Orlando Pride vs. Utah Royals FC: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Blow Halftime Lead

The Orlando Pride took a 1-0 lead into halftime on Barbra Banda’s strike, but the Utah Royals took control in the second half, taking advantage of a slow and struggling Orlando back line to come from behind and win 2-1 at Inter.co Stadium tonight.

It was another disappointing performance by the Pride (8-12-2, 26 points), who slipped to 12th place in the NWSL, while the Royals (12-7-3, 39 points), who had been inconsistent in recent weeks, vaulted to second in the league table.

“I thought first half we were all right. We created some good opportunities, took the lead,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said after the match. “Going to the second half, we felt we needed to put a little bit more pressure on the ball, not allow Utah to get too much territory, and you know we were half a step off, and they were able to carve us open and get that goal. I’m disappointed to sit here and say there’s another defeat at home in front of our own fans.”

Hines deployed his typical 4-2-3-1 formation with goalkeeper Cosette Morché behind a back line made up of Hailie Mace, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Oihane . Ally Lemos and Haley McCutcheon served as the defensive midfielders, with Summer Yates, Jacquie Ovalle, and Angelina taking up the attacking midfield roles and Banda up top.

Orlando came out the stronger side early, spending long stretches of possession in Utah’s half. Kate Del Fava was shown an early yellow card in the fourth minute for impeding Banda, the first sign of the physical match that would follow.

A ball over the top played Banda in behind in the ninth minute and fired a shot on target, but the play was called back for offside. She broke forward again moments later on a promising run, only to be fouled just outside the box by Tatumn Milazzo, who was shown a yellow card of her own in the 10th minute. Ovalle sent the resulting free kick into Utah’s defensive wall, ending the threat.

Utah began to find its footing in the middle stretch of the first half. Miyabi Moriya fired over the bar in the 14th minute after the visitors won a corner, and Cece Delzer got in behind after a giveaway by Lemos on a ball over the top two minutes later, squaring for Kiana Palacios, whose effort went wide right. Del Fava sailed an effort over the bar in the 18th minute off another Utah corner, and Mina Tanaka headed wide in the 22nd minute after meeting Del Fava’s long ball into the box. Two minutes later, Cloé Lacasse’s corner was cleared away before the ball came back to Tanaka, who saw Oihane block her follow-up effort.

Orlando began to funnel much of its attacking play down the right side as the half wore on, though Utah continued to threaten as well. McCutcheon produced a point-blank block to deny Tanaka in the 28th minute, although the play was called for offside in the buildup. Orlando answered a minute later down the same flank, with Banda charging into the box and squaring a cross beyond Mandy McGlynn, but McCutcheon’s effort on the end of it went just wide, with the offside flag coming up once again.

Cards began to pile up as the half continued. Ovalle was shown a yellow card in the 32nd minute for fouling Moriya, who was trying to work her way past her about 24 yards from goal. Nuria Rábano took the resulting free kick, sailing it wide right in the 33rd minute. Angelina picked up a caution in the 35th minute, pulling back Delzer to snuff out a Utah break. The foul was unnecessary, as there were several Pride players behind the ball.

The visitors worked the ball down the left from Tanaka to Lacasse to Madison Hammond, whose shot in the 40th minute was straight at Morché. Delzer tested Morché again a minute later, but she came up with another save to keep the game scoreless.

Orlando broke the deadlock in the 44th minute. The Pride won the ball back in midfield, and Yates slid a through ball in behind for Banda. The Zambian international drove into the box, with McGlynn coming out to meet her. The Utah goalkeeper deflected the ball but it hit Banda and spilled out in front of the striker, allowing her to calmly slot it into an empty net to make it 1-0.

“It’s definitely been up and down for me. I feel like coming in, kind of getting some starts and then dealing with some injuries, have kind of just made the season a little bit of a roller coaster for me,” Yates said. “Being able to start tonight was awesome, and being able to assist Barbra is something we work on in training a lot, so it was nice to go out and see that shine on the field.”

Utah earned a corner in stoppage time that Lacasse sent right to Morché, who saved it easily. The Pride took their 1-0 lead into the half following two minutes of stoppage time.

The Royals led every category in the first half: possession (60%-40%), shots (9-3), shots on target (2-1), passing accuracy (85%-76%), and corners (5-0).

Utah drew level just five minutes into the second half. Palacios blazed past the slower Rafaelle and sent in a cross from the right that found Lacasse, who had similarly blown past Oihane. Lacasse tapped it past Morché to tie the match at 1-1.

Rábano was whistled for a foul in the 51st minute, and the ensuing minute brought a flurry of chances at both ends. Del Fava blocked Ovalle’s effort, and Utah countered immediately. Ana Tejada shot, but Morché punched it out of play for a corner. Lacasse played the set piece short, but it came to nothing.

Tejada tried to test Morché again in the 56th minute off a set piece Oihane conceded, but her effort missed the target. Lacasse forced a save out of the goalkeeper in the 57th minute with a shot from outside the box. She was off target three minutes later as well, firing over the crossbar after another spell of Utah possession just outside Orlando’s box.

McCutcheon fired into the side netting in the 63rd minute, but the wayward effort was about all Orlando could muster as the Pride’s play grew increasingly flat.

Utah made a double substitution in the 64th minute, bringing on Paige Cronin for Moriya and Dayana Pierre-Louis for Hammond. Hines countered a minute later with a triple substitution of his own, sending on Zara Chavoshi for Rafaelle in a concussion substitution, Nicole Payne for Yates, and Luana for Lemos.

The changes did little to slow Utah down. Lacasse worked the ball well inside the box down the left in the 69th minute. Oihane was trying to defend it but failed her tackle attempt and fell down, leaving Lacasse free to square it to the top of the box for Cronin — on the field for only four minutes — who fired a shot past Morché that the goalkeeper couldn’t keep out to put the visitors in front, 2-1.

Gabi Nunes replaced Angelina in the 75th minute as Orlando added an attacker, searching for an equalizer.

Banda won a corner in the 78th minute with a shot that deflected off a Utah defender, and Ovalle’s ensuing delivery started a scramble in the box. McGlynn punched the initial ball away, and Milazzo blocked Banda’s follow-up effort. The loose ball fell to Payne, whose shot was also blocked and cleared. McGlynn was eventually able to collect the recycle attempt to end the sequence.

Tejada’s foul earned her a yellow card in the 81st minute, conceding a free kick. Luana delivered the set piece into the box, but it didn’t trouble McGlynn, who collected it easily.

Hines made his fifth and final substitution in the 85th minute, sending on Hannah Anderson for Hailie Mace.

Orlando’s buildup play was never quite good enough to break down the Utah defense as the minutes ticked down, and the Royals read what the Pride were trying to do well enough to control the game and run the clock.

Utah nearly extended its lead in the 91st minute. Chavoshi mishit a clearance, and with Lacasse set up to fire on the loose ball, Oihane fouled from behind. The referee pointed to the spot, but a video review showed Lacasse handled the ball prior to the foul and the penalty was overturned.

Banda fired a desperate effort from distance in the seventh added minute that deflected off a Utah player and out for a corner. Ovalle’s ensuing delivery sailed over everyone in the box in the 98th minute, and Orlando recovered the loose ball, but the passage didn’t produce a shot. A minute later, Orlando worked another ball into the box that Banda met with a header on target, but McGlynn was there again to make the save.

That was the final look at goal as the Pride dropped their fourth game out of the last five.

Utah led in every statistical category after a dominant second half, finishing with the advantage in possession (60%-40%), shots (18-9), shots on target (6-2), passing accuracy (83%-69%), and corners (7-2).

“This game was really frustrating for us because we do feel like, you know, we were up 1-0 in the first half and then give up two and lose the game in the second,” Lemos said. “I think we’re just really excited and really eager to go improve ourselves and show that, you know, we’re here to make a run for playoffs and it’s still possible.”

Next up, the Pride stay home to host the Houston Dash on Sunday, Sept. 6.