Connect with us

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. San Diego Wave FC: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Winning Streak Comes To An End

The Pride’s three-game winning streak came to an end tonight with a home loss to San Diego Wave FC.

Published

on

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride (7-9-1, 22 points) saw their three-game winning streak come to an end, as they fell 2-1 to San Diego Wave FC (8-6-3, 27 points) at Exploria Stadium. Abby Dahlkemper opened the scoring in the seventh minute and Adriana equalized just before halftime. Substitute Kyra Carusa netted the winner off a corner kick in the 75th minute, and the Pride were unable to climb into a playoff spot with five games remaining in the season.

After the Pride’s 5-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars Sunday night, Head Coach Seb Hines used the same lineup for this matchup against the Wave. Anna Moorhouse started in goal behind a back line of Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, Emily Mardril, and Haley McCutcheon. Viviana Villacorta and Kerry Abello were the defensive midfielders behind an attacking midfield of Adriana, Marta, and Julie Doyle. Messiah Bright started up top after scoring her first career brace.

San Diego was happy to sit back in this game and hit the Pride on the counter attack. As a result, the Pride led in every meaningful statistical category. The Pride had chances in the first half through some poor passing by the Wave, but were unable to take advantage, and San Diego goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan made some good saves to keep the game at 1-1. The downfall for the Pride was on set pieces, conceding on both of the Wave’s corner kicks — both of which were conceded unnecessarily.

The Pride had the first chance of the game in the second minute when Marta shielded the ball at midfield and sent Doyle behind the back line. Dribbling into the box from the left, Doyle attempted to beat Sheridan to her near side, but the ball bounced off the post.

The Wave almost opened the scoring in the sixth minute when Alex Morgan pressured Moorhouse’s pass to Madril. The center back sent a poor pass to either Moorhouse or Rafaelle, sending it into open space, where Rachel Hill picked it up. The forward quickly shot on goal, and should have scored, but it was too close to Moorhouse, who did well to knock it wide with her left foot.

The ensuing corner ended up at the foot of Danielle Colaprico, who shot on goal. McCutcheon got in front to block the attempt, but could only clear it as far as Dahlkemper near the penalty spot. The center back’s shot was over Moorhouse and off the bottom of the crossbar with enough momentum to get over the line, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Adding salt to the wound, it was Dahlkemper’s first NWSL regular-season goal since 2016.

In the 15th minute, pressure by Doyle on the sideline forced Hill into a bad pass back for Dahlkemper. Bright intercepted it and, after faking herself out with a stepover, played it across for Abello. Adriana ended up with the ball and enough space for a long-range attempt. The shot was dipping towards the bottom corner, but from that far out, it was comfortable for Sheridan to track it and make the stop.

The Pride had another chance in the 20th minute from another bad San Diego pass. Christen Westphal attempted to play the ball back for Meggie Dougherty Howard, but Marta picked it off and carried the ball into the Wave box. Naomi Girma challenged the Brazilian, but she got the shot off. Unfortunately, it was straight at Sheridan.

Adriana took her second shot from distance in the 26th minute. This attempt was more towards the center of the field, but she didn’t get much on the shot. Sheridan dove to her right to make the stop, but the dive was because of her positioning further towards the opposite post.

The Wave had a chance for a second in the 29th minute, when Morgan played the ball to the top of the box for Kaleigh Riehl. She laid the ball back for Dougherty Howard, who shot towards the far post, forcing Moorhouse into a diving stop.

A minute later, Dougherty Howard sent Hill behind the Pride defense. The attacker shot from the top of the box and Moorhouse got her hand to the ball, tipping over the crossbar. But the assistant’s flag was up on the initial pass, as Hill couldn’t hold her run, negating the chance.

In the 41st minute, Marta collided with Colaprico near the Pride box and referee Matthew Thompson called a foul. Colaprico hit her head on the ground, resulting in a brief delay in the action. Morgan took the free kick, but sent it over the crossbar.

Three minutes later, the Pride found the equalizer. Doyle sent Marta down the right towards the end line where she was defended by Dougherty Howard. The Brazilian used some nifty footwork to lose her defender and send the ball into the box. The cross was just over the head of four defenders and reached the head of an unmarked Adriana, who put it in for her fourth goal of the season.

“It was a brilliant goal,” Hines said about the conversion. “You know, Marta’s brilliance and a great finish by Adri.”

The Pride had the majority of the chances in the first half, but weren’t able to convert. Despite the frustration of being the more attacking team and down 1-0, they didn’t let it dampen their confidence.

“Even when we went down early, we were never in doubt,” Strom said about the resilience leading to the equalizer. “We know we can get the equalizer.”

After 45 minutes, San Diego had more possession (55.9%-44.1%), but the Pride had more shots (8-6), shots on target (4-3), corner kicks (2-1), and crosses (6-2). Both teams ended the first half completing 83% of their passes.

“The first half we sat off a bit. We knew that they’re a pretty direct team. They wanted to go long and find Alex for the flick on,” Strom said about the halftime message. “And I think what we spoke about at halftime is one of our strengths is our press, our mentality. When we went after them, they struggled a bit. We were able to read the long balls better. They were kicking it out of bounds and weren’t as successful. So I think that’s part of our identity. We’re hungry. We like to press and it caused them a lot of problems.”

“I think the first 20 minutes of the game, we were kind of passive,” Hines added about the first half. “We changed that. There was more intensity to our press, put them under pressure. Caused a lot of problems with turnovers and we got ourselves back into the game.”

While San Diego didn’t make any halftime changes, Hines made two. Mikalya Cluff and Jordyn Listro entered the game for Abello and Villacorta.

“Just energy,” Hines said about the halftime substitutions. “You know, they did extremely well when they came on last game against Chicago. I felt we were a little bit tired in the midfield, so they came on, made an impact, lots of energy, the pressing that they put into it as well, causing a lot of problems and turnovers.”

It didn’t take long for Cluff to get involved. She took a shot in the 46th minute that was well over the target, but it was her second shot that gave the Pride an opportunity. The attempt from distance was blocked by Dahlkemper, sending Sheridan the wrong way. The ball was rolling towards the far post as the Wave goalkeeper scrambled to the opposite side of the goal. Unfortunately, the ball went just wide and out for a corner kick.

The ensuing set piece by Marta reached Rafaelle at the far post, but her international teammate couldn’t redirect it on goal.

In the 53rd minute, a ball into the Pride box was headed out by McCutcheon. Morgan was the first one to it, playing a quick give-and-go with Dougherty Howard before getting a shot off from distance. It was right to Moorhouse, but the Pride goalkeeper couldn’t handle it. Hill was there to put it back on target, but Rafaelle cleared it away. The assistant’s flag went up anyway as Hill was judged to be offside.

After receiving the ball from McCutcheon in the 59th minute, Doyle played the ball around Riehl and attempted to beat her with speed. Riehl put her shoulder into Doyle, knocking the attacker down in the box. But Thompson decided it wasn’t enough for a penalty. The ball went to Makenzy Doniak and Bright took her out from behind, earning the game’s first booking.

In the 65th minute, Adriana made a long run before pulling up just outside of the box and playing it back for Cluff. It looked like Cluff would lift the ball into the box, but she played it across for McCutcheon instead. The right back attempted an ambitious shot from distance and it looked like it would sail over the target. The ball was dipping, but still went just over the crossbar.

The Pride made their third change of the game in the 65th minute as Mariana Larroquette replaced Bright.

In the 75th minute, Listro knocked the ball off the foot of Doniak, but got too much on it, conceding a corner kick. Doniak’s ensuing set piece was to the top of the six, where Carusa got inside of Larroquette. The second-half substitute headed the ball past Moorhouse and San Diego retook the lead 2-1.

“They’re a direct team. They’re very strong in the air, all over the pitch, set pieces, in the run of play,” Strom said about conceding twice on corner kicks. “It was great services, great finishes, but at the same time, we need to be better. I think it’s maybe a bit of a lack of concentration on our part. To win those first and second balls, step out, deny the shots. So, it’s something we’re definitely going to have to look at and go back to our old ways and be really resilient in those moments.”

“Anytime there’s a situation like that, you know, there’s sometimes a lapse of concentration,” Hines said about conceding on set pieces. “A moment where you relax and I think they punished us in that moment.”

The Pride almost found another equalizer in the 79th minute when Adriana carried the ball to the top of the box and played it across for McCutcheon. The defender had plenty of space to touch the ball onto her left foot and fire from distance. It was heading under the crossbar, but Sheridan was able to get a hand to it, tipping the ball over the top.

Hines made his fourth change in the 82nd minute and it was an attacking one. Forward Ally Watt came into the game for left back Strom as the Pride went to a back three looking for an equalizing goal.

The Pride had a set piece opportunity in the 86th minute when Watt’s cross was deflected out of play by Riehl. Marta’s corner kick was towards the back post, where Cluff and Dahlkemper collided. The ball popped back for Rafaelle, but her header was into the hands of Sheridan.

The fourth official showed eight minutes of second-half stoppage time, a welcome sight for the Pride. But an odd moment occurred in the second minute when Sheridan’s free kick went over the head of Dahlkemper and straight out of play near midfield. As Listro ran over to take the throw-in, Wave Head Coach Casey Stoney, sitting on a cooler, kicked the ball away. Thompson ran over and immediately issued a confused Stoney a red card.

“In the 90+2 minute, the ball came out of play for an Orlando throw-in near the San Diego Wave technical area when head coach Casey Stoney kicked the ball away,” Thompson said after the game. “She was shown the red card and sent off for ‘delaying the restart of play by the opposing team, e.g. kicking the ball away’ per the IFAB Laws of the Game Law 12.”

The Pride continued to maintain possession and push for an equalizer, but weren’t able to create any solid chances on goal. After eight minutes and nine seconds of second-half injury time, Thompson blew the final whistle and the Pride fell to San Diego for the first time, missing an opportunity to climb into a playoff spot.

At full time, the Pride had more possession (52.4%-47.6%), shots (17-8), shots on target (6-5), corners (8-2), and crosses (23-3), and passed with more accuracy (80.9%-75.5%). But the hosts were unable to find a second goal and dropped all three points.

“It’s a strange one because I thought we did enough to win the game ,” Hines said about the performance. “Obviously, football doesn’t always work out like that. We’ve been in this situation, or have sat in this seat, multiple times where we felt like we’ve done enough to win the game. It just hasn’t fallen our way.”

In addition to conceding on both corner kicks San Diego had in the game, the Pride were unable to convert, despite having many more chances than the opposition. It’s been a recurring problem for this team and one of which they’re aware.

“That’s something we spoke about,” Strom said after the game. “We need to finish our chances because San Diego is a team that if they feel like they’re in it, they’re always going to have a bit of hope. All they need is one long ball behind. And they know they can score off of that and be dangerous off of that. So we need to take our chances. We did create quite a few and then it’s just finding that end product and putting it away and gaining that momentum and putting fear in the other team.”

“Every team is going to cause us different problems,” Hines said about the offensive troubles. “And that’s what San Diego did. They made it difficult to get any clear cut opportunities. You know, there was opportunities but they weren’t clear cut. And again, we learn from it.”

The Pride came into this game two points behind San Diego for the sixth and final playoff spot. Despite the loss, Orlando still sits two points out of the playoff places — now behind OL Reign, which holds a game in hand, which will take place Sunday at Angel City.

Hines said the Pride still have a good chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

“We’re still in a really good position. We’re still chasing, but we’re still in and around it,” Hines said. “And, you know, you see how close this league is. Anyone can beat anyone on their day and we fell short today. But, you know, we’ll have that hunger and drive.”


The Pride will look to bounce back from this loss next Sunday when they take on OL Reign in Seattle in another pivotal match with postseason implications.

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Utah Royals: Final Score 3-1 as Pride Win Behind Barbra Banda Hat Trick

A first-half Barbra Banda hat trick lifted the Pride to a much-needed road win over the Utah Royals.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (6-3-1, 19 points) rode Barbra Banda’s hat trick to a 3-1 win over the Utah Royals (1-7-2) tonight at America First Field in Sandy, UT. Banda gave the Pride the lead in the sixth minute and Brecken Mozingo equalized in the 14th minute, but Banda took over late in the first half, scoring two goals in two minutes to net the first hat trick in Pride history.

The win snapped Orlando’s three-game winless skid and marked the first time the Pride scored more than one goal since a 3-2 home win over Angel City on April 25.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the Kansas City Current last week. Kerry Abello and Marta, who had started every game until tonight, began the game on the bench. They were replaced in the lineup by Cori Dyke and Ally Watt.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Dyke, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, and Oihane. Angelina, Morgan Gautrat, Haley McCutcheon, and Carson Pickett were in the midfield, with Banda and Watt up top.

This was a game of two halves with the best chances coming in the first 45 minutes. It looked like it would be a high-scoring affair, but the game slowed down considerably in the second half. The Pride were unquestionably the better team throughout, causing problems for the Utah back line. In the end, it was a fair result, as the Pride come home with all three points.

The hosts nearly created the game’s first chance in the fifth minute when Janni Thomsen played Cece Kizer down the right. The veteran midfielder’s first touch was a low ball into the box for Mozingo, but Oihane got there first to clear it away.

A minute later, the Royals created the first shot on goal. Ally Sentnor tried to dribble through Nadaner, who got a touch on the ball but couldn’t win it. The ball went straight to Mozingo, who shot, but the attempt was right to Moorhouse at the near post.

The Pride immediately went the other way with Oihane finding Watt down the right . The attacker sprinted down field before playing it into the box where Banda was making a run. The striker’s first touch guided the ball inside the far post to give the Pride the early 1-0 lead.

“It was a quality goal,” Hines said about the opener. “A breakaway with Ally and she does a really good job of finding Barbra and it’s a quality finish from Barbra.”

The Pride had a great opportunity to double their lead in the 10th minute when Claudia Zornoza pulled down Angelina from behind near the top of the Utah box. Angelina stepped to the ball first before backing off and letting Pickett take the set piece. Oihane ran onto the ball and tried to flick it on goal, sending it just wide of the right post.

In the 13th minute, Pickett, Gautrat, and Angelina combined to send Banda into the final third. The low cross was right to Ana Tejada, but the defender got it caught in her feet. The ball slipped through to Watt behind her, and the attacker had two chances. However, Royals goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn made a pair of saves to keep her team in the game.

The Pride paid for the missed chance a minute later when the Royals equalized. Zornoza sent Mozingo into the Pride half of the field. Nadaner kept the play onside, and the attacker got behind the back line and in on goal. Moorhouse came out to cut down the angle, but the shot was past her and inside the far post to even the game at 1-1.

There was a stoppage while the video assistant referee examined the play to see if Mozingo was offside. However, Nadaner never stepped up with the rest of the back line, and the goal correctly stood.

Banda nearly had a second in the 20th minute when Sentnor knocked the ball off McCutcheon’s foot, but right to the Pride striker. However, Lauren Flynn made a last-ditch tackle, knocking the ball off of Banda’s foot to prevent a likely goal.

A minute later, Banda won a long punt by Moorhouse and got into the Royals’ box. Kate Del Fava did well to push her outside, and the striker’s shot was right to McGlynn.

Banda made a long run in the 26th minute, getting behind the Royals’ defense and into the box. McGlynn came off her line to challenge the striker and blocked the attempt. The rebound went to Watt with an empty net, but Nuria Rabano made a goal-saving block.

A bad turnover by Gautrat under pressure in the 28th minute nearly resulted in Utah taking the lead. Kizer took possession and found Mina Tanaka in the box. The Japanese international laid it back for Zornoza, who shot, sending her attempt over the goal.

Banda struck again in the 37th minute when Thomsen played a terrible pass back and the striker intercepted it. Flynn was on her back the whole time, but Banda dribbled around McGlynn and touched it in to make it 2-1.

A minute later, Banda made history. McCutcheon sent the striker down the left behind Del Fava. The defender caught up, but decided to block her pass into the middle rather than get to the goal side. Banda fired to McGlynn’s near post, slipping it between the post and the goalkeeper to give the Pride a 3-1 lead.

In the 224th Pride game in all competitions, it was the first hat trick in team history, the third in NWSL history to take place in the first half, and the first time an NWSL player has scored a road hat trick in the first half. 

“She’s a constant threat. It was three different types of goals, which is pleasing to see,” Hines said about Banda’s hat trick. “She’s been waiting patiently. She’s been hitting half chances, but no real clear-cut opportunities. And so I was really pleased for her. Obviously, it’s the first hat trick in Pride history. That’s been a long wait for that opportunity, but she took it really well.”

Banda also became the first African international to score a hat trick in the NWSL.

The Pride nearly had a chance in the third minute of first-half stoppage time when Pickett sent a beautiful ball into the box for Angelina. It was right there for the Brazilian, but she couldn’t control it.

After 45 minutes of action, the Pride had more possession (54%-46%), shots (10-7), shots on target (9-2), crosses (7-5), and corner kicks (2-1). They also had better passing accuracy (84%-82%) in the first half.

While the Pride were the more attacking team to start the first half, the Royals were on the front foot in the second. In the 48th minute, Mozingo found Zornoza near the top of the box. Sentnor made a diagonal run and Zornoza found her. However, the U.S. international sent her attempt well wide of the target.

The Royals created the second shot of the second half in the 63rd minute when Tanaka laid the ball off for Sentnor. Despite being far from goal, the striker fired. The shot was on target but into the arms of Moorhouse.

A minute later, Kizer dribbled into the right side of the box and took a shot from a tight angle. However, Moorhouse had her near post covered and the attempt didn’t cause her any trouble.

The next time the ball went out of play, Hines made his first two changes. Abello and Summer Yates came on for Oihane and Angelina.

Shortly after the substitution, the Pride created their first shot of the second half. A poor pass out of the back by McGlynn was intercepted by Yates. The midfielder played the ball to Banda on the right and the striker took a shot, but it didn’t cause much trouble for McGlynn.

McCutcheon had a great look in the 72nd minute, when Pickett sent Yates down the left. The second-half substitute played it into the six-yard box, where McCutcheon found herself all alone. However, she seemed surprised by the situation, sending the ball wide from very short distance.

In the 77th minute, Dyke found Yates in the box. The midfielder did well to turn Ana Tejada and fired on target. However, McGlynn did well to get a hand to it. Watt had position on Del Fava in front of an empty net near the left post, and the defender pushed the attacker over to win the ball. Pride players in the area wanted a penalty, but the referee disagreed.

The Pride won a free kick in the opposing third in the 78th minute when Watt was pushed over by Flynn. Pickett sent the set piece into the box and Lemos got her foot to it, but she sent the attempt wide.

The Royals nearly got one back in the 80th minute when Sentnor sent a low cross into the box from the left. Bianca St-Georges was behind her defender and right in front of the goal, but the pass was just behind her.

Play stopped in the 82nd minute as McCutcheon went down with an injury. The Pride medical staff came out to examine the defensive midfielder, eventually resulting in the team’s final change of the night. In the 84th minute, Viviana Villacorta came into the game for McCutcheon.

St-Georges had a chance in the 87th minute when a long ball bounced away from Abello. The Royals substitute turned and shot, but sent the attempt well wide of the target.

Tanaka received a pass forward in the 89th minute and fired from distance. However, Lemos got her foot in from behind, getting a piece of the ball and allowing Moorhouse to make the easy stop.

The Royals had a good chance to get one back in the fifth minute of stoppage time, when Madison Pogarch sent a dangerous ball to the back post. St-Georges was behind Abello and Moorhouse was trying to get over, but the ball went out of play.

That was the last chance as the Pride claimed a huge three points away from home.

At full time, the Pride had more possession (52%-48%), shots on target (11-5), crosses (12-10), and corner kicks (4-1). Utah had better passing accuracy (83%-82%) and more shot attempts (14-13).

“Priority was to come away with three points before we go into the international break,” Hines said. “I think in recent games we played well, but we haven’t really got the results. So, we wanted to make sure that we performed well and got the result. It’s great to come away from this game with three points and a nice 3-1 win.”

“Interesting match,” Banda added. “Coming back from the loss, we wanted to win this game, so we had to put all what it takes. We didn’t want to leave anything on the field, but to get the maximum three points.”

The win vaults Orlando back into second place, two points behind the first-place Current. However, the Current have yet to play this weekend. They’re also two points ahead of the San Diego Wave, who also have a game in hand.

Following the international break, the Pride have three games before the summer break, which will last over a month. Two of those three games are away from home, but they’re all winnable.

“We need to take that confidence going into these last three games before the summer break,” Hines said. “Obviously, we’re going into the international break, so players are representing their country. But when they come back, we need to carry on that momentum into the last three games going into the summer break.”


The Pride will have an extra week to soak in this win, as they don’t play next weekend. They’ll return to action on June 7 when they host the Houston Dash at Inter&Co Stadium.

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Utah Royals: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride look to return to their winning ways as they travel to face the struggling Utah Royals.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (5-3-1, 16 points) travel west to take on the Utah Royals (1-6-2, 5 points) in Sandy, UT. This is the first of two matchups between these teams with the return game in Orlando scheduled for Aug. 3.

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

History

The Royals first played in 2018 and 2019 before the team was purchased and relocated to Kansas City. The new owners of Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake bought an expansion side, so 2024 was the first season the two teams met since 2019, although this is an all-new side. The Pride are 3-3-2 against the Royals all-time, with all games coming in the NWSL regular season. Orlando is 2-0-0 against this current iteration of the Royals (1-0-0 on the road) and 2-1-1 all-time in the state of Utah.

The last time the Pride met the Royals was on June 21, 2024 in Orlando. It was a dominant performance from start to finish as the Pride roared to a 6-0 win. Barbra Banda started the scoring, and Summer Yates made it 2-0 just before halftime. The Pride took off in the second half with goals by Banda and Ally Watt, along with a Marta brace.

On April 12 in Sandy, UT. Marta started on the bench and came on for Adriana in the 62nd minute. It didn’t take long for the Pride captain to make an impact, netting the game’s lone goal six minutes later, as the visitors left the Beehive State with a 1-0 victory.

The 2019 season was the final one for the original Royals and the Pride faced this opponent three times that year. The first game between the teams was on April 27 in Orlando, and the difference was Christen Press, who netted the lone goal early in a 1-0 result. On May 25 in Utah, Amy Rodriguez opened the scoring from the penalty spot and Makenzy Doniak made it 2-0 late. The third meeting was on Aug. 17 in Orlando. Press gave the visitors the lead in the 60th minute and Rodriguez doubled the advantage late as the Royals won 2-0.

The 2018 campaign was the Royals’ inaugural season, and Orlando got the better of the newcomers, going unbeaten in three matches (1-0-2). In the 2018 season opener, Utah and the Pride played to a 1-1 draw in Orlando. The Royals scored on their first chance of the game. They had an excellent spell of early possession. Diana Matheson put in a cross and Gunny Jonsdottir — who later played for the Pride for two seasons in 2021 and 2022 — volleyed it into the back of the net. Marta tied things up from the spot later in the first half, and the game ended 1-1. 

About a month and a half later, the teams met again, playing to a 0-0 draw, this time in Rio Tinto Stadium. It was a relatively dull night with no goals and the majority of the action in the middle of the field. Both teams struggled on the attacking end. There were no shots on target in the first half and just three in the second.

While those first two matches ended in draws, the last meeting of 2018 finally saw a winner. On July 14, 2018, there was end-to-end action, and both teams saw chances in front of the net. Utah found an early goal from Rodriguez, and then Alex Morgan tied it up with a penalty kick just before halftime. In the second half, a good through ball from Ali Krieger found Kristen Edmonds one-on-one with Utah goalkeeper Abby Smith, who was caught out of position. Edmonds chipped the ball past Smith for the game-winner, and Orlando got its first-ever victory against the Royals, 2-1.

Overview

The Pride are coming off a tough stretch where they’ve lost two of their last three games 1-0, and only a last-minute equalizer in North Carolina kept it from being three straight losses. The most recent loss came a week ago tonight when the Pride hosted the Kansas City Current in a battle for first place. Temwa Chawinga’s 52nd-minute goal was the difference, sending the Pride down to third in the NWSL standings.

The problem for the Pride has been the attack. Other than scoring three goals in 20 minutes against Angel City FC in a 3-2 come-from-behind win, the Pride haven’t scored multiple goals in a game since March 29, when they defeated San Diego Wave FC 2-1.

Meanwhile, the Pride’s defense has been fantastic. That Angel City game is the only time the Pride have conceded multiple goals this year. Head Coach Seb Hines even gave starting center backs Kylie Nadaner and Emily Sams a break, replacing each of them with rookie Zara Chavoshi in successive games, but they only gave up one goal in those games combined. Unfortunately, the lack of offense resulted in only getting one point.

Banda got off to a great start this season, netting a brace in the opener. However, she’s only scored twice in the last eight games and hasn’t found the back of the net in the last three matches. Marta has had similar struggles, failing to score since the win over Angel City.

The Pride desperately need three points to get themselves back on track, and they face the perfect team tonight. The Royals were one of the worst teams in the league last year, finishing 11th of 14 teams. They aren’t any better this year so far, with just five points from nine games, good enough for 13th place.

As you might expect from a team with just one win, Utah has struggled offensively and defensively this year. Their seven goals are second fewest in the NWSL, and their 16 goals conceded are tied with Angel City for second most. The only team worse is the last-place Chicago Stars, who have scored five times and conceded 19 goals.

While the Royals have struggled defensively this year, they’re coming off their best game of the season, a 3-3 draw at the Washington Spirit. The sudden production ended a three-game goalless streak. We’ll see if that carries into tonight.

Nobody on the Royals has multiple goals or assists this year, understandable by their lack of scoring. But they’ll have their work cut out for them tonight when they face one of the league’s best defenses. The Pride’s seven goals conceded is tied with Seattle Reign FC for second, just one behind the Current.

The Pride started the season as the most prolific offense, scoring six times in the season opener. But, apart from the three-goal output against Angel City, they’ve cooled off considerably. Facing a team that has leaked goals all year, this could be the game the Pride need to get back to their scoring ways.

“I think they put up a good performance against a good Washington Spirit side. They should be happy walking away with a point,” Hines said about tonight’s opponent. “Obviously, they were close to three points as well, but I think before the game they probably would’ve taken that. So we can’t take them too lightly. We’re trying to bounce back from some disappointing results, not performances. And I think it’s a great opportunity for us to go there and come away with three points.”

The only change to the Pride availability report is the removal of Julie Doyle (knee). Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), and Rafaelle (thigh) remain out.

The Royals will be without Mikayla Cluff (concussion), Macey Fraser (knee), Olivia Griffiths (maternity leave), Cloe Lacasse (knee), Alex Loera (knee), Tatumn Milazzo (knee), Paige Monaghan (foot), and Kaleigh Riehl (lower leg).


Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Cori Dyke, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Oihane.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.

Attacking Midfielders: Carson Pickett, Angelina, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Julie Doyle, Prisca Chilufya, Summer Yates, Zara Chavoshi, Kerry Abello, Viviana Villacorta, Marta, Ally Lemos.

Utah Royals (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Mandy McGlynn.

Defenders: Nuria Rabano, Lauren Flynn, Kate Del Fava, Janni Thomsen.

Defensive Midfielders: Ana Tejada, Claudia Zornoza.

Midfielders: Brecken Mozingo, Mina Tanaka, Cece Kizer.

Forwards: Ally Sentnor.

Bench: Mia Justus, Ana Guzman, Madison Pogarch, Kherrington Ream, Dana Foederer, Imani Dorsey, Aisha Solorzano, Aria Nagai, Bianca St-Georges.

Referees

REF: JC Griggs.
AR1: Matthew Rodman.
AR2: Darren Bandy.
4TH: Rachel Swett.
VAR: Katherine McCormick.
AVAR: Brian Marshall.


How to Watch

Match Time: 9:30 p.m.

Venue: America First Field — Sandy, UT.

TV: None.

Streaming: FDSN App, NWSL+.

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


Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Drop Second Home Game This Season

The Pride’s offensive struggles continued and a defensive mistake was costly for Orlando.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride (5-3-1, 16 points) fell at home for the second time this season, losing 1-0 to the Kansas City Current (7-2-0, 21 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. Temwa Chawinga’s 52nd-minute goal was the difference as the Pride failed to win for the third consecutive game.

This was a game everyone following the league had circled on their calendar. The Current came into it in first place with the Pride right behind. The Pride and Current have widely been considered the top two teams in the league and the Current showed they were the team to beat this season.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines only made one change from the team that drew 1-1 with the North Carolina Courage Saturday night. Emily Sams returned to the lineup after a night off, sending Zara Chavoshi to the bench.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Sams, and Oihane. Haley McCutcheon and Morgan Gautrat were the defensive midfielders behind Carson Pickett, Marta, and Angelina with Barbra Banda up top.

The Pride got the game off to a fast start and it looked like they would cause problems for the Current all night. But as the game progressed, the visitors took more and more control. After the Current took the 1-0 lead early in the second half, they put more players behind the ball. The Pride held significant possession, looking for a way through, but struggled to threaten in the final third.

It didn’t take long for the Pride to create their first chances in this game, doing so inside the first minute. It started with a poor pass by Izzy Rodriguez that Banda intercepted and carried into the Current box. She tried to beat Lorena to her near post, but the goalkeeper did well to block it with her foot.

The rebound went right back to Banda and her second shot was blocked by Alana Cook. The second block went to Oihane out right. The defender sent her cross over the heads of Angelina and Banda where McCutcheon met it at the top of the six. However, the midfielder’s header was right into the hands of Lorena, ending the threat.

In the seventh minute, Banda played Oihane outside on the right and the defender sent another cross into the box. This time Angelina attempted to turn and volley the ball on target, but the Brazilian couldn’t get over it and sent the shot over the goal.

The Current looked to have their first chances in the ninth minute when Bia Zaneratto played Chawinga behind the Pride back line. Moorhouse made a pair of good saves before Sams cleared the ball away. However, Chawinga was offside on the initial ball.

The visitors finally did get a clean shot in the 20th minute when Zaneratto took a chance from outside of the box. But it was right to Moorhouse and the Pride goalkeeper didn’t have any trouble with it.

Three minutes later, Lo’eau LaBonta sent Debinha behind the Pride back line, and she tried to chip the ball over Moorhouse to the back post. Moorhouse committed to the ball and was able to get enough of her fist on it to send it away.

The Pride finally got back on the front foot in the 44th minute with a sustained attack, primarily through Gautrat on the left. Eventually, the midfielder found Angelina near the top of the Current box. The Brazilian took a shot, but sent it well wide of the near post.

As the first half neared stoppage time, Angelina sent Banda into the Kansas City third of the field. The Zambian didn’t have any teammates with her, so she took it herself. Kayla Sharples stuck her leg in and knocked the ball away, resulting in Banda going down. The striker looked to the referee for a penalty, but Natalie Simon rightly waved play on.

In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Angelina played Oihane out to the right. The right back sent a low cross to the near post where Banda was making a run. She tried to flick it on goal with her heel, but the ball went wide.

There was a lengthy delay as the video assistant referee looked at the play for a possible handball on Cook. However, nothing came of it and the halftime whistle blew before play could continue.

At halftime, the Current had more possession (50.8%-49.2%), but the Pride had more shots (7-5). Both teams put two shots on target and had a corner kick in the first 45 minutes.

The Current got the first second-half chance and used it to take a 1-0 lead. It started when Sams cleared the ball up the field to Rodriguez, who sent it back the other way. Nadaner was the first one to reach it with Zaneratto on her back. The center back got a touch to the ball, but it got away from her. Chawinga took advantage, getting in on goal and putting it away to give her team the lead.

“We looked at that kind of play before the game, so it’s kind of disappointing to then concede from that. Because we did identify it as a kind of something that they do,” Moorhouse said about the goal. “I mean, obviously, they’ve got the speed up top, and they just like to put the ball on behind for that. So, yeah, it’s just one of those things. Just finished it well.”

“She’s playing against a really good forward in Bia and probably every game she gets away with that touch,” Hines said about Nadaner losing possession on the goal. “But, unfortunately, it gets too far away. And they waited for that one moment and capitalized on it.”

Kansas City looked to double the advantage right away in the 54th minute when Rodriguez earned enough space from Oihane to send a cross to the back post. Hailie Mace and Pickett went up for the ball with Mace sending it wide.

The Pride tried to get one back in the 55th minute when Oihane was played wide. The Spainard sent a cross to Banda at the near post, but Sharples got there first to clear it out for a corner kick. Pickett’s ensuing set piece was caught by Lorena, ending the attack.

In the 60th minute, Sams pushed into the attack. The center back attempted to find Angelina, but it was right back to her. Then she tried to set up Gautrat at the top of the box. The defensive midfielder didn’t get much on the ball, enabling Lorena to make the easy stop.

Hines made his first change of the game in the 65th minute and, down a goal, it was an attacking one. Ally Watt came into the game for the defensive-minded Gautrat.

Chawinga had a chance for a second goal in the 69th minute when Rodriguez’s cross was chested down by Zaneratto. Sams was on the striker, but got turned around, giving Chawinga a clean look. However, her shot was right at Moorhouse who made the stop.

Pickett played a long ball into the box in the 73rd minute, but it went all the way through to Oihane on the other side. The right back lifted a ball into the box for Banda and the striker jumped to get her head to it, sending it wide of the far post.

Immediately after the chance, Simon sent the players to the sideline for the second-half hydration break. Hines made two changes during the stoppage, replacing Oihane and Angelina with Prisca Chilufya and Ally Lemos.

In the 79th minute, Chawinga dribbled across the top of the box with Sams and Marta on her. The striker went down after some contact with Sams and a foul was called. Lemos was in the process of clearing the ball at the time, sending it off the back of Chawinga’s head. Chawinga was down for a while and received attention from the trainer as she underwent a concussion test. However, she was eventually able to continue.

Hines made his final change in the 82nd minute, as Summer Yates came on for McCutcheon. It was Yates’ first appearance since April 12 when she suffered an ankle injury against Seattle Reign FC.

“I’m excited to be back. Thankful that our medical team was able to get me back quicker than expected. So, super excited that I was able to get on the field and, you know, just run around and play again. Not be in a boot,” Yates said about her return. “So, yeah, super excited. And hopefully I can help the team in these up and coming games.”

Mace put a shoulder into Banda in the 85th minute and the referee called for a foul. The ensuing set piece by Pickett was flicked on by Watt and off Banda. However, the striker couldn’t reach it before Lorena collected the ball.

In the 87th minute, Zaneratto played Chawinga towards the Pride box. The striker turned Nadaner and created enough space from Abello to get a shot off. Fortunately, it was right at Moorhouse, who blocked it with her legs.

As a second shot flew wide, Chawinga was hopping away from the play. This time she wasn’t able to continue and had to be substituted.

The fourth official showed 12 minutes of second-half added minutes, giving the Pride plenty of time to find an equalizer.

In the fifth and sixth minutes of stoppage time, the Pride earned three corner kicks as the Current fiercely defended their one-goal lead. However, none of Pickett’s set pieces were put on goal.

In the 10th minute of stoppage time, Nichelle Prince fouled Sams just inside the Current third of the field. Lemos’ set piece was blocked, but the Pride kept possession. A second ball by Yates was sent into the six-yard box and into the arms of Lorena.

Sharples knocked the ball off of Banda’s foot and out in the final minute of stoppage time, giving the Pride one last chance to find an equalizer. Pickett’s set piece was headed away and the final whistle blew, ending the game and handing the Pride their second home loss this season.

At full time, the Pride had far more possession (58.4%-41.6%), crosses (26-8), and corner kicks (7-1). But the Current had more shots (12-11) and shots on target (5-4). But Kansas City was the team able to break through and hold on for the 1-0 win.

“I thought it was a well balanced match,” Hines said. “I think both teams were trying to figure each other out for long periods of the game. What our players put into that game, the effort and the commitment, the desire, was tremendous. And we just fell short today with the result. But I thought the performance was there. Obviously, you never want to lose a game, especially 1-0 at home. But I can’t give the players enough compliments for their efforts tonight.”

“Tough result, obviously,” Moorhouse added. “But I thought we played well. We dominated in parts. It’s always going to be a tough game. We’ve had some tough games in the past against Kansas, so yeah, it’s a disappointing result. But the performance is something to work on and something to keep pushing on.”

The Pride are learning how hard it is to be the hunted instead of the hunters. They were 23 games unbeaten before they suffered their first loss last year with just three regular-season games remaining. This is their third loss this season, second at home, and their third consecutive game without a win.

“I think we’ve got to put everything into perspective, right? Three years ago, this team was the laughing stock of the league. And last year we showed our ability to prove a lot of people wrong,” Hines said. “Winning both shield and championship doesn’t come easy, and so once you’ve achieved that, you earn respect around the league. You know, teams adapt to it. Even teams like Kansas, going to a back five and reducing the amount of space that you can play for. It’s challenging, it’s difficult, and we’ll go through those moments together.”

“Teams are playing different against us,” Moorhouse agreed. “We’re usually coming up against teams sitting back in a low block, defending for their lives. And we’ve got to figure out a way to kind of score goals against that. We were on top for the majority of the past games. And we just need to find a way to score that goal. And then maybe we can relax a little bit. And then we don’t have to chase the game in the dying minutes.”

San Diego Wave FC’s 1-0 win over NJ/NY Gotham FC tonight saw the California-based club jump the Pride in the standings. After spending nearly all of last season the start of this season in one of the top two spots, the Pride are now third in the NWSL, one point behind San Diego and five points behind Kansas City. They could drop further tomorrow night when the Washington Spirit, one point back, host the Utah Royals.


The Pride have a week to brush off this loss as they head back out west to face the Utah Royals next Friday night in Sandy, UT.

Continue Reading

Trending