Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Final Score 5-0 as Pride Get Trounced in Challenge Cup
The Pride concede five goals on the road against the North Carolina Courage in a comprehensive loss.
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The Orlando Pride (0-3-1, 1 point) went on the road and got beaten 5-0 by the North Carolina Courage (3-0-2, 11 points) in the NWSL Challenge Cup. Brittany Ratcliffe scored the first goal for the Courage and won a penalty that resulted in their second. A third goal by Frankie Tagliaferri came right after halftime, and substitute Haley Hopkins bagged a brace to put the game away. The Pride had a hot start, cooled off, and were shut out for the first time this tournament.
Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made a few changes to the lineup that fell 3-1 to NJ/NY Gotham FC last weekend. Kylie Strom and Haley McCutcheon both returned to the starting lineup, joining Megan Montefusco and Emily Madril on the back line. Anna Moorhouse got the start in goal again for the Pride. Jordyn Listro replaced Mikayla Cluff to play alongside Viviana Villacorta in the heart of the midfield. Messiah Bright spearheaded an Orlando attack that also included Kerry Abello, Erika Tymrak, and Julie Doyle. McCutcheon served as the team’s captain with Marta away with Brazil for the Women’s World Cup.
The Pride came out of the gate with plenty of energy, pressing hard and finding some success along the wings. However, they lacked a finishing touch and weren’t able to capitalize on catching the Courage on the backfoot.
It didn’t take long for the Courage to find their rhythm on offense. Good passing in the final third by North Carolina set up a chance for Ratcliffe with a clear look at goal, but her shot went just over the crossbar. Ratcliffe got her goal minutes later though, beating Haley McCutcheon to a through ball from Kiki Pickett. McCutcheon wasn’t able to stop the forward from getting her shot off and beating Moorhouse for the first goal of the game.
A hydration break did little to break up the Courage’s momentum as they pushed for more. Ratcliffe gave the Pride headaches throughout the match and served in a low pass in the 22nd minute that landed at the feet of Tagliaferri, whose shot was saved at point-blank range by Moorhouse.
The Courage then doubled their lead off of a penalty kick in the 38th minute. The ball found Ratcliffe in a dangerous area yet again and Listro’s tackle missed all of the ball and found all of Ratcliffe’s leg. Malia Berkely sent Moorhouse the wrong way and slotted her shot into the back of the net for the Courage’s second goal of the evening.
“We started off the game really well,” Strom said. “Even when we went down two to nil, we were still okay, we felt like we were in it. We just needed that one goal. In the first 15 minutes we created chances and were playing like ourselves. We were keeping the ball and we have our pattern and knew we had to execute. We were doing those things and, for whatever reason, we lost our way a little bit. That has been a bit of a theme for us. When we go down one, we have conceded again in the past few games.”
The Pride searched for a way back into the match before halftime. A long ball found Doyle in the 40th minute, but she didn’t have many options available. After dribbling to create space, she fired a shot from distance that went into the stands. Listro tried a long-range effort of her own soon after. While on target, Courage goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland had no trouble catching it. Bright had a chance in front of goal in the 44th minute, but her first shot was blocked and her second try was sent high and wide. Rowland then caught another cross from the Pride right before halftime, a scene that played out often in the match.
At halftime, the Pride only had 32.7% of possession, as they struggled to get much going when on the ball. The Pride did have more shots than the Courage (6-5), but only put one on goal, while the Courage had three shots on target. The Pride also had more crosses (8-4), but weren’t able to do much with them and finished the first half with worse passing accuracy (77.2%-85.2%).
The Courage wasted no time extending their lead after halftime. Following a corner and a barrage of chances as the Pride struggled to clear them, Tagliaferri struck the ball through traffic and past Moorhouse for the Courage’s third goal in the 47th minute.
“The scoreline doesn’t lie,” Hines said following the match. “Today was not good enough. North Carolina is very good both in attack and defense. They are a difficult team to break down with their athleticism and their attitude to win the ball back quickly in transition. We found it tough. I think we struggled with the basics. We talked about a gameplan to put pressure on them in the right moments. If you time it a little late then they will pick you off and be threatening in the attack and that is where we fell apart.”
The Courage certainly made the most of those moments in the match, often catching the Pride off balance after winning the ball. In the 52nd minute, a through ball beat all of the back line and sent Brianna Pinto in on goal. Moorhouse rose to the occasion though, coming up with a great tackle to poke the ball away from Pinto. The ball fell for Tess Boade, who just had to chip it on frame as Moorhouse stayed down after the tackle, but her shot went wide of goal.
Hines made some changes to the offense while Moorhouse received treatment. Bright and Doyle came off, with Ally Watt and Cluff replacing them. Moorhouse was able to continue and made another good save, diving to catch a shot from Narumi Miura in front of goal after a series of passes from the Courage.
The Pride made another change in the 61st minute, with Summer Yates coming on for Villacorta in the midfield.
Having a hard time building possession, Orlando started to find some opportunities through set pieces. In the 64th minute, Watt won a foul in a good area and Tymrak’s cross was good, but Rowland was there to catch it. Later in the 70th minute, McCutcheon was able to get a shot on target after a corner kick. However, she had to strike it on the volley from an awkward position and wasn’t able to generate enough power on it to beat Rowland.
Amanda Allen came on for Strom in the 77th minute, just moments before the Courage scored their fourth goal of the game. Substitute Olivia Wingate had room to run on the left wing and zipped a low ball in for Hopkins, who tapped it in.
The Pride pushed for a consolation goal, but instead conceded a fifth. No Pride defender picked up Hopkins’ run in the box as she got her head to fellow substitute Sarah Clark’s cross for a brace. Hopkins had all the time in the world to pick out her shot and scored without much difficulty at the far post.
After seven minutes of stoppage time, the final whistle blew without the Pride getting on the scoreboard. The Pride had more crosses (18-12) and corner kicks (6-3), but weren’t able to make much of their opportunities. They finished with fewer shots (9-15), only putting two of them on target compared to the Courage’s seven. The Courage dominated in possession (67.3%-32.7%) and were more accurate when passing as well (87%-75.1%).
“Obviously it was a disappointing result,” Strom said. “Losing hurts, losing five to nil hurts. It’s not good enough. I mean, credit to North Carolina, they are a great team, but we knew exactly what they were going to do. We had a game plan, we knew we had to get close to them. We had to end it when they went wide, and we had to be comfortable without the ball, and that just wasn’t good enough for us tonight.”
Despite the returns of fullbacks Strom and Montefusco for this match, the Pride’s defense struggled mightily when it came to tracking runs and clearing the ball from danger. The offense didn’t fare much better, as the Pride couldn’t maintain possession or make the most of their set pieces and crosses.
The Pride remain in the basement of their group in the NWSL Challenge Cup, while the Courage stay at the top. Orlando is unable to qualify for the knockout stage and has lost its past three matches in the tournament.
“We’ve got to raise our standards,” Hines said when asked what his message to the team was after the shut out. “We’ve let our standards drop the last two games. Previous to that, we’ve been very good, we’ve been threatening, and we’ve looked hard to beat. We need to get back to that. We’ve got to be analyzing every bit of detail from training to all the way into the game. It’s a tough league, it’s unforgiving at times. You’ve got to work hard and know what it means to represent this team. That’s kind of where we’ve fallen short, that desire and determination. There’s a lot of players who wear that heart on their sleeve and want to give absolutely everything, but it has to be collective. It has to be a standard, not random. I think that’s where we’re falling short right now.”
The Pride’s next match will be at Exploria Stadium on Friday against a Washington Spirit side they’ve beaten twice this NWSL season, although Orlando fell 4-2 to Washington earlier in the tournament. Orlando’s final game of this year’s NWSL Challenge Cup will be on Aug. 9 on the road against NJ/NY Gotham FC.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Sign Goalkeeper McKinley Crone to New Contract
The Pride have signed backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone through 2026.
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JRPRIDE130242055-scaled.jpg)
The Orlando Pride announced this afternoon that the club has signed backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone to a new contract. The deal runs through the 2026 NWSL season.
“Mac has played an important role in our goalkeeping corps, continuing to push our group each day while investing in herself both on and off the pitch,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “We are very excited for her to continue her career with us here in Orlando, where we can continue to support her development as a player. We believe she can become a competitive goalkeeper in this league, and we look forward to providing her with the resources and environment to reach her potential.”
Crone went undrafted in 2023 before joining the Pride as a non-roster invitee during preseason. The Maitland native continued with the Pride as a training player and was awarded with a National Team Replacement Player contract on June 27, 2023 when Marta and Adriana departed for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The 25-year-old signed a second National Team Replacement Player contract and was signed for the remainder of the season on Sept. 13, 2023.
Her play in training and during her call-ups earned Crone a NWSL contract for the 2024 season. She only made the team sheet once in 2023, but became the regular backup this year. Anna Moorhouse was called up to the England National Team when the NWSL went on break for the Olympics, opening a spot for Crone. She made her professional debut in a 1-1 draw with the North Carolina Courage on July 20 in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. The young goalkeeper made five saves on six shots while conceding once and helping the Pride maintain their unbeaten record this year in all competitions.
“To be staying here in Orlando, the place I grew up, means everything to me. Being given the chance to represent this city as well as this club has been a huge honor, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue living out my dream,” Crone said in a club press release. “What we are building here is really special and I can’t wait to continue to be a part of it for years to come. This club and this city mean so much to me and I will do everything I can to help bring championships to the City Beautiful. Roll Pride!”
Prior to joining the Pride, Crone played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Alabama. Her final three seasons for the Crimson Tide saw her make 66 starts, play 9,519.77 minutes, and concede 70 goals while making 229 saves. She had a goals-against average of 1.10 and saved 76.6% of the shots she faced. She finished her collegiate career with Alabama’s record for single-season wins (10), career shutouts (23), and career wins (41).
What This Means for Orlando
Crone has worked her way from a non-roster invitee last preseason to the team’s primary backup. When the club signed Finnish goalkeeper Sofia Manner during the off-season, it was expected the newcomer would be behind Moorhouse. However, Crone has been on the team sheet for every game this season, while Manner only appeared during the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.
During the summer break tournament, Crone’s five saves topped the Pride’s goalkeeping group, which saw Crone, Manner, and Moorhouse start one game each. In addition to equaling Moorhouse with a team-best one goal conceded, she saved two penalties in the shootout, more than Moorhouse and Manner.
Crone’s role as the primary backup this season and her play in the Summer Cup makes her the obvious choice for the same role next year. For this reason, it was a matter of when and not if the Pride would attempt to sign her to a new contract. With Moorhouse and Manner already signed through the 2025 season, the Pride now have their goalkeeping corps for next year.
Orlando Pride
Finding Glory? The Orlando Pride “Just Keep Winning”
As Orlando’s NWSL rivals stumble, the Pride have shown no signs of slowing down.
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Nearly two months ago, the Orlando Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 2-1 for a gritty road win to enter the Olympic break on top of the league table and favorites for the NWSL Shield. If any fans were anxious about the Pride’s form dipping in their return to action, they should now let go of those fears.
While Orlando has continued to rack up points with stingy defense and timely goals, the other credible contenders for the shield, the Current and the Washington Spirit, have both dropped points. Now, there are just eight matches remaining in the regular season, and the Pride have a six-point lead in the table. So, to paraphrase the ever-optimistic Dory from Finding Nemo (and also from the sequel, Finding Dory), “just keep winning.”
Since returning from the break, Orlando has won at the last-place Houston Dash and against fourth-place NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. The latter match featured 12 Olympians, and could have passed for a gold medal rematch due to Gotham’s U.S.-heavy squad and Orlando’s Brazilian contingent. Both the Dash and Gotham games were ones Orlando would be disappointed not to win, but winning is never a given in a league as competitive as the NWSL. Just ask the Current, who started the season unbeaten through 15 matches and set the pace at the top of the table, only to lose three straight and drop to third. On the other end of the table, both Utah Royals FC and Seattle Reign FC are on two-match winning streaks, showing just how quickly things can change for better or worse.
Orlando, however, leads the league and is not slowing down, because the Pride have avoided the trap games and off nights that can bite most teams. It is a testament to values instilled in the squad by Head Coach Seb Hines, now the winningest coach in Pride history, that the players have remained focused and ready for each match. Following the win over Gotham, Orlando’s fifth straight, center back Kylie Strom put it simply, “at the end of the day, we have to stick to our principles, and we did exactly that.”
Strom was referring specifically to the team’s defensive performance, but around the pitch, players are staying true to the other key principles that got them here. In recent matches, defense, as well as squad depth and versatility, have set this club apart from the competition.
Defensively, the numbers speak for themselves. Orlando now has five clean sheets in its past six NWSL matches and has only conceded 12 times in 18 matches. During the previous six matches, the Pride have started seven different players in the back four positions, and that does not include Rafaelle, who has been struggling with leg injuries this season. One of the players deputizing due to injuries to Rafaelle and Bri Martinez is Cori Dyke, who despite only starting three matches to this point in her debut season, is beginning to thrive in the environment the staff and other players have created.
Dyke exemplifies how squad depth has also been key to this defensive run. Despite a couple of injuries, the Pride still have not trailed in a match since the first month of the season, nor have they conceded a goal past the 75th minute. This stat could only be achieved because the roster is ready top to bottom to do the dirty work of defending, whether the players on the pitch are regular starters, or late game specialists. Also, it never hurts to be able to bring on Orlando’s newest addition, veteran defender Carson Pickett, to help see out games.
Orlando’s depth and versatility have also shown for the attack in recent weeks. While outsiders may wrongly view the Pride offense as a one-player “Barbra Banda show” due to her team-high 12 goals, the Dash and Gotham games demonstrated how lethal Orlando can be even without a goal from Banda. Against Gotham, it was Adriana who contributed two great goals within 20 minutes to put the game out of reach right after kickoff. Despite a slower start to 2024 following her electric debut campaign, Adriana now sits on five goals for the season. This tally brings her level with Marta, who has hit her highest individual goal mark since 2019, and Summer Yates, who subbed on and scored her fifth of season, a game winner, against the Dash.
Again, Yates’ goal highlights how the Pride players continue to perform well, whether they start or come off the bench. Goals are not the only way Pride attackers have contributed from the bench either, though Julie Doyle did almost have the goal of the season on Sunday if not for the offside flag. Doyle was also critical to seeing out the win and clean sheet because she drove the ball into the opposition half and toward the corner flag repeatedly to kill time and disrupt the flow of the match. Watt performed much the same role after her introduction as well, ensuring that Gotham did not have as many chances to score towards the end of the match.
At the end of the day, these are the types of contributions that Orlando will need to keep winning and maintain their lead at the top of the table. This includes the way the defense doesn’t let the opposition breathe, no matter who is playing. It includes timely goals from the entire Pride roster and not just Banda. And, it includes players in each position remaining focused and doing what they have done to be in the position they are in today. That position is one where they finally have daylight between them and their rivals at the top.
While there are still eight matches to go, the Pride will know that if they can take care of business against the teams outside of the top four in the NWSL, such as this weekend’s against the Chicago Red Stars, the path for other teams to catch them will get much trickier.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Loan Amanda Allen to Lexington SC
The Pride have sent Canadian international forward Amanda Allen on loan to USL Super League side Lexington SC.
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The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has sent forward Amanda Allen on loan to USL Super League side Lexington SC. The loan is for the 2024-25 USL Super League season, which runs through May, and includes a right to recall.
“Amanda has shown her potential and maturity during her time here in Orlando and we’re happy to find an opportunity for her to get more minutes on the field,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Amanda has played an important role so far this season and we are happy to be able to give her the opportunity to compete in Lexington. We look forward to watching her play and will continue to support her from afar during this loan spell.”
The Mississauga, Ontario, native joined the Pride on April 3, 2023 on a three-year deal running through the 2025 season. She made her debut on May 6, 2023 against Racing Louisville FC, becoming the youngest player to play for the Pride at 18 years, two months, and 15 days old.
In her two years in Orlando, Allen has made 17 appearances with two starts while recording 293 minutes with one assist in all competitions. That includes 11 NWSL regular season appearances, three Challenge Cup appearances, and three NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup appearances. Her assist came in this year’s season opener in a 2-2 draw against Racing Louisville when she found Summer Yates for the late equalizer.
Allen has spent time with the Canadian National Team and the youth squads. The 19-year-old forward is currently at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, where she started in the team’s first two group games.
What This Means for Orlando
The Pride have two primary forwards this season in Barbra Banda and Ally Watt, with the other forwards usually being left on the bench or out of the matchday squad. Even veteran and Argentina international Mariana Larroquette has found it hard to see the field. The club views Allen as part of the future of this team, but she was unlikely to see much more time this year in the regular season or postseason.
This loan gives the 19-year-old an opportunity to see first-team minutes at a high level, as the USL Super League is a first division league. The team was already heavy on forwards, resulting in the waiving of rookie Alex Kerr on Aug. 29. This move clears more space at the position while stating that Allen is part of the future of the team.
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