Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride take on the Houston Dash. This is the second of three meetings this season, The Pride (6-3-4, 22 points) took sole possession of second place in the NWSL this past weekend with a 1-0 win against the Washington Spirit off Alanna Kennedy’s Goal of the Week.
History
The Pride hold a 5-2-0 advantage in the all-time series. In the first meeting between Orlando and Houston this season, both teams went into the game without a win. The Pride went 0-2-1 to start their 2018 campaign and Houston was 0-1-2. It was a sloppy game that was without many star players — Alanna Kennedy, Marta, Emily van Egmond, Poliana, and Monica were on international duty and Camila was still injured — but Chioma Ubogagu got on the end of a free kick to help the Pride to a 1-0 win.
Orlando won the first three matches in 2016 by a combined score of 5-1, including a 3-1 win in the Pride’s first ever home match, and a pair of 1-0 victories. Houston got its first win in the series with a 4-2 win at home on Sept. 3 of that season as part of the Pride’s eight-match winless streak to close the year.
The teams split their two meetings last year, with the Dash getting their first win in Orlando on June 24, 2017, by a score of 2-0. Current Pride defender Poliana was then a part of the Dash and assisted on both goals to Carli Lloyd and Rachel Daly. Orlando took the first clash of 2017 with a 4-2 win in which Marta scored or assisted on each of Orlando’s goals.
Overview
The Pride are currently riding a two-game win streak and have just one loss in the last 10 matches. This great run of form has helped vault the Pride into sole possession of second place, three points clear of third-place Seattle. North Carolina is of course in first place, 11 points ahead of Orlando, after losing just one match. Houston sits on the other end of the table — having won just three games. The Dash are in seventh place.
As mentioned above, this past weekend Orlando traveled up north as it took on the Washington Spirit. The Pride came away with a 1-0 win thanks to Kennedy’s audacious midfield strike. Also in this match was Ashlyn Harris’ award-winning save to deny the Spirit a goal and help the Pride to the win.
Houston is coming off a loss to the hands of the Portland Thorns. Tobin Heath got the scoring started in just the ninth minute but Houston responded right away. Three minutes later, Sofia Huerta scored on her Houston debut after Portland failed to clear the ball and Huerta just had to pass the ball into the back of the net from six yards out. The Thorns were just too strong though, and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic scored in the 33rd minute and Christine Sinclair killed the game off in the 83rd.
If she’s starting, the Pride will look to play through Christine Nairn. The midfielder leads the team in successful crosses/corners, passes into the final third, and chances created, and is also tied for the most assists in the NWSL.
As for the visitors, Orlando will need to keep an eye on Houston newcomer Huerta. The midfielder, along with Taylor Comeau and Clare Polkinghorne, was involved in a three-team trade and made an immediate impact, scoring Houston’s only goal in her first game with her new team.
The injury report looks great for the Pride with only Ali Krieger on it. The defender is listed as questionable with a right knee sprain, but Krieger will most likely miss tonight’s game. While she will obviously be missed, in the three games that she has missed the Pride have had two shutouts, including one from Haley Kopmeyer when Harris was away on international duty on June 3 against Seattle.
The Dash will be without just two players. Kristie Mewis suffered a season-ending ACL injury a few weeks ago and Kyah Simon is listed as questionable with a left ankle sprain.
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Ashlyn Harris.
Defenders: Carson Pickett, Shelina Zadorsky, Monica, Poliana.
Midfielders: Christine Nairn, Alanna Kennedy, Dani Weatherholt.
Forwards: Kristen Edmonds, Alex Morgan, Marta.
Bench: Haley Kopmeyer, Camila, Rachel Hill, Toni Pressley, Emily van Egmond, Chioma Ubogagu, Sydney Leroux.
Houston Dash (4-1-4-1)
Goalkeeper: Jane Campbell.
Defenders: Allysha Chapman, Janine van Wyk, Amber Brooks, Taylor Comeau.
Defensive Midfielder: Clare Polkinghorne,
Midfielders: Kealia Ohai, Rachel Daly, Sofia Huerta, Linda Motlhalo.
Forward: Nichelle Prince.
Bench: Bianca Henninger, Lindsay Agnew, Haley Hanson, Thembi Kgatlana, Veronica Latsko, Savannah Jordan, Kyah Simon.
Referees
REF: Kevin Broadley
AR1: Trent van Haitsma
AR2: Walter Heatherly
4TH: Francesco Terranova
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30 p.m. (ET).
Venue: Orlando City Stadium — Orlando, FL
TV: None.
Streaming: NWSLSoccer.com or the NWSL app (outside the U.S.), go90.
Twitter: For live updates, follow along at the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride) and on The Mane Land’s Twitter (@TheManeLand).
Match Thread Rules
This is your live thread for posting comments on the match. So use our comments section below to talk about the game in real time with other supporters. If you’re new, welcome to our happy home! While you’re here, please observe a few basic rules:
- Absolutely no links to illegal streams. They can get us in trouble, and no one wants that.
- Try not to be the person who spews nothing but venom and hate for the team. It’s OK to be critical, and, let’s face it, sometimes even the best teams can be frustrating to watch, but being overly negative relentlessly can sap the enjoyment for others.
- Keep it somewhat clean and fair when criticizing players / officials. You never know who might be reading.
- Do unto others in the match thread, the way you would have others do unto you. We are a fun community and want to keep it this way. We have a moderator, but we’d rather let him enjoy the game instead of having to play babysitter.
Enjoy the match!
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Three Keys to Victory
What do the Pride need to do to secure an NWSL Championship win over the Washington Spirit on Saturday?
Win or lose, the Orlando Pride’s season comes to an end on Saturday night at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. After they defeated the Chicago Red Stars and the Kansas City Current in prior playoff matches, this final match could see the Pride lift the NWSL Championship trophy. The Pride have already won the NWSL Shield earlier in the year, and this second trophy would cement them as one of the greatest teams in NWSL history. Standing in their way is the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, the same Washington Spirit club the Pride defeated to clinch the Shield.
So, what do the Pride need to do to defeat the Spirit and bring home more silverware?
Prepare for a Better Spirit
During the regular season, the Pride defeated the Spirit twice, 3-2 in Washington all the way back in April, and 2-0 at home in October. The Pride may need to scrub these results from their memory and prepare for a more capable and complete opponent. For starters, in the first matchup, the Spirit were led by interim head coach Adrián González, who is still with the club as an assistant. While González performed well in the role, the Spirit are now led by one of the best coaches in the game, Jonatan Giráldez, who took over in July. Before joining the Spirit, Giráldez led Barcelona Femeni, the single most dominant club in Europe during his tenure. In each of the past two seasons, Giráldez’ Barcelona won the Copa de la Reina, Spain’s domestic cup tournament, and the UEFA Women’s Champions League, showcasing his skill in coaching championship games.
The Pride were able to beat Giráldez’ Spirit squad just over a month ago, but that matchup was missing several key players on Washington’s side of the pitch. The Spirit were without NWSL Best XI players Trinity Rodman and Casey Krueger as well as Best XI Second Team representative Hal Hershfelt. All three of these players have since returned and are likely to play in the NWSL Championship. Ouleye Sarr, the joint leading scorer for Washington along with Rodman, was also out for the October matchup, but she is struggling with a back injury and may not play this weekend. While the Spirit were limited in the last meeting, Orlando was convincing in its 2-0 win. This time around, the Pride will have to prepare for a Spirit team that looks a lot different than the last time out.
Keep the Match to 90 Minutes
One of the key storylines heading into the NWSL Championship is the paths each team has taken. While the higher-seeded teams have won each match of the 2024 playoffs, Orlando has won its matches in regulation, while Washington required extra time to beat Bay FC and penalty kicks to get past NJ/NY Gotham FC. As a result, Orlando has played fewer high-stress minutes in recent weeks and comes in on a great run of form. On the other hand, the Spirit are battle tested, knowing the challenges that come from tight matches. Their goals forcing extra time have come late in matches — the 86th minute against Bay, and the third minute of stoppage time against Gotham. To their credit, the Spirit never know when they are beaten, so Orlando will need to be locked in all the way to the final whistle, hoping to avoid the chaos that ensued at the end of the Kansas City match.
Despite looking shaky at the end of the match against the Current, Orlando’s success this season has come about in the opposite manner of the Spirit’s postseason wins. Orlando has done exceedingly well to get the lead and secure the result. The Pride have only dropped points from winning positions twice, losing none. The semifinal match against Kansas City was also their first come-from-behind victory of the year, showcasing how uncommon it was for them to fall behind in an NWSL match in their 18-win season. Should the NWSL Championship go to extra time, it would be uncharted territory for Orlando. With so few elimination matches in their history, very few players on the roster would have any experience with extra time. The Orlando Pride as a club only participated in their first-ever (then their second and third) penalty shootout in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, winning one of three shootouts. In the end, Orlando will be in a much better position if it can keep this game to 90 minutes.
Marta Magic
The Orlando Pride have four players on the NWSL Best XI first and second teams, but no player is more easily recognized in purple than 38-year-old Marta, the GOAT. While she has been with the Pride since 2017, this campaign (11 goals, 1 assist) has been her most productive since 2017, her first in Orlando (13 goals, 6 assists). The 2017 season was also the last time that Orlando made the playoffs. In 2024, Marta has scored two postseason goals so far, including a magical game winner against the Current. Orlando’s success is inexorably linked to the performances of its best-ever player. Yet, as hard as it is to imagine, the NWSL Championship will be the last match of her existing contract with the Pride, and win or lose, this could be farewell, at least for now.
On the pitch, Marta will be a focal point for the Orlando attack against the Washington Spirit. While Washington’s Best XI defenders Krueger and Tara McKeown attempt to slow down Barbra Banda and Ally Watt, Marta is likely to drop deep and connect the play. Her precision passing and driving runs in recent matches have contributed mightily to an attack that has now scored 10 goals in the past three matches — three by Marta herself. Beyond these traits, Marta will also be a pitch general for the Pride in this final match, directing traffic and keeping the team locked in and organized. Earlier this year, Marta announced her retirement from international soccer with Brazil and took home the silver medal in the Summer Olympics. Expect Marta to leave it all on the pitch on Saturday, and if it were to be her last match for the Pride, it would be incredible to leave with an NWSL Championship.
Saturday night the NWSL Champions will be crowned. Could one of these keys to victory make the critical difference? Vamos Orlando!
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Center Back Emily Sams Named 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year
Pride center back Emily Sams adds another honor to her trophy case after being named the NWSL Defender of the Year.
The National Women’s Soccer League announced this evening that Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams has been named the 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year. She’s the first player in club history to win the award. It was the second major NWSL award won by the Pride after Seb Hines was named the league’s Coach of the Year on Tuesday.
Sams played center back during her 2023 rookie season, but moved to right back at the beginning of this year. Brazilian international Rafaelle’s injury trouble forced Sams back to her natural position where she partnered Kylie Strom, forming arguably the best center back partnership in the league. Together with goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse and the rest of the back line, the Pride conceded a league-best 20 goals while tying the league records for most shutouts in a season (13) and setting a new mark for most consecutive minutes without conceding a goal (554).
Individually, Sams was second in the league with 163 recoveries, and she led the Pride with 108 possessions in the defensive third, 76 clearances, and 16 blocks. Additionally, her 88.18% passing accuracy led all Pride defenders.
Including the playoffs, Sams has played in 27 games this season with 26 starts and recorded 2,365 minutes. She’s recorded 25 tackles and 28 interceptions, winning 30 headed duels and 47% of her tackles. She’s also contributed offensively with a goal and three assists, including assisting Barbra Banda’s first goal in the NWSL quarterfinals against the Chicago Red Stars.
The center back was named to the league’s monthly Best XI three times this year — in May, September, and October/November — and was named to the league’s end-of-the-year Best XI.
The Boise, ID, native played three seasons over five years at Florida State before signing with Racing Louisville’s W League team for the 2022 season. She decided to forgo her senior year at Florida State, signing with the NWSL instead on Aug. 31, 2022. The league loaned her to Swedish club BK Hacken for the remainder of the 2022 season, enabling her to enter the 2023 NWSL Draft. The Pride selected Sams with the third overall pick and she immediately became a key player on the team’s back line.
She was paired with veteran Megan Montefusco at the beginning of her rookie season and Brazilian international Rafaelle after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Sams played 22 regular-season games last year, recording 1,977 minutes, 19 interceptions, and 17 tackles. She won 61% of her tackles and 33 headed duels.
Despite not having any caps, Sams was selected by new USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes to compete for the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, earning a gold medal. Her first appearance for the national side came on Oct. 24 when she started against Iceland in Nashville, TN.
Preliminary voting for the NWSL Defender of the Year award included league owners, general managers, coaches, players, and media. The finalists were then voted on by fans, owners, general managers, coaches, players, and the media with the winner announced this evening. Strom, San Diego Wave FC center back Naomi Girma, North Carolina Courage center back Kaleigh Kurtz, and Washington Spirit center back Tara McKeown were the other finalists.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines Named NWSL Coach of the Year
After a record-breaking regular season, Pride Head Coach Seb Hines has been named the 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year.
The National Women’s Soccer League announced this afternoon that Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines had been named the 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year. It’s the first time in the club’s history that a coach has won the award.
In his second year as permanent head coach, Hines led the Pride to a record-breaking season that saw them finish 18-2-6, winning the NWSL Shield. They finished third in the league with 46 goals scored and tied with NJ/NY Gotham FC for a league-best 20 goals conceded. They set five league records this year, including most points in a season (60), most wins in a season (18), longest winning streak (8), longest shutout streak (554 minutes), and longest single-season unbeaten run (23 games). The Pride also tied the league record for clean sheets in a season (13). Dating back to last season’s finale, the club went 24 matches without a loss under Hines. Orlando also drew all three Summer Cup matches this season, giving the Pride 26 matches without a loss in all competitions under Hines in 2023 and 27 games overall dating back to last year. Orlando’s 2.31 points per game in 2024 is second in league history behind the 2018 North Carolina Courage, who had 2.4 points per game.
The 2024 season caps a rebuild that started following the 2021 NWSL season when the Pride traded away several star players. They hired Amanda Cromwell as head coach for the 2022 season, but she and assistant Sam Greene were suspended and eventually fired for retaliatory behavior. Assistants Michelle Akers and Aline Villares Reis left their positions following the suspensions, leaving Hines as the club’s only option as head coach.
The controversy turned out to be a blessing in disguise as Hines finished the season strong as interim coach, taking the team to a 3-7-5 mark in the final 15 games, which included a seven-game unbeaten run (3-0-4). His performance down the stretch was enough to earn the permanent role. The Pride elevated Hines from interim coach to head coach on Nov. 11, 2022.
In his first year as the club’s permanent head coach, Hines nearly led the Pride to their first playoff appearance since 2017 and second in club history last year, missing out on the goal difference tiebreaker on the final match day of the 2023 campaign. This year, the team came back with the goal of making the postseason and soon became the best team in the league, going the full season without a single home loss in any competition.
Since taking over in June 2022, Hines has become the Pride’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 31-30-12 in league play. His 1.67 points per game and .492 winning percentage also top all previous Pride coaches.
Despite a turnaround that saw the Pride go from one of the worst teams in the league to narrowly missing out on the playoffs, Hines wasn’t a finalist for coach of the year in 2023. It was an easy choice this year as he led the team to its best-ever season and the first trophy in team history.
The team’s 4-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars on Nov. 8 was the first playoff win in club history and the Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 3-2 Sunday afternoon to secure their spot in the 2024 NWSL Championship, which will be in Kansas City on Saturday night.
The NWSL Coach of the Year Award began with a preliminary round voted on by owners, general managers, coaches, players, and the media. The finalists were then voted on by fans, owners, general managers, coaches, players, and the media to determine the winner. The other finalists were Current Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski and Gotham Head Coach Juan Carlos Amoros, last year’s winner.
-
Lion Links3 days ago
Lion Links: 11/20/24
-
Orlando Pride6 days ago
Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks ago
Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars: Final Score 4-1 as Barbra Banda Brace Lifts Pride to First-Ever Playoff Win
-
Orlando City2 days ago
Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Three Keys to Victory
-
Orlando Pride5 days ago
Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 3-2 as Pride Advance to NWSL Championship
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City2 days ago
How Orlando City’s Offense Stacks Up Against What Atlanta Does Defensively
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Five Takeaways