The Orlando Pride began the 2024 NWSL season on a 23-game unbeaten run. They were three results away from being the first team in league history to complete a full season without a loss. However, they lost a pair of away games before returning home and defeating Seattle Reign FC 3-2 in the regular-season finale.

While the Pride have big names in their attack, it’s their defense that lifted them to unprecedented heights. The team conceded just 13 goals in their first 23 games and had 13 clean sheets. But those stellar performances have stopped over the last three games.

One of the reasons why the Pride were so successful defensively for most of the season was their ability to avoid conceding on set pieces. A primary way many teams score is through free kicks, corner kicks, and throw-ins. Through the first 23 games, the Pride didn’t give up a single goal from a set piece.

That changed when they traveled west to face the Portland Thorns. A corner kick in the 12th minute found the head of Reyna Reyes, who headed the ball towards goal from near the penalty spot. Morgan Weaver slipped behind Carrie Lawrence and Cori Dyke to touch it in and give the Thorns an early lead.

In the 55th minute, the Thorns earned a throw-in. Quick passing off the set piece saw the Thorns play through the midfield line, setting up Christine Sinclair for the second goal.

“I think it came down to, you know, a defensive set piece and a throw-in,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said after the game. “And so it’s a good opportunity for us to reflect, review the game, and make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

Unfortunately, they were unable to fix the problem. The following game against NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Pride conceded their third goal from a set piece in two games. This one came off an early corner kick when Sam Hiatt got a foot to the ball, albeit with a weak touch, and the Pride were unable to clear. It’s questionable whether there was another touch in front of goal, but it doesn’t matter as none of the defenders were able to get a piece of it.

Saturday night was the third consecutive game that the Pride conceded a set -piece goal. This one was off a throw-in in the 84th minute when nobody closed down the players on the outside, enabling Veronica Latsko to find the head of Maddie Mercado to cut the Pride’s lead to 3-2.

After conceding only 13 goals in the first 23 games, the Pride have conceded seven in the last three. Of those, four have come from set pieces when they hadn’t given up a single set-piece goal all season prior.

According to Hines, these defensive lapses come down to concentration. Against Portland, Weaver snuck behind two defenders to get on the end of a header towards goal. The Pride let the ball travel through multiple defenders before reaching the goal against Gotham and left Mercado wide open in the box Saturday night.

“The second goal comes from a defensive throw-in that, similar (to the first goal), we allow a ball to get into the box. She’s open again, free header, and it goes into the back of the net,” Hines said about Seattle’s second goal. “So these are things that we can control. It’s concentration.”

Despite Hines’ claim that the team focuses on each game individually, part of the problem might be the achievement prior to the game in Portland. The Pride clinched the NWSL Shield against the Washington Spirit on Oct. 6, securing the team’s first trophy and the top seed in the playoffs. There wasn’t much to play for other than setting more league records.

The next game is Friday night against the Chicago Red Stars with a lot more on the line. The NWSL’s playoff structure is single-game rounds, so a lapse in concentration can end your season. Additionally, the team’s primary goal this year was winning the NWSL Championship, something that’s still very much achievable.

The Pride have a big advantage in that the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds (if the team advances) will be at home. They’ve yet to lose this year at Inter&Co Stadium and Saturday night was the first time they’ve conceded multiple goals in their home stadium. The team will have to keep their concentration and return to their defensive efforts on set pieces to achieve their ultimate goal.

The Orlando Pride (18-2-6, 60 points) wrapped up their 2024 NWSL regular season with a 3-2 win over Seattle Reign FC (6-15-5, 23 points). Ally Watt and Jordyn Huitema traded goals in the first 10 minutes before Kerry Abello gave the Pride a 2-1 halftime lead. Marta made it 3-1 in the 56th minute, seemingly putting the game away. Maddie Mercado got one back in the 83rd minute, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride took all three points.

The win saw the Pride break two more league records before the postseason begins. It was their 18th win of the year — the most of any team in league history —  and they reached 60 points —  the highest point total in league history.

With the NWSL Shield wrapped up, Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made several changes to the team that lost 3-1 to NJ/NY Gotham FC on Oct. 20. Haley McCutcheon, Viviana Villacorta, Watt, and Summer Yates entered the lineup for Morgan Gautrat, Angelina, Julie Doyle, and Adriana.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke. McCutcheon and Villacorta were the defensive midfielders behind Watt, Marta, and Yates with Barbra Banda up top.

The Pride were the better team in this game and deserved to claim all three points. They held more possession and created more chances, but fell asleep multiple times in the back. The defensive unit has been the best in the league this season, but this is the third straight game in which defensive lapses cost the team goals. Regardless, the Pride scored more than they conceded, finishing the regular season on a good note.

It looked like the Pride got off to the perfect start in the second minute when Watt made a great run down the left, beating her defender to the end line. She found Banda behind the back line, who used a nifty backheel to beat Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. However, the flag went up for offside, keeping the game scoreless.

The Pride did strike first in the ninth minute when Yates played a beautiful ball from the left through the back line for Watt making a run on the far side. The forward made no mistake with the chance, opening up and placing the ball past Dickey to give the hosts an early lead.

“I just remember Summer had the ball. I think it was Summer, one of the midfielders. Summer, probably, hits it long, straight line to the goal. ‘Just make sure you put it on frame, Ally.’ That’s all that was in my head,” Watt said about her goal. “Just put it on frame. And yeah, it worked out.”

It didn’t take the visitors long to equalize, doing so in the 10th minute. A long ball by Dickey from inside her own box was flicked forward by Huitema. As Tziarra King took possession, Huitema continued her run into the box with nobody following her. King put a perfect cross in for the forward who tapped it in to even the game at 1-1.

“I think on the first goal, it’s a classic kind of what we talked about the big five moments. And the five minutes after a goal is scored is when both teams are most susceptible to be scored on again. And so I think we switched off for a second,” Abello said. “You know, they’re a really aerial dominant team, and we lost the first aerial battle, and they got in behind us. And then we were scrambling in the box. So that’s definitely something to tighten up. And we need to stay locked in in those moments.”

The Pride regained the lead in the 26th minute when Watt played a cross into the box with Yates making a run to the middle of the six and Abello to the back post. Yates shielded Veronica Latsko from reaching the ball, enabling it to reach Abello, who was shielding Emeri Adames. The left back did well to win possession and play the ball in to give the Pride a 2-1 lead. There was a long delay while the play was reviewed for a possible foul on Abello, and there was contact with the defender, but ultimately the goal counted.

“I was just trying to get in there, you know, the cross is coming in. And we’ve talked a lot about gambling in the box, having movement in the box, more numbers. And I don’t always get up in there playing left back,” Abello said. “You know, I’ve kind of got to cover some ground first, but I was in there and I just wanted to get across my defender. And the ball popped out for me and found its way into the back of the net. So, it was a very Bello goal. So, I’ve been telling people, I’m not surprised that that’s how I scored my first goal of the season. You know, better late than never.”

The Pride had a chance for a third in the 33rd minute when Banda found Watt making a run into the right side of the box. Watt had plenty of time and could see her second goal of the day as she opened herself up and aimed for the top far corner. Unfortunately, her left-footed shot sailed a little high and wide of the target.

The Reign struggled to find shots and the only one on target was their goal until the 44th minute, when Ji So-Yun cut back and took a shot from the top of the box. She had enough space but took a little too long. As a result, the ball was blocked, popping up in the air and allowing Moorhouse to make the easy catch.

That was the final first-half chance for either team as the Pride took a 2-1 lead into the break. The Pride had the advantage in possession (57%-43%), shots (11-4), shots on target (3-2), corner kicks (3-0), crosses (9-5), and passing accuracy (87%-82%) in the first 45 minutes. Most importantly, they carried a lead into the break.

Hines made one halftime change, bringing on regular starter Angelina for Villacorta.

The Pride created their first second-half chance shortly after the restart when Marta lifted the ball outside for Yates in the 47th minute. The midfielder spotted Banda making a run into the box, playing her in on goal. Dickey did well to come off her line, cutting down the angle of Banda and blocking the shot.

The Pride were able to keep possession, setting Angelina up for a shot. The midfielder’s chance was blocked and she appealed for a hand ball in the box, but referee Melinda Homa determined it wasn’t enough to point to the spot.

Marta nearly connected with Yates in the 53rd minute after receiving the ball wide from Abello. However, the defender got to the ball first, knocking it out for a corner. After the first set piece was blocked into the outside of the net, the second was cleared by the Reign.

The Pride found their third goal in the 57th minute through their captain. Receiving the ball from Sams just inside the opposing half, the Brazilian carried the ball into the final third. Rather than closing her down, the defenders chose to close off potential passes. As a result, Marta continued with the ball into the box before firing it past Dickey to make it 3-1.

“I think Marta’s goal was tremendous,” Hines said about the third conversion. “Em plays a great ball through a line, she turns, she dribbles, and she gets a great shot of goal.”

Hines made his second change and used his first substitution window in the 61st minute, replacing Marta with Adriana.

Latsko received an overlapping pass on the right in the 65th minute. She attempted a cross, but Abello got in front in time to block it. It took some time for the Pride defender to catch her breath, but she was able to continue.

The ensuing set piece went to the far post, where it met the head of Huitema. The Canadian international wasn’t able to get over the ball and it went just over the crossbar.

So-Yun made a run into the box in the 67th minute, receiving a pass near the penalty spot. The Japanese international had space for a clear shot, but she hit it directly into the arms of Moorhouse.

On the other end, the Pride created a chance when Banda made a long run towards the end line. She played it across where Angelina was approaching the penalty spot. The halftime substitute’s first touch was a shot, but it was a weak attempt that didn’t cause any trouble for Dickey.

A give-and-go near midfield between Yates and Banda in the 73rd minute resulted in the striker making a long run into the Reign box. Jordyn Bugg was the first to close her down, but Banda used her strength to get past the center back. Latsko came from the far side to defend, but Banda forced her to change directions too quickly. It looked like it would be another wonderful goal for the Zambian, but she was unable to get much on the shot, sending it to Dickey for an easy save.

Shortly after the chance, Hines made two more changes. Gautrat and Ally Lemos came into the game for McCutcheon and Yates.

Adriana took a shot at goal from distance in the 78th minute after playing Angelina and receiving it right back. It was an ambitious attempt and didn’t cause Dickey any trouble as she went down and made an easy stop.

The Reign got a goal back in the 85th minute when Latsko received a throw in and sent a long ball into the box. It looked like it would get over the head of Maddie Mercado, but the attacker did well to lean back and get her head on it. Moorhouse probably should’ve made the stop, but she was caught flat-footed and the ball snuck inside the far post, cutting the Pride lead to 3-2.

“On the second goal, it came off a throw in. So you can always look at what happened in the box,” Abello said about the goal. “But I think we need to stop that service at the start of it, at the throw in.”

Gautrat tried to put her mark on the game in the 89th minute with an excellent attempt from outside the box. It took a diving block by Dickey to prevent a fourth goal for the Pride. The ball ended up with Angelina, who put it in, but the midfielder was judged to be offside.

The Pride made their final change of the game in the fourth minute of stoppage time as Evelina Duljan came on for Watt.

With a one-goal lead, the Pride were able to keep possession in the dying moments, enabling them to see out the win. At full time, the Pride had the advantage in possession (56.4%-43.6%), shots (24-7), shots on target (9-4), corner kicks (6-2), and passing accuracy (87.2%-83.6%). Both teams ended the game with 15 crosses.

“It was so important that we had a reaction after the last two games,” Hines said. “You know, it’s an incredible season — not only to finish top of the table, but to set new records, you know, 18 wins, 60 points. That was our motivator going into this game. A lot of talk has been these last three games after winning the shield, you know, what are you playing for? And we put a big emphasis on finishing with the most points in NWSL history, most wins in NWSL history. So, we can ultimately take that record and make it difficult for anyone else to try to beat it. So I’m incredibly proud of the players, today’s performance, and throughout the season.”

The Pride lost both games on their recent two-game road trip, coming three games short of an unbeaten season. However, they finished the season 10-0-3 at home, a potentially important fact, considering they’ll host the quarterfinal round of the playoffs and if they advance, they’ll also host in the semifinal round.

On the negative side, the Pride conceded multiple goals for the third consecutive game and the first time at home this season. Prior to the two-game road trip, the Pride hadn’t conceded multiple goals in consecutive games all year. It’s a concern heading into the most important games of the season.

With the 2024 NWSL regular season now in the books, the Pride look to Friday when they host the quarterfinal round of the NWSL playoffs against an opponent to be determined in the remaining games tonight and Sunday.

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (17-2-6, 57 points) return home to face Seattle Reign FC (6-14-5, 23 points) in the season finale. This is the second time the two teams face off this season as they complete the regular season.

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

History

The Pride and Reign have met 17 times since the Pride joined the league in 2016. The Pride hold a 3-7-7 record in those meetings, with an all-time record of 2-2-4 when hosting the Reign. All meetings between the two teams have taken place in the regular season.

The most recent meeting was on May 19 at Lumen Field in Seattle. Emily Sams opened the scoring in the ninth minute and Barbra Banda doubled the advantage minutes later. However, the Reign scored on either side of halftime through Angharad James-Turner and Bethany Balcer before Banda netted the deciding goal second half, lifting her team to a 3-2 win.

The first game between the teams in 2023 occurred on July 7 at Exploria Stadium and featured one of the best performances of the year for the Pride. Julie Doyle beat her defenders and found the head of Messiah Bright in the 16th minute for the game’s lone goal as the Pride won 1-0 for their second all-time win over the Reign. On Sept. 3 in Seattle, the Pride got off to a terrible start when goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was sent off in the third minute. Carly Nelson came in and did well in relief, but Jordyn Huitema scored in the 49th minute as the Reign won 1-0. 

The teams played for the first time in 2022 on Aug. 26 in Orlando. Meggie Dougherty Howard gave the hosts the lead, and the Pride tried to hold onto that one-goal advantage, but Megan Rapinoe found Bethany Balcer for an equalizing header. The visitors pushed for a win and Rapinoe got a goal for herself two minutes into second half injury time, lifting the Reign to a 2-1 win, snapping Orlando’s seven-match unbeaten run.

The return game was on Oct. 1, 2022 at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Pride had already been eliminated from playoff contention and it looked like it as OL Reign dominated the game. Rapinoe opened the scoring just eight minutes in, Huitema doubled the hosts’ lead soon after, and Balcer made it 3-0 just past the half-hour mark. The Pride held the Reign scoreless in the second half, but fell 3-0.

The teams played twice during the 2021 season and the first game was July 24 in Orlando. The Reign scored a goal in each half, with Jess Fishlock scoring early and Tziarra King doubling the lead just after the break in a 2-0 win. On Sept. 26 in Tacoma, WA, Balcer opened the scoring early and Eugenie Le Sommer scored a brace, giving the Reign a 3-0 lead at halftime, ultimately beating the Pride by that score.

COVID canceled the teams’ meetings in 2020, but they played three times in 2019. On April 21 in Tacoma, Alanna Kennedy gave the Pride an early lead. But Balcer equalized and the teams drew 1-1. They met again on Sept. 7 in the same location. This time, the Reign took the early lead as Darian Jenkins scored twice inside the first 12 minutes. Beverly Yanez made it 3-0 soon after, effectively putting the game away early. Camila converted a late penalty but the Reign won 3-1. The final meeting that year came on Oct. 12 in Orlando. The Pride scored first through Rachel Hill, but Jenkins and Jodie Taylor gave the visitors a 2-1 lead going into halftime. Marta equalized late and the teams drew 2-2.

The first meeting in 2018 came on April 28 in Orlando. Allie Long gave the Reign a first-half lead, but Marta equalized, resulting in a 1-1 draw. On June 3, the teams met in Seattle but neither team could find the back of the net as they ended in a scoreless draw. The final meeting that year was on July 21 in Orlando. Toni Pressley gave the Pride a first-half lead but Taylor equalized with 20 minutes remaining and the teams drew for the third time that year.

The 2017 season saw the Pride and Reign play twice, first meeting on May 21 in Seattle. Yanez gave the hosts the lead just before halftime but Marta scored just after the break and the teams drew 1-1. They met again on Sept. 7 in Orlando in a game that looked to be ending scoreless but took a surprising turn. Alex Morgan gave the Pride the late lead in second-half injury time, but Fishlock equalized two minutes later and they drew 1-1.

The first-ever meeting between the two teams occurred on May 8, 2016 in Orlando. Sarah Hagen gave the Pride an early lead and Lianne Sanderson made it 2-0 late, which was the final score. The return game in Seattle was on July 23 and was the highest-scoring game between the two teams. Kim Little and Fishlock made it 2-0 Reign at halftime. Manon Melis scored a third for the hosts. Jasmyne Spencer scored, but Kendall Fletcher made it 4-1 four minutes later. A Pressley own goal and late strike by Kristen Edmonds added one more goal to each team’s tally in a 5-2 Reign win.

Overview

The last time the Pride took their home field was on Oct. 6. The 2-0 win over the Washington Spirit clinched the NWSL Shield, giving the Pride their first-ever trophy and the top seed in the playoffs. They were 23 games unbeaten on the season before heading out on a two-game road trip.

Unfortunately, things fell apart for the Pride in their two most recent games. On Oct. 11, they fell 2-0 to the Portland Thorns in a game celebrating Christine Sinclair’s career. They followed that with arguably their worst performance of the season in New Jersey, falling 3-1 to NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Since the Pride had already clinched the top seed in the postseason, they couldn’t lose anything in those games other than the chance for the NWSL’s first unbeaten season. Tonight, they return home, where they remain unbeaten since Aug. 25, 2023 when they lost 2-1 to San Diego Wave FC. While the result won’t impact their place in the standings, they’ll want to end the regular season with momentum heading into the team’s first playoff appearance since 2017.

Tonight’s opponent has had a tough season. The Reign have had their worst campaign since 2013, the club’s inaugural season. They finished in the top four each of the past five seasons and in the top five in each of the past nine seasons. However, they’re currently in 12th and won’t qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2017.

It’s been a struggle offensively and defensively for Seattle this season. They’ve only scored 25 goals this year — fourth fewest in the league — and conceded a league-high 41 goals. Their 2-1 win over the Houston Dash on Oct. 18 broke a five-game losing streak and they’ll be looking to end the season on a high.

The most goals scored by a single Reign player through 23 games is three, a number reached by Ji So-Yun and Veronica Latsko. So-Yun also leads the team with three assists this year, a number she shares with Fishlock. Both players recorded assists when these teams met back in May.

Last week was an international break, which helped the teams heading into this game. Both had multiple regular starters away on international duty and the break allowed them to return for the regular-season finale. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said the break was also a positive for his non-internationals.

“I would go back and say it’s probably come at a good time, the international break,” he said. “Obviously, we’ve got players representing their countries, which is amazing. But for the players who stayed here, giving them that time to reset, take in what they’ve achieved so far this year, and go after the game on Saturday against Seattle. Hopefully we’ll get a good turnout, a lot of fans out there to go out and support this team, who have achieved so much this year.”

The Pride will play tonight without Rafaelle (thigh), Megan Montefusco (heel), Luana (illness), Simone Charley (ankle), and Grace Chanda (thigh). Additionally, Carson Pickett (thigh) and Julie Doyle (illness) are listed as questionable.

Seattle will be without Ryanne Brown (knee), Quinn (head), and Olivia Van der Jagt (excused absence). Meanwhile, Ainsley McCammon (USA) is at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, Cori Dyke.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Viviana Villacorta.

Midfielders: Summer Yates, Marta, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Celia, Adriana, Carrie Lawrence, Morgan Gautrat, Ally Lemos, Angelina, Evelina Duljan, Brianna Martinez.

Seattle Reign FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Claudia Dickey.

Defenders: Hanna Glas, Lauren Barnes, Jordyn Bugg, Veronica Latsko.

Defensive Midfielders: Ji So-Yun, Olivia Athens,

Midfielders: Emeri Adames, Nerilia Mondesir, Tziarra King.  

Forwards: Jordyn Huitema.

Bench: Laurel Ivory, Angharad James-Turner, Nikki Stanton, Julia Lester, Jaelin Howell, Phoebe McClernon, Shae Holmes, Maddie Mercado, Ana Maria Crnogorcevic.

Referees

REF: Melinda Homa.
AR1: Ben Rigel.
AR2: Salma Perez.
4TH: Alejo Calume.
VAR: Danielle Chesky.
AVAR: Tom Felice.

How to Watch

Match Time: 5 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: ION.

Streaming: None.

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

Enjoy the match. Go Pride!