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Orlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Final Score 3-0 as Adriana’s Brace Helps Pride Stay Unbeaten

The Pride continued their perfect record in Los Angeles and unbeaten start to 2024.

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride (10-0-5, 35 points) extended their 2024 unbeaten run to 15 games with a 3-0 win over Angel City FC (4-8-3, 15 points) tonight at BMO Field in Los Angeles. Adriana scored a first-half brace and Barbra Banda made it three in the final minutes as the Pride kept pace with the Kansas City Current atop the NWSL standings.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made one change to the team that beat the Utah Royals 6-0 on June 21. Carrie Lawrence, who came on for Bri Martinez in the 67th minute of that game, replaced Martinez in the starting lineup. The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, and Lawrence. Haley McCutcheon and Summer Yates were the defensive midfielders behind Julie Doyle, Marta, and Adriana with Banda up top.

The biggest note from the starting lineup was the inclusion of Lawrence. The defender was a regular starter before she tore her ACL during the 2023 preseason. As a result, this was her first start since Oct. 1, 2022.

Despite flying across the country, the Pride were the better team in this game. Both teams created chances, but the Pride’s were more clear-cut. The attacking unit of Doyle, Marta, Adriana, and Banda caused headaches for the Angel City defense throughout the 90 minutes in one of their best performances of the year. The hosts had some chances in the game, but the 3-0 final score is a fair result.

The Pride had the first attack of the game in the third minute on a corner kick. Marta sent the set piece into the box where it met the head of Lawrence. However, her header popped up and landed in the arms of Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haracic.

The hosts got their first chance in the seventh minute when Alyssa Thompson ran onto a long diagonal ball. Getting behind the back line, the forward attempted a low shot towards the back post that missed just wide. Sydney Leroux was close to getting onto the end of it, but wasn’t close enough to reach the ball.

Banda had her first chance of the game in the 12th minute when Marta made a long run across the top of the box. The Brazilian’s last touch was a little too strong, but Banda was there to pick it up. The striker attempted a first-touch shot that went straight to Haracic for the easy save.

In the 15th minute, Madison Hammond took a shot from outside the box that didn’t cause any trouble for Moorhouse. Angel City quickly won back possession, sending it wide for Claire Emslie. The attacker sent a cross into the box that found the head of teenage midfielder Kennedy Fuller, but the attempt was wide of the near post.

Banda had her second chance of the game in the 17th minute when Yates intercepted a pass in the Angel City half of the field and went the other way. She played Banda behind the back line, enabling the forward to get her second shot of the game. Unfortunately, it was from a tight angle and close to goal, hitting the outside netting.

The Pride broke through in the 20th minute from their Brazilian connection. It started near midfield when Thompson tried to return a pass from Rocky Rodriguez. Marta intercepted the ball, beat Rodriguez, and sprinted down the field. She sent it across to Adriana on the far side, continuing her run into the box. Rather than finding Marta or Banda, Adriana found space for a shot from just outside the box, beating Haracic to the far side and giving her team a 1-0 lead.

“This is a hard place to come and play, so I think just getting that first goal really changed the momentum and silenced their crowd a little bit,” Sams said about getting the first goal. “And it kind of gave us that little extra bit of oomph to keep going and to get that second goal in the first half as well.”

“We wanted to come here and set a tone early on. We wanted to quiet the crowd and the best way to do that is to score goals,” Hines added. “So it’s a terrific finish from Adri. You know, it’s good for confidence as well. In the last game, Barbra, Marta, and Ally (Watt) all got on the goal sheet. Even Summer (Yates), and so to get Adri scoring as well, it adds a couple layers to our game.”

Abello did well in the 24th minute to read an Emslie pass for Thompson into the box, knocking it out for a corner kick. The Pride were able to keep the hosts from getting off a shot and quickly went the other way. Banda darted forward into the Angel City half, sending the ball to Doyle. The left-sided midfielder used a couple of moves to create space for a shot, but sent it straight to Haracic.

Two minutes later, the Pride doubled their advantage. Building out of the back, Doyle sent Banda down the left and behind the Angel City back line. The striker’s shot was deflected by Sarah Gorden and blocked by Haracic. The Angel City defenders were slow to react, enabling Adriana to get there first and put it in for her second goal of the game.

The Pride nearly scored a third goal in the 35th minute when Yates recovered a turnover in the Angel City defensive third. The attacking midfielder’s shot from long range bounced hard off the crossbar. It went right to Doyle just outside the six-yard box, but her header was over the top.

The hosts had a great opportunity a minute into first-half stoppage time when Yates fouled Thompson near the top of the box. Merritt Mathias and Emslie initially stood over the ball, but Mathias eventually backed off. Emslie’s shot was straight into the wall, enabling the Pride to clear.

In the final seconds of injury time, Thompson entered the Pride box and took Abello on. The second-year forward beat the left back and shot towards the near post, but Moorhouse was there to catch it. That was the last first-half chance for either team as the Pride took a 2-0 lead into halftime.

Angel City had more first-half possession (53%-47%), but the Pride had more shots (9-7), shots on target (7-5), and crosses (7-6). The hosts had more corner kicks (3-1) and both teams had an 81% pass completion percentage in the first 45 minutes.

“I told the players at halftime I sound like a broken record because there’s been multiple occasions where we’ve had a 2-0 lead,” Hines said about his halftime message. “We go into halftime and, you know, it’s the same message. 2-0 is a dangerous score line. Next goal really matters.”

“I think at certain points in the season, we’ve struggled with our mentality coming out of the locker room at halftime,” Sams added. “So I think, you know, we’ve made that a point to try to change that around and I think we’ve done well.”

The Pride created the first second-half chance less than a minute after the restart. Banda took possession after McCutcheon lost the ball, carrying it towards the end line. Her cross into the box ended up with Abello and the defender took a shot from distance. It wasn’t a bad attempt but went over the crossbar.

Banda looked to create another chance in the 50th minute, dribbling to the end line and sending a cross into the box. She was looking for Marta near the penalty spot and the Pride captain was loading up to shoot, but Rodriguez did well to track back and knock the ball away before Marta could touch it.

Angel City had its first chance of the second half in the 53rd minute. It started when Emslie’s cross was blocked out of play by Marta for a corner kick. The Pride cleared it away, but only to Fuller. The 17-year-old rookie shot from distance, not causing any trouble for Moorhouse.

Three minutes later, Fuller created her own opportunity, taking the ball off McCutcheon. She decided to shoot from distance, sending it directly to Moorhouse.

In the 57th minute, Doyle used some fancy footwork to dribble through a pair of Angel City defenders and into the box. Adriana was making a trailing run and Doyle found the attacker. The Brazilian’s eyes lit up as she looked to net the first hat trick in Pride history, but sent it over the crossbar.

Leroux had a great chance to cut the lead in half in the 62nd minute when she was sent long by Mathias. The forward was defended by Sams, but the center back fell, enabling Leroux to take an uncontested shot. The former Pride striker was aiming for the far post and missed just wide.

Immediately after the miss, both teams made substitutions. The Pride replaced Yates with Angelina and Messiah Bright replaced Leroux. It was the second time Bright faced her former team since departing following the 2023 NWSL season.

In the 66th minute, Fuller played a give-and-go with Bright, sending the rookie into the box. She was defended by Lawrence and Sams on either side of her, eventually going down. Angel City players felt they should’ve had a penalty, but referee Elijio Arreguin disagreed.

Sams cleared the ball to Banda on the left, who went on a 60-yard sprint into the Angel City box. Mathias did well to get a body on the forward, causing her shot to sail wide of the near post.

Hines made two more changes in the 73rd minute. Rafaelle and Ally Watt entered the game for Lawrence and Doyle. It was Rafaelle’s first appearance for the Pride since May 24, as she’s been out with a leg injury.

Angel City had a good opportunity in the 76th minute when Gisele Thompson got behind Sams, causing the defender to push her down, earning her a yellow card. Emslie stepped up to take the free kick from just outside of the box, sending a soft ball around the wall that appeared to be a pass. But nobody was making that run and Moorhouse easily collected it.

The Pride held plenty of possession as the game entered the final 10 minutes, but their crosses were easily cleared. In the 83rd minute, they were given a good chance when Marta was fouled by Meggie Dougherty Howard near the top of the box. Marta and Adriana stood over the ball with the former taking the set piece. However, she sent it straight into the wall.

Two minutes after the attempt, Hines made his final change of the game, replacing Adriana with Cori Dyke.

In the 88th minute, a long ball by Dougherty Howard for Alyssa Thompson was knocked out for a corner kick. The set piece was headed on goal by Megan Reid, but Moorhouse was able to tip it over the top at the last second. The second set piece came off the back of Dougherty Howard and should’ve been an easy save by Moorhouse. However, the goalkeeper bobbled the ball, nearly scuffing it into her own net. Fortunately, she grabbed it before it crossed the line.

When play stopped, Arreguin was called to the monitor by the video assistant referee for a potential penalty. It appeared as though Watt grabbed Reid and pulled her down on the second corner kick. However, the referee determined that there was a foul on Dougherty Howard before the foul by Watt and awarded the Pride a free kick.

In the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time, the Pride scored their third goal of the game, ensuring there wouldn’t be a comeback. A careless back pass to Gorden was a bit off line, enabling Banda to get to the ball first and speed past her with only Haracic behind. Banda dribbled in on goal and around Haracic. It looked like she might’ve taken too long to shoot, as Reid nearly got in position to block it, but Banda put it in to give the Pride a 3-0 lead.

“To get the third goal right at the end, again, really, really important,” Hines said. “I think, looking forward, getting those late goals will probably pay dividends in where we stand at the end of the year.”

The goal was Banda’s 11th of the season, tying her with the Kansas City’s Temwa Chawinga as the league leader.

Gorden went down and required some treatment following the play, extending an already lengthy stoppage time. However, Moorhouse was able to fall on the ball to run out the clock and the Pride took all three points with a 3-0 win on the road.

Angel City led most statistical categories in this game with the advantage in possession (51%-49%), corner kicks (6-2), crosses (12-11), and passing accuracy (78%-77%). The Pride had more shots in the game (15-13) and both teams put 10 chances on frame. However, it was the finishing ability of the Pride that made the difference, especially the first-half goals by Adriana.

“Very good all round. It’s nice to come away from home and get three goals and a clean sheet. Really important that we continue those clean sheets,” Hines said about the performance. “But it’s nice to see Adri get on the scoresheet with two goals. Unlucky not to get a hat trick. Caused them a lot of problems in possession and I love the defensive effort. It takes everyone, not just the goalkeeper, the back line, but the collective effort to keep Angel City at zero.”

The Pride continue their perfect record in Los Angeles, winning all three games between the two teams in Southern California. The first two meetings were 1-0 wins for the Pride at BMO Stadium and they added the 3-0 result tonight.

“It’s a great environment to play in,” Hines said. “Angel City have a great backing with their fans. I think it was close to a full house tonight. And so I think we thrive off that. I think we enjoy being the spoilers here.”

This was a potential trap game for the Pride. Coming off a 6-0 demolition of the Royals last weekend, they travel to Kansas City Saturday in a battle of the unbeatens. Despite the upcoming contest, the Pride remained focused on the task at hand and came away with all three points.

“I honestly don’t think it matters who we play, whether it’s top of the table or bottom of the table. This league is so competitive and you have to make sure that you turn up on the day and give it your all,” Hines said. “The league doesn’t owe you anything. We know that. We know the struggles of going to tough environments. And so we approach every game the same, whether it’s Utah at home or Angel City away, or even next week when it’s against Kansas. We’re going to go out there and give our all, and we always try to get three points. It was nice today that we managed to get three points.”

The three points keep the Pride even with the Kansas City Current atop the NWSL standings and they’re now even on goal difference. The Current remain in first on the goals scored tiebreaker. However, barring a draw, the deadlock will be broken Saturday night when the two teams face off at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City.

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2025 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Marta

The captain once again provided the competitive spark for the Pride in 2025.

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18 hours ago

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December 11, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Marta signed with the Orlando Pride way back in 2017. She has been the constant for the club through ups and mostly downs. That all changed last season as she captained her club to two trophies. In 2022, she signed a new two-year contract, taking her through 2024. She then signed yet another two-year contract through 2026.

Marta didn’t have the same type of year as she did in 2024, but she was still one of the better players for the Pride. She remains the heart of this team, showing the others what passion and effort looks like even as she edges closer to the end of her playing career. Let’s take a look at the GOAT’s 2025 season.

Statistical Breakdown

Marta started and played the full 90 minutes in the 2025 Challenge Cup match. She did not record a goal contribution and took two off-target shots. However, her free kick was blocked, resulting in Rafaelle’s opening goal. Marta also set a shot up for the defender in the match but the effort was off target. The Brazilian legend completed 26 of her 37 passes (82%), took four corner kicks, and she did not record a completed long ball. Defensively, she recorded three tackles and won three headed duels. She committed one foul, drew one on the Washington Spirit, and was not booked.

During the regular season, Marta made 22 appearances (18 starts), playing 1,599 minutes. She contributed four goals and an assist, putting 13 of her 27 shots on target. She completed 519 of her 731 passes (71%), 13 crosses, and two of her four long balls (50%) with 43 chances created. On the defensive end, the Brazilian contributed 22 tackles, 19 interceptions, and one blocked shot. She committed 14 fouls, drew 28 on the opposition, and was not booked.

Marta started both playoff games, playing all 180 minutes. She took one shot but did not record a goal contribution, although she was involved in both goals against the Reign, working a give-and-go with Julie Doyle prior to Haley McCutcheon’s opening goal and drawing the penalty that handed Luana the late insurance tally. The captain completed 52 of her 69 passes (75.4%), including three of her six long balls (50%) and four key passes. She recorded one tackle, two interceptions, and one clearance defensively while committing one foul, drawing six on her opponents, and being booked once.

Marta participated in one of the Concacaf W Champions Cup matches against Pachuca. She played all 90 minutes and scored the Pride’s only goal on two shots, one of which was on target. She completed 27 of 34 passes (79%). Defensively, she recorded three tackles, while committing two fouls, and suffering two fouls. She was not booked.

Best Game

While Marta had several good games, I think her best game was the Pride’s 3-2 victory over the Washington Spirit on Oct. 18. Marta was named Player of the Match by both Michael Citro and myself on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast. The captain caused an own goal and scored on a penalty kick to give the Pride an important road win heading into the playoffs. Washington scored first on a Kerry Abello own goal, but Abello then corrected that mistake by scoring one for her own team minutes later. The Spirit took the lead again and held it at halftime. Seb Hines substituted Marta in at the start of the second half, and it’s a good thing he did. It literally only took her 52 seconds to even the score.

In the 70th minute, Ally Watt was fouled in the box, setting up a penalty for the Pride. There was no doubt who would take the kick, and it turned out there was no doubt Marta would bury it in the back of the net for the winning goal.

Marta might have only played 45 minutes plus stoppage but her impact was monumental. In this match, she took one shot, which was on target, scoring the aforementioned goal. She had 27 touches, completed nine of her 13 passes (70%), two of her three long balls (67%) and took one corner kick. Defensively, she contributed one block and one clearance. She committed one foul, did not suffer any fouls, and was not booked.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Marta a composite rating of 7 out of 10 for her ninth season with the club. This was a point lower than the 8 we gave her last year. Much like many of the Pride’s players, Marta’s 2025 wasn’t as good as her 2024, but she was still a critical part of the successes of the team. In 2024, she had a banner year, but despite being a year older, she was still productive in 2025.

2026 Outlook

The 39-year-old is entering the last year of her contract, and it would be surprising — though not totally inconceivable —that she will get another. Despite the fact she will turn 40-years-old before the beginning of the season, she will remain the Pride’s captain as long as she can take to the pitch. Assuming she’s healthy, there’s no reason to assume she can’t contribute to at least the same level as she did in 2025. There’s even a possibility that she finds something closer to her 2024 form. No one plays with more passion than Marta, and I will not doubt what she can do when she has the look in her eye.

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This concludes our 2025 Orlando Pride player-by-player Season in Review series. We hope you’ve enjoyed looking back on the players’ performances from the past year as we move closer toward seeing what lies ahead in 2026.

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2025 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Jacquie Ovalle

The Pride broke the world transfer record to land the Mexican international in 2025.

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2 days ago

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December 10, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride signed Mexican international winger Jacquie Ovalle for a then-world record transfer fee on Aug. 21, acquiring the attacker’s services from Tigres UANL in Liga MX Femenil. While the club did not announce the transfer fee, it was reportedly around $1.5 million. That transfer record has since been broken a couple of times since, but it was an ambitious move by the Pride to try to provide Barbra Banda a playmaking wing of the highest caliber.

The move ultimately didn’t pay many dividends in 2025, as Banda went down with a season-ending injury before Ovalle arrived, and the Mexican international struggled to get comfortable with her new team, the new league, and a new culture in what could best be described as an inconsistent performance after she joined the Pride.

Let’s take a look at Ovalle’s first season in the City Beautiful.

Statistical Breakdown

Ovalle was signed well after the season-opening NWSL Challenge Cup, so she saw no action in the competition. She made her Pride debut in the regular season on Sept. 7 off the bench. It was an inauspicious start, as Orlando got flattened 5-2 at Chicago that day, with all of the goals happening in the second half. Ovalle played in eight regular-season matches with Orlando, starting seven and logging 666 minutes. She contributed a goal and two assists in her time on the pitch with the Pride, attempting 20 shots and putting seven on target. She completed 84% of her 201 passes during the regular season, with 18 key passes. Ovalle was accurate on 19 of her 48 crosses (39.6%) and three of her seven long balls (42.9%). Defensively, Ovalle chipped in 13 tackles, three interceptions, and five clearances but no blocks during the regular season. She committed six fouls, drew five, and received one yellow card.

In the playoffs, Ovalle started both of the Pride’s matches and played 173 minutes. She did not log a goal contribution in the postseason, putting one of her six shot attempts on target. The winger completed 34 of her 42 passes (81%) with two key passes but completed just three of her 13 crosses and neither of her two long balls. On the defensive end, Ovalle recorded three tackles, one clearance, and two interceptions. She committed three fouls, drew two on her opponents, and was not booked.

Ovalle appeared in two of Orlando’s games in the Concacaf W Champions Cup, logging 57 minutes off the bench without a goal contribution, attempting one off-target shot. She completed 10 of her 13 passes (76.9%) without a key pass, chipping in three tackles on the defensive end. She committed two fouls, drew two on her opponents, and she wasn’t booked in the competition.

Best Game

There were a few possible games to choose from in this category, and while I was close to choosing the match with her lone goal of the season (Sept. 26 in a 2-1 road win over San Diego), I ended up going a different route. Still, she scored a nice goal, so here it is:

Instead, I’m going back to her first NWSL start. Ovalle started for Orlando for the first time on Sept. 13 in a 1-1 home draw against Bay FC. She was excellent all game long, but her best moment came in the 70th minute, when La Maga sent in a perfect cross for Ally Watt to flick home with a header to equalize, rescuing a point for Orlando.

Ovalle was Fotmob’s highest rated player in the match from either side with a rating of 8.4 and was a danger all night. She fired eight shot attempts, putting three on target and one off the woodwork. She also completed six of her nine crosses in the game, creating four scoring chances in the game with key passes. One of those should have been an assist on a Marta goal on a beautiful back-post ball, but the captain hit the left post with her shot. She chipped in two tackles, one interception, a clearance, and a recovery on the defensive end, committing two fouls and drawing one in what was a standout performance.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Ovalle a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for her 2025 season. While the Mexican winger played inconsistently, that was to be expected after a midseason move to a new team that was missing its attacking focal point with Banda out. There were signs of the kind of magic moments Ovalle can bring to the Pride attack, they were too few and far between. In fairness, in most of the matches she played there was no one close to her level in the attack with her, and she looked at times too eager to make something happen. Three goal contributions isn’t bad for her first eight NWSL games, but Ovalle clearly needs another threat up top with her to help provide her the space she needs to shoot or deliver one of her lethal passes.

2026 Outlook

Ovalle will be a starter next season and will get to go through a full preseason training camp with the club, which should help her get a better understanding of both what Seb Hines wants from her and how her teammates like to play. She should also get to play with Banda (finally), which could create one of the most dynamic attacking tandems in the league, because some of Banda’s struggles were due to poor service, which Ovalle can help with, and some of Ovalle’s issues were down to a lack of the kind of quick, decisive attacking movements that Banda provides. I expect Ovalle’s production in both goals and assists to jump in 2026 for multiple reasons, but with a healthy Banda, there will be a lot more room for her (and Marta) to operate. A front line of Marta, Banda, and Ovalle is tantalizing.

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2025 Orlando Pride Season In Review: Emily Sams

The center back was once again one of the best defenders for the Pride, helping them reach their second straight NWSL semifinal.

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4 days ago

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December 8, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride drafted defender Emily Sams with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. The former Florida State player signed with the National Women’s Soccer League through 2025 and was loaned to Swedish side BK Hacken FF prior to being selected by the Pride and signing a three-year contract through the 2026 season.

Sams had a breakout year in 2024, winning NWSL Defender of the Year and helping the club win the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship. She signed a new deal on Feb. 13, 2025, keeping her in purple through the 2027 NWSL season.

The defender showed her versatility this year, playing several games at right back and center back. She was another key player in a successful season for the Pride, helping them to finish fourth in the league and reach the NWSL semifinals.

Let’s take a look at the defender’s 2025 NWSL campaign.

Statistical Breakdown

The defender’s first appearance this year came in the NWSL Challenge Cup against the Washington Spirit. Sams started and played all 90 minutes without recording any shots or goal contributions. She completed 44 of her 52 passes (87%), including four long balls. Defensively, Sams recorded a tackle, an interception, and an aerial duel won.

Sams played in 25 of the team’s 26 regular-season games, starting 24 times and playing 2,183 minutes — the second-most minutes of any Pride player and the most by an outfield player. She took two shots without putting any on target, so she obviously didn’t score any goals. The defender completed 1,284 of her 1,457 passes (88.1%), including 85 of her 146 long balls (58.2%), but didn’t record any assists. Defensively, she added 42 tackles, 33 interceptions, 92 clearances, and 13 blocks. She committed 11 fouls, suffered 25, and was booked once with a yellow card.

Sams started both playoff games, playing all 180 minutes. She didn’t take any shots or record a goal contribution, completing 82 of her 97 passes (84.5%), including five of her 12 long balls (41.7%). She recorded three tackles, four interceptions, a block, and 10 clearances defensively while committing two fouls, drawing five on her opponents, and being booked once.

While a primary starter in the regular season, Sams only played in three of the four Concacaf W Champions Cup games, starting two and playing 164 minutes without a goal contribution. She took one shot that was off target and completed 85 of her 100 passes (85.%). The defender had five tackles and wasn’t booked.

Best Game

Sams’ best game came on Oct. 18 when the Pride traveled to Washington, D.C. for an afternoon clash with the Washington Spirit. The Pride came back from two deficits to defeat their rivals 3-2 and claim a huge three points.

Sams started alongside Rafaelle at center back and was excellent. She completed 41 of her 46 passes (89%), including both long balls, a key pass, and three into the final third. She finished with one tackle, five clearances, four interceptions, and four recoveries. The defender won two of her four duels (50%) in a game where she helped the Pride keep their late lead.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Sams a 7 out of 10 for the 2025 NWSL season. It’s a decrease from her exceptional 9 in 2024, but still higher than her 6.5 grade in 2023. The grade ties Sams with Rafaelle for the second-highest grade on the team, one point behind Barbra Banda, who was given an eight for her injury-shortened season. Overall, Sams was excellent this year and fully deserves one of the highest grades as she further cements herself as one of the best defenders in the NWSL.

2026 Outlook

Perhaps no player on the Pride is a more definite starter next season than Sams. She’s arguably the team’s best defender and has been a mainstay in the starting lineup over the past three seasons. Her new contract in February means she’ll remain in purple through the 2027 season.

The only question will be where she plays. She’s started at center back and right back several times over the past two seasons, but is best in the middle of the field. However, when Kylie Nadaner and Rafaelle are available, Pride Head Coach Seb Hines has opted to use her at right back.

Regardless, there’s no question that Sams will be a regular starter on the Pride back line as long as she remains healthy. Her presence is something that will be essential if the Pride hope to make a run for a second NWSL Championship next season.

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