Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Final Score 2-0 as Pride Win Again
The Pride beat NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-0 to extend their unbeaten run to 19 games.
The Orlando Pride (13-0-5, 44 points) continued their unbeaten streak by defeating NJ/NY Gotham FC (10-4-4, 34 points) 2-0 tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. Adriana netted a first-half brace, which held up for 71 minutes as the Pride extended their winning streak to five games and unbeaten run to 19 matches.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made one change to the team that beat the Houston Dash 1-0 on Aug. 23. Summer Yates, the goal scorer in that game, replaced Julie Doyle in the midfield. The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke. Haley McCutcheon and Angelina were the defensive midfielders behind Yates, Marta, and Adriana with Barbra Banda up top.
The game was originally scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., but storms in the area pushed the start time back to 7:25 p.m. The Pride came out flying once the game began, taking control in the first 20 minutes. Adriana scored in the sixth minute and again in the 19th minute, giving the hosts a 2-0 lead. That was enough as Gotham only put two of its 16 shots on target, both of which were saved by Moorhouse.
Gotham created the first shot of the game in the third minute when the inability of the Pride to clear gave Delanie Sheehan space outside of the box. The midfielder tried to guide the ball inside the far post but was unable to get around it, resulting in the ball sailing harmlessly wide.
The first chance for the Pride gave the hosts an early lead. In the sixth minute, Yates’ cross to the six-yard box was converged on by Strom, Nealy Martin, Jess Carter, and Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. Despite being outnumbered, Strom got her head to the ball, putting it down for a wide open Adriana to finish and giving the Pride a 1-0 lead.
During the play, Berger accidentally punched Strom while trying to reach the ball and Martin also went down with a head injury. Both players received treatment but were eventually able to continue.
The Pride doubled their lead in the 19th minute when Yates played a great, long switch across the field to Adriana with space. The Brazilian took Jenna Nighswonger one-on-one, eventually creating enough room for a shot towards the far post. Berger couldn’t get close to the attempt and Adriana had a brace in less than 20 minutes, giving the Pride a commanding 2-0 lead.
“It was a great moment for Adriana. She’s been looking forward to getting on the score sheet,” Hines said about the brace. “She’s been working extremely hard with her finishing, and she had a night tonight.”
As you might expect, the Pride were trying to find Banda in the box with space and the striker finally got the ball in the box in the 27th minute. The team’s leading goal scorer took a touch inside to create space from the defender before taking a shot at goal. However, the attempt was right at Berger, who made an easy save.
Yates tried to send McCutcheon through on goal in the 30th minute, but the ball was a bit too far in front of her, and Berger was able to clear it away. The Pride maintained possession, resulting in a cross attempt by Adriana that Nighswonger knocked out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece found the head of Banda, but the striker couldn’t get much on it.
Gotham had a good chance in the 43rd minute when Emily Sonnett played a great ball across the field from the midfield line into the Pride box. The cross went just over the head of Sheehan to Yazmeen Ryan on the far side. Taking Dyke on one-on-one, Ryan created enough space for a shot but sent the attempt over the goal.
It looked like the Pride might have a third goal in the 45th minute when Abello and Yates combined to play McCutcheon forward. Banda was making a diagonal run and McCutcheon played her in on goal. The Pride striker opened her body before firing for the far side of the goal, hitting the post. It wouldn’t have counted anyway as the flag came up for offside.
In the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, Adriana sent a long ball across the box that Banda headed to the top of the six. Yates was making a run, but Sonnett got there first to knock it out for a corner kick. Marta’s set piece was cleared away, ending the threat.
The final chance of the half came in the eighth minute of injury time when Rose Lavelle played Ryan forward. Rather than dribbling into the box, the attacker shot from outside the 18, sending the attempt wide.
The Pride led most of the statistical categories in the first half, including possession (52%-48%), shots (7-4), shots on target (3-0), corner kicks (3-0), and crosses (10-4). The hosts also had better passing accuracy (88%-85%) in the first 45 minutes.
“We always mention it at halftime. You know, 2-0 is a dangerous score line at halftime,” Hines said. “Two halves are never the same. And especially when we’re dominating so much in the first half and creating some really good opportunities in the first half and played some really good football. A team like Gotham is going to adjust things.”
“We say it all the time, 2-0 is a very dangerous lead,” Strom added. “So we knew that they were going to change something. We weren’t sure what. So, we just needed to problem solve and adapt and, you know, try to figure out how to beat the press in the second half.”
The only halftime substitute was Esther Gonzalez coming on for Martin and the Spanish international tried to make an immediate impact. Seconds after the restart, she won the ball from Strom and attempted to chip Moorhouse. It was an ambitious attempt that went over the target.
The Pride had their first chance of the second half in the 48th minute when Abello sent Banda long down the left. The forward found an open Adriana in the middle and the attacker volleyed the ball with the outside of her right foot right to Berger.
Gotham had a good chance to get one back in the 52nd minute when Lavelle lifted the ball over a leaping Yates for Carter making a run towards the back post. The defender sent the ball across the face of the goal where Gonzalez was making a run, but the forward couldn’t get her foot to it.
The visitors had another good chance in the 54th minute when Nighswonger sent an excellent ball to Dunn making a run towards the back post. Dunn had gotten behind the back line and tried to volley the ball on goal, but hit the attempt over the crossbar.
Gotham nearly scored an own goal in the 59th minute when Tierna Davidson got to an Abello cross before Marta. She redirected the ball over Berger and it looked like the ball would cross the line, but it hit the bottom of the crossbar instead. It was enough to keep it out and allow Berger to collect it.
Hines made his first change of the night in the 65th minute with Doyle coming onto the field for Yates.
Gotham continued to try to find a goal that would get them back into the game. In the 70th minute, Davidson sent a long ball for Gonzalez that got her behind Strom. The forward’s second touch was a shot from a tight angle that went over the crossbar.
A minute later, pressure from a Pride goal kick created a chance for Nighswonger. McCutcheon received the ball near the top of the box but quickly gave it away to Katie Stengel. The second-half substitute played Lavelle forward and the U.S. international found Nighswonger with more space. The defender was aiming for the far post but sent the attempt wide.
Pressure in the back created problems for the Pride again in the 77th minute when a weak pass from Strom to Sams enabled Stengel to take possession. The substitute dribbled around Sams to create space for a shot, but McCutcheon came flying in to block the shot out of play.
After the first corner kick was cleared out of play, the second resulted in a shot from long distance by Nighswonger. However, Moorhouse was up to the task, blocking it behind her goal. It wasn’t until the fourth consecutive corner kick that the Pride were able to clear.
The Pride immediately went the other way, trying to create something of their own. The number of Gotham players forward enabled the Pride to create a counterattack when Marta chipped the ball for Doyle and the midfielder sent Banda forward. Banda was looking to take Bruninha one-on-one and was taken down by the Brazilian when a teammate got back.
Bruninha was booked for the challenge and Banda required attention. Hines took the opportunity to make another substitution, replacing Banda with fellow forward Ally Watt. Adriana stepped up to take the free kick but it was stopped by Berger.
Watt had a chance to make her impact on the game in the 84th minute when McCutcheon sent her behind the Gotham back line. However, she took too many touches, enabling Berger to come off her line and block her attempt at goal.
In the 90th minute, Pickett pulled back Jessica Silva near the top of the Pride box, giving the visitors a good chance. Lavelle’s free kick was headed on goal by Stengel, but Moorhouse was there to make the catch.
Doyle did well to shield the ball from Carter in the second minute of stoppage before splitting a pair of defenders to enter the box. Adriana, who initially gave Doyle the ball, continued her run into the 18 and Doyle found her. The midfielder shot in an attempt to score the first hat trick in Pride history, but it was directly at Berger.
On the other end, Gotham had a good chance to convert in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Stengel won a header between Sams and Dyke. It set up perfectly for Taryn Torres, who sent her shot for the far post. Moorhouse had no chance at stopping the attempt, but it went just wide of the far post.
It looked briefly like the Pride had a third in the ninth minute of stoppage time when Doyle dribbled inside and towards the top of the box to create space from two defenders. The midfielder’s strike was a beautiful one, getting just over the outstretched arm of Berger and into the roof of the net. Unfortunately, the flag went up for offside.
That was the last chance for either team as the Pride won 2-0. At full time, Gotham had more possession (50.5%-49.5%), shots (16-13), corner kicks (6-3), and crosses (12-10). However, the Pride put more shots on target (9-2) and converted twice. Both teams completed 82% of their passes.
“I think every game that we’re playing in is always going to be a challenging game, but it’s just a testament to the players and their attitudes,” Hines said about the performance. “We wanted to start the game on the front foot. We wanted to start with intensity and to take the lead after 20 minutes, I thought we were terrific. I thought we played some really good football. I think the second goal epitomizes what we’re trying to do. And, you know, Adri takes both goals really well. And then, obviously towards the end, as they’re pushing more numbers forward, trying to get back into the game. Again, talk about mentality, and attitude, and throwing your body on the line to keep the ball out of the net was brilliant to see. And again, it’s another clean sheet against a good opponent.”
The clean sheet was the Pride’s fifth in the last six games, a remarkable record for a team that has featured the best defensive unit in the league.
Even more impressive than the clean sheets is they’ve done it with changes on the back line. Rafaelle was injured in the Olympics, causing Sams to move to center back and Dyke to enter the starting lineup. Despite the changes, the Pride continue to avoid conceding goals.
“I just think it speaks to the depth of this team,” Dyke said about the defensive success. “We just have such a talented roster of players that could play 90 minutes on any given day. And I think that makes a really competitive training environment. So, I think just the way we’re pushing ourselves every day in training and holding each other to that high standard allows us to continue to have those clean sheets.”
“I think we just take a lot of pride in our defending. And when we say defending, it’s not just our back line or goalkeeper, it’s front to back,” Strom added. “So, we just want to make things predictable. We want to lock them to one side. We want to end it when it gets wide. And when we do that, we have a lot of success.”
In a season full of new team and league records, the head coach set a new one tonight. The win was Hines’ 26th as Pride head coach, surpassing Tom Sermanni for most wins in team history. Since neither coach has a win outside of league play, the record is for NWSL and all competitions.
“It’s cool, I guess,” Hines said about setting the team record. “You know, I don’t even think about it. I’m just one who lives in the moment and I’m already thinking about the next game. So, yeah, we’ve said it all season long, records are great. The winning streak, the unbeaten streak, winning as coach, they’re all great. But we have an objective that we want to achieve this year and we’ll continue it.”
The Washington Spirit drew 1-1 with the San Diego Wave and the Kansas City Current lost 2-1 to the North Carolina Courage 2-1 tonight. As a result, the Pride increased their lead on the field to six points.
After a brief stop at home, the Pride will now head back out on the road as they face the Chicago Red Stars next Sunday.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Final Score 1-0 as Pride End Three-Game Losing Streak
A third-minute goal from Haley McCutcheon was enough for the Pride to beat the Washington Spirit away from home.
The Orlando Pride (8-11-2, 26 points) came away with a shocking 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit (11-6-4, 37 points) this afternoon at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. Haley McCutcheon’s third-minute goal gave the Pride the lead and they held on to claim all three points. Washington dominated the match but could not score on any of its 23 shots.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes to the team that lost 2-1 to the Portland Thorns on Aug. 15. Cosette Morche got her first start of the year in goal, replacing regular starter Anna Moorhouse. Angelina also entered the lineup, replacing Solai Washington.
“She’s (Morche’s) been itching for an opportunity. I think Anna’s done great all season long, but we felt we needed to make a change in that position,” Hines said about the change in goal. “She’s been ready. She’s been hungry for this opportunity.”
The back line in front of Morche in goal was Hailie Mace, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Oihane. Angelina and Ally Lemos were the defensive midfielders behind McCutcheon, Julie Doyle, and Jacquie Ovalle with Barbra Banda up top.
This was always going to be a tough game for the Pride. They’ve struggled since the FIFA World Cup break and entered on a three-game losing streak. But the combination of an early goal, Washington’s inability to hit the target, and an excellent last-minute save by Morche lifted the Pride to an unlikely and much-needed win.
The biggest moment of the game came in just the third minute. Banda took the ball off center back Elisabeth Tse’s foot to start a counterattack with Ovalle and McCutcheon making runs. Banda’s pass across the top of the box was too far in front of Ovalle but perfect for McCutcheon. The defensive midfielder struck the ball beautifully, tucking it past a diving Sandy MacIver and inside the near post to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.
“I saw Barbra get the ball, and I just needed to run as fast as I could,” McCutcheon said. “But we talked a lot about how I was in a wider, more advanced position today, and that was because I needed to make runs in the box. And so, I did that and arrived and just tried to place it. And thankfully found the back of the net.
“It’s something that we’ve always been working on. Once Barbra gets in those positions, can we get players to support the attack. Nine times out of 10, she’s going to get the advantage on the defender. So it’s believing in yourself and believing in delivering a really good ball,” Hines added. “And it’s a well-taken finish from Haley McCutcheon, who is playing out of position. But Haley’s done a terrific job since she’s come to the club of playing multiple positions for this team and doing whatever it takes for this team.”
The goal gave the Pride their first lead in four games. The club’s most recent lead was when Doyle scored in the 88th minute against Chicago Stars FC on July 24, which was also a winner.
“We wanted to try to silence this great crowd that they had today, and so that was really fun to do early on,” McCutcheon said. “But we’ve gone down in games and really struggled to come back from that. And so to go up and kind of give ourselves a little bit of a cushion was really nice.”
The first chance for the hosts came in the eighth minute when Trinity Rodman put Oihane under pressure, taking the ball right off her foot. As the attacker played the ball forward for Rosemonde Kouassi, Morche came off her line. Kouassi got to the ball first but was pushed wide. She attempted a chipped shot, but the Pride goalkeeper went up to catch it, ending a dangerous threat.
Banda fouled Tse in the 11th minute, giving Washington a free kick in a dangerous position. Sofia Cantore flicked on Kate Wiesner’s set piece delivery and Rafaelle blocked it. However, it went right back to Cantore, who sent her shot off the crossbar. The ball ended up with Tamara Bolt, who sent her attempt off the far post. The ball continued to bounce around the box before the Pride finally cleared it.
Banda outran Esme Morgan to get to an Angelina clearance behind the Spirit back line and in on goal. However, Morgan caught up, forcing the Pride striker to cut inside. Banda got a shot off, but Morgan did well to block it. Doyle followed the shot and sent her attempt over the target.
The game settled down after the Doyle miss with the next chance coming in the 30th minute. Kouassi received a long ball on the right and created space from Mace with a stepover. She found Rodman approaching the box, but the first-touch shot was off target.
Rafaelle fouled Tse from behind in the 38th minute, giving the hosts a free kick. Dyke’s short clearance fell to Kouassi, but Angelina deflected her follow-up shot out of play. Wiesner’s ensuing corner kick bounced off the near post. The Spirit quickly regained possession after Orlando’s clearance and Morgan played the ball up the field for Bolt on the right. Rafaelle tried to shield the attacker, but she was still able to win the ball. The defense knocked her cross to the top of the six to Rodman at the top of the box. Rodman’s shot went just wide of the near post.
Cantore dribbled into the Pride third of the field in the 42nd minute before finding Rodman to her left. Rodman cut inside and shot, but Dyke deflected it out for a corner. Bolt headed the ensuing free kick to Rodman behind her. Rodman sent in a ball to Tara Rudd, who headed wide to end the attack.
After 45 minutes, the Spirit had the edge in possession (72%-28%), shots (8-5), and passing accuracy (86%-70%). But the teams each had one shot on target and two corner kicks as the Pride took a slim 1-0 advantage into the break.
It took 10 minutes for either team to create a chance in the second half. In the 55th minute, just after Rafaelle blocked a cross out for a corner kick, Wiesner sent a set piece cross to the back post, where Rodman tried to redirect it on target, but the header was wide.
A minute later, Lemos sent the ball down the right for Banda. Tse tried to head the ball away but missed, allowing Banda to get into the Spirit half. Banda took Rudd one-on-one in the Washington box, creating enough space for a shot that went just wide of the far post.
Hines made his first change in the 62nd minute, sending on Nicole Payne for Doyle, who had picked up a knock.
The Spirit had a great chance in the 69th minute when Wiesner played a ball to Rodman down the left. Rodman beat Oihane and sent a low cross to the top of the six-yard box for Gift Monday. The halftime substitute did well to get around the ball, but Rafaelle blocked it.
Hines made his second substitution in the 77th minute with Summer Yates replacing Lemos.
Wiesner nearly intercepted Oihane’s throw-in in the 81st minute for Banda, however, the left back missed, allowing Banda to get behind. Rudd closed down the Zambian striker, forcing her to shoot early and the attempt went over the crossbar.
Kouassi fouled Ovalle near midfield in the 85th minute and it looked as though the Pride would just try to keep possession, but Ovalle had other ideas. The attacker played a pair of give-and-gos, first with Banda then with Yates. The second got her to the top corner of the six-yard box where her near-post shot forced MacIver into a save.
Banda took possession and got another shot off, but the Spirit blocked it and cleared their lines.
The fourth official showed 11 minutes of second-half stoppage time and it was full of chances. The first came when Hal Hershfelt lifted the ball into the box, but Monday put it over the crossbar.
The Pride went the other as Angelina sent a long ball over the top for Payne. The substitute had a step on Rudd and got into the Spirit box before sending her shot over the crossbar.
In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Monday tried to send the ball toward the end line for Gabrielle Carle, but Payne deflected it out of play. The corner kick found Monday, who headed it to the top of the six-yard box. Ashley Hatch attempted to continue it over Morche, heading it off the top of the crossbar and out of play.
Hines wanted to replace Ovalle with Luana after the miss, but the referee decided Ovalle took too long to come off, so the Pride had to play with 10 players for one minute while trying to maintain their one-goal lead. Luana came on 90 seconds later just before a corner kick Kouassi won.
Paige Metayer had a free run on the ensuing set piece and headed it on target, but Morche got her right hand to the ball, tipping it over the crossbar.
“It was a little bit windy, and the cross was really moving, so I just got back in my goal and made just a reaction save,” Morche said. “Might have blacked out a little bit. I don’t remember all of it. I just got a palm on it and knew I had to push it out of the goal, which was kind of tough. But it just happened very fast.”
The next corner kick was to Monday at the back post, but she headed her attempt into the outside netting.
With time winding down, Washington continued pressing for an equalizer. In the 10th added minute, Morgan recieved a pass well outside the box. The defender took the long-distance attempt but couldn’t keep it down.
The Spirit went on one final attack in the 12th added minute. Kouassi flicked on Rudd’s long ball to the top of the box for Hatch. With her back to the goal, Hatch tried to flick the ball over Morche. But it was an easy catch by the Pride goalkeeper, who secured it for the win.
At full time, Washington had the edge in possession (73%-27%), shots (23-10), shots on target (3-2), corner kicks (11-2), and passing accuracy (85%-63%). But the Pride were able to keep the Spirit from scoring, hanging on for the win.
“Terrific result. Really gritty performance,” Hines said. “Took an early lead. The attention to detail was really good, players doing the roles and responsibilities, throwing bodies on the line throughout the whole game. And we got a little bit of luck. Obviously, good team, always going to create opportunities to score. Post helped us out, and, yeah, a really good collective performance from everyone.”
“I think that the first win after the spell we’ve had was going to be a hard one. It was going to be one that we had to earn every single thing,” McCutcheon added. “And we know that luck hasn’t gone our way in the past few games, and so we needed to create our own luck. Really proud of the group and how we responded to a really tough run.”
The win ends a three-game losing streak the Pride were on and places the Pride in 11th in the NWSL, still four spots behind the Seattle Reign for the final playoff spot. However, they’re only two points behind Seattle now, making a potential third consecutive playoff appearance much more possible.
The Pride will look to build off this win when they welcome the Utah Royals to Inter.co Stadium on Saturday night.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride look to end their three-game losing streak as they travel north to face the Washington Spirit.
Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (7-11-2, 23 points) travel north to face the Washington Spirit (11-5-4, 37 points). This is the second and final time the two teams will face each other in the regular season.
Here’s everything you need to know about today’s game.
History
The Pride and Spirit have played 30 times since Orlando joined the NWSL in 2016. The Pride are 9-8-6 in regular-season play against Washington and 11-11-8 in all competitions against the Spirit, adding in Challenge Cup and NWSL playoff matchups. Orlando is 4-4-3 against Washington in NWSL play away from home and 4-6-3 away in all competitions.
The last time these two teams met was on May 2 in Orlando. Sofia Cantore got off to a roaring start, netting a brace inside the first six minutes. Barbra Banda then scored two of her own in the 33rd and 39th minutes to send the game into the break even at 2-2. But the Spirit took over in the second half with goals by Claudia Martinez and Trinity Rodman, sealing a 4-2 victory.
The first meeting of 2025 took place on March 7 as the Pride hosted the NWSL Challenge Cup. Rafaelle netted the opening goal to give the Pride a late first-half lead. Leicy Santos equalized in the second half with a terrific strike, and the game finished tied at 1-1. The Spirit won the ensuing shootout 4-2 to claim the preseason trophy.
The first league game of 2025 was held on April 19 in Orlando. Gift Monday scored the game’s lone goal in the second half, giving the Spirit the 1-0 win. On Oct. 18, in Washington, D.C., Kerry Abello opened the scoring late in the first half with an own goal, then scored one for her own team three minutes later. Cantore gave the Spirit the lead just before the half, but then Marta came on. The Pride captain’s shot off Narumi Miura equalized early in the second half and she converted a penalty later, after Ally Watt drew the foul, securing the 3-2 win.
The first meeting of 2024 took place April 26 in Washington, D.C. Angelina gave the Pride the early lead before Ouleymata Sarr equalized shortly before halftime. A Banda strike and a Summer Yates penalty conversion in the second half seemed to put the game away, but Anna Moorhouse dropped an easy catch from Ashley Hatch’s shot, giving the Spirit a second goal. Fortunately, the Pride held on for the 3-2 win.
They met a second time on Oct. 6 in Orlando. Despite dominating the game, the Pride didn’t convert until Marta scored early in the second half. Tara McKeown deflected an Adriana shot in for an own goal later, lifting the Pride to a 2-0 win and clinching the NWSL Shield. The Pride and Spirit were the best two teams throughout the season and faced each other in the NWSL Championship on Nov. 23 in Kansas City. Banda’s first-half goal was the difference in the game as the Pride won their first-ever league title.
The first meeting of 2023 took place May 10 at Audi Field in NWSL Challenge Cup group play. Tori Hansen gave the Pride a surprising early lead, but late first-half goals by Lena Silano, Sam Staab, and Marissa Sheva made it 3-1 Washington at halftime. Watt scored off the bench early in the second half, but Ashley Sanchez put the game away in injury time as the Spirit won 4-2.
The first regular-season matchup of 2023 was held May 20 in Orlando. Marta converted a first-half penalty, but Staab equalized five minutes later. Kylie Strom netted the winner late as the Pride won 2-1. The Pride dominated the Spirit in the second regular-season matchup on July 1. Julie Doyle had a brace in the first 16 minutes and a McKeown own goal put the game out of reach as the Pride won 3-0.
The final meeting in 2023 was in the Challenge Cup on Aug. 4 in Orlando. The game appeared to be headed for a scoreless draw until Mariana Speckmaier scored eight minutes into second-half injury time, lifting her team to a 1-0 win.
In 2022, the teams first met on May 27 at Exploria Stadium. Rodman gave the Spirit an early lead and Hatch doubled the advantage after halftime. As the game entered second-half stoppage time, it appeared as though the Pride would fall for the second straight time, but late goals by Mikayla Cluff and Darian Jenkins stunned Washington with a 2-2 draw. The teams met again on July 17 at Audi Field, and the Spirit dominated the game statistically but couldn’t find the back of the net, resulting in a scoreless draw.
Prior to the draw in May, the Pride and Spirit played two games in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. The first was a scoreless draw held March 19 in Orlando. The second Challenge Cup meeting took place April 3 at Audi Field. Gunny Jonsdottir scored the team’s first goal in four games. However, the Spirit already had a 3-0 lead. Rodman added another goal as the Pride fell 4-1.
The teams played four times during 2021. On April 21 in the Challenge Cup, Sydney Leroux’s goal helped the Pride win 1-0. The Pride opened their regular season by hosting the Spirit on May 16. Hatch gave Washington the lead, but Alex Morgan equalized to claim a 1-1 draw. The second regular-season meeting that year happened on June 6 in Washington. Hatch opened the scoring, but Taylor Kornieck equalized minutes later, resulting in another 1-1 draw. The teams met for the final time in 2021 on Aug. 22 at Audi Field. Marta gave the Pride the lead, but Hatch equalized just two minutes later. It looked like it would be a third straight 1-1 draw, but Sanchez won it for Washington late.
Due to the pandemic, the Pride and Spirit didn’t play in 2020, but they faced each other three times in 2019, first meeting on July 6 in Orlando. Marta scored a brace in the second half, leading the Pride to a 4-3 win. They played again on Aug. 24 in Washington. Crystal Thomas gave the hosts the lead and Marta equalized. Hatch’s goal lifted the Spirit to a 2-1 win. The final game was supposed to be the following weekend but was postponed due to Hurricane Dorian. The game was eventually played Oct. 9 in Orlando and the Spirit dominated the rubber match, beating the Pride 3-0.
The first of two meetings in 2018 took place March 31 at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Hatch scored a goal and added an assist in a 2-0 win for the Spirit. The Pride got their revenge in the second game in the same location. Alanna Kennedy’s goal was the difference as the Pride won 1-0. The final meeting that year was held July 7 in Orlando. Hatch gave the Spirit the lead, but Leroux scored just before halftime and a Marta goal gave Orlando the 2-1 win.
The 2017 season was the first time the teams played three times in a year. Their April 22 meeting was the Pride’s first home game that year. Line Sigvardsen-Jensen gave the visitors the lead, but Danica Evans answered as the teams drew 1-1. They met for the second time that year in Maryland on July 8 when Marta and Mallory Pugh both scored braces in a 2-2 draw. The final game in 2018 was on Aug. 8 in Orlando. Marta, Camila, and Morgan all scored as the Pride ran away with a 3-0 win.
The Spirit swept the first two meetings in 2016, winning 2-0 in Maryland and 2-1 in Orlando.
Overview
It’s been a nightmare for the Pride since the FIFA World Cup break and it’s not getting any better. The team is 2-6-0 and has lost three consecutive games. The stretch started with Orlando challenging for a home playoff game and has seen the team fall all the way to 13th and four points behind the Seattle Reign for the eighth and final playoff position.
The only real positive this year has been the play of Banda, who leads the league with 12 goals. The striker was coming off an injury when play restarted in early July and then departed for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. But she’s back now, a welcome sight since nobody else on the team has been able to score consistently.
Banda played 65 minutes in her return to action, a 2-1 loss to the Portland Thorns on Aug. 15. She’ll likely start again and play even more minutes.
With Banda absent or playing limited minutes, the Pride have found it hard to score. They’ve been shut out four times and only scored multiple goals in one game, a shocking 3-0 win over the Kansas City Current on July 10.
Unfortunately, the defense hasn’t been any better. The Pride have conceded multiple goals in each of their last three games, including five against the North Carolina Courage on July 31, three against Racing Louisville FC on Aug. 7, and twice on Aug. 15 against Portland.
The Pride need to turn things around, but it won’t be easy today. The Spirit are one of the best teams in the league, currently sitting in second place on 37 points. They’re six points behind Gotham FC atop the standings and are trying to hold off the Utah Royals and San Diego Wave, just one point back.
While the Pride are struggling on both ends of the field, the Spirit have been excellent everywhere. Their 30 goals rank fifth in the league and their 18 goals conceded are second fewest. Their goal difference of +12 is second only to Gotham, which has a goal difference of +13.
If there’s a time to play the Spirit, this might be it. They’ve hit a rough patch the last few games, falling 1-0 to San Diego on Aug. 2, losing 4-3 to North Carolina on Aug. 8, and drawing Angel City FC 1-1 on Aug. 16.
Superstar forward Rodman has led the Spirit attack this year. Her 10 goals place her third behind Banda and North Carolina’s Ashley Sanchez in the NWSL Golden Boot race. She’s followed in goals by Santos and Cantore with five each, Martinez and Rebeca Bernal with three apiece, and Tara Rudd, Monday, and Hal Hershfelt, who have each scored once.
Defensively, the Spirit have been without their leader, goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury, who had a baby last month. In her place, Sandy MacIver has done well to keep things heading in the right direction. It helps that she’s had a consistent back line of Kate Wiesner, Esme Morgan, Rudd, and Gabrielle Carle. All four have played at least 16 of the team’s 20 games this year. Helping matters for the Washington defense is the return of central midfielder Andi Sullivan from injury.
“It’s always a tough game going to Washington. They have a good set of players,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about today’s opponent. “Historically, we’ve done all right there over the last couple of occasions we’ve been to Audi Field. That should give us a lot of confidence that we can go out there and get three points.”
The Pride will take the field today without Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), Marta (excused absence), Kerry Abello (thigh), and Solai Washington (head). The Spirit are without Melissa Bethi (excused absence), Lucia Di Guglielmo (lower leg), Kingsbury (maternity leave), Casey Krueger (maternity leave), Monique Ngock (excused absence), and Santos (hip).
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Cosette Morche.
Defenders: Hailie Mace, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, Oihane.
Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon.
Attacking Midfielders: Angelina, Jacquie Ovalle, Julie Doyle
Forward: Barbra Banda.
Bench: Anna Moorhouse, Cara Martin, Hannah Anderson, Zara Chavoshi, Luana, Nicole Payne, Zoe Matthews, Summer Yates, Gabi Nunes.
Washington Spirit (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Sandy MacIver.
Defenders: Kate Wiesner, Tara Rudd, Elisabeth Tse, Esme Morgan.
Defensive Midfielders: Debi Abiodun, Rosemonde Kouassi.
Attacking Midfielders: Trinity Rodman, Hal Hershfelt, Tamara Bolt.
Forward: Sofia Cantore.
Bench: Sara Wojdelko, Rebeca Bernal, Gabrielle Carle, Madison Haugen, Andi Sullivan, Paige Metayer, Claudia Martinez, Gift Monday, Ashley Hatch.
Referees
REF: Matthew Corrigan.
AR1: Colin Ashley.
AR2: Tom Felice.
4TH: Max Alatorre.
VAR: Shawn Tehini.
AVAR: Brian Marshall.
How to Watch
Match Time: 4 p.m.
Venue: Audi Field — Washington, D.C.
TV: ESPN2.
Streaming: ESPN App.
Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @themaneland.bsky.social and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter (@ORLPride) or Bluesky (@orlpride.com) feed.
Enjoy the game. Go Pride!
Orlando Pride
The Orlando Pride Turn to New Additions Amid Injuries, Absences
The Pride have been forced to accelerate the integration of their newest additions.
The Orlando Pride have suffered some significant injuries and absences all season, but especially in recent weeks, forcing Head Coach Seb Hines to turn to his newest players sooner than expected.
The Pride signed 19-year-old midfielder Zoe Matthews on July 16 and veteran forward Gabi Nunes on Aug. 4 with the intention of gradually integrating both into the squad. Instead, injuries and a key international absence have accelerated that timeline, calling on both attackers to contribute before Hines originally planned.
Barbra Banda missed time while representing Zambia at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where Zambia finished third in Group C and was eliminated Aug. 5. Banda was then able to return to Orlando, but her absence came during an important stretch of the Pride’s season.
The Pride entered their match against Portland having scored 22 goals through 17 games, an average of just 1.29 goals per game. They’ve also struggled to score during their recent run, scoring only once across their losses to the North Carolina Courage and Racing Louisville FC before Saturday’s game in Portland.
That has made the timing of the arrivals of Matthews and Nunes particularly important.
Matthews was the first to make her debut, appearing off the bench on July 31 in a 5-0 loss in North Carolina. The teenager’s appearance came just 15 days after her signing. While Hines would have preferred to give her more time to get comfortable with her new surroundings, the Pride needed another option off the bench.
“It happened sooner than we would’ve wanted to,” Hines said after Matthews’ debut. “We needed her to get up to speed, but we needed options off the bench. And we felt Zoe was an option off the bench.”
Matthews’ debut came on the same night Marta suffered a head injury, adding to the Pride’s list of absences. The timing meant that while Matthews was still learning her new team, the Pride were also losing one of the team’s most experienced and influential players.
Nunes faced a similar situation, with even less time to prepare.
The Pride signed the 29-year-old forward Aug. 4, and she made her debut Saturday night against Portland Thorns FC just 11 days later. Nunes entered as a second-half substitute as the Pride searched for an attacking spark, eventually falling 2-1 after the Thorns scored in second-half stoppage time.
Hines acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding Nunes’ debut were not what he had envisioned.
“We would’ve liked to enter (Nunes) in different circumstances,” Hines said. “She hasn’t trained with the team too much since she came in here.”
Nunes arrived with extensive professional and international experience, but even an experienced player needs time to learn a new team’s system and develop chemistry with new teammates. In Nunes’ case, that process has been compressed because the Pride need attacking options immediately.
Hines also indicated that Orlando is being mindful of Nunes’ physical readiness. After noting that she had not trained much with the team, he said the Pride need to make sure they are “doing the right things” by following the recommendations of the medical staff.
The Pride have not publicly indicated that Nunes is dealing with a specific injury, so Hines’ comments should not necessarily be interpreted as meaning she arrived in Orlando injured or recovering from an injury. They do, however, show that the club is considering her physical workload as she adjusts to a new team after having limited training time.
The situation leaves Hines balancing two competing needs.
On one hand, Matthews and Nunes need time. Matthews is 19 and is adjusting to professional soccer in Orlando, while Nunes is learning a new system and new teammates in the middle of a season.
On the other hand, the Pride need them.
The Pride have struggled to score consistently throughout the season, increasing the importance of every available attacking option. They entered Saturday’s match in Portland having scored only 22 goals through the first 17 games.
The recent results have made the problem more pressing. The Pride lost 1-0 to Utah on July 18, were thumped by North Carolina on July 31, and lost 3-1 to Racing Louisville on Aug. 8 before Saturday’s defeat in Portland. The only positive result in that stretch was a 1-0 win over the last-place Chicago Stars at home on July 24.
Their inability to consistently produce goals has made the addition of Nunes particularly important. She was not brought in simply to add another name to the roster. She was brought in to provide another attacking option during a stretch when the Pride needed one.
But Hines can’t expect Nunes to immediately replace what the team has been missing.
There is a learning curve involved. A forward needs to understand where teammates want the ball, when they make runs, and how the team creates chances. Those connections normally develop through weeks of training and matches.
Nunes has had 11 days. Matthews has had only a little longer. The Pride have essentially been forced to shorten that learning curve.
There can be benefits to getting new players onto the field quickly. Competitive matches provide opportunities that training can’t completely replicate, allowing players to experience the speed and pressure of their new environment while learning how their teammates play.
But Hines’ comments make clear that this was not necessarily the preferred plan. With Matthews, the Pride needed an option off the bench. With Nunes, they needed an attacking option despite her limited time with the team.
The circumstances have made patience difficult.
The Pride’s loss to Portland was the club’s third consecutive defeat, dropping Orlando to 7-11-2 on the season and 11th in the NWSL standings. With 10 regular-season matches remaining, the team has little time to wait for its newest players to become fully comfortable before asking them to contribute.
The next opportunity comes Sunday away to the Washington Spirit.
By then, Matthews will have had more time with the team. Nunes will have had another week of training and another opportunity to understand what Hines wants from her.
That time could make a difference. For now, however, the Pride have had to ask their newest players to learn on the job. The circumstances are not ideal and Hines has said as much about both players. But with Marta unavailable, Banda having missed time for international duty, and an attack searching for more goals, the Pride have needed options sooner than expected.
Matthews and Nunes were brought in to help the Pride over the final stretch of the season. The final stretch simply arrived for them earlier than planned.
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