Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville: Photo Gallery

The Orlando Pride continued their anemic play against Racing Louisville on Friday night, losing 3-1 at home to the second-worst team in the league, which completed its season series sweep. Orlando once again did not dress about half of its preferred starters, including Marta, Oihane, Hannah Anderson, Haley McCutcheon (suspended), and Barbra Banda (international duty). Even with two goalkeepers on the bench, the Pride did not dress a full complement of substitutes.

Only second-half sub Kerry Abello’s golazo late in stoppage time and an embarrassing Louisville goal overturned after video review flattered what otherwise was another tepid performance by the team.

Neither team generated much in the first 10 minutes, but after that, Louisville managed a bit of pressure, eventually leading to a corner in the 16th minute. Rafaelle, who has struggled with both fitness and form this season, lost track of Audrey McKeen in the middle of the six-yard box, and the Pride were down a goal early.

Sometimes conceding a goal will fire up a team, but it was not so in this case, as the teams were back to trading possession and a few half-chances. Finally, after the cooling break, the Pride were able to generate their best look of the game. Julie Doyle found Simone Jackson open at the top of the six-yard box, but with only an in-motion Jordyn Bloomer to beat, she rang the crossbar. Shortly after that miss, Jacquie Ovalle slipped Doyle into the box behind the defense. Doyle got nothing on her shot, allowing Bloomer to collect, but the referee awarded a penalty for contact from Mirann Gacioch. After a lengthy video review, however, the penalty call was overturned.

The rest of the half continued as it had up to that point, with a few low-percentage shots exchanged by the teams.

After the intermission, Louisville generated its most sustained pressure of the game, keeping the Pride contained in their own half. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made his first substitutions of the game, bringing on Summer Yates and Solai Washington in the 55th minute. This broke Louisville’s rhythm and allowed Orlando to get forward for a few minutes, but the visitors brought on their own subs in the 62nd minute and Orlando was on the back foot again. In the 68th minute, Lousiville finally doubled the lead when Emma Sears carried a ball into the box and roasted Rafaelle 1-v-1, opening enough space for a shot. It was a tight angle, but Anna Moorhouse was still easily beaten to the far post.

In the 78th minute, Sears beat Abello in transition. Moorhouse came out as a slow-rolling shot bounced toward goal that somehow went right through the goalkeeper’s legs, allowing Sears to get to it and tap it in. The goal was reviewed and overturned for offside on the initial ball forward, sparing Moorhouse and Orlando further blushes for what would have been an astonishingly embarrassing goal.

With about 10 minutes remaining in regulation, Orlando threw more numbers forward against a sagging Louisville defense, enabling the Pride to generate a few more chances. Unfortunately, that left them exposed to one of Louisville’s strengths, and Sears outraced Rafaelle on the break once again and placed an almost identical shot to her first goal past Moorhouse to put Louisville three goals ahead.

Orlando finally managed to sustain pressure against Louisville, even if it was clearly too late. That pressure finally paid off in added time when an errant cross was cleared to Abello about 30 yards from goal. Abello took a touch and then smashed a shot into the upper right corner of the goal to at least break the shutout.

We hope you enjoy these images more than anyone other than Racing Louisville fans enjoyed the game.