Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Photo Gallery

The Orlando Pride hosted NJ/NY Gotham FC in their final home game of the year on day with weather changes from sun to heavy rain to overcast, and back to rain. The match went on though, and the teams played on undaunted. While the Pride fought well against a tough Gotham adversary, two unmarked players at the back post and a wasted quality scoring chances combined to deliver another defeat for the Pride, as the visitors escaped with a 2-1 win.

Orlando opened the game well, with the best chances early and throughout the first part of the game. Solai Washington started the pressure early, getting to a good Marta cross but missing from close range in the second minute. Hesitation to make a decision cost her two minutes later after her speed got her behind the Gotham defense. Kerry Abello also missed a prime chance in the 17th minute, rounding the Gotham goalkeeper well and then missing the wide-open net. The flag came up, but video review may have shown she held her run long enough had she just put the ball in the unprotected goal.

Shortly after that, Gotham finished its chance, with a wide-open cross to an even more open Midge Purce, who nicely looped a seeing-eye header over the top of Cosette Morche and just under the bar for a 1-0 lead. Almost the same ball movement occurred in the 35th minute — this time finding an open Sam Kerr, but she headed the ball to the goal line and Morche made a great fingertip save and then blocked the rebound from point-blank range as well.

After the half, Orlando continued to get forward but either miss the net or shoot straight at Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. Finally, in the 56th minute, Marta got a good shot off but it wasn’t quite strong enough and Berger was up to the challenge. In the 62nd minute, Orlando once again left the back post unattended — this time on a set piece — with Jaelin Howell heading a long corner back on goal. Morche appeared to tip it off the crossbar, but Tierna Davidson cleaned up the rebound as it bounced in front of goal. A few minutes later, however, Washington intercepted a poor back pass from Howell, broke in behind the defense yet again, and this time she found the net, pulling a goal back for the Pride in the 65th minute.

After that, Gotham looked to drag the game tempo and Orlando fell back into its pattern of missing the net. After a couple more half looks missed in the final 15 minutes, Orlando was unable to pull even.

Despite falling, the Pride generally outplayed the first-place visitors and also saw the emotional returns of Kylie Nadaner and Viviana Villacorta in late substitute appearances. The result was another poor one, but the performance was a big improvement over what the club showed for much of the season as the Pride tried to send the home fans happy but came up just short.

We hope you enjoy the pictures in this final Pride gallery of 2026.