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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

3 years ago

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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.

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

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

Published

3 days ago

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May 16, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published

4 days ago

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May 16, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

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

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

History

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

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Projected Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

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

Defensive Midfielders: Angelina, Ally Lemos.

Attacking Midfielders: Summer Yates, Julie Doyle, Marta.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

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

Goalkeeper: Abby Smith.

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

Defensive Midfielders: Devin Lynch, Delanie Sheehan.

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

Forward: Melissa Kossler.

Referees

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

How to Watch

Match Time: 8:45 p.m.

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

TV: Ion.

Streaming: None.

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

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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

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

Published

1 week ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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