Orlando Pride
Carrie Lawrence’s Start at Angel City Completes Long Road to Recovery
Carrie Lawrence’s long journey back to the field culminated with her first start since 2022.
The Orlando Pride defeated Angel City FC 3-0 on Sunday, keeping pace with the Kansas City Current for the top spot in the league and extending their unbeaten this season to 15 games. The win sets up a highly-anticipated matchup for first place on July 6 in Kansas City, but the game was extra special for one of the starters.
Carrie Lawrence, an Orlando native and product of the University of Central Florida, joined the Pride as a training player in 2019. Her performances in training sessions earned the young defender a first-team contract prior to the 2020 NWSL season. While the season was canceled due to the global pandemic and the Pride had to drop out of the inaugural NWSL Challenge Cup because of positive COVID tests, Lawrence made her debut in the Fall Series, playing in all four games with three starts.
The Pride were full of international stars in 2021, leaving little chance for the young Lawrence to receive playing time. However, former general manager Ian Fleming made the decision to rebuild the squad following that season, opening opportunities for the club’s young players.
Lawrence broke out during the 2022 NWSL season, playing in 14 games with 12 starts and recording 1,114 minutes. She also took part in four Challenge Cup games, starting three, and playing 229 minutes. The defender primarily played center back, but was also deployed at right back. Given her playing time and versatility — something valued by then-Pride interim head coach Seb Hines — it appeared as though Lawrence would be a key part of the team’s future.
Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse during the team’s 2023 preseason trip to Port St. Lucie. Lawrence tore the ACL in her left knee during training, requiring surgery and sidelining her indefinitely. The result of the injury was the defender being placed on the season-ending injury list.
During Lawrence’s absence, the Pride had to move on. They signed Brazilian international center back Rafaelle last year, pairing her with rookie Emily Sams, and then moved Sams to right back this season while shifting left back Kylie Strom to center back. Filling in for Strom was Kerry Abello, who had played an attacking role professionally but on the back line collegiately at Penn State.
The defender finally recovered from her injury during the off-season and was able to take part in the team’s preseason. Despite the team moving on without her, Hines could see the benefit of having her back in the team.
“Carrie’s gone through a lot in her career here. You know, mostly last year with an ACL tear,” Hines said. “And so having her back this year has a feeling of having a new player.”
It took time for Lawrence to regain her role as a contributor in games. She was an unused substitute during the first five games before making her season debut off the bench on April 26 away to the Washington Spirit — her first appearance since Oct. 1, 2022. She also came on as a sub in the following two games before being an unused substitute again.
Lawrence came on as a center back in her first three appearances of the season, the position she’s played most since joining the Pride. But the defender has the athleticism and ball skills that can cause problems on the right. For this reason, Hines brought Lawrnece on for Bri Martinez in the 67th minute in the team’s historic 6-0 win over the Utah Royals.
Despite limited time on the field, Lawrence helped set up two attacks. The first one nearly resulted in a goal and the second ended with the team’s fifth conversion.
In the 81st minute, Lawrence sent an excellent ball forward for striker Barbra Banda, putting her in on goal and forcing Royals goalkeeper Mandy Haught into a quality save. In second-half injury time, she sent another great ball down the right for Banda. This time, the forward found Marta in the box and the captain extended the Pride’s lead to 5-0.
“You see her quality, you see what she brings to the group,” Hines said about the performance. “You know, she’s played center back a couple of times. We felt it was a great opportunity for her to go onto the field and play right back and use her energy and athleticism down the right hand side, and she created a lot of problems for Utah (that night).”
The performance against Utah earned Lawrence a starting spot in the team at Angel City, her first start since 2022.
“She’s been on a windy road of hers to get to this position,” Hines said about giving her the start. “Obviously, last year she missed a substantial amount of football and then we’ve had to make sure that she’s in a place to go out there and compete. And we felt that this was a great time for her to come in and start the game.”
Recovering from her ACL tear required a long rehabilitation, patience, and belief that she could return to her previous form. While it took a lot of effort on her own, she gave most of the credit to her teammates and the club staff.
“Obviously super happy,” Lawrence said about getting the start. “I couldn’t have done it without this group. They’ve encouraged me the whole entire way. And I felt good on the field (Sunday), so I’m going to give all credit to my teammates and the staff.”
The selflessness, attitude, and work ethic of the defender isn’t lost on her teammates. Following the team’s win over Angel City, Sams spoke about how the team feels about having Lawrence back in the team and earning her first start of the year.
“I think we’re all so happy for her. I mean, she’s worked her butt off to get back to this point,” Sams said. “You know, she’s a great person and love her energy in the locker room. So to have her get back on the field, I’m sure she’s pumped and really excited for her to get her first start.”
Whether Lawrence continues to earn time on the field remains to be seen. Rafaelle’s recent injury has forced Sams back to her old center back position and left the right back spot open for Lawrence to fill. However, Rafaelle was back in the team in California, coming on in the 74th minute. When she returns to her starting role, the right back position will likely be occupied by Sams.
The last two games have been the culmination of a long journey back to the playing field. For the first time, Lawrence showed the form she had prior to her injury, the form that had many thinking she would be a key part of the Pride’s future.
Lawrence signed a new two-year contract on Oct. 5, 2022, keeping her with the Pride through the 2024 season. The player and club will soon have to make a decision about whether she’ll remain with her hometown team. Regardless of that upcoming decision, Lawrence has come through the most difficult time in her soccer-playing career, coming out the other side well respected by her coaches and teammates. It might be the end of a difficult journey, but she and the club hope it’s the beginning of a new joyous one.
Orlando Pride
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.
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.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
After a historic performance at home, the Pride head back out on the road to take on Angel City FC.
Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (9-0-5, 32 points) begin a three-game league road trip against Angel City FC (4-7-3, 15 points) in Los Angeles. This is the final time the two teams will meet during the 2024 NWSL regular season.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
Angel City was one of the NWSL’s two expansion teams entering the league in 2022. As a result, the Pride have only played tonight’s opponents five times. The Pride are 2-1-2 in the five games, all in NWSL regular-season play.
The most recent matchup between these two teams took place on March 22 in Orlando. Former Pride attacker Claire Emslie gave the visitors the lead in the 53rd minute from the penalty spot, and it looked as though the Pride would drop their first game of the season. But Marta volleyed home an equalizer from an Angelina corner kick in the 88th minute, pulling out a 1-1 draw.
The first meeting of the 2023 season was on April 2 in Orlando. Emily Sams took down Alyssa Thompson in the 39th minute, giving the visitors a penalty. Emslie stepped up and converted to give her team a 1-0 lead. Messiah Bright responded just after halftime to make it 1-1, and the game appeared to be heading for a draw. But Katie Johnson scored the winner in the 10th minute of second-half injury time. On Oct. 2, 2023 in Los Angeles, an Adriana volley in the 22nd minute beat Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson to her near post for the only goal as the Pride won a crucial late-season game.
The first-ever game between the teams took place on May 8, 2022 in Los Angeles. In the third minute, Gunny Jonsdottir’s cross was tipped by Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haracic, but it went right to Sydney Leroux. The Pride striker fired right at Morgan Reid standing in front of goal. The ball bounced off the defender and went in to give the Pride an early lead. The hosts controlled the final hour, but the Pride held on for 87 minutes to claim their first win of the season.
The teams met again on Aug. 7 in Orlando. Former Pride defender Ali Riley opened the scoring with a wonderful strike from the left side. The Pride responded in the second half through Julie Doyle, three minutes after she entered the game to even it at 1-1. The visitors took another lead when Cari Roccaro beat Viviana Villacorta to a corner kick, putting it past Erin McLeod. The Pride equalized for a second time in the 90th minute when Doyle and Paige Nielsen raced for a Thais Reiss cross, with the defender reaching it first. But Nielsen’s attempted clearance went into her own net, allowing the Pride to claim a 2-2 draw and extend their unbeaten run to five games.
Overview
The Pride are currently tied with the Kansas City Current atop the NWSL standings and are still undefeated after 14 games. Their 1-1 draw with San Diego Wave FC on June 7 saw the end of the longest winning streak in league history (eight games) and they followed that with a scoreless draw in North Carolina. Despite a disappointing result against the Courage, it was the first time a team had taken points in Cary, NC, this year.
Returning home on June 21, they got back to their winning ways with a historic performance. The 6-0 win over the Utah Royals set club records for the most goals scored in a game in team history and the largest margin of victory in team history. Barbra Banda’s four goal contributions tied a team record set by Marta in 2017. Tonight, the Pride will look to build on that win.
Angel City finished as the eighth and final playoff team last season, beating the Pride on goal difference. It took a Pride collapse for tonight’s opponent to make last year’s postseason and Angel City fell to OL Reign in the first round. This season has been disappointing for the Southern California-based team as it currently sits in 10th with 15 points.
The team has had inconsistent form this season, only going on one winning streak and one losing streak. Angel City won back-to-back games on April 13 and April 21, with wins over the Chicago Red Stars and North Carolina Courage, and lost back-to-back games on May 12 and May 18 against the Houston Dash and Washington Spirit. The club is coming off a tough 1-0 loss to Bay FC on June 22.
The front line of Emslie, Leroux, and Thompson should produce plenty of goals for Angel City. However, Angel City has scored the fifth-fewest goals in the league this season with 15. Emslie leads the team in goals with five, closely followed by Leroux with four. Thompson has yet to score this season, but leads the team with five assists.
Angel City has conceded 21 goals in 2024. Only five teams have conceded more. Veteran center back Sarah Gorden has been the leader on the back line, helping to guide rookies Madison Curry and Gisele Thompson through their first professional seasons. Despite their current place in the standings, going across the country and getting three points will be a challenge for Orlando.
“It’s another difficult game on the road,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s opponent. “I think where they stand isn’t a reflection of their performances. I think they’ve had some good performances and haven’t gotten the results, so it’s another game that’s going to be a challenge for us. But I think if we play at our best, then we have good momentum right now. I think we’ll go out there and give absolutely everything and hopefully get a result that we deserve.”
Celia (hip) is available for this game and Rafaelle (leg) has been upgraded to questionable. Simone Charley (leg), Morgan Gautrat (concussion), Luana (illness), Megan Montefusco (heel), and Viviana Villacorta (knee) remain out. Angel City will be without Jun Endo (knee), Katie Johnson (knee), and Christen Press (knee). Additionally, Ali Riley (upper leg) is listed as questionable.
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, Carrie Lawrence.
Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Summer Yates.
Midfielders: Julie Doyle, Marta, Adriana.
Forward: Barbra Banda.
Bench: McKinley Crone, Angelina, Amanda Allen, Ally Lemos, Bri Martinez, Alex Kerr, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke. Ally Watt.
Angel City FC (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: DiDi Haracic.
Defenders: Gisele Thompson, Merritt Mathias, Sarah Gorden, Madison Curry.
Midfielders: Rocky Rodriguez, Kennedy Fuller, Madison Hammond.
Forwards: Claire Emslie, Sydney Leroux, Alyssa Thompson.
Bench: Angelina Anderson, Messiah Bright, Meggie Dougherty Howard, Elizabeth Eddy, Clarisse Le Bihan, Lily Nabet, Megan Reid, Jasmyne Spencer, M.A. Vignola.
Referees
REF: Elijio Arreguin.
AR1: Matt Trotter.
AR2: Jennifer Garner.
4TH: Melinda Homa.
VAR: Shawn Tehini.
AVAR: Tom Felice.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: BMO Stadium — Los Angeles.
TV: Bally Sports Florida.
Streaming: NWSL+.
Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).
Enjoy the game. Go Pride!
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Midseason Review: Metrics and Milestones
With half of the NWSL season in the rearview mirror, it is time to take a look at how the league table and individual leaderboards are shaping up.
The NWSL season is just over halfway complete, and the Orlando Pride show no signs of slowing down. With nine wins, five draws, and no losses, they continue to rewrite club and league record books. While there is everything left to play for, this piece will serve as a retrospective on the Pride’s performances and results in the NWSL so far. It will look at notable statistics for the players and the club, as well as highlighting the records and milestones already surpassed by the midpoint of the 2024 season.
Fixture Results and the NWSL Table
Despite the incredible first half of the season for Orlando, the Pride are not the only undefeated team in the league. A look at the league table below shows Orlando and the Kansas City Current tied at the top with identical records, though the Current claim first place due to the goal-differential tiebreaker.
It seemed that the Pride had closed the gap in goal differential with their recent 6-0 win over Utah Royals FC, but the Current then followed Orlando’s lead with a 4-1 road win over the Portland Thorns. Hot on the heels of the teams tied at the top are the Washington Spirit and the NJ/NY Gotham FC side they defeated on Sunday.
NWSL Table and Pride Fixture Results
| Points | Club | Home Result | Away Result |
| 32 | Kansas City Current | ||
| 32 | Orlando Pride | — | — |
| 31 | Washington Spirit | 3-2 | |
| 27 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | ||
| 23 | Portland Thorns | 2-1 | |
| 19 | North Carolina Courage | 4-1 | 0-0 |
| 17 | Chicago Red Stars | 1-1 | |
| 16 | Racing Louisville FC | 1-0 | 2-2 |
| 15 | San Diego Wave FC | 1-0 | 1-1 |
| 15 | Angel City FC | 1-1 | |
| 15 | Bay FC | 1-0 | |
| 14 | Houston Dash | ||
| 9 | Seattle Reign | 3-2 | |
| 7 | Utah Royals FC | 6-0 | 1-0 |
The 26-match NWSL regular season is formatted so that each team plays each other twice — once at home and once on the road. The table above illustrates that the Pride have played more matches at home and more matches against the middle of the table than the top. However, while the Pride have yet to play either Kansas City or Gotham, wins against Washington and Portland do show that the Pride are beating some of the league’s better teams during their undefeated run.
Even after the 6-0 thrashing of Utah on Friday, the 3-2 win against the Spirit may stand as the most impressive result so far. Fans will remember that game as Barbra Banda’s full debut. With a goal, assist, and penalty drawn on the night, she started her career at the blistering pace that has continued since.
Pride Players on the Leaderboards
Orlando’s place at the top of the table has all the hallmarks of sustained success, with an emphasis on defense and the ability to overcome absences around the pitch. To go along with their league position, Pride players are also among league leaders for defensive performances and goal contributions.
Defensively, the Pride’s 11 conceded goals are tied with Gotham for the fewest goals allowed in the league, and their six clean sheets are tied with the Houston Dash for most in the league. The defense has been critical to preventing opposition chances, and Anna Moorhouse has been a solid shot stopper. Her 41 saves, at an impressive 80% save rate, are enough for fourth in the league. Houston’s Jane Campbell leads all goalkeepers with 67 saves.
Another key to the defensive rigidity has been the availability and adaptability of several defensive standouts. The table below shows Orlando’s leaders in minutes played, headlined by Moorhouse, the only player who has played every minute.
Minutes Leaders for the Pride
| Player | Minutes Played (Percent of Available Minutes) |
| Anna Moorhouse | 1260 (100%) |
| Emily Sams | 1170 (93%) |
| Kerry Abello | 1163 (92%) |
| Kylie Strom | 1141 (91%) |
| Haley McCutcheon | 1099 (87%) |
Below Moorhouse, the rest of the top five players in minutes played have all started at multiple positions and thrived. The value of being able to deploy Kylie Strom and Emily Sams at center back or fullback, Kerry Abello at fullback or anywhere else, and Haley McCutcheon at fullback or midfield can’t be overstated.
At the other end of the pitch, Banda is putting together a historic run. With 10 goals scored in just 10 matches, she’s tied with Sophia Smith for the most in the NWSL. Banda is particularly lethal with her headers — her five headed goals have already broken the Pride’s record for all-time headed goals in just half of a season.
Banda’s five assists also place her on the league leaderboard behind Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, who has nine, and Smith and Temwa Chawinga, who both have six. Despite dominating the headlines, Banda isn’t the only cog making the Orlando Pride machine run. Orlando’s attacking midfield pair of Marta and Summer Yates have contributed four goals each. Julie Doyle and Ally Watt have each added two goals as well. Behind Banda, Abello has contributed two assists, and no other player has had more than one, as the attacking buildup play has been spread throughout the squad.
One of the underappreciated aspects of Orlando’s season has been the development of talent acquired through the NWSL draft. While not every drafted player stars immediately, Head Coach Seb Hines has a proven track record of developing players to contribute. To show this development, the table below includes nine players drafted over the previous three seasons who have debuted for Orlando. The minutes these draftees have played in the NWSL is then tallied as a percentage of the full season to track each players’ involvement from year to year.
Pride Draftee Development by Season
| Player | First Year Percentage of Minutes Played | Second Year Percentage of Minutes Played | Third Year Percentage of Minutes Played |
| Julie Doyle | 35% | 42% | 67% |
| Mikayla Cluff | 47% | 76% | Traded |
| Emily Sams | 100% | 93% | – |
| Summer Yates | 6% | 56% | – |
| Bri Martinez | 2% | 55% | – |
| Messiah Bright | 69% | Traded | – |
| Ally Lemos | 23% | – | – |
| Cori Dyke | 20% | – | – |
| Alex Kerr | 1% | – | – |
Starting with the 2022 rookie class, Doyle shows the trajectory any coach would hope for. She has been rewarded for her year-over-year improvement with more involvement each season. Cluff was on a similar trajectory before her trade to Utah. While she no longer plays for the Pride, her development in Orlando increased her value and the returns for the Pride when she was traded.
The 2023 rookie class was signed to contribute immediately, as shown by the large minute shares garnered by Emily Sams and Messiah Bright in their first seasons. While Bright requested a trade before year two, Sams is just as important for the club in her second season. She has played almost every minute since being drafted, showing her fitness and importance to the team.
Yates and Brianna Martinez, on the other hand, show a different path to impacting the club. While their involvement in 2023 was minimal, they worked hard on their fitness and skills in the off-season and have played bigger roles in 2024, earning the trust of Hines. (Note: Martinez was drafted by Louisville, but signed by Orlando in early 2023 after not catching on with that club.)
This growth is something the new rookies should be keen to learn from. Both Ally Lemos and Cori Dyke are featuring periodically from the bench. The plan is that exposure now hastens their development into key players one to two years down the road.
All in all, Hines and his staff have a track record of improving players and maximizing the roster. It will be up to the rookies and younger players to make the most of the opportunities in front of them.
Milestones and Records Broken in 2024
- Marta continues to surpass her own milestones. Every match she plays grows the club record for all-time appearances, standing now at 132. Her goals against Utah also extended the club record for career goals to 35.
- Banda has set the club record for braces in a season with four. Is it only a matter of time until she achieves the first Pride hat trick?
- Friday against Utah, Orlando set team records for goals scored and winning margin with six each. This surpassed the previous records set in a 5-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars in 2023.
- Earlier in 2024, Orlando set the NWSL record for consecutive wins with eight by defeating Portland at home. The streak ended with the Pride’s draw at San Diego Wave.
- The Pride continue to extend their team-best undefeated streak, which sits at 15 games and dates back to the final day of 2023.
- Orlando’s 0-0 draw against the North Carolina Courage on June 15 marked the end of a 16-match scoring streak, which was a new club record.
- Orlando has 32 points in NWSL play and is rapidly closing in on the club’s best single-season points total of 40, set in 2017. Just three wins from the final 12 games would be enough to exceed the current record.
As the numbers and milestones show, Orlando is having a historic season in the NWSL. In post-match interviews however, the players and staff repeatedly make it clear that the club’s biggest goals are still ahead of it.
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