Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 2-1 as Pride’s Home Winning Streak Ends
Two first-half goals doom the Pride as they fall to Kansas City for the second time this season.

The Orlando Pride (4-8-1, 13 points) lost for the first time at Exploria Stadium in four games, falling 2-1 to the Kansas City Current (4-9-0, 12 points). Debinha gave the visitors the lead in the 29th minute and Cece Kizer doubled the advantage just before halftime. Marta converted a penalty in the second half, but the Pride couldn’t find an equalizer, getting swept by the Current in the season series.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made three changes from the team that lost 3-0 to the North Carolina Courage last weekend. Jordyn Listro, Kerry Abello, and Marta entered the lineup for Julie Doyle, Ally Watt, and Messiah Bright. The lineup changes resulted in a formation shift, with Listro playing in the defensive midfield and Mikayla Cluff moving into more of an attacking role.
The Pride came out in a 4-1-4-1 formation instead of their usual 4-2-3-1. The defensive unit remained the same with Kylie Strom, Emily Madril, Megan Montefusco, and Haley McCutcheon in front of Anna Moorhouse. Listro was the defensive midfielder behind Abello, Viviana Villacorta, Cluff, and Marta. Adriana was the lone forward.
“Just wanted to have more midfielders, control the game a little bit better,” Hines said about the lineup and formation change. “Obviously, you know, against North Carolina, we didn’t control the game at all. It’s very transitional, so we needed to change that.”
“I think we expected them to come out with two sixes and they came out with two 10s,” Madril said about the formation. “And so we switched our midfield to play one six.”
Marta’s appearance was her 95th as a member of the Pride, passing former center back Toni Pressley for the most appearances in club history.
The Pride’s lineup changes greatly impacted the game with the team looking out of sorts during the first half. Hines shifted the team back to its usual 4-2-3-1 formation, but it was too late. The Pride looked much better in the second half with their usual formation and starters, but they already trailed 2-0 and Kansas City was able to hold onto their lead.
The visitors suffered an odd injury to their starting left back in the fourth minute when Hailie Mace reached out for Cluff as she streaked through the midfield. The defender immediately held her left arm, apparently injuring her shoulder. Mace was in tears as she left the field and was replaced by Izzy Rodriguez four minutes later.
The Pride took advantage of Mace’s absence, creating the game’s first attack in the fifth minute. Cluff took the game’s first shot, but it was blocked by Elizabeth Ball. The Pride retained possession when Adriana headed it back to Marta, who shot from long distance. But her attempt was easily collected by Current goalkeeper Cassie Miller.
Kansas City had its first chance of the game in the 12th minute when Rodriguez’s cross was cleared to the far side of the box. Kate Del Fava ended up with the ball, sending it back to the top of the six-yard box. Kristen Hamilton was there to receive the pass with no defenders in front of her, but Moorhouse did well to get down and block the shot out of play.
The Current had a second opportunity in the 16th minute when Cluff challenged Michelle Cooper, getting the ball, but the young attacker went down and got the call just outside of the Pride box. Debinha stepped up to take the set piece, but sent it into the arms of Moorhouse.
In the 18th minute, Adriana made a run through the midfield behind Gabrielle Robinson and Villacorta sent her through. Robinson did well to keep up with the Brazilian, but Adriana used her quick change of pace to create enough space for a shot. Unfortunately, her low shot towards the back post rolled wide.
The visitors took the lead in the 29th minute when Abello lost the ball to Vanessa DiBernardo immediately after receiving a pass from Strom. DiBernardo’s touch was forward to Debinha, who quickly lifted the ball over Moorhouse, who was off her line, and in to give Kansas City the 1-0 lead.
“We gave them a gift,” Hines said about the opening goal. “And they scored a simple goal.”
In the 33rd minute, Adriana created a chance for the Pride after using a nice first touch to beat Morgan Gautrat. Abello was making a diagonal run into the box with Del Fava on her hip and the Brazilian playmaker sent her through. Abello got a shot off, but Del Fava got in front to block the attempt.
On the other end, Kansas City created an opportunity when Debinha’s attempt was blocked out by Madril. The ensuing corner found the head of Robinson in the box and the ball appeared to be headed just under the crossbar. But Moorhouse did well to tip it over the goal.
The Current doubled their lead in the first minute of first-half stoppage time. After receiving a pass back outside of the Pride box, Ball sent DiBernardo towards the end line. The midfielder’s first touch was back across goal, where Kizer was running in. McCutcheon was with Kizer, but she got a fortunate bounce, enabling her to pass the ball inside the far post to give the Current a 2-0 lead.
“You never want to give up goals but especially towards the end of the first half,” Hines said about the goal. “We talk about the big five moments, the start of the first half, the end of the first half as well. That’s where you have to be switched on, clued in. You know, we had numbers behind the ball. We had players in the back third, but we just didn’t get close enough. Like we didn’t get close enough to put a body on Kansas and, you know, they took their goals well.”
Despite the scoreline, it was a pretty even first half. The Pride had slightly more possession (53.1%-46.9%) and both teams had six shots. But Kansas City put five of their six shots on target and the Pride only put one on frame. The Pride also had more crosses (8-7) and the Current had more corners (3-1) and better passing accuracy (85.8%-83.8%).
Down a pair of goals after 45 minutes, Hines made two halftime changes, bringing in Messiah Bright and Julie Doyle for Abello and Listro. The Pride also went back to a 4-2-3-1 formation in the second half, dropping Cluff and Villacorta to their usual positions in the defensive midfield and Adriana back to attacking midfield so Bright could move up top.
“You’re chasing the game a little bit in the first half. So we felt like we needed to change some personnel,” Hines said about the halftime substitutions. “We needed to change formation, have a little bit more intent in our press, put them under pressure.”
The Current had the first chance of the second half when Debinha sent Cooper behind the Pride defense. The attacker cut twice to lose Madril, but Montefusco moved over for support and Moorhouse came off her line to prevent Cooper from getting a shot off.
In the 56th minute, Bright sent a cross into the box for Adriana making a near-post run, but Robinson knocked it out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece by Adriana bounced around before arriving with Doyle at the top of the box. The shot by the halftime substitute went off Hamilton and wide.
Referee Eric Tattersall immediately decided the ball went off the arm of Hamilton, issuing the forward a yellow card and awarding the Pride a penalty. Replays showed that Hamilton’s arm was initially at her side, but she stuck her elbow out to block the attempt. After a review by the video assistant referee, the penalty was confirmed.
Marta stepped up to take the penalty. Miller dove to her right, but Marta used a panenka, softly chipping the ball down the middle to cut the Pride’s deficit in half at 2-1.
Hines made his third change of the game in the 65th minute, as Celia came on for Cluff. The Spanish defender took over at right back and McCutcheon moved up into the defensive midfield alongside Villacorta.
The Current had a chance for a third in the 68th minute when a poor pass attempt by Montefusco allowed Debinha to take over. She played it to the top of the box for Kizer, whose pass attempt for Hamilton on the far side was blocked. It went right to DiBernardo just outside of the box and the midfielder attempted a shot from distance, but it was wide of the goal.
With 11 minutes left and still trailing by a goal, Hines made his fourth substitution an attacking one. Forward Ally Watt came on for defensive midfielder Villacorta.
“Once we got that goal back from Marta, we changed it again. Had more attacking threats,” Hines said about the substitution. “But like I said earlier, it was too little, too late.”
The Pride had a great opportunity in the 80th minute when Miller played the ball short to Robinson. The center back attempted to play it back, but it was a weak pass and Watt took over. About a minute after coming on, Watt attempted a first-touch shot, but Miller did very well to come off her line and block it. Watt had Bright breaking in with her wide open but either didn’t see the rookie or simply opted to try it herself.
A minute later, Strom found Adriana at the top of the Kansas City box with enough room for a shot on goal. The Brazilian’s attempt was headed just inside the near post, but Miller dove to knock it wide. The save required some medical attention for Miller, but she was able to continue and caught the ensuing corner kick.
The fourth official showed 11 additional minutes, giving the Pride plenty of time to find an equalizer. However, as the rain came down, the Pride’s chances became fewer. In the eighth minute of stoppage time, Del Fava tripped Doyle, giving the Pride a free kick to the left of goal. The set piece by Marta was headed out, but the Pride claimed it was handled. The VAR took a moment to review the play, but decided there wasn’t enough evidence for a penalty.
In the 10th minute of injury time, Madril sent a cross to the back post where Celia was charging in. The right back out jumped the defender and got her head to the ball, but sent it right into the arms of Miller.
The final chance of the game came in the 11th minute of second-half injury time. A Pride corner kick ended up with McCutcheon in the box, but she mishit the ball and attempted to dribble around the defenders to create a shot. Before she could get a cross off, it was blocked and went out of play. Tattersall determined it was off McCutcheon, giving Kansas City a goal kick and ending the game with a 2-1 Pride loss.
At full time, the Pride had more possession (54.4%-45.6%), shots (14-9), corners (7-3), and crosses (27-9), and better passing accuracy (81.7%-79.9%). Both teams put six shots on target, but the Current converted one more than the Pride.
“Game of two halves,” Hines said about the game. “I think the first half wasn’t good enough, it wasn’t ourselves. And then second half was better, more intent, more commitment, both in the attack and defending, but it was too little too late. You know, Kansas were already 2-0 up at the half and we tried to get back into the game. But it was too late.”
“I think we’re all pretty disappointed,” Madril added. “I think if we would have come out in the first half like we did in the second half, I think it would have been a little different game. I don’t think we would have given up those two goals. I think it’s unfortunate that we have to get scored on to kind of wake ourselves up and take it up to that next level. But yeah, I think if we can just come out like we did in the second half, I think it’s a completely different game.”
The loss ends a three-game home winning streak that dated back to May 6 against Racing Louisville. The winning streak included wins over two of the best teams in league in the Washington Spirit and Portland Thorns, but the Pride fall again to one of the league’s worst teams.
”Mentality. Period,” Doyle said about losing again to a team near the bottom of the table. “We just got to come out and show up every single game no matter who our opponent is. I don’t know what that is. I think just individually we have to be better.”
The Pride will now turn their attention to Wednesday night when they welcome NJ/NY Gotham FC to Exploria Stadium in the NWSL Challenge Cup.
Orlando Pride
A 360-Degree View of the First 360 Minutes of the Orlando Pride’s Season
A look at the Pride’s offensive and defensive performance through the season’s first four games

We are four games into the 2025 Orlando Pride season, and the symmetry of 360 minutes played and looking at the full 360 degrees of the Pride’s performance thus far was too perfect to pass up. A circle, as you all remember from geometry, or trigonometry, or Sesame Street, is perfectly symmetrical, as it can be divided into two congruent parts by any diameter. We will break this article into two parts as well, and I hope you are sitting down because it might shock you that those two parts will be the Pride’s performance thus far on….offense and defense.
Let’s start with offense, as that first letter o looks an awful lot like a circle and we are on a (donut-shaped) roll. The Pride’s offense is off to a fantastic start, with a league-leading 11 goals scored through the first four matches. They have actually scored nine of those goals themselves, seven from open play and two from penalty kicks, and their opponents put two into their own net as well to give them 11. No other Pride team had scored more than six goals through their first four matches, so this squad is off to an unprecedentedly fast start.
The Pride’s performance is not just excellent compared to their own history, but they are near the top in most of the key offensive categories. If you look at Opta’s tracking in the table below you can see how well they have done relative to the rest of the league (all data sourced from fbref.com and fotmob.com; goals scored excludes own goals and NWSL Avg. is the average of every team excluding the Pride).
Metric | 2025 Performance | Rank in NWSL | NWSL Avg. |
---|---|---|---|
Goals Scored | 9 | 2 | 4.5 |
Shots on Target % | 38% | 5 | 34% |
Goal Conversion per Shot | 15% | 3 | 8% |
Expected Goals (xG) | 6.4 | 3 | 5.1 |
Goals – Expected Goals | +2.6 | 13 | -0.6 |
Big Chances Created | 7 | 4 | 6.6 |
Big Chances Conversion Rate | 71% | 2 | 38% |
The one major offensive stat that is not great on the above chart is goals – expected goals. That stat is pronounced as “goals minus expected goals,” and is calculated thusly: nine goals scored minus 6.4 expected goals gives the value of +2.6. This means that while the Pride were only expected to score 6.4 goals, they actually scored nine, and so it could be interpreted that they are overperforming, and have been lucky.
Expected goals are really just the measure of how often goals are scored from the locations where the shot was taken from, and so while one interpretation could be that the Pride’s players were lucky, another could be that the Pride’s players are really good, and are simply outperforming the historical expectation that is used for xG. The Pride have Barbra Banda and Marta, two players who were named to the 2024 FIFPro World 11 team (and just received their trophies this week), and a wealth of attacking talent around them, and so while the stats say that the Pride may be benefitting from luck, I think the statisticians might need to circle back on those calculations when there are Pride players on the field.
The last two rows of that table show data about “big chances,” and how the Pride are creating almost two per game. The Pride create their chances off the dribble more than any other team in the NWSL, and they also create their chances by being more accurate with their passes and taking care of the ball better than any other team in the NWSL, as you can see in this table below:
Metric | 2025 Performance | Rank in NWSL | NWSL Avg. |
---|---|---|---|
Progressive Carries per 90 | 17.5 | 1 | 12.3 |
Carries into the 18 per 90 | 8.0 | 1 | 3.9 |
Long Passes Completed per 90 | 37.5 | 3 | 30.5 |
Long Passes Completion Rate | 59% | 1 | 48% |
Short + Med. Passes Completion Rate | 87% | 1 | 83% |
Miscontrols per 90 | 13.0 | 1 | 18.7 |
The Pride’s offense picked up where it left off last season, which makes sense considering they brought back most of their pieces from that 2024 team. They did add one significant new piece, Prisca Chilufya, and she has fit right in as a player with pace and skills who has averaged nearly 30 minutes per game coming off the bench. The team may be without Julie Doyle and Summer Yates for a while though, as both suffered injuries during the first four matches, though the team has yet to announce the severity for either. We still have yet to see Grace Chanda on the field for the Pride, and with the Doyle and Yates’s returns still to be determined, the Pride will need Chanda or another player to provide depth minutes behind the usual starting group of Angelina, Marta, Ally Watt and Banda.
Switching over from the top half of the circle to the bottom half, the Pride’s defense has played even better defensively than the offense has offensively. The Mane Land’s Sean Rollins covered some of this in his excellent article earlier this week on the Pride’s defensive lineup configurations, but the team has given up only one goal in four games, and that goal had to go to video review before it was given. The Pride’s defense has been smothering, and if we look at the same stats we did for the Pride’s offense — but consider them in terms of what the Pride are allowing from the offenses of their opponents — we can see just how well they are playing (same notes as earlier the data source and the definitions):
Metric | 2025 Performance | Rank in NWSL | NWSL Avg. |
---|---|---|---|
Goals Allowed | 1 | 1 | 5.1 |
Shots on Target % Allowed | 29% | 2 | 35% |
Goal Conversion per Shot Allowed | 2% | 1 | 10% |
Expected Goals (xG) Allowed | 4.3 | 4 | 5.3 |
Goals Allowed – xG Allowed | -3.3 | 1 | -0.2 |
Big Chances Allowed | 4 | 4 | 6.8 |
Big Chances Conversion Rate Against | 25% | 4 | 40% |
The Pride are not allowing real goals or even very many expected goals, and the credit definitely should be shared between Anna Moorhouse, with her 91.7% save percentage and her overperformance (+1.6) in the messily acronymed PSxG +/- (PSxG = post-shot expected goals, a measure of how well a ball was struck by the attacking player; Moorhouse’s positive value means that Opta, the coders, viewed that the shots taken by the opponents were taken well, but Moorhouse still saved them), and also the defensive back line, which has had Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaher, and Emily Sams on the field for 1,064 of 1,080 possible minutes, and then a mix of Cori Dyke (222), Rafaelle (107), Oihane Hernández (30), Carson Pickett (16), Zara Chavoshi (4), and Bri Martinez (1) for the rest of the minutes.
The recent addition of Hernández is almost a champagne problem, as with so many high-level defenders, there will not be enough minutes to go around. Competition will be fierce, and iron sharpers iron, so this is a good thing, but there will inevitably be some frustrated players for the Pride’s coaching staff to manage. With some of the recent injuries in the midfield, perhaps some of these defenders may be considered as possible backups for wing attacking positions, but those injured players will eventually return, as will some of the players from the long-term injured list (we hope), and the upshot is that the Pride have an incredibly deep team with the best problem to have: more good players than available minutes.
We are only four games into the season, so it is far too early for anything other than statements about early trends, but these early trends have definitely been positive. The Pride have 12 points from a possible 12 and the stats on both offense and defense emphatically back up the the 100% record.
And that is not circular reasoning.
Orlando Pride
The Orlando Pride Are Dominant With Any Back Line
The Pride have three shutouts in four games despite a key injury on the back line and shuffling of the back four.

Last season, the Orlando Pride were the best defensive team in the NWSL. They flirted with the league record for fewest goals conceded before resting starters and conceding seven in the final three games. The Pride are picking up where they left off last season by consistently keeping the opposition off the scoresheet.
To say the Pride defense has been stingy this season would be an understatement. They’ve conceded one goal through four games, completing their third clean sheet Saturday night in a 1-0 win over Seattle Reign FC. The only goal came in the team’s 2-1 win over San Diego Wave FC on Mar. 29 via Chiamaka Okwuchukwa, and that required video review to overturn a foul call for it to stand.
The fact that the Pride have been so successful defensively goes back to the roster construction by Haley Carter and Seb Hines. The pair have focused on bringing in versatile players who can play multiple positions, making it easier to change tactics mid-game with making additional substitutions.
Last year, the Pride started with a back line of Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner (then still known as Kylie Strom), Rafaelle, and Emily Sams. However, Rafaelle tore her right quadricep while representing Brazil at the Olympics. With the starting center back out, Hines inserted rookie Cori Dyke at right back and moved Sams back to her natural center back position alongside Nadaner.
The Pride didn’t miss a beat. With the new back line, the Pride went on a streak of five consecutive clean sheets. They gave up just one goal in seven games before resting their starters in a 2-0 loss to the Portland Thorns, ending their league-record, 24-game unbeaten run.
Rafaelle was taken off the season-ending injury list prior to this season and started alongside Nadaner. As she continued to gain fitness, Hines was careful about the number of minutes she received.
“Rafa missed a lot of football last year. You can see what she brings when she’s on the field. And so getting her to 45 minutes was a goal of ours,” Hines said after her first game back on March 7. “We would have liked to keep her on the field for longer, but, you know, you’re putting a player at risk at that moment.”
The Brazilian played 45 minutes against the Washington Spirit in the Challenge Cup and 62 minutes in the regular season opener a week later. However, she was taken off at halftime in the second league game against NJ/NY Gotham FC, something Hines said was precautionary.
“It’s disappointing for Raf, because she was building good momentum, getting good minutes,” Hines said after the game. “You know, it’s just a caution. We don’t want any sort of setbacks either, so we’re not taking any risks with that.”
Despite Hines’ insistence that the substitution was a precaution, the defender has missed the last two games. For most teams, losing a veteran international center back would be damaging. But not so with the Pride. They continue on like nothing’s changed.
“The transition is seamless with bringing Cori on and Em obviously shifts back to a more natural position at center back,” he said. “Kylie shifts across, and it’s only Kerry Abello that keeps her position.”
That back line, which was so successful last year, became the starting defense in the following two games. They conceded the team’s lone goal in the first of those two against San Diego but got back to keeping clean sheets in Seattle Saturday night.
The Pride set records left and right in 2024 and are already off to the same thing this year. They’ve scored 11 goals so far, one more than the second-place Kansas City Current. Combined with the one goal conceded — tied with the Current — the Pride are the first team in NWSL history to have a +10 goal difference after four games.
According to Hines, the defensive success of this team is support. They back each other up when mistakes are made, keeping the opposition from taking advantage.
“I thought Ky and Em were seamless back there and then Anna (Moorhouse) comes up with a massive save. And It could’ve really changed the game,” Hines said after Saturday night’s win. “So, everyone plays a role in the defending. Sometimes when we make errors, we’ve got players who support.”
It’s unclear when Rafaelle will return, but one thing’s for certain: It doesn’t matter who starts where on the back line for the Pride. The versatility of the players means they can fill in multiple positions without missing a beat.
The team’s defensive prowess will be put to the test in the coming weeks. The Pride welcome the Spirit back to Orlando on April 19, including U.S. internationals Ashley Hatch and Trinity Rodman. The following week, they welcome an Angel City team that features the always dangerous Alyssa Thompson and Claire Emslie. It would be even more difficult since they travel to Portland the next game, but Sophia Wilson (nee Smith) is out for the year. It will still be difficult, but the Pride won’t have to contend with Wilson.
Regardless of how the Pride play defensively in those games, it’s been a stellar start to the 2025 NWSL season. The back line led the Pride to unprecedented heights in 2024 and appears to be doing the same this season. It seems there’s no limit to how good this defensive unit can be.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Seattle Reign FC: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Win Fourth Straight To Start The Season
The Pride won their fourth straight game with only their second-ever road victory against Seattle Reign FC.

The Orlando Pride (4-0-0, 12 points) continued their stellar start to the 2025 NWSL season, defeating Seattle Reign FC (1-2-1, 4 points) 1-0 at Lumen Field in Seattle. Barbra Banda gave the Pride the lead in the 41st minute — the fourth time this season the Pride have scored first. The Reign tried to claw their way back in the second half, but the visitors held on for all three points.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes to the team that beat San Diego Wave FC 2-1 on March 29. Ally Lemos and Summer Yates entered the starting lineup for Morgan Gautrat and Angelina, who started on the bench after captaining Brazil during the international break.
The back line in front of Anna Moorhouse was Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke. Lemos and Haley McCutcheon were the defensive midfielders behind Yates, Marta, and Ally Watt with Banda up top.
This was a game of two halves in every sense of the phrase. The Pride dominated the first 45 minutes and could’ve been up multiple goals at halftime. But Seattle came storming back in the second half, causing the Pride to defend for most of it. After being outshot 6-5 in the first half, Seattle outshot the Pride 7-1 in the second half. But some good defending and excellent goalkeeping kept the hosts off the board.
The Reign tried to get off to a strong start, sending a long ball downfield in the 12th minute. Moorhouse came out to collect but was unable to do so. Ainsley McCammon was following up and attempted a weak shot, allowing Sams to clear the danger.
The first chance for the Pride came in the 14th minute, when Yates used some quick feet to create a chance. However, her right-footed shot was right at Seattle goalkeeper Claudia Dickey.
While the Reign got off to a strong start, the Pride began to take over as the game neared the 20-minute mark.
“It took us some time. They adapted. They played five in the back, which kind of caught us off guard,” Hines said about the beginning of the game. “I think something that we have to be mindful of is teams adapting to us. So, no surprises when they went to five at the back, two sixes, two 10s, and one nine. We had to kind of change our build-up shape within that, and once we made that adjustment, I thought we looked after the ball. We switched the point of attack. We looked more threatening in moments.”
In the 21st minute, Yates built an attack, sending Banda through and giving the striker a chance. The Zambian had an opportunity to shoot on goal but didn’t get much on it and caused little trouble for Dickey.
The Reign created their second shot in the 22nd minute when Dahlien took an attempt. However, it was weak and didn’t cause any trouble for Moorhouse.
In the 23rd minute, Lemos nearly scored from a corner kick. The set piece was curling towards goal and went over the outstretched hand of Dickey, but it struck the crossbar. Banda met the ball just beyond the back post and tried to head the rebound on goal, sending her attempt over the frame.
McCutcheon was called for a foul near midfield in the 26th minute, and the ensuing free kick went into the Pride box. There was some confusion while trying to clear, allowing McCammon to get a shot off. However, Sams got in front of the attempt and the Pride eventually sent the ball upfield.
The Pride finally converted in the 41st minute, taking a lead for the fourth consecutive game. It started when Yates received a pass just outside the box and to the left of goal. The midfielder created space from her defender and sent a low cross across the top of the six-yard box. Banda got behind the back line and stayed onside, meeting the ball. It was an easy finish for the striker, tapping it in to give the Pride the 1-0 lead.
“We’re just pleased that Summer was able to get the cross off and Barbra is in the right place,” Hines said about the goal. “A good goal movement from Barbra and a tap-in goal.”
“I think we had a good amount of opportunities in the first half, but we just really couldn’t finish one. So, I think finishing one at the very end of the half really set us up nicely for the second half,” Lemos added. “Especially with that momentum going and I just really think like we were dictating the pace. And it was really, really good for us.”
The Pride have now scored first in all four games they’ve played this season. Scoring first is something Hines had spoken about and he made a point to mention it again tonight.
“It’s all mentality. It’s all character,” Hines said about scoring first. “We make a real point of scoring that first goal. It can obviously dictate the outcome of the game. So, for us to get that first goal’s vital for us.”
Unfortunately, Yates went down during the attack. After receiving attention from the medical staff, she left the field. The injury left Hines with a decision to make. Either use a substitution window or play with 10 until halftime. The Pride head coach went with the former, replacing Yates with Angelina.
The Brazilian substitute tried to make an immediate impact on the game, creating a chance in the 45th minute. She made a run from outside the box, finding enough space to send a shot on target. However, Dickey was there to tip it over the crossbar.
That was the final attempt of the first half as the Pride took a 1-0 lead into the break. After 45 minutes, the Pride had the advantage in possession (57%-43%), shots (6-5), shots on target (4-1), crosses (7-2), corner kicks (3-0), and passing accuracy (82%-77%). Most importantly, they took a 1-0 lead into the locker room.
The Pride stayed with their same lineup to start the second half, but Seattle made one change. Lynn Biyondolo (née Williams) came into the game for Jordyn Huitema. It was an inspired change, as the U.S. international caused problems for the Pride back line.
The Reign nearly found an early second-half equalizer, creating an attack in the 49th minute. Maddie Dahlien was sent behind the back line, sending a shot on target. Moorhouse made the save but was unable to control it. Rather than pushing it aside, she blocked the shot right in front. Nerilia Mondesir was the quickest player to react, but the Haitian international sent her attempt over the top.
Mondesir played a one-two with Biyendolo in the 56th minute, sending her behind the back line. However, she was forced wide and took a shot from a difficult angle. The attacker was aiming for the near post, but Moorhouse had it covered, blocking the attempt away.
Hines made a pair of changes in the 61st minute. Oihane and Prisca Chilufya entered the game for Dyke and Marta. It was Oihane’s Pride debut.
“Where I’ve been most impressed with how she’s just fitting in with the tenacity to go out there and defend and defend one-v-ones, and stop crosses, and get really tight to the forward,” Hines said about Oihane getting her Pride debut. “So, tonight was her first opportunity. And, like I said, she’s bought into what we’re trying to do here, and knowing that role and responsibility as a fullback.”
In the 63rd minute, Maddie Mercado used a couple of stepovers to lose her defender and create a chance at goal. She took a shot, but it was right at Moorhouse, who didn’t have any trouble making the save.
Hines made his final two changes in the 75th minute. Carson Pickett and Viviana Villacorta came on for Watt and Abello.
The Reign created problems in the 80th minute when a set piece into the box resulted in a scramble. Angharad James-Turner took a shot near the penalty spot that hit Sams. Eventually, the Pride were able to clear without conceding an equalizer.
A bad turnover under pressure in the 81st minute by McCutcheon allowed Mondesir to find Biyendolo going the other way. The midfielder sent Maddie Dahlien behind the Pride back line and it looked like the attacker might slip the ball past Moorhouse. However, the Pride goalkeeper did well to come off her line, blocking the shot with her left leg and keeping the clean sheet alive.
In the 85th minute, Emeri Adames played a ball to the top of the box, where Biyondolo did well to bring it down with her chest. Adames continued her run into the box and Biyondolo found her. Adames took a touch to her right before aiming for the near post. But Pickett did well to get in front and block the attempt.
The Pride tried to double their advantage in the 87th minute when Chilufya made a long run to the top of the Seattle box before the ball was knocked off her. Fortunately, it went straight to Banda, who was making a run to her right. Banda’s second touch was a shot for the near post, but the striker missed wide.
Seattle won a corner kick in the 88th minute and it resulted in a good chance for an equalizer. The set piece was sent into the box, where it found Shae Holmes. The defender tried to redirect the ball on goal, but she sent the attempt over the top.
The fourth official displayed five minutes of stoppage time and the Reign continued to push for an equalizer. But the Pride did well to clear any balls into the box, keeping the hosts from threatening. In the end, the visitors held on for the 1-0 win, moving to 4-0-0 on the season.
At full time, the Pride had the advantage in possession (61%-39%), crosses (10-9), corner kicks (4-3), and passing accuracy (83%-73%). However, a furious second half saw the Reign end up with more shots (13-7) and shots on target (5-4). Fortunately, the Pride’s bend-but-not-break defense stood tall and kept the hosts from equalizing, securing all three points.
“Really pleased, really happy. You know, the league and the parity within the league, it’s so difficult to come away with three points away from home. So, I’m super proud of the players,” Hines said. “They showed their character today. I thought we did a really good job of dictating play, looking after the ball in moments. And the goal was phenomenal. I thought Summer Yates, unfortunately got injured, but I thought she was outstanding today and set the tone. And that’s just one player, but I thought there was some really good performances tonight. And then towards the end, when a team’s trying to get back into the game again, we showed character. New players coming in. Oihane making a debut today, fitted right in. Carson comes back as well is important. And so, yeah, overall, really pleased with the togetherness and to come away with three points.”
“It was a hard game. I think we took a little bit to get into the game, but after the goal, I think we did really well,” Angelina said. “We kept the ball a little bit more, so I think we got into our game.”
The Pride continue their dominant start to the 2025 NWSL regular season. In addition to their 4-0-0 record, they now have 11 goals scored and only one conceded. They’ve started this year where they left off in 2024 — with a stingy defensive unit, recording three clean sheets in their first four games.
“The whole team is doing really well. We know the great season that we had last year, and we continue to do that this year,” Angelina said about the three clean sheets in four games. “So, it makes us proud, and it makes us feel really confident, because we know the quality of this team in the front, in the back, middle. So we’re really happy with the results that we’ve been getting.”
“We just really picked up where we left off last year. Defensively, you can’t ask for better,” Lemos added. “I mean, like you said, three shutouts in four games — that’s almost unheard of. And I just think we’re not even at our top yet. And I just think if we keep doing what we’re doing, it’ll all work out. And, you know, a shutout is a dub for the defense.”
The three points keeps the Pride on top of the NWSL standings, pending the result of the Kansas City Current’s game against the Wave later tonight. Regardless, the Pride once again appear to be the team to beat in the league.
The Pride return home next Saturday looking to keep their 100% record alive. It will be a tall task as they welcome the Washington Spirit for a 5 p.m. kickoff at Inter&Co Stadium in a rematch of the 2024 NWSL final.
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