Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. LD Alajuelense, Concacaf W Champions Cup: Final Score 3-0 as Pride Score Three Times in Second Half
The Pride began their Concacaf W Champions Cup campaign on the right foot, defeating LD Alajuelense at home.
The Orlando Pride (1-0-0, 3 points) were dominant in their first-ever Concacaf W Champions Cup game, defeating Costa Rican side LD Alajuelense (0-1-1, 1 point) 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. Second-half goals by Julie Doyle, Carson Pickett, and Simone Jackson lifted the Pride to all three points in their tournament opener.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made nine changes to the team that lost 2-0 to NJ/NY Gotham FC Friday night. Anna Moorhouse, Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Rafaelle, Emily Sams, Haley McCutcheon, Angelina, Ally Watt, and Marta were all replaced in the lineup. The only returning starters from Friday night were Ally Lemos and Prisca Chilufya.
The back line in front of goalkeeper McKinley Crone was Grace Chanda, Zara Chavoshi, Cori Dyke, and Oihane. Viviana Villacorta, Lemos, Summer Yates, and Doyle were in the midfield with Jackson and Chilufya up top. Since Marta and Nadaner were both out of the lineup, Oihane wore the armband for the first time as a member of the Pride.
Despite making nine changes to the starting lineup and playing some out of position, the Pride dominated this game from start to finish. The first half was a repeat of the previous games, creating numerous chances but failing to convert. However, things opened up in the second half when the Pride created even more opportunities and finally put some away. Most importantly, they got three points to begin group play.
The Pride got the first attempt of the game in the third minute when Chanda played the ball up the left for Jackson. The attacker used her speed to beat Gabriela Guillen into the box before firing into the outside of the net. Less than a minute later, Chavoshi found Yates making an open run up the middle of the field. As the attacker approached the top of the box, she took a long-distance shot that was blocked by Fabiola Villalobos.
Alajuelense’s first chance of the game came in the sixth minute when a long ball for Sofia Varela sent the attacker behind the Pride back line. Chavoshi caught up, blocking the shot out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was over everyone and the Pride were able to clear.
The Pride had another chance in the 17th minute when Villalobos took Yates’ feet out from under her, giving the Pride a free kick near the top of the Alajuelense box. Before the Pride could take the set piece, Crone went down just outside of her box, giving the players a chance for a hydration break. When the goalkeeper was back up and ready to continue, Lemos stood over the ball on her own. The attacker went for goal on the set piece, sending her attempt well over the target.
Jackson had her second shot of the game in the 22nd minute and put this one on frame. It forced Noelia Bermudez to push the ball away, right to the feet of Chilufya. But the Zambian didn’t appear ready for it, sending her shot over the crossbar from close range.
The visitors nearly took the lead in the 27th minute when Kenia Rangel sent Katheryn Arroyo behind Chanda. The forward’s first touch was a shot that was off the crossbar. Valera took possession, immediately losing it to Dyke. However, Dyke and Crone ran into each other, giving it back to Valera. Fortunately, Chanda won the ball and the Pride were able to clear without conceding.
In the 31st minute, Chilufya played the ball to the left for Jackson just outside the box. The attacker spun to beat her defender, shooting on goal. However, Bermudez got her hands to the ball, tipping it over the crossbar. The ensuing free kick went to Chilufya, but she wasn’t able to keep possession, allowing Alajuelense to clear.
Alajuelense had another chance in the 35th minute when Emilie Valenciano was sent long on the right. The midfielder played her cross to the center of the box where Varela was waiting with plenty of space. The forward got her head to the ball but couldn’t turn it on target.
A Jackson blocked shot in the 40th minute ended up with Chilufya on the left side of the box. She laid the ball off for Chanda behind her, who attempted a volley that sailed well high and wide of the target.
In the 42nd minute, Lemos took a shot from outside the box that Bermudez pushed wide. The Pride kept possession and recirculated the ball. Lemos ended up in the same spot, shooting again. This time, the ball was deflected by a defender to Doyle, making a run to the far post. It appeared to be a tap-in for the speedy midfielder, but she put it wide.
In first-half stoppage time, a Jackson cross glanced off the head of a defender for a Pride corner kick. While they couldn’t create anything off the set piece, they retained possession, playing it around for Chanda on the left. The defender went for goal from distance, sending her shot well off target.
After 45 minutes, the Pride had the advantage in possession (67.6%-32.4%), shots (15-5), shots on target (4-1), crosses (15-4), corner kicks (5-1), and passing accuracy (82.7%-63.9%). But they were unable to convert for the seventh consecutive half, keeping the game scoreless at the break.
“I think there was a bit of disappointment, but very optimistic,” Hines said about his team’s attitude in the first half. “They found the gaps that Alajuelense were presenting for us. We’ve managed to find Ally Lemos and Summer Yates in those pockets of space. And then we looked a little bit more direct once we got it in those positions, getting Simone Jackson isolated against the fullback as well.”
Hines made one halftime change, replacing Chilufya with Carson Pickett, who came on at left back and Chanda moved forward into a more attacking role.
“We moved Grace Chanda into a more familiar position. She was doing a job for us at fullback, but you could see that she was uncomfortable there,” Hines said about the change. “So moving her into a higher position was an opportunity for her to showcase her qualities.”
The Pride got the second half to an attacking start, creating multiple chances in the first few minutes. Just 20 seconds in, Yates received the ball from Villacorta near the top of the box. But her shot was blocked by Villalobos. A minute later, Chanda entered the box and took a shot that was blocked. It went straight to Oihane on the end line, who looked to cross, but it was blocked as well, and Alajuelense cleared.
The Pride quickly won possession back and stayed on the attack. Yates played the ball to the left for Jackson, who took Guillen one-on-one. The attacker found space for a shot, hitting it over the crossbar.
In the 49th minute, the Pride finally converted. Villacorta’s shot from outside the box hit Jackson’s leg and went to the left side. Pickett collected it, sending the ball into the center of the 18. Guillen got her foot to it, but it went right to Doyle, who redirected it past Bermudez to give the Pride a deserved 1-0 lead.
The goal was the first for the Pride since their 1-1 draw with Racing Louisville on Aug. 9 (320 minutes). It was the first goal by a Pride player since Chilufya’s goal in the 72nd minute in a 1-1 draw with the Utah Royals on Aug. 3 (428 minutes).
“I think we kind of can get out of our own way, and we know that we can do it because it fell tonight,” Jackson said about how ending the goalless drought will help the team moving forward. “So, there’s no difference between today or another situation where we get the same opportunities. So, it’s recreating the same situations in an NWSL match.”
Pickett played a long diagonal ball across the field in the 52nd minute that Chanda brought down well. The attacker created space from Maria Coto and fired for the near post, but Bermudez blocked it out of play with her left foot. Chanda got her foot to Lemos’ ensuing corner kick, directing it towards goal, but the shot was right into Bermudez’s arms.
The Pride won another corner kick in the 55th minute. This time it was Jackson getting her head to Lemos’ set piece. However, Bermudez got down to her right, blocking the ball wide and allowing her defense to clear.
Villacorta found Doyle at the top of the box in the 57th minute, and the goal scorer laied it back to Lemos with her first touch. After taking a couple of touches forward, Lemos fired from the top of the box, sending her shot just over the crossbar.
Hines made his second change in the 61st minute, replacing Oihane with Sams. It was a straight change, as Sams took over Oihane’s position at right back and Dyke stayed at center back. Shortly after the substitution, Lemos made a run to the end line and her cross was blocked out of play by Valenciano. The ensuing set piece found Jackson’s head at the far post, but she redirected it wide.
In the 63rd minute, the Pride scored a goal worthy of the competition. It started when Doyle dribbled into the box and her low cross was cleared. But Alajuelense couldn’t get it out of their own third before Sams took possession. The right back sent a short pass to Villacorta, who found Pickett on the left corner of the box. The left back hit a rocket past Bermudez and into the top corner on the right to give the Pride a commanding 2-0 lead.
Hines made his third change and used his second window in the 70th minute to replace Lemos with Luana, who accepted the captain’s armband from Sams, who had taken it earlier upon Oihane’s departure. The inclusion of Luana was a momentous one for the Pride. It’s been a long road back for the Brazilian since she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in April 2024. It’s her first appearance in a game since March 29, 2024.
It didn’t take long for Luana to get involved. In the 71st minute, she received a pass from Sams before lifting it into the box for Doyle in between two defenders. The attacker got her head to the ball, but flicked it wide of the goal.
In the 77th minute, Chanda won possession with a collision near the top of the Alajuelense box and Jackson took over. She played it to Luana as she went down and the Brazilian used some nifty footwork to keep possession. Jackson picked it up and played it to Sams entering the box. The right back fired from close range, hitting it well wide of the near post.
The Pride scored a third in the 81st minute when Jackson threw the ball in for Yates. After taking a couple of steps forward, Yates backheeled the ball to Jackson behind her. It was a tight angle for Jackson, but she beat Bermudez to score her first professional goal and give the Pride a 3-0 lead.
Immediately after the goal, Jackson and Yates were replaced by Watt and Elyse Bennett. It was a Pride debut for Bennett, who recently signed a deal through the end of the 2025 NWSL season.
Alajuelense finally created its first second-half attack in the 84th minute when Valera sent substitute Yeslim Alvarado behind Pickett, who fell trying to make the challenge. However, she couldn’t control the ball, allowing Dyke to win it back and knock it wide. Keeping possession, Villalobos sent a cross in for Alvarado, who put this one on goal. But, despite not having to do anything in the second half, Crone got down to make her first save of the half and second save of the game.
Pickett made a run down the left in the 85th minute before finding Luana with plenty of space. The Brazilian had time to put the shot on target, but sent it over the crossbar. A minute later, Pickett made another run down the left, this time finding Chavoshi making a run into the Alajuelense third of the field. The center back took a shot from about 30 yards out, sending it well over the target.
Chanda had a chance to score from distance in the 90th minute when she took possession in the Alajuelense third. The midfielder took her opportunity to shoot, but sent the attempt well off target.
Alajuelense had one last chance in the dying moments to get something positive from the game when Villacorta was called for a foul on Valera. Sianyf Aguero took the set piece, but Crone handled it well. The full time whistle blew immediately after the catch, ending the game.
The Pride ended the game with big advantages in possession (66.5%-33.5%), shots (36-7), shots on target (10-1), crosses (35-5), corner kicks (13-1), and passing accuracy (82.4%-63.8%). Most importantly, they finally converted some of their shots, scoring three goals for the first time since a 3-1 win over the Utah Royals on May 23.
“It’s a really pleasing result. A lot of positives out of the game,” Hines said. “First of all, getting a win, getting that feeling back. Secondily, scoring some goals as well, which we’ve needed. And then, I think the biggest highlight of tonight was getting Luana back onto the field. I think that was a real special moment for everyone. For her to go through what she’s been through, and then go into the field and show her class was so pleasing to see. So a lot of really good moments today.”
“I think with this different lineup, it was like, no pressure, no stress, nothing to lose,” Jackson added. “And that’s kind of like how we were training. We were just like, this is a great opportunity, and we were looking at it as a great opportunity. And I think that’s how we went into it, and we played. We just played. We played free, and it felt good.”
With these three points, the Pride move into a tie with Pachuca after one game. Club America and LD Alajuelense are two points behind, though Alajuelense has played two more games. Chorrillo FC — the Pride’s next opponent in the group stage — sits in last after losing its first game.
The Pride will now jump back into league play, facing the Chicago Stars away from home Sunday afternoon.