Connect with us

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns: Final Score 3-1 as Pride Win Third Straight at Home

The Pride topple the defending champion Portland Thorns to win their third straight at Exploria Stadium.

Published

on

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride (4-6-1, 13 points) used a brace by Adriana and a Messiah Bright goal off a poor pass to beat the Portland Thorns (5-2-4, 19 points) 3-1 at Exploria Stadium. Sophia Smith started the scoring in the 20th minute, but the Pride scored three unanswered to beat the Thorns for the first time since 2021.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made three changes to the attack for this game. Marta returned to the starting lineup after coming on at halftime against the Houston Dash last weekend. She was joined by Ally Watt and Julie Doyle, who got her first start since her injury on April 2.

The back line in front of Anna Moorhouse was Kylie Strom, Emily Madril, Megan Montefusco, and Haley McCutcheon. Viviana Villacorta and Mikayla Cluff were in the central midfield behind Marta, Adriana, and Watt with Doyle up top.

The Pride conceded in the 20th minute, which is around when they’ve given up the first goal against Portland in the last three meetings. But while they’ve conceded a quick second in those games, they bounced back in this one. They were led by Adriana, who scored on a great free kick and converted in the second half after a great pass from Watt.

The Pride were the first team to go on the attack. They won the first corner inside the first minute and Watt forced Thorns goalkeeper Bella Bixby into her first stop in the third minute when she sent the ball into the six-yard box.

Watt sent a dangerous cross through the box a minute later, but nobody in purple could get on the end of it and it went harmlessly out of play.

The Thorns had their first chance of the game in the sixth minute, when Christine Sinclair found Morgan Weaver near the top of the six. McCutcheon and Moorhouse closed down the attacker, but Weaver didn’t get much of the ball anyway and it was sent out of play for a corner kick.

The Pride kept going to the right through Watt, who was playing on the wing. In the 12th minute, Watt did well to beat Meghan Klingenberg and create a shot, but it was blocked. Two minutes later, Strom played a great ball down the left for Doyle. The second-year player dribbled into the box, but got tripped up and was unable to get a shot off.

Portland had a good chance to open the scoring in the 16th minute when Klingenberg sent a cross towards the far post. Sinclair was there to get her head on the ball and sent it directly towards the end line, but she was beyond the post, so it went out for a goal kick.

Smith had her first chance of the game in the 18th minute when she dribbled into the box from the left. Montefusco did well to keep her wide, forcing her to shoot from a tough angle and right at Moorhouse.

Two minutes later, Smith opened the scoring. Weaver, who was causing problems for the Pride back line down the left, sent a cross to the center of the box. Hina Sugita made a run into the box, trailed by Smith. Strom followed Sugita to the near post and nobody was there to cover Smith, allowing her to beat Moorhouse and give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

“Definitely disappointing,” McCutcheon said about conceding the first goal. “Because we scouted that inline cutback ball and made it a point to think about marking up in the box. And unfortunately, it was just a good transition moment on their part. But we chose to again, just put it behind us and do better next time.”

Watt had a chance in the 24th minute to equalize when she took a shot from just outside of the box. It was on target inside the near post, but Bixby dove to catch it. Despite the dive, the Portland goalkeeper seemed to have it the whole way.

Three minutes later, the Pride found their equalizer. Natalia Kuikka fouled Doyle just outside of the Thorns box, picking up a yellow card and providing the Pride with a great free kick opportunity. Marta and Adriana stood over the ball with the latter taking the set piece. Bixby dove to her right and was close to stopping it, but Adriana’s free kick snuck just inside the near post to even the game at 1-1.

Marta had an opportunity to give the Pride the lead in the 34th minute, when she challenged Klingenberg one on one. The Brazilian attempted a curling shot with her right foot that looked as though it would’ve been on target, but the left back did well to block it wide. The ensuing free kick found the head of Strom, but she was falling backwards and Bixby eventually caught it.

After a flurry of chances in the first half hour, there was only one in the final 10 minutes. Crystal Dunn took a shot from near the top of the six-yard box, but Moorhouse was there to make the stop.

At halftime, Portland had more possession (52.8%-47.2%), shots on target (5-4), corners (4-2), and better passing accuracy (79.1%-71.9%). The Pride had more crosses (10-6) and both teams had nine first-half shots.

The Pride got off to a great second half start, taking the lead in the 47th minute. It started when Watt sent a great ball forward for Adriana. The Brazilian dribbled into the box and cut inside to beat Meaghan Nally, opening space for a shot. She placed the shot perfectly inside the far post for her second goal of the game and gave the Pride a 2-1 lead.

“I’m very, very happy and I have been putting pressure on myself to have a great performance to be able to help even more my teammates,” Adriana said about her brace. “So I’m really happy that I got to score on the opportunities I was given, so I could help the team with this win and my goals.”

In addition to being the second of the game by Adriana, it was the 100th goal by a Brazilian player in NWSL history.

In the 51st minute, Cluff received the ball outside of the Thorns box and attempted to give her team a two-goal lead. But the attempt was right to Bixby, who made the easy stop. Hines made his first change of the game shortly after that attempt, bringing Messiah Bright on for Doyle.

Adriana was looking for her third in the 61st minute when Watt played another great ball into the box. Adriana met it with her head near the penalty spot, but it was a little too high and she wasn’t able to redirect it on target.

Attempting to maintain the lead, something the Pride struggled with early in the season, Hines made a second change in the 66th minute, replacing Watt with Kerry Abello.

In the 68th minute, Dunn made a good run to the top of the Pride box. She had Smith making a run past the penalty spot, but played it across for Michele Vasconcelos instead. The second-half substitute shot from just outside of the box, but it was blocked by Madril.

Shortly after that attempt, the Pride scored their third of the game. However, this time it was from a Portland mistake. Izzy D’Aquila received the ball on the left from Dunn and played it back for Kuikka. But the pass was way off target, going behind the defender. Bright took advantage of the opportunity, taking possession, using a good first touch to beat Bixby, and putting it in to give the Pride a surprising 3-1 lead.

“I know she’s been working hard and she puts a lot of pressure on herself,” Hines said about Bright. “I know every forward is always gonna get judged on goals and we’re really pleased with her, the staff, that she was able to get a goal and she took it really well.”

Marta had a chance to score a fourth for the Pride in the 73rd minute when Bixby punched a free ball out, but only to the top of the box. The Pride captain shot, but Bixby did well to get her right foot to the attempt, knocking it out of play.

That was the final action of the game for Marta, who was immediately replaced by Erika Tymrak. Hines also made a defensive change, replacing Cluff with Celia.

The Thorns were able to create some opportunities inside the final 15 minutes as they looked to get back into the game. Vasconcelos attempted a shot in the 77th minute and Hubly in the 78th minute, but neither attempt had much space and didn’t cause much trouble for Moorhouse. Vasconcelos and D’Aquila attempted shots in the 71st and 73rd minutes, respectively, but neither of those were on target.

Six minutes were added to the second half and the Pride did well to pack the middle, decreasing Portland’s chances on goal. In the second minute of stoppage time, Smith took a long-distance shot that was on target, but it was right into the arms of Moorhouse.

The Pride did well to keep possession and run down the clock, keeping the ball in the Thorns’ end for much of the final 10 minutes. The visitors had one last chance with a cross into the box, but Moorhouse came out to catch it. Referee Danielle Chesky blew the final whistle before Moorhouse could send the ball downfield, securing the 3-1 win for the Pride.

At full time, Portland had more possession (58.6%-41.4%), shots (19-16), corners (7-4), and better passing accuracy (79.6%-72.5%). The Pride had more shots on target (8-7) and crosses (16-12) and secured their third-ever win over the Thorns.

“It was good,” Hines said about his team’s performance. “You can see the effort that the players have put in. We had a good chat after the Houston game about what we need to do. Bring it back, back to our identity, our style of play, and we showed today the commitment from the players, the desire, the attention to detail, and sticking to the game plan was brilliant. And you have to win the game in multiple ways. And today we saw an opportunity to soak up a little bit of pressure and try to be lethal in the counterattack and the goals were well taken.”

The win snaps a three-game losing streak to the Thorns during the past two seasons that saw the Pride outscored 12-0. The result also snapped a three-game unbeaten run for Portland and a two-game losing streak for the Pride.

From a statistical standpoint, it’s also a surprising result. The Thorns had more shots from inside the box (13-8), touches inside the opponent’s box (39-20), and passes in the final third (123-88). But of the team’s seven shots on target, four came from Smith and no other players had more than one, allowing the Pride to focus on their primary attacking threat.

With this win, the Pride now have victories over the top three teams in the league, having beaten the San Diego Wave and Washington Spirit earlier this season. It’s a surprising fact since they’ve struggled against teams further down the table and are fighting to get into a playoff position.

“We have to stick to our principles, and maybe sometimes against opponents that are not top teams, we think maybe we can get away with that a little bit just subconsciously,” McCutcheon said about defeating those opponents. “And again, it’s just lessons that we’re learning throughout the season. And so I think we go into these big games, knowing that we have to be at our absolute best. And now, as we continue on, we know that we have to do that every single game.”

The win is also the Pride’s third consecutive at Exploria Stadium after two straight losses to start the season. Hines has spoken several times about making the stadium a fortress and it seems as though the team is doing that, tonight in front of a season-high 7,319 fans.

“I said that at the start of the year, we had to make this a fortress,” Hines said about the home wins. “We had to make this an environment that’s difficult to play in. And with the last three games, we’ve shown that. The crowds are terrific. The crowd fully get behind the team and push them on and that helps. Having that 12th man in the stand is brilliant to have.”


The three points move the Pride up to eighth in the NWSL standings, just two spots and four points behind the final playoff spot. They’ll look to continue the momentum gained tonight when they face the North Carolina Courage away next Saturday night.

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Offense through the Lens of Goal-Creating Actions

Can an analysis of the Pride’s offense in 2024 using goal-creating actions help project how they will perform in 2025?

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

We are one week away from the season opener for Orlando City and three weeks away from the season opener for the Orlando Pride, wrapping up what has felt like a long off-season. Oddly enough, both off-seasons were the shortest in club history, but they have felt extra long, probably because of the elongated conversations around several players and whether these players would stay in Orlando, leave Orlando, or come to Orlando.

At this point, the rosters are probably pretty close to being locked in to what they will be when the seasons open, but there still may be some final changes, and if there are, hopefully they will be positive ones for the teams in purple.

Several weeks ago, I wrote about how the Pride were bringing back all of their goals and nearly all of their minutes played from 2024, and while that has changed now with Adriana’s departure to Al Qadsiah FC in Saudi Arabia, the Pride are still bringing back most of their goals and minutes and will likely be among the favorites, if not the favorite, when sportsbooks start posting their NWSL futures odds. As of this moment, I cannot find anyone who has odds posted, and very few sites have released their season previews and power rankings, but I have a hunch that the defending champions, bringing back nearly every key contributor, will be near the top of those lists. And they should be because, and let’s revel in this once again, they are the defending champions!

The Pride are bringing back two players who combined for 28 goals in NWSL play last season. If we include the playoffs, then Barbra Banda scored 17 goals and Marta added 11, and they ranked second and fourth, respectively, for most goals scored. What interested me, however, was that they only combined together to create four of those goals as a partnership.

Using Opta’s tracking and fbref.com’s database of goals, I was able to create a ranking of the most prolific partnerships during the 2024 NWSL season. For every goal scored, Opta tracks what they call goal-creating actions, which are the two plays immediately preceding a goal that led to a player scoring a goal. For example, let’s flash back to the playoff semifinal when Banda gave the Pride a 3-1 lead against the Current by smashing a ball into the net harder than a home run off the bat of Elly De La Cruz (my son’s favorite baseball player). In related news, I am also excited for baseball season.

In the video below, Banda is the goal scorer, and the prior two plays are a completed pass by Haley McCutcheon to Kylie Strom and then the assist on a completed pass from Strom to Banda. Opta tracks those as the two goal-creating actions for Banda’s goals, with Strom’s pass being the final action preceding the goal.

Staying in that same game, I am sure you remember Marta’s wondergoal (wondergoal is still underselling how great of a goal this was — this was an all-time great run down the field) that made the score 3-1. On that play, Banda received the assist, as she passed the ball to Marta, but the two goal-creating actions were actually both by Marta as she beat multiple defenders and the goalkeeper off the dribble to get herself into shooting position. Opta’s tracking shows this goal as scored by Marta, from two consecutive goal-creating actions of Marta take-ons. Yes Banda passed the ball to Marta, but this goal was created by Marta’s magic, and the GOAT taking on and beating multiple defenders.

Opta tracks the following seven different types of goal-creating actions:

  • Fouled
  • Interception (stealing a pass)
  • Pass (live-ball)
  • Pass (dead-ball)
  • Shot
  • Tackle (stealing the ball directly from the other team’s player)
  • Take-On (beating a defender off the dribble)

During the 2024 NWSL season there were 502 total goals scored, including the playoffs and including own goals. Opta’s tracking does not have an assist for every goal, nor does it have a goal-creating action for every goal, and that makes sense for how soccer is played. Sometimes goals happen unassisted, as a player, usually a striker, makes a tackle or interception themselves and then is in on goal and scores unassisted, or a player wins a loose ball in the box and slots it home, or a player finishes a rebound and the official scorer does not give the asisst to the player who took the original shot.

Opta’s tracking shows 481 non-own goals in 2024, with 312 of those goals (approximately 65%) having an assist. Of those 481 non-own goals, 447 (approximately 93%) had a primary goal-creating action, and this also makes sense, as it is much more likely, based on the list of goal-creating actions, that there was one of those than there was a true assist. I am much more interested in the goal-creating actions than I am the assists, as I believe they are better descriptors of how goals happened.

Looking at the Pride, which I know is really why you are here, the following table lists the player combinations that led to more than two goals during 2024:

Player CombinationGoals
Adriana and Barbra Banda5
Barbra Banda and Marta4
Ally Watt and Barbra Banda4
Adriana and Marta3
Barbra Banda and Julie Doyle3

For these counts it does not matter who created the goal and who scored it, these were the two Pride players involved in the final product. It may be a bit of a surprise to see that the top combination was Adriana and Banda, but Adriana scored three goals in 2024 that came directly from a foul on Banda (5/11 vs. Bay FC), a rebound from a Banda shot (6/30 vs. Angel City), and a foul on Banda (10/20 vs. Gotham). Banda scored two goals that resulted from an Adriana live-ball pass (5/19 vs. Seattle) and a rebound from an Adriana shot (7/6 vs. Kansas City). Adriana and Banda’s five goal combinations tied them for fourth in all of NWSL in 2024, with the combination of Esther González and Yazmeen Ryan of Gotham FC leading the league with seven.

It is a fair criticism of this statistic to say something along the lines of, “Well, Adriana did not intend to miss her shot and for Banda to score the rebound, so who really cares if it was an Adriana shot or someone else’s shot that Banda rebounded?”. Conversely, Adriana had to put a shot on target and have struck it well enough that it could not be saved and held, and Banda had to beat other players to the ball to score it, and both players had to have earned the right to be on the field at the same time.

I do not think goal-creating actions are the be-all, end-all, but I do think they tell more of a story than just assists. As another example, the action that immediately preceded five of Banda’s 17 goals was her winning a take-on against her defender. That total led the league in 2024, and she and Portland’s Sophia Smith were the only two players with more than three take-ons that led directly to goals in 2024. Two of those five goals for Banda had teammates credited with assists, but just as with the Marta goal against Kansas City when Banda was credited with the assist, the goals really came more from the effort by Banda as the goal scorer rather than from the pass that gave her the ball initially.

On a different note, those top combinations I showed tally up to 19 of the 54 goals scored by the Pride in 2024. The Pride benefitted from three own goals, meaning they scored 51 goals themselves, so those top combinations did not even account for half (37%) of the team’s goals last season. That is the sign of a team that is diverse in its attack, and even though Adriana is gone, they bring back everyone else who was involved in all of their goals, plus they will have Grace Chanda, Simone Charley, and Prisca Chilufya as additional offensive options in 2025. Losing Adriana will hurt, but I think the Pride will have her departure covered.

Goals are exciting, and of course are how teams win games, so as watchers and analyzers of soccer, we spend a lot of time thinking about how they happened. I like goal-creating actions as a statistic but I know on many goals there are different plays that happened in succession that led to the goal, and the goal-creating action stat only shows the final two plays. Those final two plays are critical though, so I think it is a good statistic to analyze, just in conjunction with others as well.

It is no accident that Banda was all over that list of top Pride combinations, she led the league in goal-creating actions and goal-creating actions plus goals, and with her available for the full season in 2025 I expect that she is going to be right near the top again this season, if not the league leader for the second consecutive season.

I cannot wait to watch the Pride’s offense this year. I think they are going to be creating goals and goal-creating actions at an even higher rate than last season.

Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Acquires Spanish International Oihane Hernandez

The Pride have acquired Spanish right back Oihane Hernandez from Real Madrid Femenil, signing her to a two-year deal.

Published

on

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride defensive signings continue, but this time it’s a new player instead of a new contract. The club announced the signing of Spanish international defender Oihane Hernández this afternoon to a two-year contract through the 2026 season with a mutual option for 2027.

“Oihane is a technically gifted defender who excels in both defensive organization and distribution from the back,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “She brings world-class experience and a championship mindset from her time with Spain’s national team. Oihane’s ability to perform in high-pressure situations and her tactical understanding and ability to read the game will be invaluable assets as we continue building a championship-caliber roster. We’re delighted to bring her to the City Beautiful.”

The 24-year-old has been a regular for the Spanish Women’s National Team and was a member of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup champions.

“I’m excited to join the Orlando Pride and begin this new chapter in my career,” Hernández said in the club’s release. “The club’s vision and ambition really influenced me to make the move to Orlando. “I am impressed by the professional environment and the enthusiasm of the staff, teammates, and passionate fanbase. I am ready to give everything for the badge and build on the team’s success.”

Hernández joins the Pride from Real Madrid Femenino for an undisclosed fee. The right back spent the last two seasons at Real Madrid, making 31 appearances and recorded a pair of assists. Prior to moving to the Spanish capital, she played for Athletic Club Femenino in Bilbao, representing the club from 2019 to 2023. She made 109 appearances for the club, scoring three times.

Internationally, Hernandez came up through the youth ranks with Spain, playing in the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, the 2017 UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship, and the 2018 UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship. That led to her making her senior team debut on Sept. 2, 2022 in a World Cup qualifier against Hungary.

During the 2023 World Cup run, Hernandez played in six games for the eventual champions. She started in the round of 16 and quarterfinals before coming off the bench in the World Cup Final against England.

More recently, Hernandez played for Spain in four games of the 2024 Summer Olympics. She won a bronze medal in that tournament.

What It Means For Orlando

Hernandez comes in to be the starting right back for the Pride. It’s interesting that the signing comes on the same day that the club awarded Cori Dyke a new contract. During her 2024 rookie season, Dyke became the Pride’s starting right back, taking over when Brianna Martinez was injured and playing well in the stretch run and postseason.

This move creates more depth at a position that was already well stocked. Prior to this move, the players that would likely play right back other than Dyke were Martinez, Haley McCutcheon, and Emily Sams. However, this move allows McCutcheon to remain in the defensive midfield and Sams to remain at center back, where she won the NWSL Defender of the Year last season.

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Extend Contract of Defender Cori Dyke through 2027

The Pride extend a second defender through 2027 in as many days with a new deal for Cori Dyke.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Just a day after locking down defender Emily Sams through 2027, the Orlando Pride have done the same with defender Cori Dyke. The Pride announced this morning that Dyke’s contract has been extended through the 2027 season. This extension comes on the heels of an outstanding rookie season, in which she stepped into the starting right back role down the stretch, helping Orlando win the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship in 2024.

“Cori has consistently demonstrated her value both on and off the field since joining the Pride, and we’re thrilled to secure her future with the club,” Orlando Pride Vice President and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Her tactical intelligence, versatility, and leadership qualities make her an integral part of what we’re building here in Orlando. Beyond her technical abilities, Cori embodies the culture and commitment to excellence that we strive for. This extension is a reflection of the hard work and dedication she brings to this organization every day and we’re excited to see her continue to grow and contribute to our team’s success.”  

The Pride selected Dyke in the second round (No. 22 overall) in the 2024 NWSL Draft out of Penn State. She signed a one-year contract on March 11, 2024. However, she impressed enough to inked a new deal through 2025 with an option for 2026 on July 10, 2024. Dyke has impressed the club in her short time with Orlando, earning yet another new deal.

The 24-year-old native of San Jose, CA made 21 appearances (11 starts) in the Pride’s 26 NWSL regular-season games during her rookie campaign, logging 1,095 minutes. She didn’t score a goal, but she notched one assist. Dyke attempted one (off-target) shot and completed 425 of her 542 pass attempts (78%) in her first professional season. Defensively, she finished with 20 tackles, 11 interceptions, and 23 headed duels. In the Pride’s playoff run, Dyke started all three games, playing 254 minutes, helping Orlando lift its second trophy of the season.

Dyke also appeared in two of the Pride’s three matches in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup last year, starting both and recording 180 minutes.

The Pride recorded a clean sheet in 12 of Dyke’s 26 appearances a year ago, including in the NWSL Championship match against Washington.

Dyke played in 108 games (all starts) for the Penn State Nittany Lions in her college career, recording 9,069 minutes, nine goals, and nine assists. She played as a central midfielder for the first four years in college, but moved to center back for her final season. Despite moving to the back line, the 2023 season was her most productive offensively, as she recorded five goals and six assists.

Dyke received several accolades during her five collegiate seasons. As a freshman, she was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and Freshman Best XI First Team by Top Drawer Soccer. During her final season in the midfield, she was named to the 2022 Big Ten Women’s All-Tournament Team. Dyke moved to center back for her senior season and was named Big Ten Defender of the Year. She was also named All-Big Ten First Team and the United Soccer Coaches named her a second-team All-American and first-team All-North Region.

On the international stage, Dyke has represented the U.S. Women’s National Team from the U-14 through U-23 levels, helping the U-19 team win a CFA Tournament in 2017. 

What It Means for Orlando

Carter locking up players she believes will be part of the team’s core moving forward is nothing new. Dyke was thrown into a difficult position as a rookie and helped keep some of the league’s best attacking players quiet in the second half of the 2024 season and throughout the playoffs. She provides plenty of versatility with major college experience in central midfield and at center back in addition to having shown her ability to play fullback at the professional level last season.

Any time you can extend the contract of a young, talented player, it can only be seen as a positive. Dyke’s role in 2025 remains to be seen, as the team is getting players healthy again and defender Carson Pickett is going through a full training camp under Seb Hines. The back line would be just fine if it remained as it was at the end of 2024, but there is some belief that it can be even better in 2025. Where Dyke fits in will be revealed when the season starts, but she is an excellent option whether starting or providing depth and pushing her teammates to be better.

Continue Reading

Trending