Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville FC, NWSL Challenge Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
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Welcome to your match thread for the Orlando Pride’s first-ever NWSL Challenge Cup action! This is the second time this tournament has taken place, but the Pride did not participate in it last year. Orlando takes on Racing Louisville FC, which is set to play in its inaugural match.
History
There is no history between the Pride and Louisville. This will be the expansion side’s first competitive match.
Overview
This is the opening weekend of the Challenge Cup. Here is a brief overview of how the tournament works.
For this event, the NWSL is split into two divisions — East and West. Orlando is in the East with NJ/NY Gotham FC (previously known as Sky Blue FC), Racing Louisville, the North Carolina Courage, and the Washington Spirit. Each team plays each opponent in its group once — two at home and two away. The top team from each division will then face off in a final. The final will go straight to penalty kicks if regulation ends in a draw.
Teams are allowed five substitutes during the Challenge Cup, plus two additional substitutions for suspected head injuries (regardless if all normal subs have been used). This is ideal as younger players get into first-team action. While it is a preseason tournament, it is still a trophy competition that will have clubs’ competitive juices flowing. However, teams will still use it as a means to prepare for the regular season. The majority of the games will be aired on Paramount+, while a handful will be on CBS Sports Network. The final will be aired on CBS.
There will definitely be some roadblocks with this tournament. Mainly, there is still a pandemic going on. There could be games postponed, and the schedule might be flexible. However, if a match is canceled because of “gross negligence by a participating team,” that team will be forced to forfeit the game. Teams must play in at least two matches to go to the final.
Another conflict is that there is an international window going on right now. The NWSL is largely affected by this. For the Pride, this means Alex Morgan, backup goalkeeper Erin McLeod, and midfielder Gunny Jónsdóttir are out.
The most significant storyline heading into this game is how Louisville will look. The expansion side is set to play in its first game. Louisville has decent attacking options with Savannah McCaskill and Yuki Nagasato, and a solid goalkeeper in Michelle Betos. The expansion side also has a young core that will only get better. Louisville appears to have done well in preseason, but there are few details on its matches.
“We should expect a very good, big game,” Louisville Head Coach Christy Holly said in an interview with a local news station. “A very energetic team, bags of talent — we’re talking some of the best players in the entire world playing right here in our own backyard. It’s going to be exciting, hopefully very loud and very, very entertaining.”
The Pride have had an eventful past few years. Since Marc Skinner has taken charge, Orlando has been woeful. In 2019, Orlando had to play with a makeshift roster. The Pride were without a large chunk of their roster because of the World Cup and injures. Last year, the Pride were forced to pull out of the Challenge Cup and sent many players out on loan to get meaningful games. While some did not come back, Orlando finally seems to have a roster where players can consistently play together.
Earlier in the week, The Mane Land’s own Dave Rohe wrote about what to look out for in Orlando’s opening game. The first is how the back line will play. Orlando has leaked goals in recent years. Not all of that has been due to the defense. Many goals started with turnovers further up the field. But the Pride should have a much-improved back line this year. Keep an eye out on fullback Ali Riley, who could become a vital part of this team.
The Pride loaded up on midfielders this off-season. Expect this to be an area of improvement. The midfield, with newly acquired Meggie Dougherty Howard, should retain possession at a higher rate and be more physical defensively.
In addition to the players out on international duty, the Pride will also be missing Crystal Thomas, who has a right hamstring injury. Louisville is in much more trouble in the injury department. Addisyn Merrick (back) and Cheyna Matthews (pregnancy) definitely will miss the match. Julia Ashley (left leg), Emina Ekic (hip), Cece Kizer (left leg), Taylor Otto (left leg), and Lauren Milliet (right knee) are listed as questionable.
“It’s a unique situation in terms of you have to try and predict rather than prepare for. How many times do you play a team when you’ve never seen any video on them?” said Skinner in a club press release. “It’s a unique situation for them, [Louisville has] a great opportunity to play at home and get up and running, so we have to be prepared for all of that. We welcome the challenge of that. What it does do is let us see how quickly we can adapt to something we’re not used to.”
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Ashlyn Harris.
Defenders: Ali Riley, Phoebe McClernon, Konya Plummer, Ali Krieger, .
Defensive Midfielders: Meggie Dougherty Howard, Jade Moore.
Midfielders: Marisa Viggiano, Taylor Kornieck, Marta.
Forward: Sydney Leroux.
Bench: Brittany Wilson, Ally Haran, Toni Pressley, Erika Tymrak, Chelsea Washington, Abi Kim, Carrie Lawrence, Courtney Petersen.
Racing Louisville FC (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Michelle Betos.
Defenders: Erin Simon, Emily Fox, Brooke Hendrix, Nealy Martin.
Midfielders: Lauren Milliet, Savannah McCaskill, Freja Olofsson, Yuki Nagasato.
Forward: Emina Ekic, Cece Kizer.
Bench: Katie Lund, Jorian Baucom, Julia Ashley, Taylor Otto, Kaleigh Riehl, Noelle Higginson, Katie McClure, Vanessa Kara, Shelby Money.
Referees
Ref: Katja Koroleva.
AR1: Brooke Mayo.
AR2: Maggie Short.
4th: Nabil Bensalah.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7 p.m.
Venue: Lynn Family Stadium — Louisville, KY.
TV: None.
Streaming: Paramount+, Twitch.
Twitter: For live updates, follow along at the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride) and on The Mane Land’s Twitter (@TheManeLand).
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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