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Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars: Final Score 1-1 as Pride Draw Third Straight

The Pride claimed their third straight result with a 1-1 draw against the Chicago Red Stars.

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4 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride (0-0-3, 3 points) tied their third straight game to start the 2024 NWSL season with a 1-1 draw against the Chicago Red Stars (2-0-1, 7 points). An Angelina corner kick was headed in by Taylor Malham for an own goal in the 21st minute and Mallory Swanson struck in the 64th minute to equalize. 

The Pride welcomed back a pair of regular starters for this game as Emily Sams returned from an illness and Kylie Strom from a red card suspension. Head Coach Seb Hines made three changes to the team that drew 1-1 with Angel City FC last weekend in the home opener. In addition to Sams and Strom, Luana returned to the starting lineup in place of Haley McCutcheon, Celia, and Julie Doyle.

“I think they did great last week and I think it just shows too how versatile we are,” Sams said about the lineup changes. “And, you know, we have that depth. So good on us and good for the players that are stepping in and seamlessly filling those roles and doing well.”

The back four in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Brianna Martinez, Sams, Strom, and Kerry Abello. Morgan Gautrat and Luana were the defensive midfielders behind Adriana, Marta, and Angelina with Ally Watt alone up top for the second consecutive game.

The Pride dominated large portions of this game, possessing the ball for more time and creating many more chances than the opposition. However, they had problems breaking down the Red Stars’ low block and their lack of finishing was detrimental, keeping the visitors in the game. Rather than building a multi-goal lead, they kept a one-goal advantage until the Red Stars found an equalizer in the second half.

The visitors had the first decent attack in the third minute when Swanson won the ball on the left and dribbled towards the end line. Ally Schlegel, Abello, and Moorhouse arrived at the ball in the six-yard box at the same time, colliding together. While Schlegel and Abello got up, Moorhouse remained down holding the back of her head. However, the Pride goalkeeper passed the concussion test and was able to continue.

The Pride had their first good chance in the 14th minute when Marta’s shot from the top of the box was blocked. Luana quickly won it back and her deflected pass ended up with Angelina. The Brazilian shot from just outside of the box, but the attempt was over the crossbar.

In the 18th minute, Chicago was awarded a free kick when Martinez knocked Nadia Gomes down from behind. The set piece into the mixer bounced around before it was laid back for Cari Roccaro just outside the box. However, the midfielder sent the shot over the crossbar for a goal kick.

The Pride converted in the 21st minute when Malham knocked the ball out for a corner kick. Angelina sent the ball to the near post, where Alyssa Naeher, Malham, and Watt were converging. It looked as though Naeher was there to punch it away, but Malham got her head to it first. Unfortunately for the Red Stars left back, the ball went off the top of her head and in for an own goal, giving the Pride their first lead of the 2024 NWSL season.

“I think that’s what we want. We want to obviously take the game to the opponent,” Gautrat said about taking the lead for the first time this season. “And for us, I think we have a lot of new players that are starting to gel together even more and figuring out what we like and what we don’t like and how each other plays. And I think scoring goals in this league is the hardest thing to do. So for us, I feel like for us to go up was great and then to feel that I think is what we want every single game. But obviously heading into these next games, I feel like it’s hopefully going to just click for us to score more goals.”

It was also the third consecutive goal scored by the Pride from a set piece, a first in team history. In the season opener in Louisville, a late free kick was flicked on for Summer Yates, who put in the equalizer. Last weekend, an Angelina corner was converted by Marta, and it was Angelina’s set piece tonight that resulted in the record-setting goal.

The hosts almost doubled their lead three minutes later when Marta sent a dangerous ball into the Red Stars’ box. Sam Staab was the first to the cross and her clearance attempt was headed towards the goal, but went wide of the post.

In the 26th minute, Adriana found space to send an excellent cross into the Chicago box. The ball was aimed for Watt’s head and the forward was nearly able to redirect it on goal, but the ball was just over her head.

A minute later, Angelina laid the ball back for Marta just outside of the box. The Pride captain took a shot that went just over the crossbar. The Pride players appealed for a corner, claiming Naeher tipped it, but referee Anya Voigt awarded a goal kick.

Chicago had a great chance to equalize in the 30th minute when Schlegel got behind Strom. Sent through by Julia Bianchi, the forward had an open shot on goal, but sent the attempt straight to the chest of Moorhouse, enabling the Pride goalkeeper to make an easy stop.

The Pride were definitely the better team in the first half, with more possession (57.2%-42.8%), shots (9-5), corner kicks (6-0), crosses (11-3), and passing accuracy (85.1%-80.3%). However, each team only had one shot on target and an own goal was the difference in the first 45 minutes.

Hines made a halftime substitution and it wasn’t a surprising one. Martinez had a difficult first half and was replaced by regular starting right back McCutcheon.

Chicago had more attacking chances to start the second half, keeping the ball in the Pride half. However, the Red Stars were unable to create any good opportunities from their possession. The first shot for the visitors came in the 56th minute, when the ball ended up with Bike just outside of the box, but the midfielder’s shot was soft and right into the arms of Moorhouse.

On the other end, Marta collected the ball at the top of the Red Stars’ box and attempted to double the Pride lead by curling the ball around Naeher and inside the far post. However, she couldn’t get around the ball enough, sending it wide.

Little happened in the early minutes of the second half, but Chicago found its equalizer in the 64th minute. The play started deep in the Red Stars’ half as the visitors carefully worked the ball up the right. A crucial missed tackle by Sams near the Pride box opened space for Bike to find Swanson entering the 18. The USWNT attacker controlled the ball and quickly shot for the far post, getting the ball around Moorhouse and inside the far post to even the game at 1-1.

“I think maybe it was just the way they came out. I think a 1-0 lead is fragile,” Sams said about Chicago’s attack early in the second half. “So I think, as I said, we’ve just got to come out and protect that as best we can. I think we knew they were going to press a little bit harder. So I think the 1-0 lead, we’ve got to protect that and so I think we just got to figure out how to come out faster and harder.”

Hines made his second substitution shortly after the goal, replacing Watt with Doyle.

In the 71st minute, Luana was booked for taking down halftime substitute Jameese Joseph. That was the last action by the defensive midfielder as she was immediately replaced by Yates.

The Pride had a quick succession of shots in the 76th minute when Marta sent Yates through. Her shot to the near post was blocked by Naeher, but only to Doyle in front of goal. Natalia Kuikka blocked that shot, which went directly behind Doyle to Adriana. The Brazilian’s first touch was another shot, but Kuikka did well to get up and block the third attempt, keeping the score at 1-1.

A minute later, Marta sent a long ball for Yates, who had gotten behind Kuikka. The defender lowered her shoulder into the second-year midfielder and Yates went down. Voigt allowed play to continue and the video assistant referee took a look at it when the ball next went out of play. After a lengthy review, Voigt was called to the monitor to check on a possible red card on Kuikka for denial of a goal scoring opportunity. As if the stoppage of play wasn’t long enough, Voigt was at the monitor for an unusually long amount of time reviewing the play. When it was all said and done, the referee determined that it wasn’t a red card.

“I think it’s, especially with VAR, sometimes it’s an emotional roller coaster, because what we see on the field and then obviously the referee has to make a decision and it was a longer stoppage of play, which sometimes people get cold but you have to stay focused,” Gautrat said about the extended review. “And obviously this one didn’t go our way unfortunately, but for us it was just whenever the call that was made, we have to focus and we have to push through.”

Play continued with a Red Stars throw in and they immediately created a chance. After the initial throw by Staab was blocked, she sent a cross into the box that found the head of Ally Cook. The header was towards goal, but over the crossbar.

Largely due to the extended review, Voigt added 10 minutes to the second half. Halfway through stoppage time, the Pride had a chance when Stabb fouled Adriana, resulting in a booking. Angelina took the set piece, which found the head of Adriana near the six-yard box, but the attempt was into the arms of Naeher.

Just before the set piece, Hines made his final change of the game, bringing Amanda Allen on for Gautrat.

In the final minute of stoppage time, Marta was fouled by Sarah Griffith just outside of the box. Angelina lifted the free kick and Doyle put it on goal, but Naeher was there to make the stop. That was the final attempt by either team as the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

At full time, the Pride led most statistical categories. They had more possession (59.2%-40.8%), shots (21-9), corners (6-2), crosses (19-16), and passing accuracy (85.6%-79,4%). Meanwhile, both teams put three shots on target.

“I felt that we controlled the majority of the game. I thought we got into some really good areas. I think the last part of that is to get more shots on frame and make the goalkeeper work a little bit harder,” Hines said about the performance. “But overall, I was pleased with the attitude, the desire to go and try and win the game. Chicago were coming into this game top of the table, two games and six points. So we knew that was going to be a difficult game. We knew that they were going to be stubborn and trying to have us break them down. But, you know, it’s defined by fine margins and we continue to grow and, you know, we’re still unbeaten. So you take the positives and we move forward and look forward to the next game.”

The main takeaway from the game was the missed chances by the Pride. Chicago deployed a low block, staying behind the ball and forcing the Pride to take low-percentage shots. As a result, the Pride only put three of their 21 shots on target, enabling the Red Stars to stay in the game.

“They have to reward themselves by putting the ball in the goal or getting the shots off,” Hines said about how to approach such a situation. “We get into really good areas. And it’s hard, you know, it’s really hard to break down a low block when they’ve got so many bodies behind the ball. It’s you almost asking for perfection at times and so we just keep continuing that message.”

While this game will be seen as two points lost, th Pride have now claimed points in all three games this season. They’ve also had all-around better performances week to week. As Hines said, the goal now is to figure out how to put teams away when they dominate possession and chances to take maximum points.

The Pride will have an extended break before they take the field again on April 12 in Utah. Their next home game will be the following weekend against the San Diego Wave.

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NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup: Growing the Game

A look at how this Summer Cup contributes to the growth of women’s soccer in North America.

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2 days ago

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July 24, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium, the Orlando Pride (0-0-1, 1 point) play their first-ever competitive fixture against an international opponent, Rayadas de Monterrey (0-1-0, 0 points). This match is part of the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, a short tournament featuring teams from the U.S. and Mexico during a break in NWSL league play for the Olympics.

While the American teams are already 4-0 against Mexican opponents, the Pride should not overlook Monterrey, the 2024 Liga MX Femenil Clausura Champions, especially not when many key Pride players are away with their respective national teams. Later in the week, The Mane Land’s Sean Rollins will publish a preview of the match details, storylines, lineup predictions, and more for this match. Today’s piece will instead show how this relatively modest tournament during the Olympic break demonstrates, and contributes to, the overall growth of women’s soccer in North America.

The Summer Cup is the first time that Liga MX Femenil and NWSL clubs have met competitively, but the leagues, and their respective national soccer federations, already have shared history. In the early 2010s, after the folding of the previous professional women’s soccer league in the U.S., the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) sought to create a more sustainable model for the sport. To do so, the USSF planned to allocate U.S. Women’s National Team players to NWSL clubs and pay their salaries to reduce costs and ensure domestic talent stayed home.

Without domestic professional leagues of their own, the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) and the Federation of Mexican Football (FMF) joined the USSF in this effort, and more than 50 national team players from the three nations were allocated to the first eight NWSL clubs. While this framework is no longer used for the NWSL, it was critical for the early success of the league and strengthened ties between the North American federations.

As the NWSL grew in talent and popularity, it also demonstrated the viability of professional women’s soccer to its neighbors. After three years of allocating players to the NWSL, the FMF founded its own professional league in 2017, the Liga MX Femenil, composed solely of clubs affiliated with a Liga MX club from the men’s side. Canada, with the backing of big names such as Canadian national team legend Christine Sinclair, is following suit, with a plan to play the first season of an as-of-yet unnamed Canadian professional league in 2025. 

The growth of women’s soccer in North America isn’t just an abstract benefit for the Orlando Pride. It is leading to new competitions, more matches, and more fans. With a growing international soccer ecosystem, Concacaf will be hosting the inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup beginning in just under a month. This competition will feature 11 clubs from seven countries and run from August to May, including a winter break. The San Diego Wave, Portland Thorns, and Seattle Reign FC will represent the NWSL in the first iteration of the cup, based on their performance in 2023. Orlando can qualify for the next cup if the Pride continue to play as they have so far this season and win the NWSL Championship or finish in the top two positions in the table.

The one constant for women’s soccer in the U.S. over the years has been change, and more is coming domestically as well. It was announced earlier this year that the United Soccer League (USL) would be applying for professional, division one status for its new league, the USL Super League, slated to kick off this fall. Orlando will soon have a new neighbor, as Tampa Bay Sun FC will be one of the eight founding clubs. The club roster also features two players — Jordyn Listro and Erika Tymrak — from the 2023 Pride roster.

While some fans might be worried about domestic competition diluting the available talent pool or fan attention, Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter sees it differently.

“I think that the USL Super League is a fantastic opportunity for more players in the United States and overseas to be able to come and play here,” she said at the preseason season ticket member open practice in the spring. “There’s just going to be more opportunities, and more opportunities for American players is fantastic. But it also gives us the opportunity to widen the net of athletes that we’re looking at.” 

In the same way that the growth of Liga MX Femenil in recent years has led to the Summer Cup and the Concacaf W Champions Cup, it seems possible, even likely, that the formation of the USL Super League will lead to new domestic competitions, potentially similar to the U.S. Open Cup for the men’s leagues.

Fans of the NWSL should take some personal pride in the growth of the women’s game in the U.S. and abroad. The quality of the product on the field and the number of fans attending games has demonstrated the appetite for women’s soccer in this country and in this hemisphere. This growth is also leading to more opportunities for NWSL clubs, starting with the ongoing NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup and continuing to even bigger things. Rest assured that this Saturday may be the first time Orlando plays a competitive fixture against an international opponent, but it will not be the last.

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Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage, NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup: Final Score 1-1 as Pride Claim a Point

The Pride drew the North Carolina Courage 1-1 to open the Summer Cup but lost 5-4 in the penalty shootout.

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5 days ago

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July 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride (0-0-1, 1 point) opened the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup with a 1-1 draw against the North Carolina Courage (0-0-1, 2 points) in Cary, NC. The hosts took the lead just before halftime through Manaka Matsukubo, and Celia equalized in the 82nd minute. The Courage then won the postgame penalty shootout, 5-4, to claim a second point.

The Pride lost six starters from the team’s 2-1 win over the Kansas City Current on July 6 to the Summer Olympics in Paris, including Rafaelle, Emily Sams, Angelina, Marta, Adriana, and Barbra Banda. Additionally, starting goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was called up by the England Women’s National Team. As a result, there were significant changes to the team for the start of the tournament.

The back line in front of goalkeeper McKinley Crone was Celia, Kylie Strom, Carrie Lawrence, and Bri Martinez. Haley McCutcheon and Morgan Gautrat were the defensive midfielders behind Julie Doyle, Summer Yates, and Amanda Allen with Ally Watt up top.

The fact that the Pride had far more absences than the Courage was apparent in this game. While the Pride dominated most of the previous game in North Carolina, the Courage controlled this one. Crone had a great performance filling in for Moorhouse and kept the game close. The hosts took a deserved lead shortly before halftime and probably should’ve been up more. But the Pride took advantage of their good fortune by finding a late equalizer and taking a point home.

Between the regular season and the Summer Cup, North Carolina has only failed to take three points in a home match twice — both times in draws against Orlando.

The Courage had the first chance of the game in the sixth minute when Ashley Sanchez took the opportunity to shoot from outside of the box. The forward was aiming for the far post and it was close enough for Crone to dive, but the attempt skipped wide.

In the 12th minute, Narumi Miura found Sanchez on her right. After shooting earlier in the game, the forward looked for a teammate during this attack. Matsukubo got her head to the ball, but couldn’t redirect it on target, popping it up and enabling Crone to make the save.

The Courage had a dangerous opportunity in the 17th minute when Yates turned the ball over near midfield. Sanchez darted the other way and found Tyler Lussi on her right. The attacker carried the ball outside and attempted a shot, but Celia was there to block it.

The hosts had a great chance to take the lead in the 24th minute when a bad pass by Strom enabled Lussi to send a long ball forward for Matsukubo. The forward brought it down well and played it forward for Meredith Speck, who got behind Martinez. Fortunately, Crone did well to come off of her line and snatch the ball off of Speck’s foot, ending the attack and keeping the game scoreless.

After sending her teammate through in the previous attack, Matsukubo had her own chance for the opener in the 26th minute when Sanchez sent a great ball to the top of the six-yard box. The forward got her head to the cross and redirected it towards goal, but sent it just over the top.

In the 31st minute, Lussi was sent behind the Pride back line from a long ball out of the back. The attacker was the first to it and it looked like she would have a breakaway, but Lawrence did well to get her body on the forward. The center back put just enough pressure on the attacker to force the shot off target.

In the 32nd minute, Lussi’s shot from the right side of the box was blocked out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece by Malia Berkely found an open Sanchez. With plenty of time, the U.S. international controlled the ball and shot. Fortunately, it was deflected over the top.

Berkely took another corner kick from the other side and the ball bounced dangerously around the six-yard box, but Crone was eventually able to grab it and clear the danger.

The rain started to come down hard around the 35th minute and it seemed to help the Pride more than the Courage. After playing the entire first 35 minutes behind the ball, Orlando finally started to gain some possession in the opposing third of the field.

The Pride finally got their first shot of the game in the 40th minute when Watt laid the ball off for Yates about 30 yards from goal. The attacking midfielder made a nice move to lose Sanchez and shot from outside of the box, but Miura got in front of the attempt and blocked it.

In the 43rd minute, McCutcheon made an overlapping run around Doyle and the attacking midfielder played her down the left. Watt and Allen were in the six-yard box, but McCutcheon’s cross was a little too close to Courage goalkeeper Marisa Bova. The shot stopper briefly juggled the ball but was able to collect it.

A minute later, the hosts took the lead. A quality give-and-go between Ryan Williams and Sanchez sent Williams towards the end line on the right. Speck made a near post run that opened space for Matsukubo to run into. A perfectly placed ball by Williams made it an easy tap-in for Matsukubo to give the Courage the lead.

The fourth official showed four minutes of stoppage time and the Courage wanted to use that time to add to their advantage. In the third minute, Riley Jackson played the ball wide for Williams. The right back sent a dangerous ball across the face of the goal, but nobody in blue was able to get on the end of it.

The Courage had the last chance of the half in the final seconds. Speck sent a shot towards goal that went off the hand of Lawrence, giving the hosts a free kick just outside the 18-yard box. Sanchez stepped up to take the set piece and sent an excellent attempt towards the far post. It was around the wall and appeared to be heading in, but Crone did well to dive to her left and pushed it away with both hands.

After the first 45 minutes, the Courage had significantly more possession (64%-36%) as well as more shots (7-2) and shots on target (2-0).

The Courage began the second half the way they ended the first half. In the 49th minute, Kaleigh Kurtz sent a dangerous ball across the face of the goal but nobody was there to get on the end of it. Seconds later, Sanchez and Jackson played a give-and-go that sent Sanchez into the box. The forward shot on goal, but it was right at Crone and the Pride goalkeeper caught it to keep the deficit at one.

In the 51st minute, quick passing between Kurtz and Jackson sent Sanchez down the right side of the box. The forward was looking for her teammates making runs into the six, but her pass was deflected into the arms of Crone.

The first second-half attack for the Pride came in the 54th minute when Doyle found herself with the ball dribbling into the Courage box. Two defenders were in front of the midfielder as she used some moves to find some space for a shot. Unfortunately, she was well defended and her shot was easily blocked.

Lussi had a chance from distance in the 57th minute when Matsukubo used her chest to send Speck forward towards the top of the box. Laying it off for Lussi enabled the forward to take a long-distance shot. The Pride let her shoot from about 25 yards out and, while the shot was on target, it went straight to Crone.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made his first change in the 58th minute. Rookie Ally Lemos entered the game for Gautrat, providing the Pride with some much-needed fresh legs.

The Pride nearly found an equalizer in the 59th minute when Doyle was sent towards the top of the box on the right. Doyle took a hard shot that beat Bova, but bounced off the crossbar. Watt collected it on the other side and sent a ball into the six-yard box that couldn’t find any teammates.

The Courage had a great chance of their own in the 61st minute when Matsukubo sent the ball wide for Williams. The right back sent a great ball into the box with Jackson and Speck making runs into the six. The two appeared to run into each other as the ball sailed through, going out of play.

Celia provided a good opportunity for the Courage in the 62nd minute when she unnecessarily fouled Olivia Wingate just outside of the Pride box, earning a yellow card for the challenge. Sanchez took the set piece with Wingate and Speck in the six, nearly connecting with both of them. Fortunately, neither could get on the end of it and the Pride were able to clear.

In the 66th minute, Watt carried the ball to the end line on the right and sent a cross that hit the side netting. Hines used the stoppage to make his second and third changes, as Mariana Larroquette and Alex Kerr came into the game for Allen and Yates.

Shortly after entering the game in the 69th minute, Haley Hopkins had Martinez tugging at her shirt as she dribbled over the midfield stripe towards her own goal. Martinez went down and appeared to be in severe pain as she received attention on the ground. The right back required help coming off the field as she was unable to put any weight on her left leg.

Since Martinez needed to leave the game and it was the final available window for substitutions, Hines made two changes in the 73rd minute. Martinez and Doyle were replaced by Claire Winter — signed on Thursday as a national team replacement player — and Evelina Duljan. For Duljan, a young Swedish international, it was her Pride debut.

In the 76th minute, Watt was sent wide and played a great play into the box. Larroquette was making a run and nearly reached it before Bova, but the Courage goalkeeper got there first. While she struggled to control it, no other Pride players were nearby and the hosts were able to clear.

The Courage got the ball out of the box, but they soon lost possession and Duljan got a chance on the other side. The substitute found space to take a shot from a tight angle, but Bova blocked it out of play for a corner kick.

The ensuing set piece went through the box for Watt on the far side. The Pride forward shot for the near post, but hit the outside of the net.

Jackson bumped into Duljan in the 81st minute and the young attacker went down, earning the Pride a free kick. Lemos sent the set piece into the box, which appeared to be handled by the defense. However, they were unable to clear the ball further than the top of the box. Duljan was there to collect and shot for the far post. It beat Bova, but Miura was there to clear it off the line.

Miura was just trying to keep the ball from crossing the line, but her clearance gave Celia possession on the right side of the six-yard box for an open shot. Despite the tight angle, the right back put the chance in the back of the net to even the game at 1-1.

The Courage came close to retaking the lead in the 83rd minute when one-touch passing by several players resulted in Jackson sending Wingate behind the Pride back line. Crone did well to get down and make the save on the second-half substitute. The ball continued rolling toward the goal and Lawrence cleared it away before it got there.

Williams received the ball on the right in the 87th minute and sent a dangerous ball towards the penalty spot. Victoria Pickett and Miura were there to get on the end of it, with Pickett taking the shot, but Lemos got in front and blocked the attempt.

In the first minute of stoppage time, a dangerous ball into the box found Miura and the Japanese international turned to shoot, but Strom was there to deflect it out for a corner kick. Brianna Pinto took the ensuing set piece, which the Pride were able to handle. That was the final chance for either team as the game ended 1-1.

North Carolina dominated most of the game and it took a great performance by Crone to claim a point. The Courage had more possession (64.2%-35.8%), shots (16-8), shots on target (6-2), and corners kicks (4-2), but Celia’s 82nd-minute strike ensured the Pride would get a point for the second time in North Carolina this season.

“Overall in terms of the game, we’re very pleased to come (out of) here with a point,” Hines said about the game. “There’s no hiding in it, we’ve got a lot of players away on international duty. North Carolina didn’t have that case, so they were a little bit more fluid with how they played. You could see those connections, that team chemistry, which took us a bit. But fair play to the players to come here one-nil down and have the desire and the character to come back and score the goal. It’s brilliant to see. And we continue that momentum that we had in the league into the tournament now.”

“I thought, for us, it was a really good point,” Gautrat said. “It’s hard fought on the road, a lot of people got minutes, which is great, and obviously we’re using every person on our team, which I think is huge and pays dividends in the length of the season. And, for us, it’s a good point and a good time to try and get some penalty kick shootout practice. So yeah, I think that’s a good point.”

While both teams gained a point in the new NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup competition, the game went directly to penalties to see who got a second point.

After Larroquette barely got her shot beyond the reach of Bova to give the Pride the early lead, Crone knocked Riley’s shot off the post and the Pride had a 1-0 advantage after one round. All eight penalty takers converted in the subsequent four rounds, enabling Celia — the Pride’s lone goal scorer during the 90 minutes — to step up with a chance to end it. However, Bova guessed correctly, diving to her right to save the attempt and keep the Courage alive.

Pinto converted her attempt to keep the shootout going and McCutcheon stepped up to give the Pride the advantage. But it was a poor attempt by the defensive midfielder, enabling Bova to make an easy save.

Now it was North Carolina’s chance to win the shootout and former Pride midfielder Dani Weatherholt stepped up with an opportunity to end the contest. She was aiming to the right side of the goal — the same side Crone dove to. Similar to McCutcheon’s shot, it was at a good height and position for Crone to block it away.

Duljan took the seventh attempt for the Pride and became the only player in the shootout to miss. She was looking for the right side and Bova dove in that direction, but the ball sailed wide of the post. Miura stepped up with a chance to end the game and sent her shot to the left. Crone guessed correctly again and got her hand to the ball, but the shot had too much power and the Courage won the shootout 5-4 in seven rounds to take the extra point.

“I think the experience of a shootout was one we haven’t experienced ever, so having gone through that, it gives the players that sort of experience going forward,” Hines said. “You can’t replicate a shootout, as much as you can practice putting the pressure on, you just can’t do that in training. I thought the players dealt with it well.”

While the Pride will be disappointed to lose the extra point, there are positives to take away from the game. Several players that have seen few, if any, minutes gained valuable experience in a competitive environment. It’s something that will be beneficial down the stretch of the regular season.

“I think you could see that there were some players who hadn’t played significant minutes during the season,” Hines said. “Also coming after a mandatory break and the travel. I hate making excuses, because that’s a cop-out. But for us, we wanted to stay the same and we wanted to have that same identity regardless who was on the field for us. And I think looking back it’s a good result for us and a lot to continue to work on throughout this time.”

While the Pride were unable to win the shootout, the draw extends their unbeaten run this season to 17 games in all competitions.

The other game in Group E saw Racing Louisville beat CF Monterrey Femenil 3-1 in Kentucky. As a result, the Pride sit in third place after the first round of group games, one point behind the Courage and two points behind Louisville.

The Pride will take the field next on Saturday when they welcome Monterrey to Orlando for the club’s first game against a foreign opponent.

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Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride begin the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup away to the North Carolina Courage.

Published

6 days ago

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July 20, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride return to action tonight as they begin the inaugural NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup away to the North Carolina Courage. This is the third time the two teams will meet this season, but the first in this tournament.

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

History

The Pride and Courage have played 25 times since the Western New York Flash moved to North Carolina and became the Courage in 2017. The Pride are 6-13-6 in those games (6-10-2 in the NWSL regular season, 0-0-2 in the Fall Series, and 0-3-2 in the NWSL Challenge Cup).

The most recent meeting between the two teams was on June 15 in Cary, NC. The Pride were the better team on the night with more possession, shots, and shots on target, but the game ended in a scoreless draw. While they were disappointed with the result, the Pride were the first — and so far, only — team to take points in North Carolina this season. On May 1 in Orlando, Barbra Banda and Ally Watt started up top together for the first time, a move that paid off in the game. Banda set up Watt for the opener in the first half, and Watt repaid the favor just over 10 minutes later, as the Pride went up 2-0. Julie Doyle added a goal just before halftime, giving the Pride a commanding lead. Emily Sams’ own goal was the only scoring for the Courage and Banda’s second of the night gave the Pride a 4-1 win.

The first game between the Pride and Courage in 2023 was on April 19 in Orlando. The Pride took the lead after halftime when Summer Yates set up Watt for the opening goal, but Denise O’Sullivan equalized in the ninth minute of second-half injury time, resulting in a 1-1 draw. On June 17 in North Carolina it was all Courage. Kerolin and Meredith Speck gave the hosts a 2-0 lead before a Haley McCutcheon own goal made it 3-0 to North Carolina.

The Pride didn’t show up for the July 29 Challenge Cup contest in North Carolina, getting demolished by the Courage. Brittany Ratcliffe and Malia Berkely gave the hosts a 2-0 halftime lead before Frankie Tagliaferri made it three, and a late brace by Haley Hopkins completed the 5-0 result. The Pride finally got a win on Sept. 17, 2023 at home. Watt got the Pride off to a great start, scoring inside the first minute. After assisting on the first goal, Adriana doubled the lead before halftime. Manaka Matsukubo got one back for the visitors, but it wasn’t enough and the Pride won 2-1.

The first meeting in 2022 came on May 18 in North Carolina. The Pride got off to a great start in that game, with Sydney Leroux scoring early. Mikayla Cluff doubled the lead with her first professional goal. A late goal by Brianna Pinto got the Courage back within one, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride took the 2-1 win. On Sept. 21, 2022 at Exploria Stadium, it was the Courage that got off to the better start when Debinha scored in the second minute. The Brazilian then assisted Tess Boade in first-half injury time to double the lead, and later added another, dooming the Pride to a 3-0 defeat.

The Pride and Courage were placed in the same division for the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup, so the teams played twice before the regular season started. The first game was on March 26 in North Carolina. Merritt Mathias converted a penalty after Gunny Jonsdottir was called for a handball in the box, lifting the hosts to a 1-0 win. The return match in the tournament took place on April 16 in Orlando. The Courage got off to a fast start, scoring three goals in the first nine minutes. Darian Jenkins netted a brace to make it 3-2, but a late Debinha goal put the game away and North Carolina won 4-2.

The teams played three times during the 2021 NWSL season. On May 22 in North Carolina, goals by Leroux and Alex Morgan gave the Pride a 2-0 lead late into the game. Jessica McDonald scored late to pull one back but the Pride held on for a 2-1 win. On July 4 in Orlando, Debinha and Havana Solaun goals helped the Courage take home a 2-0 win. The final game came on July 31 in North Carolina. Leroux opened the scoring but Brittany Ratcliffe equalized moments later and the teams drew 1-1.

The two teams were also matched up in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup but they only played once in that tournament. Neither team was able to find the back of the net in that game in a scoreless draw.

Similar to the Challenge Cup, the teams were in the same group of the 2020 Fall Series, meeting twice. The first was on Sept. 19 in North Carolina and ended in a scoreless draw. The second was on Oct. 17 at Exploria Stadium. Led by a Debinha brace, the Courage went up 3-0. But the Pride came back with goals by Marisa Viggiano, Kristen Edmonds, and Ally Haran for an exciting 3-3 draw.

The Pride and Courage played three times during the 2019 season. The first game was on April 17 in North Carolina. The Courage took a 1-0 lead into halftime but scored four times in the second half to win 5-0. They played a second time on June 1 in Orlando. Again, it was a dominant performance by the Courage as the Pride fell 3-0. The final meeting that year was another thrashing by North Carolina. The Pride got a goal in that one but still fell 6-1.

The teams also met three times in 2018 but the results were much closer. On May 23 in Orlando, goals by Alanna Kennedy and Rachel Hill saw the Pride come back from a 3-1 deficit. But McDonald scored a winner in the 90th minute and the Courage won 4-3. The Pride went down by three goals in the final two games that season, but were unable to come back and fell 3-0 in both contests.

The 2017 season saw the teams meet for the first time. The Courage took the first game 3-1 on April 29 in North Carolina. They played a second time two weeks later in Orlando when the Pride took the 3-1 win. The final meeting in 2017 came in the final game of the season on Sept. 30. The Pride took a 2-0 lead but the Courage came back to even it at 2-2. It looked headed for a draw until Kennedy netted a late winner, leading the Pride to a 3-2 win.

Overview

The Pride are having their best season in club history, going undefeated through 16 games. The most recent match was a clash between the only two unbeaten teams in the NWSL in Kansas City. The Pride showed they were better than the Current, winning 2-1 despite being down a player for the second half after Carrie Lawrence was sent off just before halftime.

While the NWSL has played through international tournaments in the past, the league is taking a break for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. It’s beneficial for the Pride, as they’ll be missing fiveof their most important players. Captain Marta, leading scorer Banda, playmaker Adriana, starting center back Rafaelle, and starting defender Sams are all at the tournament, joined by Angelina and new signing Grace Chanda. Rather than risking losing their unbeaten run, the Summer Cup will provide Head Coach Seb Hines with the ability to get meaningful minutes for less-used players who can help down the stretch.

The Courage also have players away at the Olympics, but fewer essentials than the Pride. Starting goalkeeper Casey Murphy is with the United States and starting left back Feli Rauch is with Germany. Additionally, 2023 NWSL Most Valuable Player Kerolin was selected by Brazil, despite tearing her ACL in last year’s season finale. The Courage will still be difficult to beat as the Pride’s draw in June is still the only time they’ve dropped points at home.

“Obviously, we’ve got a lot of players who are representing their country, which is massive for us as a team but also for the club. It’s not the same case for North Carolina, so they’ve only got I think three players missing from their current squad, which will be a challenge for us,” Hines said about tonight’s game. “They’ve got that consistency within their team selection. We’ll have a lot of changes to this opening game. We know it’s always difficult going to a place like North Carolina, but we’re going to build on what we’ve started this year, so it’s not going to change, regardless of the changes within the selection. We want to go out there and show everyone that even with our internationals away, we are still going to stick to our high standard and level.”

The Pride are without several players tonight due to injuries and international call-ups. Simone Charley (leg), Luana (illness), Megan Montefusco (heel), Viviana Villacorta (knee), Anna Moorhouse (excused absence), and Cori Dyke (excused absence) are out, while Kerry Abello (knee) is listed as questionable. Adriana (Brazil), Angelina (Brazil), Marta (Brazil), Rafaelle (Brazil), Barbra Banda (Zambia), and Emily Sams (USA) are all on international duty at the Olympics.

Estelle Johnson (maternity leave) and Bianca St-Georges (leg) are the only Courage players out injured. However, Casey Murphy (USA), Feli Rauch (Germany), Kerolin (Brazil), and Sydney Collins (Canada) are on international duty.

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: McKinley Crone.

Defenders: Celia, Kylie Strom, Carrie Lawrence, Bri Martinez.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.

Midfielders: Julie Doyle, Summer Yates, Amanda Allen.

Forward: Ally Watt.

Bench: Sofia Manner, Kerry Abello, Alex Kerr, Ally Lemos, Evelina Duljan, Mariana Larroquette, Claire Winter, Kenna Caldwell.

North Carolina Courage (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Marisa Bova.

Defenders: Malia Berkely, Kaleigh Kurtz, Dani Weatherholt, Ryan Williams.

Defensive Midfielders: Narumi Muira, Riley Jackson.

Midfielders: Ashley Sanchez, Meredith Speck, Tyler Lussi.

Forward: Manaka Matsukubo.

Bench: Hensley Hancuff, Brianna Pinto, Haley Hopkins, Denise O’Sullivan, Landy Mertz, Olivia Wingate, Natalia Staude, Victoria Pickett, Jenna Winebrenner.

Referees

REF: Lorenzo Hernandez.
AR1: Kendall McCardell.
AR2: Stephen Milhoan.
4TH: Marie Durr.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: WakeMed Soccer Park — Cary, NC.

TV: None.

Streaming: Paramount+.

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

Enjoy the match. Go Pride!

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