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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.

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3 years ago

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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.

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Orlando Pride vs. Denver Summit: Final Score 3-1 as 10-Player Pride Fall Again on Road

The Pride get swept by the 2026 NWSL expansion sides in one week with a lopsided loss in Denver.

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3 days ago

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May 16, 2026

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Image of Barbra Banda playing against Denver.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride lost to their second 2026 NWSL expansion team in less than a week, falling behind, seeing Angelina sent off, and getting outclassed by Denver Summit FC. The Summit (3-3-3, 12 points) were the aggressors, picking up their first-ever home win, 3-1, at the expense of the Pride (3-5-2, 11 points).

Orlando conceded another early goal, as Eva Gaetino put the Summit up early, with Janine Sonis doubling the lead in the 54th minute. Barbra Banda pulled one back for the Pride in the 76th minute, but the fragile Pride conceded a second to Sonis a minute later to spoil any comeback bid.

“I think right now we’re going through a really rough patch,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said after the match. “It’s always difficult away from home. Any opponent you play away from home, whether they’re at the bottom or at the top, it’s always a challenge.”

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse in Hines’ lineup was made up of Oihane, Hannah Anderson, Cori Dyke and Hailie Mace. Ally Lemos and Haley McCutcheon served as the defensive midfielders. Seven Castain, Summer Yates and Julie Doyle took up the attacking midfielder roles with Banda up top.

Other than a brief defensive highlight in the fifth minute—when Castain stole the ball and played it forward to Banda, who ultimately sent it over the endline—the Pride struggled in the first 10 minutes. The Summit maintained relentless pressure, which paid off in the 10th minute with a goal from Eva Gaetino.

The play began with a short corner from Ayo Oke, who delivered a precise ball into the box. Denver completely dominated the set play, beating Orlando players at every level. Melissa Kossler fought hard to head it toward goal near the right post, where Gaetino got the final touch and scored past Moorhouse to make it 1-0.

The Pride gradually regained their composure and began to grow into the match. Still, little in the way of a cohesive attack materialized over the next few minutes. In the 17th minute, Banda attempted a long-distance chip with Abby Smith off her line, after Mace won the ball just past the halfway line, but she sent her shot wide.

Denver responded with a long-range effort, which sailed just over the crossbar.

Oihane pushed forward in the 26th, finding Banda, who forced her way through the Denver defense and into the box, only for her shot to drift wide once more. Ally Lemos delivered a cross in the 28th minute, but it went straight to the Denver defense. She tried again a minute later, but this time she sent the ball over the end line for a Denver goal kick.

Orlando’s best chance of the half came when Banda charged down the right and into the box, sending a cutback that bounced around the penalty area. A Denver player fired it into Castain, and the ball nearly ricocheted into the goal, but it went harmlessly over the end line.

In the 39th minute, Banda met a free kick from distance with a powerful header, but again the effort was wide. Mace launched a long-shot lob into the box in the 40th, but Smith was equal to it, covering the ball the whole way.

Anderson nearly gifted Denver a goal in the 42nd with a soft header back to Moorhouse, allowing Yasmeen Ryan to slip past her and onto the ball, but Denver couldn’t capitalize.

The Summit led in all categories at the break, including possession (53%-47%), shots (11-3), shots on target (1-0), passing accuracy (87%-86%), and corners (3-1).

Hines made a triple substitution at halftime, bringing Angelina on for Yates, Nicole Payne on for Mace, and Marta on for Doyle.

Orlando started the second half with much more energy and purpose, delivering two threatening crosses within the first two minutes but the Pride were unfortunate not to convert either.

Early in the second half, Marta made herself known with some signature footwork just outside Denver’s 18-yard box, sending a through ball in for Castain, but Denver just managed to snuff out the chance.

The shift in energy was electric, with Orlando looking like a completely different team. However, an overzealous challenge in the box by Oihane handed Denver a penalty, completely changing the complexion of the game from that point forward. Sonis took the penalty, firing to the right and past Moorhouse, who guessed the wrong way, putting Denver up 2-0 in the 54th minute.

The Pride were fortunate not to go down 3-0 in the 56th minute, doing little to slow a Denver attack that allowed Kossler to get off a shot—though she put it wide. Then, Devin Lynch stole the ball from Marta, drove straight down the middle of the pitch, and sent a pass out left to Natalie Means, who fired at Moorhouse, forcing a save.

In the 60th minute, Banda managed a shot, but it didn’t trouble the Denver keeper.

Angelina pulled Delanie Sheehan’s hair and was shown a red card for violent conduct. It appeared she was trying to grab Sheehan’s jersey and let go immediately, but after reviewing the video, the referee made the call, leaving the Pride with 10 players and leaving Angelina suspended for the San Diego game.

Simone Jackson subbed on for Castain in the 64th minute.

At this point, the Pride were firmly on the back foot, and even Marta struggled at times, losing the ball more than once in uncharacteristic fashion.

After the sending-off, the Pride shifted into a defensive posture and looked to counterattack.

Against the run of play, the Pride struck back in the 76th minute. Haley McCutcheon did well to steal the ball after a poor touch from Sheehan and fed a nice through ball for a charging Banda, who took a touch to throw off the keeper and fired past Smith to make it 2-1.

Denver struck right back in the 77th following a throw-in. The ball was back heeled to Ryan who passed to Natasha Flint. Payne parried Flint’s shot, but Sonis put away the rebound to restore the two-goal lead.

Kerry Abello subbed on, after a six-month absence, replacing a gassed Banda in the 78th minute.

“It’s been six months to the day since I’ve stepped on the pitch, and so it was definitely emotional, but I felt really good despite the breathing and the altitude,” Abello said. “I think coming on for your first minutes, you know, in Denver, a man down, goal down, is really challenging fitness-wise, but no, I feel really good, and I’m just excited to build on that.”

Denver nearly added another when Moorhouse bobbled a long-range shot from former Orlando Pride forward Ally Brazier (née Watt), but she managed to cover up the ball and keep the score at 3-1.

The Summitt put the ball in the net again in the 83rd minute, but the play was offside, letting the Pride off the hook.

In the 84th minute, Abello delivered a cross that sailed high over the 18-yard box and harmlessly into touch. About a minute later, she followed up with an acrobatic head-over-heels throw-in, which was flashy but ultimately resulted in nothing threatening for the Pride.

Denver kept pressing, with Ryan sending a shot straight at Moorhouse for an easy save in the 91st minute.

In the late stages, the Pride looked a bit gassed, seeing out the final minutes with nothing to show for their efforts on a tough night at high altitude against strong competition, including some familiar former Pride players.

In the end, the Summit held their lead in all categories, finishing with the advantage in possession (56%-44%), shots (23-9), shots on target (7-2), passing accuracy (90%-86%), and corners (3-1).

“We made some good adjustments at halftime, you know. I thought we started the second half really well,” Hines said. “The sending off changes the whole game and yeah, we were just battling to the end, obviously. We’ll analyze it and move on, you know. We’ve got to bounce back, show some resilience, and come back stronger against San Diego.”

“Credit to Denver, they came out there with lots of energy, with a full week to prepare, whereas ourselves, you know, we had the game on Tuesday against Boston, which was a game that went all the way to the end, and then today was another one, where it was a tough challenge,” Hines said.

The Pride travel to take on the San Diego Wave on Sunday, May 24.

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

The Pride travel to Colorado for the first time ever as they take on Denver Summit FC.

Published

4 days ago

on

May 16, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride (3-4-2, 11 points) continue their road trip in Colorado as they face Denver Summit FC (2-3-3, 9 points) on the road (8:45 p.m., Ion). This is the final game of the regular season between these two teams.

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

History

This is the inaugural season for Denver, so the first meeting this year in Orlando was the first-ever matchup between the two clubs, which are both 0-0-1 against the other. This is the first meeting in Denver. The visitors shocked the Pride, taking the lead in the first half through Melissa Kossler. Barbra Banda equalized in the second half, allowing the Pride to come away with a 1-1 draw.

Overview

The Pride are coming off their most disappointing loss in quite some time. Facing a Boston Legacy FC team that only had one win on the season — a 3-2 win over Denver Summit on May 3 — Orlando took the lead when Marta converted an early penalty. But goals by second-half substitutes Aleigh Gambone and Amanda Gutierres saw the Pride drop the 2-1 decision.

Since the Pride had played three days earlier — a 1-0 win over the North Carolina Courage — Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made multiple changes to the lineup. The most notable omissions from the lineup were Banda and Ally Lemos, who started on the bench and came on at halftime. Marta, Angelina, and Rafaelle all started, but came off at halftime.

Banda is the league leader in goals through nine games with eight, three more than Ashley Sanchez. Unfortunately, she’s been one of the team’s few sources of offense this year. Haley McCutcheon is the only other player with multiple goals, a brace against Angel City on April 3.

Defensively, the team’s been strong except for a 3-2 loss to Racing Louisville FC and a 4-2 loss to the Washington Spirit in back-to-back games. Hines responded with a shift to the back line that resulted in a clean sheet against the Courage on May 8. The loss Tuesday night is the fourth time the Pride have conceded multiple goals this season.

Similarly to the Pride, Denver has struggled this season, claiming just two wins in its first eight games. However, one of those was away to the defending NWSL champion NJ/NY Gotham FC and a 4-1 win in Houston on May 9, the Summit’s last game.

Unlike the Pride, Denver’s gotten offensive production from multiple players. Kossler and Natasha Flint each have four goals so far this year. They’re followed by Janine Sonis with two and Yazmeen Ryan with one goal. Ryan leads the team with three assists and Flint has two, the only players with multiple assists.

Denver’s total of 12 goals this year is only three behind the league-leading Spirit and Portland Thorns. The league newcomers have also been strong defensively with the exception of two games. They suffered back-to-back 3-2 losses to San Diego Wave FC on April 25 and Boston on May 3. Other than that, they’ve had three clean sheets and conceded once on two occasions.

The Pride will take the field without Kerry Abello (hip), Cosette Morche (ankle), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Jacquie Ovalle (thigh), Rafaelle (head), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Solai Washington (knee). Zara Chavoshi (lower leg) is listed as questionable. Denver will be without Jasmine Ailey (knee) and Jordan Baggett (maternity leave), while Olivia Thomas (illness) is listed as questionable.

Projected Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Oihane, Hannah Anderson, Cori Dyke, Hailie Mace.

Defensive Midfielders: Angelina, Ally Lemos.

Attacking Midfielders: Summer Yates, Julie Doyle, Marta.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Denver Summit FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Abby Smith.

Defenders: Carson Pickett, Kaleigh Kurtz, Megan Reid, Janine Sonis.

Defensive Midfielders: Devin Lynch, Delanie Sheehan.

Attacking Midfielders: Yazmeen Ryan, Natasha Flint, Yuna McCormack.

Forward: Melissa Kossler.

Referees

REF: Cristian Campo Hernandez.
AR1: Matt Trotter.
AR2: Matthew Schwartz.
4TH: Patricia McCracken.
VAR: Corbyn May.
AVAR: Alicia Messer.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8:45 p.m.

Venue: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park — Commerce City, CO.

TV: Ion.

Streaming: None.

Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @themaneland.bsky.social on Bluesky and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter (@ORLPride) or Bluesky (@orlpride.com) feed. 

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride vs. Boston Legacy FC: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Blow Second-Half Lead in Loss

The Pride fell to Boston Legacy FC in one of the most disappointing results in team history.

Published

1 week ago

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May 12, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (3-4-2, 11 points) fell to league bottom-dwellers Boston Legacy FC (2-5-2, 8 points) 2-1 tonight at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. Marta gave the Pride the lead from the spot in the 14th minute, but a 72nd-minute goal by Aleigh Gambone and an Amanda Gutierres penalty in stoppage time sealed Boston’s second win of the year. 

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made three changes to the team that beat the North Carolina Courage 1-0 Friday night. Ally Lemos, Solai Washington, and Barbra Banda were replaced by Julie Doyle, Marta, and Simone Jackson.

“We put a lot into the last game against North Carolina. Some of the players had minor injuries,” Hines said about the changes. “Didn’t want to rule them out of this game, so had to rotate Barbra out of the lineup. Solai was forced with an injury. I thought Julie at the 10 did really well, running in behind, getting in some dangerous areas. SJ, getting her first start today, did well also.”

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Oihane, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Hailie Mace. Angelina and Haley McCutcheon were the defensive midfielders behind Doyle, Summer Yates, and Jackson with Marta up top.

On paper, this should’ve been a win for the Pride. They’ve been one of the top teams in the league the last three seasons and were playing an expansion side with only one win. But Boston was the better team throughout the 90 minutes. The Legacy controlled possession and chances, but some poor decision-making left little to do for Moorhouse.

Allowing the hosts to control the game came back to haunt the Pride as they conceded two goals in the final 20 minutes. They’ll feel aggrieved as Boston should’ve had a player sent off right before its first goal and a video review on the late penalty that the Pride weren’t provided. But it never should’ve come to that, even with the changes to the starting lineup.

The hosts had the first attack in the third minute when Oihane lost the ball to Nichelle Prince in her own third. Aissata Traore took possession and attempted to cross, but Angelina knocked it out of play. The ensuing corner kick was sent to the back post where Lais Araujo took the game’s first shot. However, it was blocked and the Pride were able to clear.

The Pride created their first attack in the fourth minute when a poor touch by Araujo allowed Yates to take control. She played Marta into the box, but Emerson Elgin did well to shield the attacker, allowing Casey Murphy to collect it.

Annie Karich tried to surprise Moorhouse in the 10th minute with the goalkeeper slightly off her line. The shot from well outside the box was on target and caused Moorhouse to tip it over the crossbar. The corner kick was headed away by McCutcheon, ending the threat.

Mace played the ball over the top on the right sideline in the 11th minute for Doyle. The midfielder played the ball through the legs of Araujo before firing on target, forcing Murphy to block the ball out of play.

As the ensuing set piece went into the box, Traore pushed Rafaelle over near the far post. While Murphy caught the ball, referee Ekaterina Koroleva blew her whistle and pointed to the spot.

Angelina and Marta stood at the penalty spot as the Boston players argued the decision. Unsurprisingly, it was Marta who took the spot kick. The Pride captain placed the ball under Murphy’s arm on a diving save attempt to give the Pride the early 1-0 lead.

Boston tried to beat Moorhouse from distance again in the 17th minute when Bianca St-Georges received a pass from Karich at the top of the box. The Canadian international’s second touch was a shot that was easily handled by Moorhouse.

Jackson played a beautiful ball down the right in the 25th minute for Doyle. The attacker got behind her defender and sent a cross toward the penalty spot where Yates was making a run. It looked like she might have a free shot on goal, but Jorelyn Carabali stuck her foot in to tap it away.

Boston quickly went the other way, earning a corner kick when St-Georges’ shot was blocked out of play. The ensuing set piece bounced around the box before Traore turned to shoot. However, her attempt was blocked and the Pride were able to clear.

Down a goal, Boston held the majority of possession, continuing to look for a breakthrough. However, nearly all of its chances came from low-percentage attempts from outside the box. Prince sent a shot from outside that sailed over the target, and Karich shot from even further out a minute later, which also went over everything.

Boston had one of itsr few close-range chances in the 34th minute when Carabali made a run to the top of the Pride box before finding Alba Cano making a diagonal run. The attacker turned to shoot, forcing Moorhouse to make a save.

Barbara Olivieri played the ball through Cano to Prince on the right side, creating one of Boston’s best chances of the half. Prince’s first touch was a ball to Olivieri, who continued her run into the box. The Venezuelan had space for a shot but sent her attempt over the top.

Boston had one last attack in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Olivieri made a strong run to the end line before her cross was blocked out of play by Mace. The corner kick to the near post was knocked down by Prince for Traore, whose shot was blocked into the side netting. Cano’s second corner kick skipped off the head of St-Georges, the last chance for either team.

After 45 minutes, Boston had the advantage in possession (61%-39%), shots (14-3), shots on target (3-2), crosses (17-3), corner kicks (6-2), and passing accuracy (80%-74%). But the penalty was the difference as the Pride took a one-goal lead into the break.

Hines made three changes at halftime. Banda, Lemos, and Hannah Anderson came on for Marta, Angelina, and Rafaelle.

“Really, just stay with the game. Don’t, don’t overthink. Don’t overcomplicate,” Raabe said about the message to the substitutes. “Go in, do your thing, work with the team, work together.”

Rafaelle’s departure was due to a concussion, so the teams were given a sixth substitution.

Boston continued to hold possession, but it also continued to shoot from long range. In the 47th minute, Karich played the ball square for Olivieri. The Pride left the attacker alone, daring her to shoot from distance. Olivieri took the opportunity and put the shot on target, but it didn’t cause any trouble for Moorhouse.

Banda made her presence felt in the 48th minute when she shielded Araujo and drew a foul in the Boston third of the field. Lemos’ set piece was initially headed away by St-Georges, but it went to Banda, who turned to shoot. The attempt was off Doyle to McCutcheon, who sent a weak shot to Murphy.

While neither attempt caused any problems for Boston, they were the Pride’s first shots since Marta’s 14th-minute goal.

Jackson intercepted a poor pass in the 52nd minute and played it forward for Doyle. The attacker initially looked to lay the ball off before seeing Banda one-on-one with Araujo. The Zambian did well to shield the defender, forcing Elgin to leave Mace making a run from the back. Banda found her teammate with plenty of space for a shot, but the right back sent it wide of the target.

Hines made his fourth change in the 57th minute. Doyle, who was on a yellow card, came off for Luana.

Luana immediately made an impact, drawing a foul on Josefine Hasbo in the Boston third. Lemos sent the set piece into the box, finding the head of Banda. The striker tried to tuck the shot inside the far post but missed wide.

In the 62nd minute, Yates went down as Mace shielded Sammy Smith to earn a goal kick. As Yates limped off the field, she was replaced by Seven Castain.

The Pride should’ve been a player up in the 69th minute when Carabali went studs up over the ball on Banda. The forward went down and received attention, though she was able to continue. Koroleva didn’t even call a foul on a play that should’ve been a red card.

Hines made his final change of the night in the 71st minute, replacing Jackson with Reagan Raabe.

A minute later, Boston found its equalizer. A long ball into the Pride box was headed back nicely by Gutierres for Gambone making a trailing run. The second-half substitute struck the ball cleanly past Moorhouse to even the game at 1-1.

The Pride quickly went on the attack, nearly finding their second goal in the 74th minute. Castain sent a long ball down the field for Banda, who collected it in a seemingly innocuous position. But the striker cut back and fired for the far post. The ball took a deflection off a defender, likely keeping it from going in.

The ensuing set piece found Castain, who headed it wide.

In the 79th minute, Gutierres sent a long ball forward for Smith. But Oihane knocked it out for a corner kick. The corner kick by Gambone was to the top of the box where Gutierres was waiting. The attacker volleyed the ball just wide of the post, keeping the game even.

The Pride felt they should’ve had a second penalty in the 86th minute when Banda dribbled into the Boston box and sent a cross towards the penalty spot. The ball hit the arm of Karich as she attempted to tuck it behind her. Banda’s arm went up, but Koroleva decided Karich didn’t make herself bigger.

The fourth official showed five minutes of stoppage time and the Pride nearly found a winner in the third minute. Banda used her physicality to win a long ball that Elgin looked to have under control. She dribbled into the box before firing at the near post.

Murphy blocked the ball and it appeared to be heading out of play, but Raabe kept it in. She sent a very dangerous ball across the face of goal with Castain approaching it, but it was just beyond her reach.

Boston went to the other end and won a corner kick when Oihane cleared the ball over the end line. The ensuing set piece went beyond the far post where Karich collected it. The midfielder took a touch inside before firing on goal. Anderson blocked the attempt, though Moorhouse was in position to make the save.

The next time the ball went out of play, Koroleva signaled for a video review. The corner kick went off the hand of Luana, whose arms were above her head. As a result, Boston was awarded a penalty.

Gutierres stepped up to take the spot kick. The Brazilian sent Moorhouse the wrong way and tucked the ball into the corner to give the hosts a late 2-1 lead.

With only a minute added onto added time, the Pride were unable to create anything on the attacking end and came away with a devastating loss.

At full time, Boston had the edge in possession (62%-38%), shots (22-11), shots on target (7-4), crosses (31-8), corner kicks (11-4), and passing accuracy (79%-72%). The Pride defended for nearly the entire game, a strategy that came back to haunt them.

“Frustrated. Disappointed. Never like losing, especially in the manner that we lost the game,” Hines said. “It was a tough game, physical game, took the lead. Going into halftime, lots of positives. Trying to maintain that defensive structure, not give them too many opportunities. A lot of their opportunities in the first half came from distance. I felt in moments we could have been more threatening in transition, making sure that we have the willingness to run and support the attack. Obviously had to make some changes at halftime that were forced on us. And then, obviously, overall, we’re not happy with the defeat.”

The biggest surprise about this game was how much Boston controlled it. The hosts were the aggressors throughout the game, putting the Pride on their heels. Chances for the visitors were few and far between, even in the second half when they brought on Banda.

“We knew what we were going into. We knew that they were aggressive. We knew that they, at times, want to press individually,” Hines said about the gameplan. “So how do you create that space when the team is so aggressive in those moments? You have to pull them out of positions and then exploit the space that they’ve left in behind. And I think that’s where we had a lot of joy in the first half, with Marta as the nine dropping down and Julie as the 10 running in behind. I would have liked to see that a little bit more with other players, other than Julie running in behind as well.”

The loss sees the Pride tied with Seattle Reign FC on 11 points for the eighth and final playoff spot after nine games. It’s a crowded group as the Houston Dash and Bay FC are one point behind and one point behind the Kansas City Current.

The Pride will have to shake this loss off as they stay out on the road against expansion sides, facing Denver Summit FC in Colorado Saturday night.

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