Orlando Pride vs Houston Dash: Final Score 3-1 as Yolanda Thomas Wins Her First Game in Charge

It was a night of milestones and records as interim head coach Yolanda Thomas picked up her first win in her first game in charge of the Orlando Pride. Barbra Banda scored her 14^th goal of the season, giving her the club’s single-season record with seven games remaining. The goal was scored from the penalty spot, which was Banda’s first penalty kick for the Pride. She also forced an own goal and assisted on Haley McCutcheon’s second-half strike to lead Orlando (9-12-2, 29 points) to a 3-1 win over the Houston Dash (7-11-5, 26 points) at Inter.co Stadium.

“I’m so proud of what this group was able to accomplish in a really difficult week,” Thomas said after the game. “That’s not very technical, but we poured everything we had in us and left it on the field to get three points. There was not a single member of staff that was not involved in making this happen.”

Thomas made one change to the lineup from Aug. 29 vs. Utah, bringing in Hannah Anderson for the injured Rafaelle (concussion). Cosette Morche got the start in goal with a back line of Hailie Mace, Anderson, Cori Dyke, and Oihane. McCutcheon and Ally Lemos played in the defensive midfield with Angelina, Summer Yates, and Jaquie Ovalle in front of them. Banda played up top.

The Pride opened keeping Houston pinned in its own half for the first four minutes. Yates intercepted a pass in the box but stumbled when she tried to turn, losing the opportunity. Yates turned over Dash defender Leah Klenke three minutes later in front of Houston’s goal but her pass to Lemos didn’t produce any danger.

At the 11-minute mark, Angelina sent a through ball past the Dash defenders onto Banda’s foot, but Jane Campbell saved her shot. Houston responded two minutes later as Maggie Graham crossed it to Kat Rader and Morche saved her volley shot.

The Pride opened the scoring on the ensuing counter. Houston tried playing out of the back but sent the long ball right into Ovalle’s path. She led Banda wide down the left, where she crossed the ball in. Campbell deflected the cross right into Klenke’s shin, and it deflected into the goal to open the scoring in the 14th minute.

The Pride kept up the pressure and, in the 19^th minute, Yates slid a dangerous ball to Banda but it was cleared before she could do anything with it. Banda tried a 40-yard shot 60 seconds later off a takeaway, as Campbell was off her line, but the striker sent it wide. Banda continued to harry the Dash defense, muscling and maneuvering through to cause another save from Campbell 22 minutes in.

In the 27^th minute, Banda went down at a stoppage of play as she was having problems with her right hand. The Pride played short for two minutes while she got it wrapped and then she re-entered the game.

The teams traded quiet possession until the 34-minute mark when Kate Faasse laid the ball off for a Cate Hardin shot that went just wide. In the 40^th minute, Yates split two defenders with a spin move and passed to Banda, who worked her way down the right. She found Ovalle in front of the Houston goal but there was too much traffic for Ovalle to get anything clean off.

Just 90 seconds later, Yates broke into open space and weaved her way down the field, putting Klenke on her hip. As she worked her way into the box, she jabbed inside and Klenke caught her foot, drawing a penalty. Banda took the shot from the spot, sent Campbell the wrong way, and buried it in the left side to make it 2-0 minutes before halftime.

Rader put the ball in the net for Houston just a minute into stoppage time, but Faasse was offside in the buildup of the play, allowing Orlando to see out the first half and take a 2-0 lead into the break.

The Pride led at the half in shots (12-3), shots on goal (4-1), and corners (5-1). The Dash possessed the ball more (56%-44%) and led in passing accuracy (83%-80%).

Houston came out of halftime trying to claw back into the game. Morche had to reach to get to a Rader shot to the top right in the 48^th minute. After that, both teams traded a couple of half-chances but nothing of consequence.

The Dash made a couple of substitutions at the 56-minute mark. Kiki Van Zanten came on for Miljana Ivanovic while Lisa Boattin replaced Paige Nielsen. Right after the substitutions, Faasse got on the end of a searching long ball from Graham and forced Morche into a diving save.

Orlando responded with substitutes 62 minutes in, bringing in Solai Washington for Yates and Zara Chavoshi for Anderson. The Pride also responded to the changes by creating a chance, but converting theirs. McCutcheon sent Banda down the left side and then Banda returned the ball to McCutcheon, who took a touch and then rifled a shot on the bounce into the top right corner to triple the lead in the 64th minute.

In the 71^st minute, Houston brought in Khyah Harper for Danielle Colaprico. On the very next Dash attack, Harper rewarded coach Fabrice Gautrat by taking advantage of a Mace turnover and sending in a dangerous cross right to Van Zanten, who headed it past Morche inside the right post.

The teams then continued to trade substitutions with Luana coming on for Ovalle in the 74^th minute for the Pride. Houston responded with Clarissa Larisey replacing Rader in the 77^th minute, and the Pride sending new signee Sanne Lekven in for Mace for her NWSL debut in the 78^th.

“I was in the stands last weekend and was looking forward to getting on the field myself today,” Lekven said after the game. “It was hot and very physical and fast, which is a little different from home.”

Harper volleyed a Boattin cross right at Morche at the 79^th minute mark but the Pride goalkeeper was able to collect it. Three minutes later, Banda tried to get past Graham but Graham pushed her in the back to prevent her from getting by and picked up a yellow card.

The Pride picked up a pair of yellow cards as the game wore on. McCutcheon was given one in the 86^th minute for pulling back Faasse and Lekven received hers in the 89^th minute.

After the fourth official announced six minutes of extra time, the Pride collected a couple more dangerous attacks before the end. Banda got on the end of a Lemos long ball but put it high and Washington shot it right at Campbell off a Angelina pass moments later.

The Pride finished ahead in shots (23-12), shots on target (8-7), and corners (8-2) while Houston led in possession (54%-46%) and passing accuracy (81%-80%).

“(Coach) Yo (Thomas) really stressed our defensive principles and shape in pressing and I think we executed. We kind of gave them nothing,” McCutcheon commented after the game. “I think it was a pretty dominant performance. We would’ve loved the shutout, but I think our back line played really, really well.”

The Pride travel to Kansas City on Friday to take on the Current and then return to Orlando the following weekend to host the Portland Thorns.