Connect with us

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Final Score 0-0 as Pride Run League Unbeaten Streak to Three Games

Aside from not scoring a goal, it was a dominating performance by Orlando and the Pride’s third consecutive result in league play.

Published

2 years ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride outplayed NJ/NY Gotham FC on the road at Red Bull Arena but have only a point to show for it after a wasteful afternoon in front of goal allowed the hosts to salvage a point. Orlando (2-4-1, 7 points) dominated first-half play and played an even second half against Gotham FC (4-2-1, 13 points) but couldn’t put a ball in the net and have to settle for a road draw.

The Pride are 2-0-1 in their last three league contests, but will feel they dropped two points after a dominating road match in which they simply couldn’t make the most of their scoring chances.

“Disappointed that we haven’t come away with three points. I think all the players feel the same way,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said after the match. “It was a complete performance. We were very difficult to play against. Considering they’ve got some of the best players in the league, I thought the back line, our midfielders, forwards, they all worked extremely hard to get a clean sheet and I’m really happy with that.”

Hines ran out his recently successful lineup with Anna Moorhouse in goal behind a back line of Kylie Strom, Emily Madril, Megan Montefusco, and Haley McCutcheon. Viviana Villacorta and Mikayla Cluff played central midfield behind an attacking line of Adriana, Erika Tymrak, and Marta, with rookie Messiah Bright up top.

The hosts began the game pressing hard up the pitch and trying to create turnovers in Orlando’s half. The Pride were able to settle in after a nervy start and bossed much of the first half, although the team couldn’t find a breakthrough.

After an early Orlando counter that somehow didn’t result in a free kick after Adriana was knocked down from behind, Gotham got the first quality look of the game. Taylor Smith roasted McCutcheon in a footrace, took the ball into the area and fired off the left post. The Pride were able to clear the rebound before it could create any further trouble.

The Pride then started to settle into the match. Bright got down the right side in the 14th minute and sent in a cross but it was straight at goalkeeper Abby Smith. Moments later, Orlando won a corner and Marta picked out an unmarked Strom who couldn’t get her header on frame, popping it over the crossbar in the 17th minute.

Two minutes later, Adriana got forward on the break and fired a shot but it was right at Smith. Bright headed wide off a Strom cross in the 23rd minute but the whistle went quickly so the play may have been offside. Two minutes after that, Cluff made a great steal in the attacking half and fired a shot from outside the box that may have been going just high but Smith’s fingertips made sure that ball stayed over the bar.

A promising attack in the 32nd minute fell apart when Bright collected a loose ball near the top of the box and tried to pass to Marta, who wasn’t expecting it.

Four minutes later, the Pride had a dangerous free kick from the left. Cluff called repeatedly for the ball as Marta and Adriana lined up behind the ball. Marta took the cross and did pick out Cluff but the midfielder couldn’t get her header anywhere close to the goal frame.

The Pride broke in transition in the 41st minute and should have scored. Adriana had a decent look at goal and took the shot herself, but Smith went up and caught it. Bright was off to the right side and would have had an easy tap-in had the Brazilian crossed on that attacking move.

Smith made a good diving save to deny Cluff in the 44th minute. In stoppage time, Tymrak nearly got a gift when Smith spilled a good cross from McCutcheon out in front. Tymrak dug the ball out as Smith never fully possessed the ball but the referee blew the whistle in Gotham’s favor.

Orlando’s dominant half showed on the stats sheet. The Pride had more shots (9-1), shots on goal (5-0), and passing accuracy (75%-73.6%). Both teams earned two corner kicks and Gotham held a possession advantage (55.1%-44.9%).

After holding the hosts to one shot attempt in the first half, the Pride gifted one to Gotham early in the second half. Strom made a poor pass near the corner of her own penalty area that Lynn Williams stepped onto and then blasted a shot toward goal. Fortunately, the shot was off target.

The second half was a lot more choppy, with more stops and starts. Gotham had the first opportunity of the second period when Strom made a poor pass deep in her own end and gave Lynn Williams the ball near the left corner of the box. Williams smashed a shot but it was high and wide of the goal in the 50th minute.

The Pride had a chance five minutes later when Marta popped a ball over the top and into the box for Bright. The rookie stumbled and never got to fire a shot at the target.

Madril snuffed out a Gotham attack in the 66th minute beating Sinead Farrelly to a ball and then absorbing a terrible challenge that got Farrelly booked.

Adriana nearly picked out Marta in the 68th minute but a tug from the defender slowed her down and she couldn’t get to it. Marta got under a bouncing ball at the top of the area in the 78th and skied her shot well over the crossbar.

As the game wound down, Gotham looked like the fresher side, getting more of the ball and generating some chances. Williams swept a shot wide in the 82nd minute. Two minutes later, Moorhouse made a spectacular save with her leg to deny Yazmeen Ryan on what turned out to be Gotham’s only shot attempt on target all game.

“To get the first shot on target where Anna has to make a save in the (84th) minute is a pretty big positive, considering how far we’ve come from the start of the year,” Hines said. ” And it’s not just Anna making the save. It’s everyone who’s in front of her having that desire, that attitude to not allow shots on target.”

“The back line’s job is to keep the goals out of our net, and I think that’s what we did,” Madril said. “We did our job and you know, just try to carry that forward to the rest of the team and it does feel good to get a clean sheet, for sure.”

The game got a little stretched in the final minutes, which favored Gotham, but the Pride had their chances. Adriana lost the ball trying to dig it out of her feet on the attack in the 86th minute. Marta picked it up wide and crossed in but her pass was right at Smith, who made the easy catch. Seconds later, Ryan fired over the bar at the other end of the pitch.

The last good look of the game for either side came in the second minute of stoppage time. Strom sent a good cross into the area for substitute Ally Watt, who got her head to it. The ball was on frame but Smith made a diving, one-handed save to keep it out.

“We created a lot of opportunities, as well, it just didn’t fall our way,” Hines said.

Orlando’s dominance in the game was reflected in the statistics of the match, with the Pride finishing with more shots (13-6), shots on target (6-1), corners (4-3), and crosses (17-7). Gotham held more possession (56%-44%) and passed slightly more accurately (73.4%-71.5%).

“It was a good performance, defensively,” Tymrak said. “We were solid. They didn’t play through the middle much, and we really limited their forwards, who are some of the best in the league.”

Today’s game may have been Orlando’s most complete of the season despite the lack of goals, but it’s a good sign that Hines and his players were disappointed to get this road point when they felt the pride deserved all three.

“I think any professional — you never settle on what you have right now. You’re always searching for more,” Hines said. “You always want more and you know, looking back at the start of the year, we lost a lot of points, and now we have to get them back.”

The Pride will be back in action Saturday night, when they host the Washington Spirit at 7 p.m. at Exploria Stadium.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Pride need to do to secure an NWSL Championship win over the Washington Spirit on Saturday?

Published

14 hours ago

on

November 22, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Win or lose, the Orlando Pride’s season comes to an end on Saturday night at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. After they defeated the Chicago Red Stars and the Kansas City Current in prior playoff matches, this final match could see the Pride lift the NWSL Championship trophy. The Pride have already won the NWSL Shield earlier in the year, and this second trophy would cement them as one of the greatest teams in NWSL history. Standing in their way is the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, the same Washington Spirit club the Pride defeated to clinch the Shield.

So, what do the Pride need to do to defeat the Spirit and bring home more silverware?

Prepare for a Better Spirit

During the regular season, the Pride defeated the Spirit twice, 3-2 in Washington all the way back in April, and 2-0 at home in October. The Pride may need to scrub these results from their memory and prepare for a more capable and complete opponent. For starters, in the first matchup, the Spirit were led by interim head coach Adrián González, who is still with the club as an assistant. While González performed well in the role, the Spirit are now led by one of the best coaches in the game, Jonatan Giráldez, who took over in July. Before joining the Spirit, Giráldez led Barcelona Femeni, the single most dominant club in Europe during his tenure. In each of the past two seasons, Giráldez’ Barcelona won the Copa de la Reina, Spain’s domestic cup tournament, and the UEFA Women’s Champions League, showcasing his skill in coaching championship games.

The Pride were able to beat Giráldez’ Spirit squad just over a month ago, but that matchup was missing several key players on Washington’s side of the pitch. The Spirit were without NWSL Best XI players Trinity Rodman and Casey Krueger as well as Best XI Second Team representative Hal Hershfelt. All three of these players have since returned and are likely to play in the NWSL Championship. Ouleye Sarr, the joint leading scorer for Washington along with Rodman, was also out for the October matchup, but she is struggling with a back injury and may not play this weekend. While the Spirit were limited in the last meeting, Orlando was convincing in its 2-0 win. This time around, the Pride will have to prepare for a Spirit team that looks a lot different than the last time out.

Keep the Match to 90 Minutes

One of the key storylines heading into the NWSL Championship is the paths each team has taken. While the higher-seeded teams have won each match of the 2024 playoffs, Orlando has won its matches in regulation, while Washington required extra time to beat Bay FC and penalty kicks to get past NJ/NY Gotham FC. As a result, Orlando has played fewer high-stress minutes in recent weeks and comes in on a great run of form. On the other hand, the Spirit are battle tested, knowing the challenges that come from tight matches. Their goals forcing extra time have come late in matches — the 86th minute against Bay, and the third minute of stoppage time against Gotham. To their credit, the Spirit never know when they are beaten, so Orlando will need to be locked in all the way to the final whistle, hoping to avoid the chaos that ensued at the end of the Kansas City match.

Despite looking shaky at the end of the match against the Current, Orlando’s success this season has come about in the opposite manner of the Spirit’s postseason wins. Orlando has done exceedingly well to get the lead and secure the result. The Pride have only dropped points from winning positions twice, losing none. The semifinal match against Kansas City was also their first come-from-behind victory of the year, showcasing how uncommon it was for them to fall behind in an NWSL match in their 18-win season. Should the NWSL Championship go to extra time, it would be uncharted territory for Orlando. With so few elimination matches in their history, very few players on the roster would have any experience with extra time. The Orlando Pride as a club only participated in their first-ever (then their second and third) penalty shootout in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, winning one of three shootouts. In the end, Orlando will be in a much better position if it can keep this game to 90 minutes.

Marta Magic

The Orlando Pride have four players on the NWSL Best XI first and second teams, but no player is more easily recognized in purple than 38-year-old Marta, the GOAT. While she has been with the Pride since 2017, this campaign (11 goals, 1 assist) has been her most productive since 2017, her first in Orlando (13 goals, 6 assists). The 2017 season was also the last time that Orlando made the playoffs. In 2024, Marta has scored two postseason goals so far, including a magical game winner against the Current. Orlando’s success is inexorably linked to the performances of its best-ever player. Yet, as hard as it is to imagine, the NWSL Championship will be the last match of her existing contract with the Pride, and win or lose, this could be farewell, at least for now. 

On the pitch, Marta will be a focal point for the Orlando attack against the Washington Spirit. While Washington’s Best XI defenders Krueger and Tara McKeown attempt to slow down Barbra Banda and Ally Watt, Marta is likely to drop deep and connect the play. Her precision passing and driving runs in recent matches have contributed mightily to an attack that has now scored 10 goals in the past three matches — three by Marta herself. Beyond these traits, Marta will also be a pitch general for the Pride in this final match, directing traffic and keeping the team locked in and organized. Earlier this year, Marta announced her retirement from international soccer with Brazil and took home the silver medal in the Summer Olympics. Expect Marta to leave it all on the pitch on Saturday, and if it were to be her last match for the Pride, it would be incredible to leave with an NWSL Championship.

Saturday night the NWSL Champions will be crowned. Could one of these keys to victory make the critical difference? Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Center Back Emily Sams Named 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year

Pride center back Emily Sams adds another honor to her trophy case after being named the NWSL Defender of the Year.

Published

1 day ago

on

November 21, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The National Women’s Soccer League announced this evening that Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams has been named the 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year. She’s the first player in club history to win the award. It was the second major NWSL award won by the Pride after Seb Hines was named the league’s Coach of the Year on Tuesday.

Sams played center back during her 2023 rookie season, but moved to right back at the beginning of this year. Brazilian international Rafaelle’s injury trouble forced Sams back to her natural position where she partnered Kylie Strom, forming arguably the best center back partnership in the league. Together with goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse and the rest of the back line, the Pride conceded a league-best 20 goals while tying the league records for most shutouts in a season (13) and setting a new mark for most consecutive minutes without conceding a goal (554).

Individually, Sams was second in the league with 163 recoveries, and she led the Pride with 108 possessions in the defensive third, 76 clearances, and 16 blocks. Additionally, her 88.18% passing accuracy led all Pride defenders.

Including the playoffs, Sams has played in 27 games this season with 26 starts and recorded 2,365 minutes. She’s recorded 25 tackles and 28 interceptions, winning 30 headed duels and 47% of her tackles. She’s also contributed offensively with a goal and three assists, including assisting Barbra Banda’s first goal in the NWSL quarterfinals against the Chicago Red Stars.

The center back was named to the league’s monthly Best XI three times this year — in May, September, and October/November — and was named to the league’s end-of-the-year Best XI.

The Boise, ID, native played three seasons over five years at Florida State before signing with Racing Louisville’s W League team for the 2022 season. She decided to forgo her senior year at Florida State, signing with the NWSL instead on Aug. 31, 2022. The league loaned her to Swedish club BK Hacken for the remainder of the 2022 season, enabling her to enter the 2023 NWSL Draft. The Pride selected Sams with the third overall pick and she immediately became a key player on the team’s back line.

She was paired with veteran Megan Montefusco at the beginning of her rookie season and Brazilian international Rafaelle after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Sams played 22 regular-season games last year, recording 1,977 minutes, 19 interceptions, and 17 tackles. She won 61% of her tackles and 33 headed duels.

Despite not having any caps, Sams was selected by new USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes to compete for the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, earning a gold medal. Her first appearance for the national side came on Oct. 24 when she started against Iceland in Nashville, TN.

Preliminary voting for the NWSL Defender of the Year award included league owners, general managers, coaches, players, and media. The finalists were then voted on by fans, owners, general managers, coaches, players, and the media with the winner announced this evening. Strom, San Diego Wave FC center back Naomi Girma, North Carolina Courage center back Kaleigh Kurtz, and Washington Spirit center back Tara McKeown were the other finalists.

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines Named NWSL Coach of the Year

After a record-breaking regular season, Pride Head Coach Seb Hines has been named the 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year.

Published

4 days ago

on

November 19, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The National Women’s Soccer League announced this afternoon that Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines had been named the 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year. It’s the first time in the club’s history that a coach has won the award.

In his second year as permanent head coach, Hines led the Pride to a record-breaking season that saw them finish 18-2-6, winning the NWSL Shield. They finished third in the league with 46 goals scored and tied with NJ/NY Gotham FC for a league-best 20 goals conceded. They set five league records this year, including most points in a season (60), most wins in a season (18), longest winning streak (8), longest shutout streak (554 minutes), and longest single-season unbeaten run (23 games). The Pride also tied the league record for clean sheets in a season (13). Dating back to last season’s finale, the club went 24 matches without a loss under Hines. Orlando also drew all three Summer Cup matches this season, giving the Pride 26 matches without a loss in all competitions under Hines in 2023 and 27 games overall dating back to last year. Orlando’s 2.31 points per game in 2024 is second in league history behind the 2018 North Carolina Courage, who had 2.4 points per game. 

The 2024 season caps a rebuild that started following the 2021 NWSL season when the Pride traded away several star players. They hired Amanda Cromwell as head coach for the 2022 season, but she and assistant Sam Greene were suspended and eventually fired for retaliatory behavior. Assistants Michelle Akers and Aline Villares Reis left their positions following the suspensions, leaving Hines as the club’s only option as head coach.

The controversy turned out to be a blessing in disguise as Hines finished the season strong as interim coach, taking the team to a 3-7-5 mark in the final 15 games, which included a seven-game unbeaten run (3-0-4). His performance down the stretch was enough to earn the permanent role. The Pride elevated Hines from interim coach to head coach on Nov. 11, 2022.

In his first year as the club’s permanent head coach, Hines nearly led the Pride to their first playoff appearance since 2017 and second in club history last year, missing out on the goal difference tiebreaker on the final match day of the 2023 campaign. This year, the team came back with the goal of making the postseason and soon became the best team in the league, going the full season without a single home loss in any competition.

Since taking over in June 2022, Hines has become the Pride’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 31-30-12 in league play. His 1.67 points per game and .492 winning percentage also top all previous Pride coaches.

Despite a turnaround that saw the Pride go from one of the worst teams in the league to narrowly missing out on the playoffs, Hines wasn’t a finalist for coach of the year in 2023. It was an easy choice this year as he led the team to its best-ever season and the first trophy in team history.

The team’s 4-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars on Nov. 8 was the first playoff win in club history and the Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 3-2 Sunday afternoon to secure their spot in the 2024 NWSL Championship, which will be in Kansas City on Saturday night.

The NWSL Coach of the Year Award began with a preliminary round voted on by owners, general managers, coaches, players, and the media. The finalists were then voted on by fans, owners, general managers, coaches, players, and the media to determine the winner. The other finalists were Current Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski and Gotham Head Coach Juan Carlos Amoros, last year’s winner.

Continue Reading

Trending