Orlando Pride vs. Seattle Reign: Final Score 1-1 as Pride Can’t Hold Late Lead

The Orlando Pride were minutes away from a third-place finish but couldn’t hold onto a 1-0 lead in a 1-1 draw vs. the Seattle Reign at Inter&Co Stadium. Orlando (11-8-7, 40 points) fell to fourth place in the final standings and will play a home playoff match against Seattle (10-7-9, 39 points), which also slid one spot in the standings on the final matchday to finish fifth.

Substitute Carson Pickett broke the scoreless deadlock in the 76th minute but the visitors equalized just three minutes later on a nearly identical play on the other end, with defender Jordyn Bugg ruining the club’s Fan Appreciation Day in front of an announced crowd of 8,689.

“We did what we set out to do and that was to host a home game in the playoffs,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said after the match. “Obviously we would have preferred the win and finish in that third spot, but it wasn’t meant to be. It’s unique because we get to play against Seattle again this time next week. I’m really pleased with the players. They were phenomenal today. You know, the pressure they put on Seattle and the physicality that they showed throughout the game was really good.”

Hines’ Decision Day starting lineup included Anna Moorhouse in goal behind a back line of Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke. Haley McCutcheon and Angelina started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Jacquie Ovalle, Ally Lemos, and Marta, with Julie Doyle up top in place of Ally Watt, who was a late scratch.

“You’ve got to be adaptable, right? You know, these things happen,” Hines said about losing the more direct (and faster) Watt before the match. “So, it shows the players need to be ready, even though they may not be starting, you know, they’re going to be called upon at any given moment. I thought Julie did a really good job. She’s going to drop a little bit deeper than what Ally would do, and then it’s making sure that we still have like threats in behind.”

The Reign opened the game pressing high and keeping the Pride pinned in their own defensive third, but the visitors couldn’t create any chances out of it as Orlando did well to pass and move out of trouble with patient play.

The first shot of the match came in transition in the third minute when Abello cut inside and shot from outside the area, but she didn’t strike it well, sending a weak dribbler well wide of the right post.

Seattle’s first look came moments later when the Reign attacked down their left and Dyke blocked a cross out of play for a corner. The Reign played the corner short but sent the ball back out wide before sending it to the top right corner of the box, where Bugg was all alone out there but fired well off target in the fifth minute.

The Pride thought they’d opened the scoring two minutes later. Rafaelle sent a beautiful curling long ball for Marta, who beat her defender to it and then fired past Claudio Dickey and in, but the flag came up for offside, keeping the game scoreless.

“We were unfortunate not to get that first goal in the first half,” Hines said. “It was offside. Marginal.”

Marta cut inside from the right in the 10th minute and fired on goal but sent the shot right at Dickey, who made the easy save. McCutcheon shot wide of the left post four minutes later from the top of the area on another wasted opportunity.

Maddie Mercado sent a curling ball over the top of the defense in the 22nd minute, sending Jess Fishlock in behind. The Wales international fired from close range, but Moorhouse made the save and the offside flag came up anyway. Two minutes later, Mercado fired from near the right top corner of the box but missed the target.

Doyle won her team a corner in the 27th minute, setting up an opportunity. Rafaelle got her head to the set piece cross but sent it just wide of the right post. Six minutes later, it was Angelina’s turn to miss the target, sending a shot from inside the box on the right just wide to the left of goal in the 33rd minute.

Moorhouse narrowly escaped embarrassment in the 38th minute. With Mia Fishel pressing her, the goalkeeper tried to send a pass up the pitch but left it too close to the Seattle forward, who stuck out her foot and blocked it. The ball ricocheted toward goal but Moorhouse was able to jump on it.

The Pride could do nothing with a late corner kick and that was the final opportunity of the half.

At the break, Orlando held the advantage in possession (60%-40%), shots (7-0), shots on target (1-0), and corners (2-1). Both teams passed at an 82% success rate.

“You could see that we were very good in our press, winning the ball up the field,” Hines said about the first 45 minutes. “We were switching the point of attack. I think that’s the hardest part of football, right? It’s getting those clear-cut opportunities when a team’s got multiple players behind the ball. You know, the spaces don’t always present themselves like they would, whether you’re in a four back or a team’s high pressing.”

Hines replaced McCutcheon at the half with Summer Yates, looking for a little more bite in the attack. It didn’t exactly work but there were at least goals scored in the second half.

Seattle was more dangerous in the second half after subbing Jordyn Huitema into the match, and the Pride created fewer chances than in the first half, but the game remained scoreless until the final quarter of an hour.

The Reign finally put a shot on target in the 50th minute when Samantha Meza fired a long-range shot that Moorhouse was able to take on the hop for her first save. Moments later, Seattle created a couple of corners but couldn’t make them pay off. Sofia Huerta then fired wide in the 55th minute as the Seattle pressure continued to start the second half.

Orlando’s first chance of the second half came off a free kick in the 60th minute. Angelina headed the ball and Dickey scrambled back to tip it over the bar but the play must have been ruled offside as Seattle was awarded a free kick.

Abello fired from outside the box in the 67th minute but again failed to hit the target as Orlando’s wasteful night in front of goal continued.

Sams drew a free kick in a dangerous spot just a few yards outside the box after intercepting a pass and getting taken down from behind by Nerilia Mondesir. Marta took the free kick herself and went for goal, but she didn’t get a lot of power on it and Dickey was able to get over and catch it in the 71st minute.

Four minutes later, the Pride broke the deadlock.

Ovalle got down the right side and sent in a good cross that just cleared the two center backs. It fell for Pickett, who trapped it and blasted it past Dickey to make it 1-0 in the 76th minute.

“I knew (Ovalle) was going to get the ball and serve. I mean, I’ve said this a million times, I think she’s one of the best servers in the league, so every single time she hits the ball, I’m trying to get into the box,” Pickett said. “And I honestly saw both of their defenders go for the same ball, so I just backed out, waited, and then it came to me, and luckily I took pretty good first touch and was able to half-volley it.”

“(Pickett’s) got a great left foot and she picks up really good positions on that back shoulder,” Hines said. “Really good first touch, execution of the finish, and she fully deserves it. I know going into the game she was disappointed she wasn’t starting, but this is the best way to react, and that’s important as well.”

The lead didn’t last long. Seattle quickly got forward and won a corner as Sams blocked a Maddie Curry cross out of play. The Pride dealt with the set piece but couldn’t get it out of their defensive third. The recycled ball was sent from left to right and Dyke had the opportunity to head it behind for a corner. Instead, she headed it straight to Bugg, who settled it and then slotted it inside the near post past Moorhouse to equalize in the 79th minute.

“I mean, it’s a corner, right? And Seattle were very dominant in the air. They’ve got some good height,” Hines said. “I think we did really well with the first ball. And they play it back in, and Cori Held her arms up straight away. She knows that she can clear it a little bit better than what she did, and it’s a good finish in the end. Set pieces are important, as always, making sure that we’re resolute at the back, making sure that we clear it out of dangerous areas.”

Yates conceded a dangerous free kick in the 85th minute and picked up a yellow card in the process. Seattle worked the set play short to Huitema, who was nearly in behind, but Yates redeemed herself by poking the ball away from the Canadian attacker, taking a kick to the back of her calf for her troubles. She needed treatment and went off for a few minutes, but Yates was able to continue.

Neither team mustered anything in the four minutes of stoppage time and the teams split the points, as they usually do. The Pride and Reign have drawn eight times in their history, and five of those times have come in Orlando. The Pride are now 5-7-8 in the all-time series against Seattle and 3-2-5 at home against the Reign.

The Pride finished with the advantage in possession (53%-47%), shots (13-7), and shots on target (3-2). The Reign edged Orlando in corners (4-2) and passing accuracy (81%-80%)

“It was, for the most part, a pretty even game,” Pickett said. “I thought our defending, our press in the first half was really, really good. At halftime we kind of talked about just trying to test their keeper and take some more shots. And so, you know, second half I think we pressed more and got more chances.”

“We’re going to reset, go again next week, and let’s get another win here at home,” Hines said.

That’s it for the regular season. The Pride’s next match will be in the 2025 NWSL playoffs and it will be a rematch of tonight’s game with the Reign visiting Orlando for a second consecutive weekend. The game will be at a date yet to be announced (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday)