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Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Fall to Spirit On Late Goal

The Pride dominated the Spirit but conceded a second-half, stoppage-time goal to lose to the Washington Spirit.

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (0-4-1, 1 point) devastatingly fell to the Washington Spirit (3-3-0, 10 points) 1-0 tonight at Exploria Stadium. The Pride dominated the game and came close to scoring on multiple occasions, especially in the second half, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Mariana Speckmaier’s wonder goal deep into second-half stoppage time was the difference as the Pride remain on one point in the NWSL Challenge Cup.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines went with mostly a reserve lineup for this game, giving players without much playing time during league games a chance in a competitive environment. Regular starting goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse started behind a back line of Kylie Strom, Emily Madril, Caitlin Cosme, and Brianna Martinez. Kerry Abello, Jordyn Listro, and Mikayla Cluff were in the midfield behind a front line of Julie Doyle, Ally Watt, and Summer Yates.

The result of this game doesn’t reflect the performance of the teams as the Pride dominated the entire contest. They held more possession and generated significantly more chances than the Spirit. The difference in the game was a late let-off and the Spirit took advantage of one of their few opportunities. But the Pride would’ve won this game running away had they similarly taken advantage of their chances throughout the game.

The Pride started this game on the attack and created the first chance in the second minute. Lena Silano fouled Martinez outside of the Spirit box and Abello sent the ball into the mixer. The ball was headed out, but Yates controlled it with her chest and took the game’s first shot. Unfortunately, she didn’t get much on it, sending it well wide of the target.

The first decent chance for the Spirit came in the 14th minute when a corner kick was missed by Moorhouse. Jordan Thompson ended up with the ball and shot, but it was blocked off the line by Cosme. The Pride quickly went the other way with Doyle finding Watt at the top of the box. The striker fired on goal, but it was right at Spirit goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart.

A minute later, the Pride had another opportunity from a throw in. After she initially had trouble finding a teammate, Strom found Doyle in some space. The attacker’s first touch was to Yates at the top of the box. The rookie turned nicely to create a shot and forced Barnhart to dive and block it away.

In the 20th minute, Strom blocked a cross attempt out of play, giving the Spirit a corner kick. It ended up with Amber Brooks well outside of the box, and the defensive midfielder took a shot at goal that was blocked out of play. The ensuing set piece found the head of Thompson at the back post, but her attempt was wide.

As the game neared the half-hour mark, the Pride created some more opportunities. In the 26th minute, Yates was sent into the box by Martinez. The attacker held the ball up and, with a defender on her back, laid it off for Cluff outside of the box. Cluff quickly took a long-distance shot at goal, but sent it well off target. Martinez tried to find Watt in the box four minutes later, but placed the ball too close to Barnhart.

The Pride had a chance to open the scoring again in the 45th minute when Doyle found Abello on the left. The midfielder sent a cross in for Watt at the near post, but the striker couldn’t get on the end of it. Instead, it got behind her to Sam Staab who headed it out of play.

The Pride soon had another opportunity when Abello’s shot from outside of the box was blocked wide. The ensuing corner kick by Abello somehow got past Barnhart and over multiple defenders to find Martinez at the back post. Martinez got her head to the ball, but sent it wide.

A minute later, the Pride won the ball near midfield and started a counter attack. Martinez played Watt down the right, who apparently just stayed onside. The striker sent a low cross into the box for Doyle, but she mishit the ball, allowing the Spirit to clear.

The final chance of the half came with the final touch. Strom attempted to clear a cross into the box, but didn’t control it well and the ball fell to the dangerous Ashley Hatch. Fortunately, the striker couldn’t get over the ball, sending it over the goal.

Despite several lineup changes, the Pride were unquestionably the better team in the first half. They had more possession (53.2%-46.8%), shots (12-4), shots on target (2-0), corners (5-4), and crosses (12-9), as well as better passing accuracy (78.9%-68.5%). But they weren’t clinical enough in front of goal and the game reached halftime scoreless.

Hines made one halftime change up top, replacing Watt with Messiah Bright. It didn’t take the substitute long to get involved as she powered through her defender to find Cluff at the top of the box. The midfielder took the first shot of the second half, but sent it over the goal.

In the 47th minute, a clearance attempt by the Spirit went off the head of Abello and deflected to Doyle. The forward did well to control the ball, get past Dorian Bailey, and send a shot towards the near post. However, Barnhart got down to make the save.

Two minutes later, Doyle found Bright well outside of the box. She was given space by the Spirit defense due to her distance from goal, but took a shot anyway. It looked to be heading in, but Barnhart made a diving stop, just getting her fingertips to the ball.

The Spirit finally got their first chance of the second half in the 55th minute when a corner was headed away by Madril, but only to Brooks. Her first touch was forward for Hatch, who quickly played it back for Brooks to take a long-distance shot. However, Cosme got in front of the attempt and the Pride were able to clear.

The Pride were forced into their second change of the game in the 56th minute when Paige Metayer and Strom went for a ball in the Spirit box. Metayer jumped backwards for the header while Strom went forwards, resulting in Metayer slamming into Strom’s face. The left back was down for several minutes while the Pride medical team attended to her and was eventually replaced by Haley McCutcheon.

The Pride came inches from opening the scoring in the 60th minute when Metayer conceded a corner kick. Yates’ set piece found the head of Bright in the box. Barnhart dove to tip the ball wide, but it went off the post and across the face of goal. Listro rushed forward to tap it in, but Bailey got there first, clearing it off the line.

In the 67th minute, Doyle took Brooks one-on-one, creating enough space for a shot. She attempted to get over the ball, but sent it just over the crossbar as she fell. That was the last action for Doyle, as she and Cluff were replaced by Viviana Villacorta and Erika Tymrak.

The Pride nearly had a breakaway in the 71st minute when Yates sent Bright through near midfield. It appeared that Bright was offside and the assistant’s flag immediately went up. Bright continued her run and was challenged by the defender, failing to get a shot off.

Hines made one final change in the 78th minute during the second-half hydration break. Maliah Morris came on to make her third professional appearance, replacing Yates in her second professional start.

As time wound down, the Pride pressed to find a winning goal. In the 87th minute, Morris missed the target with her first attempt. Seconds later, Cosme took an off-balance shot that was blocked, allowing Washington to clear.

Seven minutes into stoppage time, Tymrak tried to play Bright through, but some miscommunication resulted in the pass going the opposite way of the run. The pass went all the way back to Barnhart, who sent it down field where Speckmaier and Cosme collided. The Spirit’s second-half substitute won the ball off the center back as she laid on the ground and fired from a very long distance, beating Moorhouse to give the Spirit a shocking 1-0 lead.

“I think that moment was really unfortunate tonight,” Abello said about the goal. “You know, I mean, arguably a foul. The girl hits a banger, you know, and that’s soccer sometimes.”

“I think there was a moment where we lacked a bit of concentration,” Hines added. “And they capitalized on that. Ninety-plus minutes and we’ve conceded again. So, you know, we have to learn from that. We have to not concede in pivotal moments of the game.”

This was the sixth time that the Pride have conceded a second-half, stoppage-time goal this season and the fourth time it changed the result. However, they hadn’t conceded one of those goals since May 10 in a 4-2 loss to the Spirit at Audi Field.

The Pride almost got an equalizer in the 10th minute of stoppage time when a 50-50 challenge ended with Martinez getting the ball far from goal. The defender took an ambitious shot that sailed over the outstretched arm of Barnhart, but slammed off the crossbar. That was the last chance as the Spirit stole three points on the road.

The Pride led every statistical category except the final score. They had more possession (56.4%-43.6%), shots (25-7), shots on target (7-2), corners (11-5), and crosses (26-14), and better passing accuracy (75.3%-66.5%).

“I think we did have a reaction after last week. Obviously last week wasn’t good enough. And today, I felt there was only one team who wanted to win,” Hines said. “You know, we started the game very aggressive, pressing, getting a lot of regains high up the field. We decided to make some changes, obviously, with a game against Gotham coming up and a lot of players took their opportunity today. And overall, I’m really proud of them. I’m really proud of what they did. And obviously it’s a cruel game. You don’t always get what you deserve. And you know, that’s life at times and that’s football. So we move on. But yeah, I’m happy with the performance and not the result.”

“I think after the result last week against North Carolina, I think we really came out, we fought hard, and we definitely were the better team out there tonight,” Madril added. “Just, unfortunately, we didn’t get the result and just score on our opportunities. But I think we definitely got back to how we’re used to playing.”

The biggest problem for the Pride in this game was the lack of finishing. They had far more opportunities than the Spirit and should’ve had a mult-goal lead heading into second-half stoppage time. But they were unable to convert and put themselves in a position to give up a goal at the end.

“I felt that there was goals on the table today,” Hines said after the game. “You know, we’ve walked away with no goals. So that’s an area that we need to improve on. We need to score goals when we’re so dominant in the game.”

Despite the loss, the Pride players and coaching staff seem happy with the performance overall. They were shelled by the North Carolina Courage in a 5-0 loss last weekend and Hines said he wanted to see a response from the team tonight. Even though they were unable to get a result, they were undoubtedly the better team.

“I said to the players that in the game, I’m proud of their performance,” Hines said about his postgame speech to the players. “You know, it’s never nice losing the way that we did against North Carolina and we looked for a reaction after that game and I’m hoping that the fans and the supporters saw a reaction and saw that there was only one team that wanted to win today. We were completely dominant in the match and that was my feedback to the players. You know, football’s a cruel game. You don’t always get what you deserve.”

“I think the overall message was just that we’re still really proud of our performance,” Abello added. “And we don’t put our heads down. I think it’s easy when you have a game like that to put your head down and to go negative, but our overall message to each other is just that we keep building on the positives from this game.”

The Pride will play their final Challenge Cup game of the year Wednesday night when they take on NJ/NY Gotham FC in New Jersey. Then they’ll have 11 days before they return to regular-season play.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Rafaelle

The Brazilian’s season was plagued by injury problems but she played well when healthy.

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24 hours ago

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December 18, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride signed Rafaelle on July 3, 2023 to a contract running through the 2025 NWSL season. The Brazilian international joined the Pride after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, partnering with Emily Sams (then still known as Emily Madril) at center back and becoming a key member of the starting lineup, as the Pride fell just short of the NWSL playoffs on the goal differential tiebreaker.

Rafaelle’s second season was marred by injuries, including one she sustained while helping Brazil reach the Gold Medal game at the Summer Olympics that kept her out the rest of the 2024 NWSL season. She also missed the first four matches of the season and a couple of games in the early summer due to injury.

It’s time to look back at her injury-marred second season with the Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

Injuries limited Rafaelle to just nine appearances (six starts) for the Pride in 2024 — all in the regular season, in which she played a total of just 618 minutes. The Brazilian defender did not record a goal contribution in 2024, attempting three shots and putting one on target. She completed 86% of her 324 passes without a key pass or successful cross, however, she managed to connect on 30 long balls in her short season, which is impressive. Defensively, she contributed nine tackles, nine interceptions, and 23 headed duel wins. She committed four fouls, suffered one, and was booked once.

Due to injury, Rafaelle did not appear in Orlando’s playoff run, and because she was away at the Olympics, Rafaelle also did not participate in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenina Summer Cup.

Best Game

Rafaelle’s best match came in a 1-0 home win over Racing Louisville on May 5. The Brazilian started and went the full 90 minutes with an excellent two-way performance. She didn’t contribute directly to a goal, but she registered a shot, which was her only shot on target of the season, forcing Katie Lund into a save off a free kick about 40 minutes in. She also had a season-high 76 touches and passed at an impressive 93.75% rate on a season-high 63 attempts. Her passing accuracy in the match was her season high for any game in which she played more than 16 minutes. On the defensive end, Rafaelle helped her team keep a clean sheet and chipped in a tackle. She did not commit a foul or get booked in the match. Her strong tackle in the box in the 82nd minute on Reilyn Turner prevented a dangerous shot attempt, helping Anna Moorhouse preserve the shutout and keeping the Pride on top.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives Rafaelle a composite score of 7 out of 10 for her 2024 season. This is a slight improvement over the 6.5 we gave her last year. As well as the back line played in her absence, it’s easy to forget just how formidable she was while she was on the pitch. The strong partnership between her and Kylie Strom allowed Seb Hines to move Sams to fullback for a time, and that’s a considerable compliment, given the fact that Sams won the 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year Award. The back line continuing to excel in Rafaelle’s absence speaks highly of the group’s performance and the coaching staff’s ability to get the most out of the players.

2025 Outlook

It’s easy to say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” in terms of the Pride’s defense. However, I expect Rafaelle to regain her starting center back spot when healthy. Rafaelle was considered the team’s best center back entering the season and early in 2024, although it’s fair to say Sams and Strom weren’t far behind. Rafaelle is under contract through the 2025 season, so she’ll want to perform well to earn her next deal. At 33 (she’ll turn 34 in June), it’s uncertain how much longer she’ll be able to play at such a high level, but prior to her injury in the Olympics, she was playing excellent soccer (it’s notable that the play she was injured on was a vital challenge for her national team). She is nearly impossible to leave out of the starting XI when fit.

What remains to be seen is how the team accommodates the Brazilian’s return. The most natural center back pairing would be Sams and Rafaelle. That would mean Strom would have to return to left back unless the team adopts a three-player back line. The ripple effect of staying in a traditional four-player back line would potentially mean displacing Kerry Abello, who “only” made the NWSL Best XI Second Team in 2024, or Cori Dyke, who handled some of the league’s best players in the stretch run to Orlando’s NWSL Championship drive. Having to reinsert Rafaelle into the lineup is a good problem for Hines to have, as it may allow him to rotate and rest his center backs more in 2025.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Emily Sams

A look at the season that finished with Sams as the 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year.

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2 days ago

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December 17, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride selected former Florida State defender Emily Madril with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. Sams, a two-time national champion (2018 and 2021), left FSU, signing a contract with the National Women’s Soccer League through 2025 and was loaned to Swedish side BK Hacken FF. After a stellar first year with Orlando, in which she played all but three minutes in the regular season, Sams was rewarded by the Pride with a new contract through 2026.

All that Sams did with that new contract was win NWSL Defender of the Year and help the club win the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship. Let’s take a look at her award-winning second season with the Orlando Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

Sams appeared in 25 games during the regular season, starting 24 and logging 2,185 minutes, which was the most playing time among all outfield players and second only to goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse. The only match she didn’t start and play the entire match was against the Portland Thorns — the game after the Pride won the NWSL Shield.

She scored her first professional goal on two shots — both of which were on target —  and provided three assists in the regular season. Sams completed 1,159 of her 1,314 passes (88%), tallied three key passes, and completed one cross and 83 long balls. Defensively, she contributed 24 tackles and 26 interceptions, winning 31 headed duels. She committed 21 fouls, suffered 21, and was booked twice.

In the NWSL playoffs, Sams started in all three games, logging 270 minutes. She did not score any goals or even take a shot, however she did record an assist. The defender connected on 144 of her 158 postseason passes (91%). Defensively, Sams contributed four tackles and three interceptions but did not commit any fouls, nor was she booked.

Sams did not make any appearances in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup as she was with the USWNT at the 2024 Olympics.

Best Game

You might think that if a defender scores a goal in a match, that would be their best match — especially if it is that player’s first professional goal, and it’s an absolute banger like Sams scored in the Pride’s 3-2 victory over Seattle Reign FC on May 19.

However, that wasn’t her best match, though it was a good performance. Naturally, the defender of the year had plenty of great matches to choose from. Her performance in the title match earned her Player of the Match on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast, but her best match was actually the Pride’s first match of the season.

The Pride went down two goals and ultimately went down to 10 players when Kylie Strom received a second yellow. The team was able to come back thanks to an own goal before Strom was off and a goal from Summer Yates after. For 28 minutes of normal time, plus 12 minutes of stoppage time, the Pride defense held Louisville in check while down a player.

Sams was the leader of the defense in that match logging five tackles and two interceptions, while committing one foul. She was 48 of 52 (93%) passing, with 70 touches and played the entire match. Sams wasn’t culpable on either of Louisville’s goals.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives Sams a composite rating of 9 out of 10 for the 2024 season. It’s a big jump from the 6.5 we gave her last season, but it’s easy to see why. The Pride made the decision to build the defense around Sams when they drafted her, and it paid dividends in 2024. The NWSL Defender of the Year wore a Pride uniform, and helped her club win two trophies as the number one defense in the league. It’s hard to ask for more than that.

2025 Outlook

It might be difficult for Sams to top her 2024 season, but I know that she will try in the second year of her current contract. As unlikely as it might seem, Sams might be able to improve in 2025. It’s amazing to think that it will only be her third professional season. As good as she’s been, there’s still room for her to grow her game. Depending on which players are available, Sams may play either center back or fullback. No matter which position she plays, she will be a leader and will anchor the back line that will try to defend the club’s first titles.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Angelina

Angelina was a key player during her first season with the Pride.

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3 days ago

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December 16, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride signed defensive midfielder Angelina on Dec. 13, 2023 as a restricted free agent. It was a three-year deal through the 2026 season and the Brazilian international quickly became a key part of the starting lineup. A surgical procedure early in the season kept her out for five games and she played for Brazil at the 2024 Summer Olympics, but she was present for the final stretch of the season.

Let’s take a look at Angelina’s first season in Orlando.

Statistical Breakdown

Angelina was a key player in the Pride’s starting lineup, taking up her spot in the defensive midfield. She played most of the regular-season games, but missed the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup because she was with Brazil at the Olympics. 

The midfielder made 21 appearances in the NWSL regular season, starting 16 games and recording 1,487 minutes. Of her 11 shots, six were on target and she scored two goals. Additionally, she completed 82% of her 849 passes, including two assists, three key passes, and three crosses. Defensively, Angelina had 39 successful tackles, 21 headed duels won, and 14 interceptions on the year. She committed 19 fouls, suffered 22, and was booked once.

In the playoffs, Angelina started all three games, recording 266 minutes. She put one of her four shots on target and didn’t score, but completed 80% of her 116 passes and assisted Barbra Banda’s game-winning goal in the NWSL Championship. She was also active defensively in the postseason, completing 10 tackles and making seven interceptions. She committed two fouls in the playoffs, suffered one, and was booked once.

Best Game

Angelina had several games where she was a force going forward, assisting in the buildup to goals and completing a high percentage of her passes. However, her best game was in the NWSL semifinal against the Kansas City Current and it was because of her defensive play. The midfielder only completed 64% of her 41 passes — a low number for her — and took one off-target shot. However, she played a strong defensive game.

The Pride went down a goal in the 33rd minute, but equalized shortly before halftime. A Banda goal early in the second half gave the Pride the lead and they had to stand tall defensively. That’s when Angelina made her biggest impact, touching the ball 61 times while recording three tackles and a season-high six interceptions. Her play in the defensive midfield had a significant impact on the Pride holding on for the win and reaching the NWSL Championship for the first time in club history.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Angelina a composite grade of 8 out of 10 for her first season with the club. She helped the Pride control the midfield all season, a major reason why they were unbeaten in their first 23 regular-season games. Her contributions to the attack helped the Pride outscore opponents when needed, and her defensive prowess contributed to the best defense in the NWSL. She brought stability and a sense of calm to Orlando’s midfield all season. For these reasons, we considered her one of the best players on the team for 2024.

2025 Outlook

Angelina signed a three-year deal prior to the 2024 NWSL season, keeping her in purple through the 2026 NWSL season. She proved herself to be an essential part of the starting lineup, often serving as the team’s best defensive midfielder and a key link between the back line and the attackers. Provided she is healthy, the Brazilian will remain a regular starter and a key player in the team moving forward.

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