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

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

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4 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines Named NWSL Coach of the Year

After a record-breaking regular season, Pride Head Coach Seb Hines has been named the 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year.

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2 days ago

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November 19, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The National Women’s Soccer League announced this afternoon that Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines had been named the 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year. It’s the first time in the club’s history that a coach has won the award.

In his second year as permanent head coach, Hines led the Pride to a record-breaking season that saw them finish 18-2-6, winning the NWSL Shield. They finished third in the league with 46 goals scored and tied with NJ/NY Gotham FC for a league-best 20 goals conceded. They set five league records this year, including most points in a season (60), most wins in a season (18), longest winning streak (8), longest shutout streak (554 minutes), and longest single-season unbeaten run (23 games). The Pride also tied the league record for clean sheets in a season (13). Dating back to last season’s finale, the club went 24 matches without a loss under Hines. Orlando also drew all three Summer Cup matches this season, giving the Pride 26 matches without a loss in all competitions under Hines in 2023 and 27 games overall dating back to last year. Orlando’s 2.31 points per game in 2024 is second in league history behind the 2018 North Carolina Courage, who had 2.4 points per game. 

The 2024 season caps a rebuild that started following the 2021 NWSL season when the Pride traded away several star players. They hired Amanda Cromwell as head coach for the 2022 season, but she and assistant Sam Greene were suspended and eventually fired for retaliatory behavior. Assistants Michelle Akers and Aline Villares Reis left their positions following the suspensions, leaving Hines as the club’s only option as head coach.

The controversy turned out to be a blessing in disguise as Hines finished the season strong as interim coach, taking the team to a 3-7-5 mark in the final 15 games, which included a seven-game unbeaten run (3-0-4). His performance down the stretch was enough to earn the permanent role. The Pride elevated Hines from interim coach to head coach on Nov. 11, 2022.

In his first year as the club’s permanent head coach, Hines nearly led the Pride to their first playoff appearance since 2017 and second in club history last year, missing out on the goal difference tiebreaker on the final match day of the 2023 campaign. This year, the team came back with the goal of making the postseason and soon became the best team in the league, going the full season without a single home loss in any competition.

Since taking over in June 2022, Hines has become the Pride’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 31-30-12 in league play. His 1.67 points per game and .492 winning percentage also top all previous Pride coaches.

Despite a turnaround that saw the Pride go from one of the worst teams in the league to narrowly missing out on the playoffs, Hines wasn’t a finalist for coach of the year in 2023. It was an easy choice this year as he led the team to its best-ever season and the first trophy in team history.

The team’s 4-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars on Nov. 8 was the first playoff win in club history and the Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 3-2 Sunday afternoon to secure their spot in the 2024 NWSL Championship, which will be in Kansas City on Saturday night.

The NWSL Coach of the Year Award began with a preliminary round voted on by owners, general managers, coaches, players, and the media. The finalists were then voted on by fans, owners, general managers, coaches, players, and the media to determine the winner. The other finalists were Current Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski and Gotham Head Coach Juan Carlos Amoros, last year’s winner.

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Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 3-2 as Pride Advance to NWSL Championship

The Pride advance to the NWSL Championship after a gutsy home win over Kansas City.

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4 days ago

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November 17, 2024

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 3-2 at Inter&Co Stadium this afternoon to claim a spot in the NWSL Championship. The Current took the lead through Debinha, but Haley McCutcheon scored eight minutes later to make it 1-1 at the break. Barbra Banda gave her team the lead in the 53rd minute and an excellent individual effort by Marta in the 82nd minute appeared to put the game away. Vanessa DiBernardo converted a penalty deep in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride advanced to their first-ever final.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines deployed almost the same lineup that beat the Chicago Red Stars 4-1 on Nov. 8. The only change was Adriana re-entering the lineup for Summer Yates, who left the Chicago game with a first-half injury. However, Yates was on the bench for this one.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke. McCutcheon and Angelina were in the defensive midfield behind Ally Watt, Marta, and Adriana, with Banda up top.

This game started slowly with neither team able to create chances in the early minutes. Once the teams settled in, both had opportunities to take the lead. A great cross by Michelle Cooper in the 33rd minute and a missed clearance by Sams assisted Debinha in the opener. But the Pride fought back and equalized through McCutcheon shortly before halftime.

The Pride were the better team through most of the second half, mainly because of the power and speed of Banda. They took the lead in the 53rd minute and continued to push for a third goal, eventually converting in the 82nd minute. The Current were given a lifeline with 12 minutes of stoppage time and won a penalty with a handball by Abello in the box, but they nearly had an equalizer in the 15th and 16th minutes of stoppage time. The Pride ultimately survived and advanced to the NWSL Championship for the first time.

The first chance of the game didn’t come until the 11th minute and it was due to a mistake by Adriana. After the Pride won a throw-in, Adriana’s pass for Abello was directly to Cooper. The attacker split Abello and Adriana before shooting for the far post. Moorhouse seemed to have the shot the whole way, watching it roll wide.

Banda used a strong move on the left in the 15th minute to beat Hailie Mace and get into the box. As Mace caught up to her from behind, Banda went down. However, while Banda threw her arms up, there was very little contact and referee Danielle Chesky didn’t consider pointing to the spot to award a penalty.

The Pride maintained possession and created another pair of chances. It started when Marta’s cross was knocked out of play by Alana Cook, earning a corner kick. The set piece was chested out by Cook, but only to Abello, whose shot was blocked. Angelina took possession just outside the box and shot, but she fired her shot attempt wide.

The visitors created their second chance in the 14th minute when Claire Hutton dribbled towards the Pride box before pulling up and shooting from distance. The midfielder was unable to get over the ball and it sailed over the target without threatening Moorhouse.

In the 18th minute, Banda had a chance when Watt played her wide on the right. The forward created enough space from Ellie Wheeler for a tight-angle shot that was blocked over the crossbar by Current goalkeeper Almuth Schult. The ensuing corner kick was blocked out by Cook and the second corner went out of play for a goal kick, ending the attack.

Marta intercepted a pass in the 32nd minute, moved around her defender and made a long run to the Kansas City box. She had Banda and Adriana on either side of her, but decided to take the shot herself. Unfortunately, the attempt was directly into a defender.

On the other end, the Current took the lead in the 33rd minute. DiBernardo played the ball wide for Cooper, who sent a gorgeous ball across the face of goal. It was just beyond the reach of Sams and found Debhina at the far post. The Brazilian didn’t make any mistakes, tapping it past Moorhouse to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

“I think just to stay calm and we knew that we were better than them and that we could score on them,” Sams stated about what was said in the team huddle after the goal. “It was unfortunate that we had to go down, but I think too, we just kept our composure and stuck together as a team and knew that we would be able to break them down at some point.”

Eight minutes later, the Pride found their equalizer and it was McCutcheon for the second straight game. Watt made a strong run to the end line, beating Wheeler to get a cross off. It initially looked like Adriana would tap it in, but McCutcheon was making a run completely unmarked into the six. The defensive midfielder tapped it in and, after not scoring since April 29, 2023, she has now scored in back-to-back playoff games.

“The first goal was brilliant,” Hines said after the game. “You know, playing through the middle to then get out wide. Ally Watt, you know, dribbling, driving, great cross. And McCutcheon scores a goal. And, you know, she’s two in two right now. So it’s not bad for a holding midfielder.”

The Pride nearly got a second just before halftime when Watt played a dangerous ball into the box for Banda. The striker had her back to goal and tried to backheel it, but she couldn’t get anything on it and the Current were able to clear. That was the last chance for either team as the game went into the break at 1-1.

At halftime, the Current had more possession (55%-45%), but the Pride had more shots (7-5), shots on target (2-1), corner kicks (3-2), and crosses (12-6). Both teams completed 79% of their first-half passes.

Watt dribbled from the right to the top of the Kansas City box in the 49th minute. Chawinga challenged her from behind and the attacker ran directly into Nichelle Prince. It appeared as though Watt had her breath knocked out of her after being caught in the neck area, requiring attention. After receiving some treatment, she walked off on her own and was able to continue.

Marta and Angelina stood over the ball, with Marta taking the set piece. Her shot was aimed for the near post, but Schult had it well covered, collecting the free kick.

The Pride took their first lead of the game in the 53rd minute when Strom lifted the ball into the Kansas City box. Banda used her body to turn Kayla Sharples before hitting a hard shot past Schult to give her team a 2-1 lead.

“Defenders will always be tight, but as a striker, you need to have a lot of creativity as a striker for you to score,” Banda said about her goal. “I’m a goal machine, so I had to figure it out how I’m going to score for this. So it came into my mind, and I saw the defender. Then I had to take my advantage.”

The Pride had a chance to extend their lead in the 57th minute when Mace fouled Banda hard near the Kansas City box, earning a yellow card for the challenge. After Banda received some treatment, Adriana stepped up to take the set piece. However, she hit the attempt over the top of the goal.

The Current had a chance to get back on even terms in the 61st minute when Chawinga was sent long by Mace. Dyke kept up with the attacker and slid in to win the ball but didn’t connect with it. Sams was between Chawinga and goal as the forward shot for the near post, missing wide.

The visitors nearly found an equalizer in the 65th minute when Cooper volleyed a ball across the box in front of the goal. Prince volleyed the ball on target, but it was blocked by Sams. It went straight to Chawinga, who tried to put a first-touch shot on target, but she sent it over the top.

A mistake at midfield nearly cost the Pride in the 71st when Angelina lost possession. Chawinga carried the ball to the top of the box while Pride defenders tried desperately to get in front. The forward shot before entering the 18, but hit the attempt wide.

Hines made his first changes of the game in the 79th minute, as Julie Doyle and Yates came on for Adriana and Watt.

Banda won the ball from Sharples in the 82nd minute before going down, knocking it to Marta, who took it from there. The Pride captain dribbled to her left and cut back, resulting in Sharples and Cook going down. She dribbled past Schult before passing the ball in to make it 3-1.

“It was so amazing. I just saw all the defenders went down, but I know that’s what Marta can do,” Banda said about Marta’s goal. “So, I know it’s an assist because I was down, unfortunately. But she scored and we know her for that.”

“I feel like she’s been in situations like that before,” Sams added. “And, you know, I feel like she might take the shot earlier. So just to see her like, you know, see two players go to ground and slide, and Marta cuts them back, and then cuts back the goalkeeper and just slots it home. I mean, it’s just such a hard goal. I mean, she’s the GOAT and she proves it. And she proved it tonight.”

It was a fantastic goal by Marta, but the celebrations were cut short as Banda remained down near midfield and required medical assistance. She had to be helped off the field and was replaced by Carson Pickett. Fortunately, she was soon seen laughing on the bench with Watt, which suggests she was fine.

The fourth official showed 12 minutes of second-half stoppage time and the Current had to find something quick trailing by two goals. In the sixth minute, they won a corner kick and sent Schult to the other end. The Pride knocked the first attempt out of play and cleared the second one.

Hines made his third change of the game in the seventh minute of added time, replacing Dyke with Celia. While the substitution might’ve been to waste some time, it also gave Celia one last chance to play at Inter&Co Stadium as she announced she’s retiring following the season.

Marta looked for her second goal in the ninth minute of stoppage time, dribbling into the left side of the box. She split a pair of defenders and shot, but the attempt sailed well wide.

In the 10th minute of stoppage time, Mace took a shot from just inside the Pride box. Abello blocked the attempt, sending it out of play for a corner kick. However, the ball was off of Abello’s arm and the video assistant referee indicated that Chesky should have a second look.

After a brief check, Chesky returned to the field and pointed to the spot. DiBernardo stepped up to take the spot kick and took it well. As Moorhouse dove to her right, DiBernardo sent the attempt the other way to make it 3-2.

The visitors continued to push as the game neared its end. In the 15th minute of stoppage time, Wheeler cut back to lose her defender and fired on goal, but she missed the target. A minute later, Chawinga was sent down the right and took possession when Moorhouse came way off her line and missed the ball. Chawinga had Sharples making a run into the six as Celia came over to cover her. The center back got her head to the ball, but sent the attempt over the crossbar. That was the last chance as the Pride came away with a 3-2 win.

The Current ended the game with more possession (51.8%-48.2%), shots (20-13), and corner kicks (4-3). The Pride had the advantage in shots on target (5-4), crosses (11-9), and better passing accuracy (78%-75.2%).

“They sat back, waited for transition moments. And, you know, they’re very good at it,” Hines said about the game. “You know, they’ve built that in the last second half of the season. Get the threatening players running in behind. But I thought in moments we were really good.

“What an effort from the players. I can’t speak highly enough for them. They’ve put so much work and effort, and they really wanted this tonight. You know, in front of our home fans and their hunger and desire.”

The Pride have played ahead most of the season, not needing to come from behind. The last time they came back from a deficit to win prior to this game was a 3-1 win over the Portland Thorns on June 11, 2023. They hadn’t come from behind to claim points since the second game of the season on March 22, something they did in each of the first two games of the season.

It’s rare that playoffs go according to plan, but this NWSL postseason has done just that. The higher-seeded team has won every game in this postseason, resulting in the top two teams meeting in Kansas City for the championship. That might bode well for the Pride, who finished the season with the league’s best record, making them the higher seed for the final.

“It’s great,” Hines said about reaching the championship. “You know, you’ve put all the hard work and effort into it. Obviously, in the regular season, 26-game group stage to then get into a three-game tournament. So we’ve done two of it, and there’s one more to go. So obviously, the spirits are really high right now, and we’re ready to go on Saturday.”

The Pride have six days before they take the field again. The Washington Spirit drew NJ/NY Gotham FC 1-1 Saturday and advanced on penalties to claim the other spot. So the top two teams will meet at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City Saturday night at 8 p.m. for the NWSL Championship.

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Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride host the Kansas City Current in the NWSL semifinals.

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4 days ago

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November 17, 2024

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Image courtesy of Kansas City Current / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your match preview as the Orlando Pride host the Kansas City Current with a chance to advance to the NWSL Championship. This is the first time the two teams have met in the postseason and the third time they’ve played this year.

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

History

The Current joined the NWSL in 2021 after the team’s ownership group bought the Utah Royals and relocated the club to Kansas City. It’s the second NWSL team in the city — FC Kansas City played there from 2013 to 2017 before moving to Utah — and the team was known as NWSL Kansas City for its inaugural season.

The Pride and Current have played seven games against each other, all in the regular season. Orlando has a 3-2-3 record in the series and is 1-1-2 at home.

The two teams last met on Sept. 13 in Orlando. The teams combined for 27 shots, but neither converted as the game ended in a scoreless draw.  On July 6 in Kansas City, Barbra Banda gave the Pride the lead, but the hosts responded two minutes later through Temwa Chawinga. Despite a second yellow card for Carrie Lawrence dropping the Pride to 10 players just before halftime, Marta converted a second-half penalty, lifting her team to a 2-1 win.

The first time the teams met in 2023 was on April 23 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City. It was scoreless after an hour before the Current got a quick flurry of goals by Debinha and CeCe Kizer, lifting Kansas City to a 2-0 win. On June 23, 2023 in Orlando, the visitors took the lead through Debinha, and Kizer doubled the advantage just before halftime. Marta converted a penalty to pull one back, but the Pride fell 2-1.

Their first meeting in 2022 came on July 31 in Kansas City while the Pride were in the middle of their seven-game unbeaten run. The Pride opened the scoring when Erika Tymrak found the head of Celia and doubled the lead just after halftime through Julie Doyle. The Current stormed back with goals by Elyse Bennett and Kizer, pulling out a 2-2 draw.

The first meeting in 2022 was on May 14 at Exploria Stadium. The Pride took the lead early in the second half on a Gunny Jonsdottir goal. Bennett scored late in the second half, and the visitors appeared to win the game a minute into injury time through Kristen Hamilton. However, Kylie Strom was pulled down in the box five minutes later, resulting in a penalty. With Marta injured, the only player willing to step up to take the penalty was center back Toni Pressley, who drilled the ball into the roof of the net, pulling out a 2-2 draw.

The teams played twice during the 2021 NWSL season, with the first game occurring May 30 at Exploria Stadium. Courtney Petersen found Alex Morgan just outside the six-yard box and the striker headed in the game’s lone goal as the Pride won 1-0.

The Pride and Current met again on June 23 at Legends Field in Kansas City. The Pride had a weakened squad as then-coach Marc Skinner left some key players at home, preparing to lose them to the Olympics. It looked to be costly when Mariana Larroquette gave the hosts the lead late in first-half injury time. But the Pride responded well. Two minutes after Larroquette’s goal, Sydney Leroux’s shot took a deflection off a defender and went in to make it 1-1. Shortly after halftime, Leroux scored on a great individual effort from just outside the box. Marta then scored the goal of the game, beating Kansas City goalkeeper Abby Smith from the top of the center circle, lifting the Pride to a 3-1 win.

Overview

The Pride had a record-setting regular season and were on their way to an unbeaten record until they lost two of their last three games. Even with their 3-2 win over Seattle Reign FC in the regular-season finale, they conceded two goals for the first time at home this year. The performances caused questions about how the team would play in the postseason and whether the Pride could reach their ultimate goal of an NWSL Championship.

Those questions were seemingly put to rest in the team’s first-ever home playoff game when they dominated the Chicago Red Stars 4-1 in the quarterfinals. They gave up a goal on a mistake by Anna Moorhouse, enabling Jameese Joseph to block the clearance in for Chicago’s lone goal of the night. However, the Pride were already up 4-0 at that point, and the result was already determined.

The team only gave up one goal defensively, the fewest goals the Pride conceded in four games. The match also saw Banda score a brace, her first goals since Sept. 20 against Bay FC. If the Pride are getting back to their best, it can’t be at a better time as they’re about to face one of the league’s best teams.

Like the Pride, the Current were unbeaten in their first 15 games of the season, a run that ended with their 2-1 loss to the Pride on July 6. While they weren’t able to keep up with the Pride’s pace, the Current finished the regular season in fourth. They’ll be motivated to get revenge on the Pride for their loss earlier this year and the opportunity to play in the championship game at their home stadium.

The Current were one of the best teams offensively and defensively this season. Their 31 goals conceded was fifth fewest in the league and their 57 goals scored were the most, six more than the Washington Spirit, who were second in goals scored.

While the Pride are led offensively by Zambian international Banda, Malawian international Temwa Chawinga is the biggest threat for the Current. The favorite for the NWSL Most Valuable Player award finished the regular season with a league-leading 20 goals in 26 games and scored the lone goal in Kansas City’s 1-0 win over the North Carolina Courage in the first round of the NWSL playoffs last weekend.

The pair of African natives will be the key factor in this game. Banda snapped her goalless drought against Chicago and the Pride will need her to continue producing to reach the championship game. Additionally, Orlando’s defensive unit will need to keep Chawinga from taking over the game. It’s a tall task for a team that has conceded goals from defensive mistakes in each of its last four games.

“An exciting one,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about today’s game. “You know, it’s the semifinals of the playoffs. Winner goes all the way to the championship game, so stakes are high, and obviously we want to be the team that is on that flight to Kansas at the end of the game. So we expect two teams going after it. Obviously, we’ve played them two times in the regular season, (they’ve) been really competitive games, and we expect nothing different going into this game.”

All of the players missing for the Pride tonight are those already out with season-ending injuries and illnesses. Those players include Rafaelle (thigh), Megan Montefusco (heel), Luana (illness), Simone Charley (ankle), and Grace Chanda (thigh).

The Current will be without Hildah Magaia (leg), Alex Pfeiffer (knee), Gabrielle Robinson (knee), Mallory Weber (knee), and Bia Zaneratto (foot). Additionally, Lo’eau LaBonta (leg) is listed as questionable.

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

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

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Angelina.

Midfielders: Julie Doyle, Marta, Adriana.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Celia, Summer Yates, Carrie Lawrence, Morgan Gautrat, Ally Lemos, Viviana Villacorta, Julie Doyle, Carson Pickett.

Kansas City Current (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Almuth Schult.

Defenders: Ellie Wheeler, Kayla Sharples, Alana Cook, Hailie Mace.

Midfielders: Claire Hutton, Vanessa DiBernardo, Lo’eau LaBonta.

Forwards: Temwa Chawinga, Debinha, Michelle Cooper.

Bench: AD Franch, Regan Steigleder, Elizabeth Ball, Nichelle Prince, Desiree Scott, Stine Ballisager, Izzy Rodriguez, Bayley Feist, Kristen Hamilton.

Referees

REF: Danielle Chesky.
AR1: Jennifer Garner.
AR2: Darren Bandy.
4TH: Abdou Ndiaye.
VAR: Shawn Tehini.
AVAR: Tom Felice.

How to Watch

Match Time: 3 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: ABC.

Streaming: ESPN+.

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

Enjoy the match. Go Pride!

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