Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride return to regular-season action tonight as they welcome the Chicago Red Stars to Exploria Stadium.
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Welcome to your match preview as the Orlando Pride (6-8-1, 19 points) return to regular-season action against the Chicago Red Stars (5-9-1, 16 points) at Exploria Stadium. This is the second and final time the Pride and Red Stars are scheduled to meet this season.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
The Pride and Red Stars have played every season since the former’s entrance into the NWSL except 2020. The teams have played 17 games, with the Pride going 4-12-1. The Pride have yet to beat Chicago at home, going 0-7-1, all in regular-season games.
The Pride and Red Stars first met this season on May 27 in Illinois. Orlando dominated the entire 90 minutes, with Chicago only getting two chances on their home field. But the Pride struggled to hit the target, and Yuki Nagasato’s goal was the difference as the Pride fell 1-0.
The second meeting last season was on June 12, 2022 in Illinois. Mallory Swanson capitalized on an early Pride turnover and the Red Stars held on for the 1-0 win. The first meeting of 2022 took place on May 22 in Orlando. Sarah Griffin gave the visitors the lead, and Bianca St. Georges and Swanson made it 3-0 Chicago. It appeared as though the Red Stars would run away with the game, but the final 10 minutes saw three goals and two penalties for an exciting finish. Sydney Leroux missed a penalty, but Amy Turner scored the Pride’s first goal late. Pugh converted her penalty in the moments later, and Leah Pruitt scored her first goal for the Pride a minute after that in a 4-2 Red Stars win.
The teams met three times during the 2021 season, but didn’t play until Aug. 8 in Illinois. Jodie Taylor and Leroux scored for the Pride before the half. The 2-0 win ended a six-game winless streak and was the first NWSL win for interim head coach Becky Burleigh.
The second meeting was Oct. 13 in Bridgeview, a rescheduled game that was originally supposed to take place Oct. 2. Kealia Watt scored early and the Red Stars defended that lead for 84 minutes on their way to a 1-0 result. The teams met again Oct. 29 in Orlando in the final game of the regular season. The Red Stars controlled the game but the Pride held off the Chicago attack for 65 minutes, at which point Watt scored the lone goal in a 1-0 game.
The Pride and Red Stars didn’t play in the 2020 Fall Series, so the last meeting prior to 2021 came in 2019. The first game was June 30 at Exploria Stadium. Goals by Chioma Ubogagu and Marta were topped by a Sam Kerr hat trick as the Red Stars won 3-2. The second game was on Aug. 21 in Bridgeview. The Pride took a 2-0 lead with goals by Rachel Hill and Ubogagu. Tierna Davidson cut the lead in half for Chicago, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride won 2-1. The third meeting in 2021 came on Sept. 11 in Orlando. Casey Short stole the game for Chicago with the game’s lone goal five minutes into second-half injury time as the Red Stars won, 1-0.
The 2018 NWSL season saw the Pride and Red Stars meet three times. On May 2 in Bridgeview, Hill and Ubogagu scored in a 2-0 Pride win. They met in the same location May 26 in a high-scoring affair. A Leroux brace was added to goals by Hill, Alex Morgan, and Dani Weatherholt, as the Pride won 5-2. They met a third time in 2018 on Aug. 25 in Orlando. The Red Stars were led by a Kerr brace, resulting in a 3-1 victory over the Pride.
The Pride and Red Stars met three times in 2017 — the first year that they played that many games against each other. Christen Press scored the lone goal on July 1 in Orlando as Chicago won 1-0. On July 22 in Bridgeview, Press led her team with a brace in a 2-1 Chicago win. The final meeting came a week later in Orlando. Morgan put the Pride ahead, but Sofia Huerta equalized as the teams drew 1-1.
The two teams met for the first time during the Pride’s inaugural season in 2016 on May 1 in Bridgeview. Press’ second-half goal led the Red Stars to a 1-0 win. On July 16 in Orlando, Taylor Comeau scored the lone goal as Chicago again won 1-0.
Overview
The Pride went into the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup break on a two-game winning streak, beating the Washington Spirit, 3-0 at Audi Field and OL Reign, 1-0 at home. Two postponements earlier in the year meant that the Pride had to play four Challenge Cup games during the break, going 0-3-1 and finishing last in the East Division.
Tonight, the team returns to the regular season, entering this weekend’s slate just two points behind San Diego Wave FC for the sixth and final playoff spot. It’s been a week and a half since the Pride last took the field, so they’ve been able to remain healthy leading into the final six-game playoff push.
Fortunately for the Pride, Brazil experienced an early exit from the World Cup, so Marta and Adriana are back with the team. The pair have been the biggest attacking threats this season and the Pride offense struggled mightily without them, scoring three goals in five games. Their return will provide experience and relief for the younger attackers, as defenders will have to keep an eye on the two returning players.
Other World Cup participants include Brazilian defender Rafaelle and Argentine striker Mariana Larroquette. Larroquette might not take the spot of Messiah Bright or Julie Doyle, but Rafaelle will likely slide into the back line alongside rookie Emily Madril. The experienced center back, who signed from Arsenal FC in England just before the World Cup, can be a leader for the defense and guide the young Madril.
Tonight, the Pride will welcome the team at the bottom of the NWSL standings. Much was made of the Red Stars losing their star attacker Swanson, who tore her patella tendon in a USWNT friendly against the Republic of Ireland in April. However, while Chicago’s in the middle of the league in goals scored, its 33 goals conceded is the most of the 12 teams in the league.
The Red Stars have had some tough games defensively, giving up five goals to OL Reign on April 22, four goals to the Portland Thorns on May 21, and five goals to the North Carolina Courage on June 10. But, similar to the Pride, they went into the World Cup break on a roll, with 1-0 wins over San Diego and the Houston Dash. They built on those wins by beating the Dash again, 3-0 on Aug. 5 in the Challenge Cup.
The Red Stars have made up for Swanson’s absence in the aggregate. Ella Stevens, Penelope Hocking, Ana Cook, Nagasato, and Allison Schlegel all have multiple goals this season. Julia Bianchi has been the playmaker with a team-leading three assists.
Stopping Stevens and Cook will be the main task in tonight’s game. Chicago’s pair of clean sheets heading into the break are impressive, but the Pride have a strong attack now that everyone is back. However, similar to the Red Stars, they’ve had their struggles defensively. Their 21 goals conceded this season is tied for fourth most in the league, so it’s possible this game could become a shootout.
“Chicago is a good team. They’ve hit some form in recent games and they like to possess the ball,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s opponent. “They’ve started to finish with a lot of possession, but the emphasis is on us. We’re at home in front of our fans and we need to put a performance together and we want nothing less than three points. We are going in the right direction to hit that playoff spot. It starts again on Sunday against Chicago and if we stick to our principles, work ethic, and execution in our finishing then I’m sure we’ll be in a good position moving forward.”
While the Pride entered the weekend only two points from sixth and five points from fifth, they were also only three points from last in the NWSL. The final six games are critical, because they could secure the second playoff appearance in team history or finish dead last for the second time. All six games are important, but the three homes games are especially essential. That run starts tonight with a team they should beat.
The Pride are as healthy as they could hope for heading into this game. The only player out is Carrie Lawrence (knee), who’s been missing all year with a season-ending injury. In addition to Swanson (knee), Chicago will be without starting center back Tierna Davidson (ankle) and Samantha Fisher (hip).
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Kylie Strom, Emily Madril, Rafaelle, Haley McCutcheon.
Defensive Midfielders: Kerry Abello, Viviana Villacorta.
Midfielders: Adriana, Marta, Julie Doyle.
Forward: Messiah Bright.
Bench: Carly Nelson, Erika Tymrak, Celia, Ally Watt, Mariana Larroquette, Jordyn Listro, Megan Montefusco, Mikayla Cluff, Summer Yates.
Chicago Red Stars (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Alyssa Naeher.
Defenders: Casey Krueger, Arin Wright, Kayla Sharples, Taylor Malham.
Midfielders: Yuki Nagasato, Julia Bianchi, Cari Roccaro, Bianca St-Georges.
Forwards: Ava Cook, Penelope Hocking.
Bench: Jill Aguilera, Jenna Bike, Emily Boyd, Samantha Fisher, Sarah Griffith, Amanda Kowalski, Tatumn Milazzo, Ally Schlegel, Ella Stevens.
Referees
REF: Anya Voigt.
AR1: Katarzyna Wasiak.
AR2: Seth Barton.
4TH: Daniel Gutierrez.
VAR: Katherine McCormick.
AVAR: Tony Obas.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7 p.m.
Venue: Exploria Stadium — Orlando.
TV: None.
Streaming: Paramount+ (U.S.), NWSLsoccer.com (International).
Twitter: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @ManeLandSean and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).
Enjoy the Match. Go Pride!
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Sign Goalkeeper McKinley Crone to New Contract
The Pride have signed backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone through 2026.
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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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