give the Pride a 3-2 lead.

There was a video review, because Watt extended her arms slightly as she reached the back of Vignola, but it was a quick decision that there wasn’t a foul and the Pride kept the lead.

Pressing opposing defenders into own goals has been a strong point for the Pride this season. They benefited from own goals in the season opener against Chicago and the following game against NJ/NY Gotham FC. This was the third own goal just six games into the season.

Angel City defended furiously as the clock wound down but was forced to push for an equalizer. However, the Pride were able to keep some possession, holding on for the 3-2 win.

At full time, the Pride had had the advantage in possession (53.7%-46.3%), shots (15-10), crosses (27-11), corner kicks (10-6), and passing accuracy (82%-77.1%). Both teams ended the game putting five chances on target.

“Tale of two halves,” Hines said about the game. “I think, obviously, being 2-0 down in this league is incredibly difficult to get back into it. But we showed our character. We showed our mentality. That never say die, never give up. You know, we showed what we’re capable of doing in that second half by scoring three goals and missed some chances as well. So it could have been a lot easier and different, but thankful for the three points and we move on.”

While the Pride have a 100% record in Los Angeles (3-0-0), this is the first time the Pride have beaten Angel City at home (1-1-2). Tonight also marked the first time in club history that the Pride have won a game after trailing by multiple goals.

The three goals late in the game were also significant coming off a performance where finishing was a problem. It looked like poor finishing would doom the Pride for the second straight week, but they were able to find the net three times in the final 20 minutes.

“Last week, whether it was the final cross or final pass or not getting across defenders, what I need to give credit to with our players is they take on feedback really well,” Hines said. “They take information from all the coaching staff really well, and if they listen and continue to grow and learn, then they get their rewards up like they did. You know, by scoring three goals, the crosses were phenomenal from Oihane, Carson, the finishes from Barbra, getting across the defender, Marta, getting in the right area. And, you know, if you have enough players in that area, you can force an error from the defender.”

The win moves the Pride back into a tie for first place with the Kansas City Current. However, the Current have a better goal difference and a game in hand. They’ll play their sixth game tomorrow night in North Carolina.

After this two-game homestand, the Pride now head back out on the road. They’ll face the Portland Thorns at Providence Park on May 3.

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Orlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride look to bounce back from their first loss of the season as they welcome Angel City FC to Orlando.

Published

15 hours ago

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April 25, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (4-1-0, 12 points) look to bounce back from their first loss of the year tonight when they face Angel City FC (2-1-2, 8 points). This is the first of two games the teams will play this year, with the return game in Los Angeles scheduled for Aug. 21.

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

History

Angel City was one of the NWSL’s two expansion teams entering the league in 2022. As a result, the Pride have only played tonight’s opponents six times. The Pride are 3-1-2 in the six games, all in NWSL regular-season play and the home team has never won. The Pride are 0-1-2 against Angel City at Inter&Co Stadium.

The most recent matchup between these two teams took place on June 30, 2024 in Los Angeles. Adriana gave the Pride the lead in the 20th minute and scored a second goal in the 26th minute. Barbra Banda netted a goal of her own six minutes into stoppage time, leading the Pride to a dominating 3-0 win. On March 22, 2024, in Orlando, former Pride attacker Claire Emslie gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot, and it looked as though the Pride would drop their first game of the season. But Marta volleyed home an equalizer from an Angelina corner kick late, pulling out a 1-1 draw.

The first meeting of the 2023 season was on April 2 in Orlando. Emily Sams took down Alyssa Thompson in the first half, giving the visitors a penalty. Emslie stepped up and converted to give her team a 1-0 lead. Messiah Bright responded just after halftime to make it 1-1, and the game appeared to be heading for a draw. But Katie Johnson scored the winner in the 10th minute of second-half injury time. On Oct. 2, 2023 in Los Angeles, an Adriana volley beat Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson to her near post for the only goal as the Pride won a crucial late-season game.

The first-ever game between the teams took place on May 8, 2022 in Los Angeles. In the third minute, Gunny Jonsdottir’s cross was tipped by Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haracic, but it went right to Sydney Leroux. The Pride striker fired right at Morgan Reid standing in front of goal. The ball bounced off the defender and went in to give the Pride an early lead. The hosts controlled the final hour, but the Pride held on for 87 minutes to claim their first win of the season.

The teams met again on Aug. 7 in Orlando. Then-Pride defender Ali Riley opened the scoring with a wonderful strike from the left side. The Pride responded in the second half through Julie Doyle, three minutes after she entered the game, to even it at 1-1. The visitors took another lead when Cari Roccaro beat Viviana Villacorta to a corner kick, putting it past Erin McLeod. The Pride equalized for a second time in the 90th minute when Doyle and Paige Nielsen raced for a Thais Reiss cross, with the defender reaching it first. But Nielsen’s attempted clearance went into her own net, allowing the Pride to claim a 2-2 draw and extend their unbeaten run to five games.

Overview

After drawing the Washington Spirit in the Challenge Cup and falling on penalties, the Pride got the season off to a roaring start. They thrashed the Chicago Stars 6-0 in the season opener and followed that with wins over NJ/NY Gotham FC, San Diego Wave FC, and Seattle Reign FC. It looked like it would be another long unbeaten streak like last year until Saturday evening.

The Pride dominated the Spirit in their return to Orlando, but finishing doomed the hosts. The Pride held 60% possession and outshot the Spirit 20-9. However, only six of their shots were on target. In the 63rd minute, Anna Moorhouse made one of her typical gaffes, giving the ball to Gift Monday on her own goal line and allowing the Nigerian to tap it in. That was the only goal as the Pride fell 1-0 for their first home loss since 2023.

Despite the loss, the Pride are still off to a great start this year. They currently sit second in the league, three points behind the Kansas City Current, and have the second-best goal difference behind the same team.

The Pride have been very strong defensively with a back line of Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Sams, and Cori Dyke. Oihane started the last game and played well but was taken off at halftime Saturday after suffering an injury. Other than Moorhouse’s mistake, there isn’t much to complain about when it comes to the team defensively.

While the Pride have scored the second-most goals in the league with 11, that’s largely because of their six-goal output on March 14. They scored two in each of the following two games, one against Seattle, and were held goalless Saturday for the first time this season. Seven of the team’s goals have been scored by Banda (3), Haley McCutcheon (2), and Marta (2). Ally Watt and Julie Doyle both scored in the opener, and the Pride benefited from an opposing own goal in each of the first two games.

Angel City currently sits in sixth place with eight points from the team’s first five games. Tonight’s visitors have netted seven goals and conceded eight for a negative-one goal difference.

The team is led offensively by U.S. international Alyssa Thompson, who has three goals and an assist in four games. Riley Tiernan joined the club this season and the rookie has been a solid signing, adding two goals and an assist in five appearances. The other two goals have come from Macey Hodge and Kennedy Fuller, scoring one each.

Despite giving up eight goals, Angel City has been quite fortunate defensively on the injury front. The club had the same defensive unit in its first four games before moving right back Gisele Thompson forward to take her sister Alyssa’s spot in the attack.

Angel City is coming off a tough match Friday night, falling 4-0 to Gotham FC at home. Flying across the country for a Friday night game, this seems like a good opportunity for the sputtering Pride attack to get back into form.

“I think LA are a new team. New to different philosophies, different styles of play,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “Obviously have a lot of young players and brought in some new players, so it’ll be an interesting matchup. Again, we want to get back to winning ways. Obviously, we’re disappointed after the last result, and there’s no better way to do that than this Friday against Angel City.”

There’s no change to the Pride availability report tonight. They remain without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), Aryssa Mahrt (knee), Julie Doyle (knee), Rafaelle (thigh), and Summer Yates (ankle).

Angel City will be without Jun Endo (knee), Macey Hodge (upper leg), Sydney Leroux (excused absence), and Ali Riley (upper leg).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Cori Dyke.

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Morgan Gautrat.

Attacking Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Prisca Chilufya.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Carson Pickett, Oihane, Brianna Martinez, Zara Chavoshi, Haley McCutcheon, Viviana Villacorta, Grace Chanda, Ally Watt.

Angel City FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Angelina Anderson.

Defenders: M.A. Vignola, Savvy King, Sarah Gorden, Gisele Thompson.

Defensive Midfielders: Alanna Kennedy, Katie Zelem.

Attacking Midfielders: Alyssa Thompson, Kennedy Fuller, Claire Emslie.

Forward: Riley Tiernan.

Bench: Julie Dufour, Madison Hammond, Miyabi Moriya, Bre Norris, Casey Phair, Christen Press, Megan Reid, Hannah Stambaugh.

Referees

REF: Matt Thompson.
AR1: Tom Felice.
AR2: Stephen Milhoan.
4TH: Russell Miller.
VAR: Alexandra Billeter.
AVAR: Matthew Seem.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: Prime Video.

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Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Final Score 1-0 As Pride Drop Points For First Time in 2025

A goalkeeping error and poor finishing were costly as the Pride fell at home to the Washington Spirit.

Published

6 days ago

on

April 19, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride (4-1-0, 12 points) dropped points for the first time this season, falling 1-0 to the Washington Spirit (4-1-0, 12 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse gave the ball to Gift Monday right in front of her own goal in the 63rd minute, resulting in the game’s only goal and it could hardly have been easier for the visitors to produce the winning goal.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made three changes to the team that beat Seattle Reign FC 1-0 on April 12. Morgan Gautrat, Angelina, and Oihane entered the lineup for Ally Lemos, Summer Yates, and Cori Dyke.

The back line in front of Moorhouse in goal was Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, and Oihane. Haley McCutcheon and Gautrat were the defensive midfielders behind Angelina, Marta, and Ally Watt, with Barbra Banda up top.

The Pride dominated the majority of the game. They created nearly all of the chances and should’ve taken the lead on multiple occasions. Meanwhile, the Spirit didn’t get their first chance on target until the 62nd minute. That attempt and the goal a minute later were the only two chances the Spirit put on frame all game. The mistake by Moorhouse and lack of finishing ended up being the difference as the Pride stumbled for the first time this season.

The Pride got the first chance of the game in the fourth minute when Oihane played Banda down the right. The striker got behind the Spirit back line and played the ball into the box where Angelina was running on. The Brazilian tried to get on the end of the pass, but it was just beyond her reach.

Banda dribbled into the box from the right in the ninth minute and, after beating Tara McKeown, met Narumi Miura. The midfielder made contact with the striker and the Pride players appealed for a penalty, but the referee signaled for a goal kick.

Gautrat blocked a clearance attempt in the 20th minute. The ball went straight to Banda, who was in on goal from the right. The striker’s shot for the near post, but it was right into the arms of Kingsbury.

Two minutes later, Abello received a long pass on the left side of the field. Nobody stepped up to the left back, so she carried the ball towards the top of the box. She was aiming for the far post, but Kingsbury did well to dive to her left and touch it wide.

The Pride were unable to create anything from the ensuing corner and Washington cleared the danger.

In the 26th minute, Angelina and Abello played a give-and-go, sending Angelina towards the end line. The left-sided midfielder sent a cross into the six-yard box for Banda, but it was just behind her. Watt reached the free ball and played it back to Gautrat at the top of the box, but her shot was blocked.

The Pride dominated the first half hour, making it difficult for the Spirit to get any possession in the final third. In the 30th minute, McKeown sent a cross towards the back side of the six where Esme Morgan was waiting. The defender tried to volley a shot towards goal but couldn’t get over the ball.

The Pride gave away the ensuing goal kick, creating another chance for the Spirit. This time, Ashley Hatch had a chance. The league’s top goal scorer tried to guide the ball past Moorhouse and into the top corner but sent it just high and wide.

On the other end, a long ball forward was misplayed, allowing Banda to get behind the Spirit back line. The striker dribbled in from the right and shot, but the attempt was right at Kingsbury.

In the 43rd minute, Watt carried the ball past her defender on the right and sent a low shot towards the near post. However, Kingsbury had it covered and didn’t have any trouble collecting it.

A minute later, Marta played the ball to Angelina at the top of the box. The Brazilian lifted the ball over the back line for McCutcheon, who tried to guide the ball inside the far post. Unfortunately, she sent it wide.

Despite their inability to score, the Pride dominated the first half. They ended the first 45 minutes with the advantage in possession (58%-42%), shots (10-4), shots on target (3-0), crosses (12-3), corner kicks (3-0), and passing accuracy (84%-81%).

“We were doing really well. Our press was working really well. We were blocking them in, weighing the ball,” Watt said about the halftime message. “So, yeah, coach Seb was just saying we just need to finish those chances.”

Hines made one halftime change. After suffering an injury in the first half, Oihane was replaced at right back by Dyke.

The Pride took the first shot of the second half in the 46th minute when Banda sent a long shot towards goal. Kingsbury wasn’t able to collect the ball, knocking it wide and out of play for a Pride corner kick.

The first set piece was cleared out of play and the second corner was wide, ending the threat.

In the 52nd minute, Gabrielle Carle knocked the ball back for Leicy Santos, who sent a hard shot towards goal. The ball slammed off the head of Hatch, going out of play and sending the striker to the ground. Hatch had to go through a concussion test before play was able to resume.

Hatch went down again in the 58th minute. This time she failed the concussion test and was replaced by Rosemonde Kouassi.

The Spirit finally got their first shot on target in the 62nd minute. Makenna Morris entered the Pride box from the right and took a shot, but it didn’t cause any trouble for Moorhouse.

A minute later, Moorhouse made one of the mistakes she’s known for, and it was a big one. Receiving a pass back from Sams, the goalkeeper tried to dribble out of pressure from Gift Monday. Instead, she gave the ball to the forward right in front of her own goal. It was an easy tap-in for Monday, giving the Spirit a 1-0 lead.

“I think, for us, we want to play out of the back. And I think it’s all about finding the open player. Because obviously when a team presses the way that they do, you put yourself under pressure,” Gautrat said about the goal. “And I think, for us, since sometimes when they press well, sometimes you just have to clear it. And I think, for us, we got a little bit caught in between who was even dropping to help Anna in the moment.”

The Pride nearly equalized in the 65th minute when Abello beat Carle to get a cross off. Banda tried to flick the ball from the near post to the far post, hitting the crossbar. The ball fell to Watt and the attacker fired on target, but Morgan blocked it wide. The Pride couldn’t create anything from the ensuing corner kick and the chance ended.

“I was just focusing so hard to make sure I didn’t clear the ball over the net,” Watt said about her chance. “And I just happened to hit it right to my defender. So, I need to finish those chances.”

Hines made two more changes in the 69th minute. Lemos and Prisca Chilufya came into the game for McCutcheon and Watt in a pair of straight swaps.

Banda nearly sent Angelina through on goal in the 70th minute. The Brazilian was behind the back line, but the pass was just beyond her reach and Kingsbury was able to collect it.

In the 72nd minute, Banda was sent behind the Spirit back line. However, McKeown did well to get her body on the striker. Banda got a shot off, but she sent her shot sailing wide of the target.

Hines made his fourth change of the game in the 79th minute, replacing Gautrat with Carson Pickett.

In the 83rd minute, Banda tried to play Marta at the near post, but the ball was knocked out of play for a corner kick. Kingsbury pushed away the ensuing set piece off Carle’s head and in to even the game at 1-1.

As the Pride players celebrated, referee Elton Garcia was called to the monitor. Nadaner backed into Kingsbury on the play, impeding the goalkeeper from catching the ball. It was a quick review and the goal was correctly overturned, retaining the Spirit’s lead.

Immediately after the review, Hines made his fifth and final change of the game. Grace Chanda came on for Angelina.

In the 88th minute, Marta made a nice cut to create space from a pair of defenders. Despite the long distance, Kingsbury could only push the ball over the top for a corner kick. Unfortunately, the ensuing set piece was too close to the former Pride goalkeeper, who caught the ball and ended the attack.

Abello sent Chilufya down the right in the third minute of stoppage time. Carle slid in to intercept, but missed the ball, allowing Chilufya to get into the Spirit box. The Zambian then beat Morgan and shot for the far post. However, the ball rolled just wide for a goal kick.

In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Rebeca Bernal put her hand on Marta’s back and the Pride captain went down. Bernal contested the foul call, but the Pride had a free kick in a dangerous position. Lemos’ free kick was just over Banda’s head, but sent back in by Pickett. A poor clearance went to Marta, but the Brazilian mishit the ball.

The final chance of the game came in the ninth minute of stoppage time when Marta’s cross went through the legs of Banda at the near post. Kingsbury collected it and the Pride dropped points for the first time this season.

The Pride ended up with the advantage in possession (59.9%-40.1%), shots (20-9), shots on target (6-2), crosses (22-7), corner kicks (11-1), and passing accuracy (82.3%-77.3%). However, the poor finishing cost them dearly as the Spirit take home all three points.

“I think 99% of the match we did well. I thought we played with a real intensity,” Hines said about the performance. “I thought we put Washington under immense pressure, and obviously we need to capitalize on those moments. And the frustration is, when you dominate a game, to not get anything out of it. We should put ourselves in that position. So obviously, bitterly disappointed with the result. I thought the performance was good, but we have to move on.”

This is the first loss for the Pride at Inter&Co Stadium since Aug. 25, 2023, a 2-1 loss to San Diego Wave FC. It snapped a 22-game points streak at home (16-0-6) in all competitions after claiming points in every home game last year.

“Tough one. Obviously, we don’t like to lose. We haven’t lost at home in a long, long time,” Gautrat said. “But, I think for us, we’re still early on in the season. I thought the performance was there. Thought we dominated in all facets of the game, honestly. And I just felt like we didn’t put one away. And we gave up one chance, maybe, and I think that we were unfortunate in that. But for us, I think we move on. We learn from the loss, and it’s still early on.”

The Pride will undoubtedly see this as three points lost. They had plenty of chances to put the game away much earlier. Their inability to do so and a simple mistake cost them a home loss against a team they’ll likely be challenging for the NWSL Shield at the end of the season.

“I think we got a little bit too lax for just maybe 5-10 minutes,” Gautrat said. “And I think that that makes a huge difference in this league, because teams are good enough and the quality is good enough to punish you for that. And I think we have to have a better performance for the full 90 minutes.”

The Pride will look to bounce back from this loss Friday night when they welcome Angel City FC to Orlando Friday night.

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