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Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Final Score 3-0 as Pride Shut Out for Third Straight Game

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2 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (5-9-6, 21 points) fell 3-0 to the North Carolina Courage (8-8-4, 28 points) in their penultimate home game of the season, continuing their free fall with a fourth consecutive loss and the third straight without scoring. The visitors were led by their Brazilian star, Debinha, who scored a brace and assisted Tess Boade’s late first-half goal.

Pride Interim Head Coach Seb Hines made seven changes from the team that lost 2-0 to Racing Louisville over the weekend. Erin McLeod returned to the lineup for the first time in three games after sitting out due to concussion protocol. Mikayla Cluff had been starting in place of the injured Viviana Villacorta but was out for this game with an ankle injury. Ally Watt received her first start as a member of the Pride and Carrie Lawrence returned to the starting lineup in place of Toni Pressley.

The back line in front of McLeod consisted of Kylie Strom, Lawrence, Megan Montefusco, and Celia. Haley Hanson played as the six with Leah Pruitt, Gunny Jonsdottir, and Jordyn Listro in front of her. The team went with two up top in this game in Kerry Abello and Watt.

While there were noticeable changes in the lineup, the biggest move was Hanson playing in the midfield. She’s played that position before, but has spent her NWSL career as an outside back.

“We knew that she (Hanson) was capable of playing that position and she was more than willing to do it,” Hines said about playing Hanson further up field. “We were short on midfield options. Viviana’s been out and then Mikayla picked up an injury, so we had to get someone to fill that hole.”

While the Pride were already eliminated from playoff contention coming into this game, the Courage are still fighting for a playoff spot. The two teams played to their situations as the Pride looked defeated for most of the game and the Courage played with hunger.

The Pride got the first chance of the game inside the first minute off a North Carolina mistake. Merritt Mathias tried to make a simple pass to Kaleigh Kurtz but it was off target, allowing Pruitt to take control. Instead of going for goal, the forward played it across for Watt, who sent a low cross through the box. However, nobody could get on the end of it.

“It’s a moment where Haley Hanson gets the ball, she gets a cross, it deflects, and Ally’s there,” Hines said about the early chance. “It was a tap-in moment.”

Just a minute later, the Courage opened the scoring. Kurtz played a long ball forward looking for Debinha. Montefusco had a bead on the ball and it looked like she would clear. But the header went to where Debinha was running through instead of outside. McLeod was caught on the right side of the six-yard box, expecting the header to come her way. Instead, it continued on for Debinha who tapped it in, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.

“Obviously, unlucky to start,” Hanson said about conceding so early. “And that’s kind of been the theme of, I would say the last couple games. Just unlucky.”

The Courage had another chance in the fifth minute when Debinha attempted to send Boade through. It looked like the midfielder would get a shot on goal, but Lawrence did well to get in the way and block it out of play.

In the 12th minute, Debinha played a nice ball down the right for Rikke Madsen. It appeared that the forward’s ball into the box was behind everyone, but Boade came back for it and got a shot off from near the penalty spot. It didn’t look as though Lawrence was aware of the situation, but she was in the right place at the right time as the ball bounced off her, allowing the Pride to clear.

As the half continued, the rains came in, soaking the field. It rained hard for a good period of the first half before lightening up as the game approached halftime. Once the rain arrived, the chances became fewer for both teams.

In the 28th minute, Watt had a chance to the left of goal but her shot hit the side netting and the assistant raised the flag for offside anyway. Eight minutes later, a turnover by Meredith Speck created a chance for the hosts. Jonsdottir played the ball forward for Pruitt, providing a chance in the box, but the shot was wide of the near post.

There was only one minute of first-half stoppage time but that was enough for the Courage to double their lead. Abello carried the ball across the field and looked to pass to Jonsdottir, but the ball was behind her and was taken away by Boade. The midfielder immediately played it forward to Debinha, who flicked it on for Boade, who continued her run into the box. The midfielder slipped the ball past McLeod, giving the Courage a 2-0 lead with almost the last touch of the first half.

“It’s a punch in the face, really,” Hines said about conceding so late in the first half. “Because I felt like we were growing into that, let’s say, second half of the first half of the game. And we had good momentum. We started to have more courage and bravery on the ball and it just came at such a bad time for us. You go into halftime 1-0 down you go, ‘We can go. We can get after them,’ and that was our message as well. It’s only 2-0. Stranger things have happened. We’ve been here where we were 2-0 down in the 90th minute and managed to get a tie. So yeah, it was disappointing to concede so late on, but like I said, it’s a game, it happens, and you get to recognize who we are in that moment as well.”

After 45 minutes, the Courage had more possession (61%-39%), shots (5-4), shots on target (3-0), and corners (1-0). Both teams had five crosses in the first half of play.

The start of the second half was similar to the start of the first half with a flurry of chances taking place. In the 50th minute, Darian Jenkins, who came on at halftime for Abello, found Watt in the box. The forward turned and shot but it was right at Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy.

Three minutes later, Montefusco knocked a Courage cross out of play for a corner kick. The ensuing corner was cleared to the far side by Celia, but fell to Debinha. The first-half goal scorer had Speck and Boade at the far post and sent the ball in that direction. Whether it was a cross or a shot, the ball sailed over the defensive players and landed inside the far post for her second goal of the game, giving North Carolina a commanding 3-0 lead.

Hines made an attacking pair of changes in the 60th minute, looking for a spark to get the team back into the game. Erika Tymrak came on for Watt and Meggie Dougherty Howard entered the game for Celia.

Just after the substitutions, North Carolina nearly made it four. Jaelene Daniels sent a long ball down the left for Boade but Montefusco beat her to it. However, Montefusco sent a weak pass for either McLeod or Lawrence, allowing Boade to win it back. She shot for the far post from close distance, but McLeod stuck her foot out and knocked it away.

On the other end, Jenkins found enough space to take shots for herself. After the Pride only took two shots in the first 45 minutes, Jenkins took three in her first 20 minutes on the field. However, only one of those three shots was on target and it was right at Murphy.

In the 71st minute, the Pride brought on 18-year-old striker Haley Bugeja. The teenager was signed by the club on July 1 but this was her first appearance for the team. Her debut made her the fourth-youngest player to enter a game in NWSL history.

“I’m just happy to get my first game out of the way obviously,” Bugeja said about her debut. “It’s quite a surreal moment for me and I’m sure my family back home are watching, even though it’s like two in the morning for them. I’m just super happy and hopefully now we can kick on and obviously I’m very grateful for the faith that Seb has showed in me.”

The Pride nearly got one back in the 72nd minute when Tymrak found space from the right side of the box and shot on goal. The shot forced Murphy to tip it over the bar, giving the Pride their first corner kick of the night. The ensuing corner resulted in a chance for Dougherty Howard, but her attempt was off target, allowing the Courage to clear.

The Courage nearly got a fourth goal in the 84th minute when a good buildup set up substitute Brittany Ratcliffe for a chance. Brianna Pinto’s pass to Boade was quickly flicked forward for Ratcliffe. The substitute timed her run perfectly, getting behind the Pride defense for a shot. She aimed for the far post but missed just wide.

The Pride had some chances in the final minutes but were unable to get anything on target. Meanwhile, the Courage played to see out the game, holding onto possession in the dominating win.

In the end, the Courage had more possession (60%-40%), shots on target (5-4), and corners (5-2). The Pride had more shots (16-8), but only four of those shots were on target. The number of off-target shots was a big factor in this game as the Pride had nine shots off target and the Courage only had one off frame.

“Defined by three moments really,” Hines said after the game. “It’s always difficult when you go down a goal so early on, but I felt like we didn’t really get out of control. I didn’t think the game really got away from us. I mean, it was defined by a couple of moments that North Carolina took. And we had chances. We had chances to attack and get something on frame and could be a completely different result if we take them moments.”

After their seven-game unbeaten run, the Pride have now lost four consecutive games and three of those games were at Exploria Stadium. They’ve been outscored in those four games 8-1, failing to get on the scoreboard in the last three.

The Pride will look to end their losing streak on Sunday night when they welcome San Diego Wave FC to Exploria Stadium for their final home game of the 2022 NWSL season.

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Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville FC: Final Score 1-0 as Banda’s Goal Lifts Pride to Fifth Straight Win

Barbra Banda’s 17th-minute goal lifts the Pride over Racing Louisville.

Published

4 hours ago

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May 5, 2024

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride (5-0-3, 18 points) won the battle of the unbeatens, defeating Racing Louisville FC (1-1-5, 8 points) 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. Barbra Banda scored her fourth goal in three games and the Pride held onto the lead for 73 minutes.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made one change to the team that beat the North Carolina Courage 4-1 on Wednesday night. Angelina was out after suffering a knee injury during that game and was replaced by rookie Ally Lemos, who made her first professional start. 

“There were some nerves but also some excitement,” Lemos said about her first start. “You know, this is what I’ve been working towards ever since preseason and the season started. So I was just really excited to get out on the field and show what I can do and ultimately help the team win today.”

Starting in a 4-4-2 for the second straight game, the back line in front of Anna Moorhouse was Emily Sams, Rafaelle, Kylie Strom, and Kerry Abello. Haley McCutcheon, Lemos, Julie Doyle, and Summer Yates were the midfielders, with Ally Watt and Banda again partnering up top.

This was far from the Pride’s best performance of the season, but they were able to grab a first-half lead and hold onto it. Chances by Louisville, which had drawn five of its first six games, were few and far between while the Pride searched for a second goal. Despite the narrow margin, only two late chances caused hearts in the stands to skip a beat.

Louisville took the first shot of the game in the fourth minute when Elexa Bahr received the ball outside the box. With nobody in purple closing her down, the forward turned and shot. However, she was unable to keep the attempt down, sending it over Moorhouse and her goal.

The visitors had a second chance in the seventh minute when Uchenna Kanu sent a cross across the face of goal. Moorhouse got her right hand to it, but only to Bahr on the far side. The forward took her second shot in the opening minutes of the game, again sending it over the target.

The Pride had their first attack in the ninth minute when Watt laid the ball back for Doyle. Dribbling inside, Doyle attempted to play Banda through, but it was well defended by Arin Wright.

In the 10th minute, Yates looked to get to the Louisville end line and send a cross in, but Wright got in front of the attempt, knocking it out of play. The ensuing corner kick by Yates bounced off the knee of Rafaelle, but the Brazilian center back couldn’t control it and the visitors cleared the danger.

Banda had a chance in the 12th minute to give the Pride the lead when Lemos won the ball back from Kayla Fischer. The midfielder sent it forward for Banda whose third touch was a shot from outside of the box. Lund went down to block the attempt away, but it didn’t appear to give the goalkeeper too much trouble.

Doyle had a chance to open the scoring in the 14th minute when Watt sent a great ball across to the back post. The midfielder was wide open to shoot on goal, but missed the target.

The Pride finally broke through in the 17th minute and from a familiar source. It started with a give-and-go between McCutcheon and Sams on the right side. The defender took a touch towards the end line and sent a cross to the back post, where Banda, despite being among the most threatening strikers in the league, was wide open. It was an easy header for the Zambian, who gave the Pride the early lead.

It was Banda’s fourth goal in the last three games, which sees her surpass Yates as the team leader. The cross by Sams resulted in her first professional assist in her second season.

“Just naturally you have to be a little bit higher, both in the attack and defense, higher up on the pitch. So I was just higher already and wanted to support Haley and she gave me the ball back and I just chipped it across and hoped someone was there to finish it. And luckily Barbra was there,” Sams said. “So yeah, I’m super happy to get my first assist.”

Louisville finally had another chance in the 30th minute when Emma Sears knocked the ball off Strom and out. Carson Pickett took the corner looking for Abby Erceg at the far post. The center back and Louisville captain climbed over Strom, but the ball went out of play, ending the threat.

Abello tried to make something happen on her own in the 36th minute. She played a give-and-go with Doyle to get her behind the Louisville defense and sprinted into the box. Banda was making a run and Abello looked for her, but two defenders were on the goal scorer, so Abello shot herself. Unfortunately, the attempt was directly to Lund, giving her no trouble.

In the 39th minute, Yates was trapped on the sideline, but chipped the ball to spring Doyle. Fischer took down Yates after the pass, and referee Alyssa Nichols called the play back when it was clear it wouldn’t result in an attempt on goal, issuing Fischer a yellow card. The ensuing set piece by Yates connected with the head of Rafaelle, but Lund tipped it over the crossbar.

Fischer nearly equalized in the 43rd minute when the attacker took a shot from outside the box. It looked to be heading inside the far post, but Moorhouse got down and tipped it wide. The corner kick was headed towards goal by Taylor Flint and Erceg was behind the Pride defense, but Moorhouse was quick to react, reaching the ball before Erceg could tap it in.

Banda nearly had her second goal in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. The forward beat Wright to a long ball by Abello and entered the Louisville box. She cut inside to lose Erceg and had nobody else in front of goal except Lund, but the center back did well to recover. She deflected the ball into the arms of Lund, keeping the score 1-0 at the break.

After 45 minutes of action, Louisville had more possession (56%-44%) and corner kicks (3-2) and better passing accuracy (88%-83%). The Pride had more shots (8-7), shots on target (6-2), and crosses (6-5). They arguably should’ve had a bigger lead, but missed some excellent chances in front of goal.

Despite a strong first half, Hines made two halftime substitutions. Adriana and Cori Dyke came into the game for Yates and Abello.

The Pride came out of halftime strong, immediately creating chances. In the 48th minute, Doyle found McCutcheon at the top of the Louisville box. Since nobody closed her down, McCutcheon went for goal. Lund initially jumped for the ball, but it sailed well over the target.

A minute later, Watt nearly doubled the advantage. After a poor pass into the middle was knocked back out, she quickly won it back from Kanu. The forward took a touch inside and fired towards the far post. It beat the diving Lund, but bounced off the far post.

Hines made the Pride’s third and fourth substitutions in the 58th minute. Amanda Allen and Morgan Gautrat entered the contest for Watt and Doyle.

In the 66th minute, the Pride had a free kick when Adriana was fouled by Lauren Milliet. The ensuing free kick by Lemos into the box was headed out, but only to Banda. The striker attempted a volley towards goal that was nowhere near the target.

Lemos had an opportunity in the 70th minute when she received a ball back from Adriana outside the box. The midfielder took a shot that was deflected by Erceg, resulting in Lund diving the wrong way. However, the deflection sent the ball over the crossbar.

The ensuing corner kick was tipped beyond the box by Lund, but the goalkeeper went down immediately after and required attention. During the set piece, her foot was stepped on by teammate Reilyn Turner. In the meantime, the players headed to the sideline for instructions and, after a brief stoppage, Lund was able to continue.

Louisville lacked any real threat in the second half, but Fischer tried to create something in the 78th minute. Receiving the ball outside the box, she sent a curling low ball towards the back post. It would’ve been dangerous if someone in white had been making that run, but nobody was and it went harmlessly out of play.

In the 82nd minute, Pickett sent a long ball for Bahr, who beat Strom into the opposing third. Moorhouse did well to come out and block the shot, but Turner was following and got to the ball. Fortunately, Rafaelle made a good tackle to knock it away before Turner could put it on goal. Rafaelle’s attempt to carry the ball out of the box was blocked by Sears to Sams and Sears fouled the defender, ending the threat.

“Anna did a really good job today of keeping that clean sheet,” Hines said about the save and her performance. “You know, could easily have been another goal for Louisville.”

The Pride made their last change in the 87th minute. After a strong performance in her first professional start, Lemos was replaced by Carrie Lawrence as the hosts looked to see out the game.

Erceg won a late corner for Louisville in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time when Lawrence knocked the ball out. Pickett’s set piece was into the six-yard box and it looked like Moorhouse had it. But she bobbled the ball briefly, scaring the 6,837 fans in attendance before grabbing the ball and falling to the ground.

At the full-time whistle, Louisville had more possession (54%-46%), corners (5-4), and crosses (12-11) and better passing accuracy (83.4%-80.3%). But the Pride had more shots (14-9), shots on target (8-3), and the all-important goal.

“I think today it was a tough game, obviously with the quick turnaround and everything that we put into on Wednesday. The emotions that we had to go through after Wednesday and then just to turn it around against a good Louisville team, who had a week to prepare for this game with a lot of energy,” Hines said about the game. “You could see towards the end, the players were on their last legs. But I can’t say enough compliments for them. You know, to have that grit, that determination, the attitude, the mentality to see the game out and walk away with three points and end the week with nine points with three games. I’m really, really proud of all the efforts that they put into it.”

“It’s tremendous,” Sams added. “I mean, all of us just had that determination to get that shutout and get those three points for all 90 minutes. It was a grind for 90 minutes. We came into this game not as fresh as we could have been, or especially as the other team, but we didn’t let that be an excuse to not play our best or try to play our best at least.”

The Pride have now won five consecutive games, tied for the team record. The other five-game winning streak came during the 2017 NWSL season, the only year in which they qualified for the playoffs.  The win also extends their unbeaten run to eight games, one short of the team record, also set in 2017.

The Pride have shown an ability to win games in different ways this season. They won a high-scoring 3-2 game against the Washington Spirit 10 days ago and have now won three games 1-0. It’s a team-wide approach and the success didn’t go unnoticed by their coach.

“I can’t just pinpoint on the back line because they are doing a great job, but it’s the whole team,” Hines said about the defensive effort. “Everyone’s doing their role and it’s really nice to see. And even the players who are coming onto the field, they have to do their job and their roles and responsibilities to, again, see the game out.”

The three points lifts the Pride over the Kansas City Current, who drew earlier in the day, to claim first place by a point. While the Current have a game in hand, it’s something to celebrate for a Pride team that has missed out on the playoffs in all but one of its previous seven NWSL seasons.

 “It’s just all smiles. We’re so happy,” Sams said about how the team feels about being in first place. “The team chemistry that we have, it’s just great. You know, we’re all joking and trying to have a good time around the facility and in the locker room. I think that carries over to the field too. We all just want to work for each other and play for each other. So it’s great. I mean, we’re all just having a good time all the time.”

After playing three games in 10 days, the Pride will now have nearly a week before they take the field again. Their next game is Saturday when they welcome league newcomers Bay FC to Orlando.

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Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride look for their fifth straight win as they welcome Racing Louisville FC to Orlando.

Published

14 hours ago

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May 5, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (4-0-3, 15 points) play the second game of a three-game homestand against Racing Louisville FC (1-0-5, 8 points). This is the second of three games the two teams are scheduled to play this year and the final regular-season contest. They’ll also play in the NWSL X LigaMXF Summer Cup on Aug. 1.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

History

This is the fourth season of existence for Racing Louisville. The two teams have played nine times so far, with the Pride going 2-3-4 (2-3-3 in NWSL games and 0-0-1 in the NWSL Challenge Cup). The Pride are 2-0-2 against Louisville in Orlando, all in league play.

The most recent meeting between the two teams was on March 16 in Louisville, the season opener for both teams. It looked like it would be a long day as Elexa Bahr and Uchenna Kanu gave the hosts a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes. The Pride got on the board in the 24th minute with an own goal by Elli Pikkujämsä, but the task was made more difficult when Kylie Strom received her second yellow card in the 62nd minute. However, Amanda Allen and Summer Yates combined in the 86th minute as the Pride pulled out an unlikely 2-2 draw.

The first game last year occurred on May 6 at Exploria Stadium. Messiah Bright gave the Pride an early lead and the hosts held on for 69 minutes for the 1-0 win. It was the first home win of 2023 for the Pride and their second win of the season. The second meeting was on Oct. 6, 2023 in Louisville. The Pride got off to a great start with goals by Marta from the spot early and an excellent individual effort by Kerry Abello to make it 2-0. However, Bright took Savannah DeMelo down in the box just before halftime and Nadia Nadim converted the penalty. A five-minute swing started in the 70th minute with goals by Kristen Davis and an own goal by Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, resulting in the Pride losing the critical game 3-2.

The first meeting between the two in 2022 was on Sept. 16 in Louisville. The Pride got off to a quick start, but Louisville struck first when Nadim was left open in front of goal for a tap-in. The hosts doubled their lead on a great strike by DeMelo from outside of the box, and the Pride fell 2-0.

The first meeting of 2022 was in a unique setting, taking place at Daytona International Speedway on July 3. The game was a part of the 2022 Daytona SoccerFest and was the first time a soccer game was played at a racetrack. Emina Ekic gave Louisville a halftime lead and DeMelo doubled the lead shortly after the break. However, the Pride fought back with goals by Strom and Darian Jenkins, pulling out a 2-2 draw. The game launched a seven-game unbeaten run that pulled the Pride back into the playoff race.

The first year the two teams met was in 2021 during the NWSL Challenge Cup in Louisville. CeCe Kizer gave the hosts the lead early, but Taylor Kornieck equalized just before halftime. It looked like the Pride would win when Abi Kim scored late, but Brooke Hendrix equalized in second-half injury time and the teams drew 2-2.

The teams played three times in the 2021 regular season, with the first meeting coming on July 9 in Orlando. Ebony Salmon gave Louisville the lead, but Sydney Leroux scored to force a 1-1 draw with a goal in second-half injury time. The second meeting was on Sept. 11 in Orlando. The Pride took a 2-0 lead into the break with goals by Leroux and Marta. Kizer got one back, but Alex Morgan’s conversion sealed three points for the Pride.

The final meeting of 2021 was in the penultimate game of the year for both teams. The Pride needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive and they got off to a good start when Jodie Taylor scored in the third minute. However, the game slipped away as Salmon and Katie McClure scored on either side of halftime and Yuki Nagasato made the final 3-1.

Overview

The Pride have gotten off to a great start to the 2024 season, going seven unbeaten and winning four straight. The most recent game was on Wednesday night when the Pride hosted the North Carolina Courage at home. Seb Hines changed the formation for the game, moving from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2, with Barbra Banda and Ally Watt starting up top. Watt had a goal and an assist and Banda had two goals and an assist, proving Hines right with the formation change by running away with a 4-1 win.

Tonight, the Pride will play their second game of a three-game homestand as they welcome Racing Louisville. These are two of the three NWSL teams with unbeaten records to start the season, along with the Kansas City Current. However, while the Current and Pride have five and four wins respectively, Louisville only has one win and five draws. But it’s an impressive start for a Louisville team with a new head coach in Bev Yanez.

The only win Louisville has this year was a 5-1 thumping of the Utah Royals at home on April 20. While the Pride played Wednesday night, tonight’s opponent has more rest heading into this game, last playing to a 1-1 draw against NJ/NY Gotham FC in New Jersey a week ago.

Despite five draws in their first six games, Louisville has the fourth-highest goal difference in the league and a greater difference than the teams around it. The Kentucky-based team has scored 10 goals this season and has only conceded six times for a +4 goal differential. Racing is led in the attack by Kanu, who has scored three more times after her goal against the Pride for four total. DeMelo and Reilyn Turner have two goals each, with Bahr and Emma Sears splitting the other two.

Defensively, the Pride caught Louisville without one of their newest acquisitions and starting center back Arin Wright in the first game. However, the other three in front of Katie Lund were Carson Pickett, Abby Erceg, and Lauren Milliet. That unit has earned two clean sheets in the first six games and has only given up multiple goals twice — both times conceding twice.

“There was so much excitement going into that first game of the season against Louisville, not really knowing what to expect with, you know, Bev’s come in with a coaching change,” Hines said about tonight’s opponent. “We’ve now seen them play a lot of games, both home and away. They’re still unbeaten, so it’s going to be a challenge for us. I think we’re in a different place to where we were at the start of the year. We want to continue the momentum moving forward. You know, some of the personalities have changed since we last played them as well. So it’s nice that we’ve gone through that experience early on in the season. But the teams look completely different and, obviously, the environment’s different. They’re coming to our place now, our home stadium, in front of our own fans, and we need our fans to push us through all the way to the final whistle.”

Angelina (knee) is out for this game after suffering an injury against the Courage Wednesday night. Simone Charley (right leg), Luana (illness), Megan Montefusco (right heel), and Viviana Villacorta (left knee) are also out tonight. Meanwhile, Marta (lower leg) has been upgraded to questionable. Adriana (leg) and Morgan Gautrat (lower leg) are available after being listed as questionable Wednesday night.

Louisville has five players out for this game, including Pikkujämsä (knee), DeMelo (concussion), Yuuka Kurosaki (knee), and Kirsten Wright (knee). Additionally, Jaelin Howell (leg) is listed as questionable.

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, Rafaelle, Bri Martinez.

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon.

Midfielders: Julie Doyle, Summer Yates, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Adriana, Amanda Allen, Morgan Gautrat, Mariana Larroquette, Celia, Carrie Lawrence, Brianna Martinez, Cori Dyke.

Racing Louisville FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Katie Lund.

Defenders: Carson Pickett, Abby Erceg, Arin Wright, Lauren Milliet.

Defensive Midfielders: Marisa DiGrande, Taylor Flint.

Midfielders: Kayla Fischer, Emma Sears, Uchenna Kanu.

Forward: Elexa Bahr.

Bench: Ellis Jean, Jaelin Howell, Linda Motlhalo, Maddie Pokorny, Jordan Baggett, Parker Goins, Jordyn Bloomer, Reilyn Turner.

Referees

REF: Alyssa Nichols.
AR1: Nicholas Seymour.
AR2: Ricardo Ocampo.
4TH: Alejo Calume.
VAR: Greg Dopka.
AVAR: Maggie Short.

How to Watch

Match Time: 6 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: Bally Sports Sun.

Streaming: NWSL+.

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

Enjoy the match. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Final Score 4-1 as Pride Win Their Fourth Straight

Goals by Ally Watt, Barbra Banda, and Julie Doyle saw the Pride beat the Courage for their fourth straight win.

Published

4 days ago

on

May 1, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (4-0-3, 15 points) won their fourth straight match and extended their unbeaten run to seven games (4-0-3) with a 4-1 win over the North Carolina Courage (4-3-0, 12 points). The hosts’ goals came from Ally Watt, Julie Doyle, and a Barbra Banda brace, while an Emily Sams own goal was the only score for the visitors.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made just one change to the starting lineup that beat the Washington Spirit 2-1 Friday night. Bri Martinez was suspended after receiving two yellow cards and was replaced by Watt. Hines changed from his usual 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-4-2 for this game with a back line of Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, and Sams in front of Anna Moorhouse. Doyle, Summer Yates, Haley McCutcheon, and Angelina were in the midfield, with Banda and Watt up top.

“We felt today going into the game that there might be an area that we can exploit with North Carolina,” Hines said about the formation change. “You know, they like to high press, be really aggressive in those positions. And so to have two outlets with both Ally and Barbara, it was a joy to watch.”

The game was put out of reach in the last 10 minutes of the first half. Banda and Watt were put together up top for the first time and looked spectacular. Their speed was too much for the opposition to handle, as they both had an impact on the first three goals.

“That was our first game playing together in the front two and, honestly, just learning to play with each other, like just learning from each other in training and just watching her tendencies, and we just had to be there for each other as much as we can,” Watt said about the new partnership with Banda. “I think that’s all we depend on. When one of us has the ball, we need to be forward and be an option for them. And either they’ll find us or they’ll be on the way to goal.”

While the team wasn’t as threatening offensively in the second half, North Carolina wasn’t able to create many chances. They held far more possession, but little of it was in dangerous spaces. As a result, the Pride remained in control throughout.

The Pride got the first chance of the game inside the first minute. Angelina played the ball forward for Yates, who attempted to lift it over the top for Banda. Kaleigh Kurtz got to the ball first, heading back out but only to Yates. The Pride’s leading goal scorer attempted a shot from just outside the box, but it was right to Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy, who blocked it away.

Less than a minute later, the Courage got their first chance of the game. A give-and-go between Ryan Williams and Tyler Lussi enabled the former to send a low cross into the box. It found Narumi Miura near the penalty spot, but the midfielder’s shot was wide.

Yates almost had another opportunity in the sixth minute when Banda made a good run to the end line and played the ball back for her teammate. Yates attempted to turn and shoot with Williams closing down, but the ball got caught under her feet and she was unable to turn it on goal.

In the eighth minute, Doyle sent a good ball down the right for Banda. The forward got behind the Courage defense and caught up to the ball before it went out of play. Her first touch was a pass back for Angelina entering the box, but it was just out of the Brazilian’s reach.

Banda had a chance for her second goal in as many games in the 17th minute when she was sent forward by Yates. The striker was in a foot race with Felicitas Rauch, winning the ball and entering the box. Malia Berkely caught up with Banda, forcing her to cut back, and Murphy came out to block the attempt. Banda won a corner kick, but the Pride couldn’t do anything with it and North Carolina evaded any further danger.

The Pride had another chance in the 22nd minute when Doyle sent a cross into the Courage box. Watt flicked the ball towards the far post, where Abello was making a run, but she couldn’t control it and the ball went out of play.

North Carolina quickly went the other way and created a shot. Ashley Sanchez tried to send the ball into the box, but it was blocked out. It ended up with Lussi, who fired from distance. The shot was beyond the reach of Moorhouse and bounced off the crossbar.

The Pride took the lead in the 29th minute on a fantastic counterattack. Banda intercepted the ball in her own third and sprinted forward. The Zambian was much faster than the opposing defenders and had an equally fast teammate in Watt running alongside. Banda sent a gorgeous ball forward as Watt got behind the North Carolina defense and placed it past Murphy to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.

“The one thing I know is if Barbra’s running towards the goal, you better be up there with her,” Watt said about the goal. “And she played a beautifully weighted ball to my right and so I had to put it on goal, put it on frame. So I just did that and, yeah, it was one of the probably easier goals I’ve scored. Barbra put an easy ball in.”

Despite being up a goal, the Pride remained on the attack. In the 33rd minute, Doyle dribbled towards the box and sent a low pass towards Watt between the penalty spot and the six-yard box. Unfortunately, it was intercepted before it could reach the forward.

The Pride doubled their lead in the 40th minute when Banda sent the ball out wide for Watt. The attacker beat Kurtz and sent a beautiful ball into the box. Banda, who continued her run after the original pass, only had to touch the ball past Murphy to give the Pride a commanding 2-0 lead.

“I just know I got the ball wide. That’s kind of part of our game plan. We just feel, hey, play it wide and we’ll be on the ball,” Watt said about her assist. “And I just trust that we have people in the box. We’ve been really focusing on that and we’ve just really been trying to focus on finally timing our runs down and then we got it. I kind of swooped it with my left foot knowing that Julie and Barbra would be there and it fell perfectly to Barbra and she executed it perfectly.”

In the second minute of first-half stoppage time, the Pride scored a third. It started in their own half when McCutcheon won the ball from Denise O’Sullivan. She sent it forward for Watt, who quickly play Banda behind the Courage defense. Cutting inside to beat Berkely, Banda shot on goal. However, Murphy was there to make the stop. The rebound bounced right to Doyle, who put it in to give the Pride a 3-0 lead at halftime.

After 45 minutes, the Courage had much more possession (67%-33%), but the Pride led every other significant statistical category. The hosts had more shots (8-3), shots on target (8-0), corners (1-0), and crosses (5-4), and better passing accuracy (86%-77%). The biggest surprise in the first half was the Pride, a team that has struggled to hit the frame, put all eight shots on target.

The Pride looked to extend their lead in the 49th minute when Banda made a run behind the Courage back line near midfield. Angelina lifted the ball forward to send Banda through, but she was offside.

In the 51st minute, Haley Hopkins and Sanchez worked together to play the ball across for Lussi. The attacker’s shot was blocked by Abello, but it went right back to her. This time, Lussi attempted to play the ball back across for Sanchez, but Angelina intercepted it and eliminated the threat.

A minute later, the visitors got a goal back. It started with a ball to the top of the box for Manaka Matsukubo. The forward laid it back to Williams, who quickly played it to Hopkins wide open on the far side. Sams moved over to defend and got in front of Hopkins’ shot. Unfortunately, the deflection went past Moorhouse and in, cutting the Pride lead to 3-1.

Watt was looking for her second goal in the 55th minute when she took Berkely one-on-one in the Courage box. After one last cut outside, Watt shot for the near post. Murphy did well to cover that part of the goal and blocked the attempt away.

The Pride put a fourth one in the net in the 61st minute when Yates’ shot was deflected over the goal by Kurtz. Yates took the first corner, sending it to the back post. Banda headed the ball back in front of goal, but it was knocked out for another corner kick. Yates’ second corner was, again, to the back post. Watt got her head to the ball and Doyle beat Murphy to it. The last touch was by Strom, knocking it in and seeming to give the Pride a 4-1 lead.

However, the video assistant referee checked the goal and determined that referee Natalie Simon needed to have another look. After viewing the monitor, Simon determined that Strom was offside.

Right after the call, Hines made his first change of the game as Carrie Lawrence came on for Doyle.

The Pride had another chance for a fourth in the 70th minute when Sams sent Banda down the right. The forward had Watt making a run into the box, but the pass was a bit too far in front.

In the 76th minute, Hines made two more changes. Amanda Allen and Cori Dyke came into the game for Yates and Abello.

Right after the substitutions, Lawrence threw the ball in to Banda. The forward turned Miura, dribbled towards the penalty spot, and put the ball past Murphy to give the Pride a 4-1 lead. It was Banda’s third goal in the last two games, in addition to her two assists. She became the first player in NWSL history to record five goal contributions in her first two starts.

A scary moment occurred in the 81st minute. As Banda closed down Berkely, who was looking to send the ball down field, Berkeley’s foot hit Banda’s right leg. The forward went down in pain as the Pride’s medical staff came out to examine her. That was the last action for Banda as she was replaced by Ally Lemos. At the same time, Mariana Larroquette came on for Watt.

In the 89th minute, the Pride lost another key player to injury when Angelina went down holding her right knee. It occurred during a battle with Riley Jackson. As the two fought for the ball, Angelina’s knee turned the wrong way and she went to the ground. The Pride medical staff attended to the midfield and ended up having to help her back to the locker room. Since the Pride had already used all of their substitutions, they had to finish the game with 10 players.

The fourth official showed 11 minutes of stoppage time, but the Courage struggled to create chances. In the seventh minute, Berkely laid the ball off for Rauch. It was well struck by the left back, but Moorhouse got down to make the stop. That was the last chance by either team as the Pride held on for a dominating 4-1 win.

At full time, the Courage had far more possession (66%-34%), but the Pride had the advantage in shots (14-7), shots on target (12-2), corner kicks (6-2), crosses (10-5), and passing accuracy (83.8%-67.9%).

“I’m really, really pleased with the attitude of the players coming in here after being on the road against Washington and then a quick turnaround for tonight’s game,” Hines said about the performance. “They started really, really well on the front foot, a level intent to put North Carolina under pressure, especially in transition. I thought we were really threatening in transition. And so to be up in the game in the first half was really pleasing.”

It might surprise some to see a 4-1 Pride win when the Courage held so much more possession and 599 passes to the Pride’s 302. Hines said they understood the type of team North Carolina is and were ready to handle being off the ball for much of the 90 minutes.

“There’s different ways to win a game of football. You know, there’s going to be games where we don’t have as much possession as we would like. You know, we have to respect the opponent. North Carolina are a brilliant team,” Hines said. “They like to possess, they get over 500 passes per game, they make it really difficult for you to get any sort of pressure on the ball, and so I thought we identified the moments when to be aggressive, when to win the ball and play that pass forwards, and yet still be threatening. There’s not always going to be games like that. There’s going to be games where we have to possess and ourselves we’re getting 500 passes and maybe more percentage of possession. But, at the end of the day, we scored four goals against a really good side and managed to win the game at the end.”

The Pride are now tied in second with the Spirit on 15 points, just one point behind the Kansas City Current. They’re one more win from evening the team’s all-time record for consecutive wins and two results from equaling the team record for number of games unbeaten.

They’ll look to continue their good form Sunday night when they welcome Racing Louisville FC to Orlando.

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