Connect with us

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns FC: Final Score 2-1 as Barbra Banda Brace Lifts Pride to Eighth Straight Win

The Pride used a Barbra Banda brace to defeat the Portland Thorns 2-1 for their eighth straight win.

Published

7 months ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride (8-0-3, 27 points) won their record-setting eighth straight game by defeating the Portland Thorns (6-4-1, 19 points) 2-1 tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. Barbra Branda’s first-half brace gave the hosts a 2-0 lead that they took into the second period of play. The Thorns got one back through Izzy D’Aquila, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride claimed all three points.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes to the starting lineup that beat the Seattle Reign 3-2 on Sunday. Morgan Gautrat returned to the lineup, replacing Ally Lemos, and Julie Doyle replaced Summer Yates, who was out with an illness.

The back line in front of Anna Moorhouse remained the same with Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, and Emily Sams. Gautrat and Haley McCutcheon were in the defensive midfield behind Doyle, Marta, and Adriana with Banda up top.

It was a slow start to this game as the two teams tried to find ways to break down the opposition in the first 10 minutes. However, the Pride dominated the remainder of the first half, taking a 2-0 lead into halftime. The Thorns made two halftime changes and it made a difference as they created more chances than in the first 45 minutes. They got a goal back in the 71st minute and nearly scored on multiple other occasions. But the Pride were able to hold on.

The Pride had the first decent attack of the game in the 10th minute. It started with an excellent long ball across the field from Rafaelle to Doyle and the midfielder’s cross was blocked by Becky Sauerbrunn. The ball landed at the feet of McCutcheon and she attempted a shot, but Hina Sugita was there to block it. The Pride recirculated the ball, resulting in Adriana finding Marta at the top of the box, but the captain’s attempt was blocked by Kelli Hubly.

In the 17th minute, a bad touch by Christine Sinclair enabled Rafaelle to take possession and find Marta at the top of the box. The Brazilian fired from distance and the ball bounced off the chest of Thorns goalkeeper Shelby Hogan for the first save of the game.

Marta took another shot in the 24th minute when Doyle lifted the ball over a pair of defenders, looking for her teammate on the far side of the six-yard box. It was far enough for Marta to control and get a shot off, but Hubly stayed in front and blocked the attempt.

In the 26th minute, Adriana played a great ball forward to Banda, enabling her to get into the box. Hubly got in front of the striker and defended her well, knocking the ball out of play. Marta’s ensuing corner kick was cleared out, but only to Abello who played it back outside for Marta. The captain found Strom with space in the box, but the center back’s shot was wide of the target.

The Pride won another corner kick in the 29th minute and this one resulted in the game’s opening goal. Abello’s cross was cleared behind goal by Hubly for a corner kick. Marta took the set piece, sending it to the far side of the six-yard box. Gautrat got her head to it, sending the ball to the center of the box. Rafaelle’s shot on goal was blocked, but the ball went right to Banda, who put it in to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.

Immediately after the goal, the teams went to the sidelines for a hydration break. When play resumed, the Thorns got their first chance of the game. It came from a mistake when a pass back to Rafaelle was misplayed, enabling Olivia Moultrie to take over. The teenager took a couple of dribbles before shooting, sending the attempt straight to Moorhouse.

In the 35th minute, Janine Beckie made a run down the right and attempted to play Moultrie behind the Pride defense. Moultrie had a step on Rafaelle, but the pass was too close to Moorhouse, enabling the Pride goalkeeper to collect it.

The Pride doubled their lead in the 40th minute when Marta sent a long ball forward for Banda. Dribbling into the Thorns box, Hubly caught up with the striker and blocked her initial shot. However, Banda recovered, dribbled around Hogan, and touched the ball in for an easy second goal of the night.

The goal saw Banda net her third brace of the year and her second brace in two games after she scored twice against the Seattle Reign on Sunday. It was her eighth goal of the season, tying her for the league lead with Sophia Smith. However, while Smith has scored eight goals in 10 games, Banda has done it in seven.

“I’m so happy to be part of that. I’m happy to help her score goals because, at the end of the day, it’s good for the team,” Marta said about Banda’s brace. “We were missing some players like that a few years ago, and we created a lot of chances, but most of the chances didn’t result in goals. This year, we have her here, she showed up from the first game, and really, really wants to help this team. She showed hunger every single game. And, for us, it’s very good because she’s fast, she’s strong, and then we just need to find a pass.”

“Building that chemistry has probably happened quicker than we might have thought,” Hines said about the chemistry between Banda and Marta. “But she finds a way and it’s brilliant to see. Even the second goal today, you would feel like the chance is gone but she finds a way to find the back of their net.”

After scoring twice, Banda nearly got an assist in the 43rd minute when a pair of defenders closed her down, leaving McCutcheon free to her right. The defensive midfielder controlled the ball and shot, but it was too close to Hogan.

The Thorns got their second shot in the second minute of first-half stoppage time when a long ball into the box was cleared by Abello. The clearance went right to Jessie Fleming, who quickly shot, but it was well over the target.

The final chance of the first half came a minute later when Rafaelle was called for a foul on Sugita. It gave the visitors a free kick in the Pride’s final third, their first set piece of the game in a dangerous position. Sam Coffey sent the ball into the box and Sauerbrunn got her head to it, but sent the redirection over the goal. The halftime whistle blew immediately after the miss, sending the Pride into the locker room up 2-0.

At halftime, the Thorns had more possession (54%-46%) and better passing accuracy (85%-83%), but the Pride had more shots (14-3), shots on target (13-1), corner kicks (3-0), and crosses (10-5).

“We had mentioned that two halves are never the same. 2-0 is a very dangerous score line as well,” Hines said about his halftime message. “The next goal can be the defining factor.”

Right after the halftime whistle, Banda went down and rubbed her leg. As a result, Hines made one halftime change, replacing Banda with Ally Watt.

The Pride had the first chance of the second half in the 52nd minute when Doyle played McCutcheon to the end line and Coffey knocked the ball out of play. The first corner kick by Marta was blocked back to her and her second cross was knocked out of play by Sinclair. The second corner kick found the head of Rafaelle beyond the back post, but her header was high and wide of the target.

The Thorns quickly went the other way off the goal kick with Moultrie sending Beckie down the right. The midfielder played a great ball to Sinclair, who had gotten behind Rafaelle, but her attempt to redirect the ball on target was unsuccessful, sending it over the crossbar.

In the 56th minute, Doyle sent a long and low ball forward for Watt. The speedy striker beat Sauerbrunn to the pass and sent a shot towards goal, but right to Hogan.

Two minutes later, Adriana used some crafty footwork to beat Nicole Payne and shot for the near post. She felt that Hogan had blocked it out for a corner kick, but referee Ekaterina Koroleva determined that the ball went directly into the side netting and issued the Thorns a goal kick.

It appeared as though the Pride would have a corner kick in the 60th minute when Marta sent a dangerous ball towards goal. It looked like Hogan pushed the shot wide, but Koroleva said Marta was the last to touch it, much to her dismay.

Marta caused more havoc for the Thorns defense on the left, beginning with a dangerous cross in the 65th minute. She was looking for Watt, who was making a diagonal run to the near post. But Sauerbrunn beat her to it and cleared the ball out of play.

A minute later, Marta was played forward on the left and sent a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Watt made the slightest of touches, attempting to redirect inside the far post, but didn’t get enough on it and the ball went out of play.

On the other end, the Thorns had a chance in the 68th minute when Beckie played a nice through ball, sending D’Aquila behind the back line. The substitute’s first touch was a shot, but Moorhouse did well to come out and block the attempt.

Shortly after the stop, Hines made his second change of the game. Cori Dyke came into the game for Doyle.

The visitors got a goal back in the 71st minute through a nice individual effort by Moultrie. The U.S. international beat her defender to the end line and found D’Aquila wide open in the box. It was an easy finish for the substitute, cutting the Pride lead to 2-1.

The Pride’s third substitution came in the 76th minute. It was a defensive move as Brianna Martinez came into the game for Gautrat.

Watt went down in the 79th minute and required attention from the Pride medical staff. In the meantime, the players went to the benches for water and instructions. When Watt was up and play resumed, Ana Dias sent a dangerous ball towards the back post. D’Aquila was in the area, but couldn’t get on the end of it.

A minute later, Sugita created enough space to send the ball towards goal. Moorhouse initially looked like she would have to make a stop, but the ball curled away and went out for goal kick.

The Thorns came close to equalizing in the 84th minute when Moultrie lifted the ball forward. Dias was between Rafaelle and Strom, but got her head to it. Moorhouse was indecisive about whether to come out and it nearly cost her. Fortunately, the header was off the crossbar and the Pride were able to clear.

The final two changes for the Pride came in the 87th minute. Ally Lemos and Amanda Allen entered the game for Abello and Adriana.

In the 90th minute, Lemos pulled Sugita back while the Thorns midfielder looked to enter the Pride box. She was issued a yellow card and Portland had a free kick in a dangerous position. Moultrie sent the set piece towards the far post where Dias met it with her head. However, the attempt was wide of the target.

The fourth official showed five minutes of second-half stoppage time, but the Thorns couldn’t take advantage. The only shot came in the fifth minute when Moultrie took a shot from outside of the box. McCutcheon blocked the attempt and the Pride won the game 2-1.

At full time, the Thorns had more possession (55%-45%) and crosses (22-17) with better passing accuracy (84%-81%). The Pride had more shots (22-13), shot on target (16-6), and corner kicks (7-2).

“Listen, they’re a top team. They were six games unbeaten coming into this game,” Hines said about the game. “They should be looking at the top of the table with the roster that they have. They’ve got internationals all over, they’ve got players who have won the league as well. So it was always going to be different in that second half. And I think how we started the second half, we started a little bit surprised.”

“I thought after that first 10 minutes for the second half, we settled, we started moving the ball really well,” he continued. “We also created some really good opportunities to score as well. And I think if we had got that third goal, we probably would’ve put our minds at rest towards the end. But this team thinks deep. You know, to get it over the line towards the end, that’s really, really encouraging and it’s something that we’ve done all season which is pleasing that we didn’t stop that today.”

The Pride win snapped a six-game winning streak by the Thorns and was the Pride’s eighth consecutive win, setting a new NWSL record. However, the Pride have bigger things in mind as they contend for the first trophy in team history.

“It’s a great feeling,” Hines said about the record. “I’ll be honest, it’ll probably be short lived because we’ve got bigger goals we’ve set this season and objectives that we want to reach this season. But yeah, of course it’s a nice feeling. It’s great to do it in front of our fans, our home fans who have supported us through the tough times and just glad that we’re rewarding them for their support by having this record and setting a new record for the NWSL. But a lot of credit has to go to the players and the support staff because, without them, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve this today.”

“Proud,” McCutcheon added. “ I think I even said that tonight from last year to this year. We knew we were building something special but just to have something in the history books is something that I didn’t think would happen so soon. And so yeah, we’re thrilled but we’re not satisfied. We want to keep pushing for the ultimate goal at the end of the season.”

Much was made about the Pride going after a new league record heading into this game. However, they’re still looking to maintain their spot at the top of the NWSL standings.

“I think it’s about mentality more. Keep a hard mentality, very strong,” Marta said about the team moving forward. “And, like I say, we need to keep on playing our way, make our way, find a way when we don’t have it together. And we can’t start to think about the other teams. We need to think about ourselves. We need to repeat every single thing that we did good in this game. And improve, improve more and more. Don’t be satisfied.”

The NWSL will take a break next weekend for internationals before returning the following weekend. The Pride will take the field next on June 7 when they travel west to take on San Diego Wave FC.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Sign Goalkeeper Kat Asman

The Pride have signed goalkeeper Kat Asman to a two-year contract through the 2026 NWSL season.

Published

2 hours ago

on

December 11, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride announced this afternoon that the club has signed Kat Asman to a two-year contract through the 2026 season. The Portland Thorns selected Asman in the 2024 NWSL Draft.

“Kat is a phenomenal addition to our goalkeeping corps and is someone we expect to provide competition and push this group to be even better than they have been,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “We are so excited for what she brings to the group both on and off the pitch and are confident she will play an important role in our upcoming season. Kat is a great fit for our club, and we look forward to providing her the atmosphere and tools to grow her game and make an impact in Orlando.” 

Asman was selected by the Thorns with the 39th overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft. The Thorns needed a goalkeeper due to starter Bella Bixby’s pregnancy, which would cause her to miss significant time. While the rookie was on the roster, she was behind Shelby Hogan, Mackenzie Arnold, and Lauren Kozal. As a result, she didn’t make any NWSL or NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup appearances in 2024.

The Roswell, GA, native was already fourth-choice goalkeeper and Bixby will likely return to her starting position in 2025, leaving the rookie with no place in the squad. The Pride came to her rescue by signing the 24-year-old to a two-year contract.

“I am extremely excited to join the reigning NWSL champions,” Asman said in the club’s release. “A big reason I felt so drawn to joining the Pride is their drive to creating a connected team culture that thrives on building relationships off the field in order to cultivate results on the field. Over the last season, I’ve been able to watch Orlando have an unforgettable season, and I feel very blessed that I get to be a part of everything this team will continue to build in the future.”

Prior to being drafted by the Thorns, Asman spent four years starting for the Penn State Nittany Lions, where she was a teammate of Pride defenders Kerry Abello and Cori Dyke. She played 87 games in State College with 323 saves and 27 clean sheets. Additionally, she became one of four women in Penn State history to win 50 games.

Internationally, Asman has participated in training camps for the USWNT U-14 through U-18 youth teams.

What It Means for Orlando

This signing may not have much of an impact on the Pride in 2025, although the addition may bring into question Sofia Manner’s future with Orlando. Anna Moorhouse started all 26 regular-season games and all three playoff games in 2024, while McKinley Crone was the backup in all of those games. Manner was only on the team sheet for the Summer Cup matches, playing the second game and being an unused sub in the other two.

The Pride will likely have three goalkeepers on the roster for 2025, meaning one of the four currently under contract is likely on their way out. The club signed Crone to a new contract through 2026 on Sept. 6, indicating she’s part of the Pride’s future plans. With Moorhouse under contract next season, it might mean Manner is departing. The Finnish shot-stopper signed a two-year deal on Dec. 1, 2023, with an option for 2026. But with her lack of ability to lock down even the primary backup role this year, we could see a corresponding move in the coming days.

Regardless of who makes way for Asman, it’s likely she’ll be third string. The club seems content with Moorhouse and Crone as the top two goalkeepers and Asman has yet to make a professional appearance. There isn’t much for Carter to do this off-season to beef up the team, but determining who will be the third goalkeeper next season will be something to watch.

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Haley McCutcheon

The veteran midfielder spent her third year in purple and contributed to the team’s run to glory.

Published

3 hours ago

on

December 11, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Haley McCutcheon was still known as Haley Hanson when she joined the Orlando Pride on Aug. 18, 2022 in a midseason trade with the Houston Dash. The Pride gave up $75,000 in Allocation Money and a second-round draft selection. She joined Orlando for the stretch run, making her debut with the Pride on Aug. 20 in a 2-1 win over Gotham FC. Following the 2022 season, the Nebraska product signed a new contract through 2024 on Oct. 26 of last year. The Pride extended McCutcheon’s stay in Orlando on Dec. 20, 2023 by inking her to a deal through 2026.

Once again, the versatile veteran contributed in a number of different roles on the pitch, but she saved her best for last, scoring her first goals of the season in the Pride’s playoff run, helping Orlando get past Chicago and Kansas City and into the NWSL Championship against Washington.

Let’s look back at McCutcheon’s third year with the Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

McCutcheon appeared in 22 games during the regular season, starting 18 and logging 1,700 minutes, which was the sixth-most playing time among all outfield players behind three of the team’s defenders (Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, and Emily Sams), and attackers Marta and Barbra Banda. Of her 18 starts, the first two games of the season saw her at left back, while she was in the midfield for her last 16 starts, although there were a few moments here and there where she moved around as needed when subs were made.

She did not score a goal or provide an assist in the regular season, largely due to a lack of clinical finishing, as she put only two of her 18 shot attempts on frame. She completed 80.4% of her passes, but tallied no key passes and completed just three crosses and 12 long balls on the season. Defensively, however, she shone brightly with 31 tackles and 23 interceptions, winning 69 headed duels. She committed 16 fouls, drew eight, and was booked twice.

In the NWSL playoffs, McCutcheon started in all three games, logging 270 minutes. She scored two goals, finishing the two of her three shots that hit the target, but did not record an assist or a key pass in the postseason. The midfielder connected on 62.8% of her 75 postseason passes. She contributed three tackles and three interceptions on the defensive end. She committed two fouls, did not draw one on the opposition, and was booked once.

McCutcheon made two appearances in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup (both starts), playing 162 minutes. She did not have a goal contribution or attempt a shot, but she was successful on two of three dribble attempts and completed 84% of her 55 passes, albeit without a completed cross or key pass and only one successful long ball. Defensively, she won four of her five tackle attempts (80%), recorded no interceptions, and won a headed duel. She committed two fouls, drew none on the competition, and was not booked. She attempted one penalty shot but saw her potential winning effort saved against North Carolina.

Best Game

There were a few decent options for McCutcheon’s top match of the year, but the standout for me is the Pride’s 3-2 playoff semifinal win over the Kansas City Current on Nov. 17. Ironically, it was one of her poorest passing performances of the season at just a 49% completion rate, but she managed to contribute in important ways on both ends of the pitch.

Her most important contribution came in the 41st minute with Orlando trailing 1-0. Ally Watt took the ball to the end line up the right channel and cut a pass back into the middle of the penalty area. With Adriana and Barbra Banda occupying the defenders, McCutcheon made a smart late run into the box, splitting her two teammates to get into an open area just as the ball arrived. McCutcheon’s first touch was a hard shot close to the goalkeeper, but the movement was too quick for Almuth Schult to recover and keep it out. With her second goal of the postseason, McCutcheon pulled the Pride level and they kicked on to take a 3-1 lead, ultimately winning 3-2 and advancing to the NWSL Championship.

That wasn’t McCutcheon’s only contribution, although it was her only shot attempt of the match. Her 51 touches in the game showed how involved she was, and her two tackles and two interceptions illustrate her importance to the defensive effort as the Pride held off the Current’s desperation rally attempt. She picked up one foul in the game and was booked in the 12th minute of stoppage time after Danielle Chesky awarded Kansas City a penalty, perhaps trying to give Vanessa DiBernardo a little more time to think about it. Aside from her stats and her goal, McCutcheon showed leadership, often pointing out assignments like an extra coach on the field. She was solid throughout Orlando’s postseason run, but this match was probably her biggest contribution to the three-game postseason sweep.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives McCutcheon a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season. This is an improvement over the 6 we gave her last year and the 5 out of 10 grade she received in 2022. She was in the lineup nearly every game, missing just four games from Sept. 20 to Oct. 11. She sat out two of those (officially) with a knock and the last of those was an extra day of rest after the Pride had clinched the NWSL Shield. Other than that, she was on the field.

2025 Outlook

I don’t expect McCutcheon’s role to change much next season, although Seb Hines might like to get her more rest in 2025. With Luana’s illness and injuries to Angelina and Morgan Gautrat, McCutcheon ate up minutes in the Orlando midfield in 2024. Fewer injuries to that position group and/or adding depth in th off-season — and potentially the development of Ally Lemos — could help McCutcheon manage her minutes next year. Regardless of how much time she spends on the pitch, she will likely be one of the key, and vocal, veteran leaders pushing the Pride forward as they try to defend their NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Announce Roster Decisions Following 2024 NWSL Season

There aren’t many surprises in the Pride’s roster status update following the 2024 NWSL season.

Published

1 day ago

on

December 10, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride updated the team’s roster status today following the 2024 NWSL season and announced some off-season decisions. The team is well intact for the 2025 season with 25 players currently under contract and only four players officially departing.

The players under contract for 2025 or beyond include forwards Amanda Allen, Barbra Banda, Simone Charley, Julie Doyle, Mariana Larroquette, Adriana, and Ally Watt; midfielders Kerry Abello, Angelina, Luana, Grace Chanda, Morgan Gautrat, Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon, Viviana Villacorta, and Summer Yates; defenders Cori Dyke, Brianna Martinez, Carson Pickett, Emily Sams, Rafaelle, and Kylie Strom; and goalkeepers McKinley Crone, Sofia Manner, and Anna Moorhouse.

The long list of players under contract is largely due to the work done during the season to sign several players to new contracts. Yates, Doyle, Gautrat, Crone, Watt, Villacorta, Dyke, Martinez, and Abello all re-signed midseason before their contracts expired.

Celia, Carrie Lawrence, and Megan Montefusco announced their retirements from professional soccer during the season, effective at the end of the year. Additionally, Evelina Duljan is out of contract and the club has decided not to bring the young attacker back.

Probably the biggest news from the updates is that the club is in discussions for club captain Marta to return for the 2025 season. The Brazilian saw her two-year contract expire, but had a resurgence at 38 years old, resulting in being named an NWSL MVP finalist.

Just as important to re-signing players were the midseason contract extensions of Pride Head Coach Seb Hines and Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter. The pair that led the Pride to the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship signed new deals earlier this year through the 2026 season with options for 2027.

What It Means for Orlando

There weren’t going to be any major surprises because 25 of the 30 players were already under contract and three had announced their retirements. Duljan’s departure is a little surprising because she’s only 21 years old and was a highly-touted addition prior to the season. However, she only played in 11 games in all competitions and didn’t appear to be a major factor going forward with the young players in the squad.

The other big news is that the club is in discussions about a return for Marta. The captain has been with the Pride for eight seasons and lost a step after suffering a torn ACL two years ago. However, she was excellent this year, scoring 11 goals and leading the team to the double. The question was whether the club would want to re-sign the attacker — who will be 39 in February — or if she would want to ride off into the sunset with the most successful season in Pride history. The Brazilian sports icon has repeatedly said when asked that she would like to play one to two more years. That being the case, the most likely place for her to do that was in Orlando.

Regardless of the Marta decision, the Pride are in great shape moving forward. They have nearly all of their key players returning next season, setting them up for potentially another run at an NWSL Championship. However, Carter has vowed to continue trying to make the squad better, so having a lot of returning faces doesn’t mean there won’t be some activity this off-season.

Post-2024 Orlando Pride Player Contract Statuses

(Current club players in italics)

  • Kerry Abello — Under Contract
  • Amanda Allen — Under Contract
  • Adriana — Under Contract
  • Angelina — Under Contract
  • Barbra Banda — Under Contract
  • Grace Chanda — Under Contract
  • Simone Charley — Under Contract
  • McKinley Crone — Under Contract
  • Celia — Retired
  • Julie Doyle — Under Contract
  • Evelina Duljan — Out of Contract
  • Cori Dyke — Under Contract
  • Morgan Gautrat — Under Contract
  • Mariana Larroquette — Under Contract
  • Carrie Lawrence — Retired
  • Ally Lemos — Under Contract
  • Luana — Under Contract
  • Sofia Manner — Under Contract
  • Brianna Martinez — Under Contract
  • Haley McCutcheon — Under Contract
  • Megan Montecusco — Retired
  • Anna Moorhouse — Under Contract
  • Marta — Out of Contract
  • Carson Pickett — Under Contract
  • Rafaelle — Under Contract
  • Emily Sams — Under Contract
  • Kylie Strom — Under Contract
  • Viviana Villacorta — Under Contract
  • Ally Watt — Under Contract
  • Summer Yates — Under Contract

Continue Reading

Trending