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Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Fall to Spirit On Late Goal

The Pride dominated the Spirit but conceded a second-half, stoppage-time goal to lose to the Washington Spirit.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (0-4-1, 1 point) devastatingly fell to the Washington Spirit (3-3-0, 10 points) 1-0 tonight at Exploria Stadium. The Pride dominated the game and came close to scoring on multiple occasions, especially in the second half, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Mariana Speckmaier’s wonder goal deep into second-half stoppage time was the difference as the Pride remain on one point in the NWSL Challenge Cup.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines went with mostly a reserve lineup for this game, giving players without much playing time during league games a chance in a competitive environment. Regular starting goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse started behind a back line of Kylie Strom, Emily Madril, Caitlin Cosme, and Brianna Martinez. Kerry Abello, Jordyn Listro, and Mikayla Cluff were in the midfield behind a front line of Julie Doyle, Ally Watt, and Summer Yates.

The result of this game doesn’t reflect the performance of the teams as the Pride dominated the entire contest. They held more possession and generated significantly more chances than the Spirit. The difference in the game was a late let-off and the Spirit took advantage of one of their few opportunities. But the Pride would’ve won this game running away had they similarly taken advantage of their chances throughout the game.

The Pride started this game on the attack and created the first chance in the second minute. Lena Silano fouled Martinez outside of the Spirit box and Abello sent the ball into the mixer. The ball was headed out, but Yates controlled it with her chest and took the game’s first shot. Unfortunately, she didn’t get much on it, sending it well wide of the target.

The first decent chance for the Spirit came in the 14th minute when a corner kick was missed by Moorhouse. Jordan Thompson ended up with the ball and shot, but it was blocked off the line by Cosme. The Pride quickly went the other way with Doyle finding Watt at the top of the box. The striker fired on goal, but it was right at Spirit goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart.

A minute later, the Pride had another opportunity from a throw in. After she initially had trouble finding a teammate, Strom found Doyle in some space. The attacker’s first touch was to Yates at the top of the box. The rookie turned nicely to create a shot and forced Barnhart to dive and block it away.

In the 20th minute, Strom blocked a cross attempt out of play, giving the Spirit a corner kick. It ended up with Amber Brooks well outside of the box, and the defensive midfielder took a shot at goal that was blocked out of play. The ensuing set piece found the head of Thompson at the back post, but her attempt was wide.

As the game neared the half-hour mark, the Pride created some more opportunities. In the 26th minute, Yates was sent into the box by Martinez. The attacker held the ball up and, with a defender on her back, laid it off for Cluff outside of the box. Cluff quickly took a long-distance shot at goal, but sent it well off target. Martinez tried to find Watt in the box four minutes later, but placed the ball too close to Barnhart.

The Pride had a chance to open the scoring again in the 45th minute when Doyle found Abello on the left. The midfielder sent a cross in for Watt at the near post, but the striker couldn’t get on the end of it. Instead, it got behind her to Sam Staab who headed it out of play.

The Pride soon had another opportunity when Abello’s shot from outside of the box was blocked wide. The ensuing corner kick by Abello somehow got past Barnhart and over multiple defenders to find Martinez at the back post. Martinez got her head to the ball, but sent it wide.

A minute later, the Pride won the ball near midfield and started a counter attack. Martinez played Watt down the right, who apparently just stayed onside. The striker sent a low cross into the box for Doyle, but she mishit the ball, allowing the Spirit to clear.

The final chance of the half came with the final touch. Strom attempted to clear a cross into the box, but didn’t control it well and the ball fell to the dangerous Ashley Hatch. Fortunately, the striker couldn’t get over the ball, sending it over the goal.

Despite several lineup changes, the Pride were unquestionably the better team in the first half. They had more possession (53.2%-46.8%), shots (12-4), shots on target (2-0), corners (5-4), and crosses (12-9), as well as better passing accuracy (78.9%-68.5%). But they weren’t clinical enough in front of goal and the game reached halftime scoreless.

Hines made one halftime change up top, replacing Watt with Messiah Bright. It didn’t take the substitute long to get involved as she powered through her defender to find Cluff at the top of the box. The midfielder took the first shot of the second half, but sent it over the goal.

In the 47th minute, a clearance attempt by the Spirit went off the head of Abello and deflected to Doyle. The forward did well to control the ball, get past Dorian Bailey, and send a shot towards the near post. However, Barnhart got down to make the save.

Two minutes later, Doyle found Bright well outside of the box. She was given space by the Spirit defense due to her distance from goal, but took a shot anyway. It looked to be heading in, but Barnhart made a diving stop, just getting her fingertips to the ball.

The Spirit finally got their first chance of the second half in the 55th minute when a corner was headed away by Madril, but only to Brooks. Her first touch was forward for Hatch, who quickly played it back for Brooks to take a long-distance shot. However, Cosme got in front of the attempt and the Pride were able to clear.

The Pride were forced into their second change of the game in the 56th minute when Paige Metayer and Strom went for a ball in the Spirit box. Metayer jumped backwards for the header while Strom went forwards, resulting in Metayer slamming into Strom’s face. The left back was down for several minutes while the Pride medical team attended to her and was eventually replaced by Haley McCutcheon.

The Pride came inches from opening the scoring in the 60th minute when Metayer conceded a corner kick. Yates’ set piece found the head of Bright in the box. Barnhart dove to tip the ball wide, but it went off the post and across the face of goal. Listro rushed forward to tap it in, but Bailey got there first, clearing it off the line.

In the 67th minute, Doyle took Brooks one-on-one, creating enough space for a shot. She attempted to get over the ball, but sent it just over the crossbar as she fell. That was the last action for Doyle, as she and Cluff were replaced by Viviana Villacorta and Erika Tymrak.

The Pride nearly had a breakaway in the 71st minute when Yates sent Bright through near midfield. It appeared that Bright was offside and the assistant’s flag immediately went up. Bright continued her run and was challenged by the defender, failing to get a shot off.

Hines made one final change in the 78th minute during the second-half hydration break. Maliah Morris came on to make her third professional appearance, replacing Yates in her second professional start.

As time wound down, the Pride pressed to find a winning goal. In the 87th minute, Morris missed the target with her first attempt. Seconds later, Cosme took an off-balance shot that was blocked, allowing Washington to clear.

Seven minutes into stoppage time, Tymrak tried to play Bright through, but some miscommunication resulted in the pass going the opposite way of the run. The pass went all the way back to Barnhart, who sent it down field where Speckmaier and Cosme collided. The Spirit’s second-half substitute won the ball off the center back as she laid on the ground and fired from a very long distance, beating Moorhouse to give the Spirit a shocking 1-0 lead.

“I think that moment was really unfortunate tonight,” Abello said about the goal. “You know, I mean, arguably a foul. The girl hits a banger, you know, and that’s soccer sometimes.”

“I think there was a moment where we lacked a bit of concentration,” Hines added. “And they capitalized on that. Ninety-plus minutes and we’ve conceded again. So, you know, we have to learn from that. We have to not concede in pivotal moments of the game.”

This was the sixth time that the Pride have conceded a second-half, stoppage-time goal this season and the fourth time it changed the result. However, they hadn’t conceded one of those goals since May 10 in a 4-2 loss to the Spirit at Audi Field.

The Pride almost got an equalizer in the 10th minute of stoppage time when a 50-50 challenge ended with Martinez getting the ball far from goal. The defender took an ambitious shot that sailed over the outstretched arm of Barnhart, but slammed off the crossbar. That was the last chance as the Spirit stole three points on the road.

The Pride led every statistical category except the final score. They had more possession (56.4%-43.6%), shots (25-7), shots on target (7-2), corners (11-5), and crosses (26-14), and better passing accuracy (75.3%-66.5%).

“I think we did have a reaction after last week. Obviously last week wasn’t good enough. And today, I felt there was only one team who wanted to win,” Hines said. “You know, we started the game very aggressive, pressing, getting a lot of regains high up the field. We decided to make some changes, obviously, with a game against Gotham coming up and a lot of players took their opportunity today. And overall, I’m really proud of them. I’m really proud of what they did. And obviously it’s a cruel game. You don’t always get what you deserve. And you know, that’s life at times and that’s football. So we move on. But yeah, I’m happy with the performance and not the result.”

“I think after the result last week against North Carolina, I think we really came out, we fought hard, and we definitely were the better team out there tonight,” Madril added. “Just, unfortunately, we didn’t get the result and just score on our opportunities. But I think we definitely got back to how we’re used to playing.”

The biggest problem for the Pride in this game was the lack of finishing. They had far more opportunities than the Spirit and should’ve had a mult-goal lead heading into second-half stoppage time. But they were unable to convert and put themselves in a position to give up a goal at the end.

“I felt that there was goals on the table today,” Hines said after the game. “You know, we’ve walked away with no goals. So that’s an area that we need to improve on. We need to score goals when we’re so dominant in the game.”

Despite the loss, the Pride players and coaching staff seem happy with the performance overall. They were shelled by the North Carolina Courage in a 5-0 loss last weekend and Hines said he wanted to see a response from the team tonight. Even though they were unable to get a result, they were undoubtedly the better team.

“I said to the players that in the game, I’m proud of their performance,” Hines said about his postgame speech to the players. “You know, it’s never nice losing the way that we did against North Carolina and we looked for a reaction after that game and I’m hoping that the fans and the supporters saw a reaction and saw that there was only one team that wanted to win today. We were completely dominant in the match and that was my feedback to the players. You know, football’s a cruel game. You don’t always get what you deserve.”

“I think the overall message was just that we’re still really proud of our performance,” Abello added. “And we don’t put our heads down. I think it’s easy when you have a game like that to put your head down and to go negative, but our overall message to each other is just that we keep building on the positives from this game.”


The Pride will play their final Challenge Cup game of the year Wednesday night when they take on NJ/NY Gotham FC in New Jersey. Then they’ll have 11 days before they return to regular-season play.

Orlando Pride

Seb Hines Has Decisions To Make For Orlando Pride’s Back Line

What will the Pride’s back line look like when everyone is healthy?

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

As the 2025 NWSL season approaches, the Orlando Pride’s roster is taking shape. While the lineup will mostly remain the same, the departure of Adriana and the addition of Prisca Chilufya will impact changes. Additionally, the team has a key previously injured player returning for next season, something that will force Head Coach Seb Hines to make some tough decisions.

One of the most interesting situations impacting the Pride is the back line. Last season, Rafaelle went down with an injury that forced Emily Sams back to her natural center back position, partnering with Kylie Strom. The duo were terrific down the stretch, lifting their team to 14 shutouts, including in the NWSL Championship.

The move forced rookie Cori Dyke to take a more significant role, starting at right back. It was a tough situation for the 24-year-old, but she handled it brilliantly. Dyke was excellent during the final stretch of the season and especially during the playoffs, helping the team win the league title.

When Rafaelle returns from her injury and is fit to play, Hines will have three center backs, all of which have proven to make strong pairings on the back line. So how will the Pride boss handle the situation? Let’s take a look at some of his options.

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

While Rafaelle is a Brazilian international and a great center back, Sams and Strom were fantastic together for much of last season. Sams began the year at right back, while Rafaelle and Strom were the center back pairing. When Sams was forced to move to her natural position, Dyke took over as the starting right back.

Dyke had a strong rookie campaign, especially after taking over. Taking her out of the starting lineup with how she performed would be difficult for Hines. It would be surprising to see Rafaelle healthy and on the bench, but the back line of Kerry Abello, Strom, Sams, and Dyke was the best in the league last year and Hines might not want to rock the boat.

Go Back To The Start of 2024

Another option is to go back to how the back line looked at the start of 2024. While Sams was a regular at center back in 2023, Hines moved her to right back to begin last season. In a corresponding move, Strom — who had been the starting left back since 2022 — moved to center back alongside Rafaelle.

With everyone healthy, Hines could give that lineup another chance. After all, Strom was more solid at center back than left back and Sams proved she’s more than capable of playing right back. This is probably the most likely option and would ensure the team’s three best defenders are on the field.

Return to 2023

The Pride acquired Rafaelle on July 3, 2023, while the league was in the middle of the FIFA Women’s World Cup break. When the Brazilian joined the team, she started with Sams at center back and Strom was the starting left back. Strom has much more experience at left back than Sams does at right back, so Hines could send her back to her original position.

However, Strom had her best season as a member of the Pride in 2024 while playing center back. It’s hard to believe that Hines would send his vice captain back to left back after playing her in the middle all of last year. Rafaelle and Sams are the team’s only other experienced center backs, so this option is a possibility, even if it is unlikely.

Take Advantage of Versatility

When it comes to acquiring defenders, one of the primary things Hines and Haley Carter consider is versatility. Almost everyone on the back line can play center back and at least one of the outside back positions. This gives Hines an opportunity that few coaches have with their rosters.

Hines could move the players around, pairing all three center backs at times and moving Strom to the left and Sams to the right occasionally. Even Dyke can play center back, as she did in college. Moving players around would give them breaks during the season, keeping them fresh.

This decision could also backfire. Players get comfortable with their positions, so moving them around constantly could impact their quality. It would be a risky choice and is unlikely, but given the versatility of the players, it is an option for Hines. He could also take advantage of their versatility by playing a back line of three center backs, using Strom, Rafaelle, and Sams, while pushing Kerry Abello and Dyke up to wingback.


The Pride won the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship in 2024, one of the best seasons for any team in league history. They have most of the team returning, so they’ll be a favorite to repeat in 2025. While most of the lineup will be back, there are still some questions to be answered. One of those is who will start along the back line. We’ll find out soon enough, and it will be interesting to see what Hines decides.

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Orlando Pride Sign Zambian Forward Prisca Chilufya

Pride add to their attack by signing Zambian international Prisca Chilufya from FC Juarez.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has signed Zambian forward Prisca Chilufya to a three-year deal that runs through the 2027 season. She’s the third Zambian attacker to join the Pride in the last 10 months.

“We are thrilled to welcome Prisca to the Orlando Pride. Prisca is a dynamic forward who brings exceptional ability, speed, and a proven scoring record to our attack,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Her experience in both international competition with Zambia and her success in Liga MX Feminil demonstrates the kind of top-tier talent we’re committed to bringing to Orlando. She represents both immediate impact and long-term potential, and we believe she will thrive in our environment. Her three-year commitment reflects our shared vision for building something special. We can’t wait for our fans to see her take the pitch in purple.” 

The 25-year-old attacker joins the Pride from FC Juarez in Mexico. Since joining the team in 2023, she’s made 48 appearances and scored 14 goals. She’s scored four goals this year in just over half a season.

“I am honored to be joining Orlando Pride, a club with such a strong vision and commitment to excellence in women’s soccer,” Chilufya said in the club’s release. “I’m excited to bring my experience and skills to the NWSL, which is one of the most competitive leagues in the world. The opportunity to play alongside such talented teammates and learn from the coaching staff here in Orlando is something I’ve dreamed about. I’ve watched as the Pride have been built something special, and I want to contribute to the team’s success both on and off the field.” 

Before moving to Mexico, Chilufya played for Tomris Turan of the Kazakh Women’s Championship, making 14 appearances and scoring 18 goals during the 2022-2023 season. She moved to that club from fellow Kazakh club BIIK Kazygurt — which she helped win the championship in 2021.

On the international level, Chilufya has been a regular for Zambia since making her debut in the 2018 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics. She took part in all three of Zambia’s games in the 2024 Paris Olympics, serving as an alternate for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Most recently, she played in the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

What It Means for Orlando

This signing comes on the heels of the Pride transferring Brazilian star Adriana to the Saudi Women’s Premier League. It’s not surprising the club made a move to bring in an attacker and that the player was Zambian.

Chilufya is the third Zambian international the Pride have signed in the last year. It started with the acquisition of striker Barbra Banda, who quickly became a focal point of the Pride’s attack. Then they signed Grace Chanda, whose injury during the Olympics has thus far kept her from making her Pride debut.

The impact Chilufya will make on the team is unknown, but it won’t be easy to break into the lineup. With Adriana gone, Chanda will likely move into the attacking midfield if she’s healthy. Meanwhile, the club re-signed club captain Marta to a new two-year deal, and she’ll obviously play the 10 role. Julie Doyle and Summer Yates both played on the left side in 2024 and are expected to continue sharing responsibility there in 2025. Such competition for a starting spot can only help the club, pushing all of these attackers to develp their game.

Regardless of which players seize a starting spot, the Pride have added depth, something Carter continually tries to do. Head Coach Seb Hines will have plenty of choices in an attacking midfield that can be devastating to NWSL defenses at times. It’s a good move for the Pride after losing a key piece in the attack.

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Orlando Pride Transfer Adriana to Saudi Side Al Qadsiah FC

The club has secured one of the highest transfer fees in NWSL history for the Brazilian attacker after she requested a transfer.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has secured a club-record transfer fee from Al Qadsiah FC of the Saudi Women’s Premier League in exchange for Brazilian international attacking midfielder/forward Adriana. The club announced that the sale was one of the three highest in NWSL history, with Jeff Kassouf of The Equalizer reporting the fee as $500,000.

“We are incredibly grateful for Adriana’s contributions to the club, and while we will miss her presence both on and off the pitch, we are happy to support her in this next chapter of her career,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “At the Pride, we believe in empowering our players to pursue opportunities that align with their personal and professional goals. The record transfer fee we received reflects both Adriana’s exceptional talent and our commitment to building mutually beneficial relationships in the global transfer market. These resources will help us continue to attract world-class talent to Orlando as we build for the future. We wish Adriana all the best and she will always be part of the Pride family.” 

The move, which was requested by Adriana, comes shortly after the start of training camp as the Pride prepare to defend their NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship titles.

“I want to thank the Orlando Pride, my teammates, and especially our amazing fans for making Orlando feel like home,” Adriana said in the club’s release. “This club gave me an incredible opportunity to grow as a player and person, and I will always be grateful for my time here. The Pride organization has been very supportive of my desire to take on this new challenge overseas. They worked hard to make this move possible while ensuring it benefited everyone involved. Orlando will always hold a special place in my heart, and I look forward to watching the club continue to grow and succeed.” 

The Pride signed Adriana almost exactly two years ago on Jan. 19, 2023, from Brazilian giants Corinthians. That deal was through the 2025 season, meaning her contract would have been up at the end of this year. As Orlando typically extends players’ deals before they expire, the timing makes some sense, despite it happening during the Pride’s preseason.

In two seasons with Orlando, Adriana was a key player for the Pride with the versatility for Seb Hines to deploy her in multiple ways. She was primarily used as a winger during her time in Orlando, appearing in 46 NWSL regular-season games with 38 starts, logging 3,333 minutes. She scored six goals and added four assists, sharing the team lead in those categories in 2023. Her contributions in 2024 raised her career regular-season totals with the Pride to 12 goals and five assists across two seasons.

Adriana appeared in all three of the Pride’s playoff games during her stay in Orlando, starting two and logging 197 minutes. She did not make a goal contribution, attempting six shots with only one of those hitting the target. She tallied five key passes and one successful long ball in the Pride’s run to the title.

Additionally, the Brazilian made one appearance in the NWSL Challenge Cup, playing just eight minutes off the bench in 2023 without a goal contribution. She was on international duty during four of the Pride’s six matches in that competition. Adriana was away at the Olympics during the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, so she did not play in that competition.

What It Means for Orlando

Losing a player of Adriana’s caliber does not make a team better, but the club got a big return for an attacking piece that had started splitting time with Summer Yates during Orlando’s final stretch of the season in 2024. The Pride’s younger players are starting to demand more minutes with their performances, and while the team’s depth takes a hit with Adriana’s departure, the club has the resources to find a roster replacement.

Someone will have to replace Adriana’s six goals per year. Yates scored five in her second season in the league, but a jump to 11 in her third year seems unrealistic. However, more minutes for Yates may mitigate some of Adriana’s lost offense. Others who can contribute to replacing those goals include Grace Chanda, Simone Charley, Ally Watt, and Julie Doyle. The first two on that list are talented, but still have yet to play their first game for the Pride. It’s also conceivable that Barbra Banda can score more goals in her second NWSL season.

In Adriana, the Pride also lost one of the team’s better penalty takers. Adriana was two-for-two from the spot in 2024. Someone else will need to step up and take up the secondary penalty-taker role (to Marta) in 2025.

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