Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride’s Recent Success Provides Flexibility in Roster Building
The Pride have done well with their rebuild, enabling them to take some risks this off-season.
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The Orlando Pride went into full rebuild mode following the 2021 NWSL season, parting with veterans like Alex Morgan, Ashlyn Harris, and Ali Krieger. A combination of signings, trades, and draft selections has seen the team go from bottom dwellers with little hope to a potential playoff team. The club quickly re-signed multiple key players and added some internationals, ensuring they have a quality starting lineup before preseason begins. These moves have given Pride fans optimism for the future and provided flexibility for the front office.
The Pride’s rebuild got off to a rocky start when they drafted UCLA forward Mia Fishel with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft. Fishel never signed with the club, moving to Mexico instead. It got worse when newly appointed head coach Amanda Cromwell was suspended, along with her assistant, Sam Greene, while an investigation ensued about allegations of retaliatory conduct. She was replaced by the only member of staff remaining in Seb Hines, who had never held such a position. The former Orlando City center back turned out to be a great fit and he was named head coach after the season.
Following the disciplinary actions and appointment of Hines, the club hasn’t put a step wrong. The Pride signed Brazilian international Adriana, who had an MVP-caliber debut NWSL season, and had arguably their best draft in team history in 2023. The first two picks, Emily Madril and Messiah Bright, were NWSL Rookie of the Year candidates, showing they’ll likely be an essential part of this team for years to come.
The successful moves by Hines and Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter have provided the additional benefit of giving the club some flexibility. Prior to last season, the team had to hit on draft picks and signings to improve. However, the Pride came into this off-season with nearly an entire starting lineup intact and depth at multiple positions. They added to that in December by bringing in Brazilian international midfielders Angelina and Luana. As a result, the club has been able to take risks and draft players for the future rather than the present.
The main risk the Pride took this off-season was trading an international slot for Kansas City Current defensive midfielder Morgan Gautrat. The former Chicago Red Star had signed a two-year deal with the Current last off-season, but has missed significant time the past two years with injuries. Adding to the risk is her position, as the Pride already have an injury-prone defensive midfielder in Viviana Villacorta. There’s not too much risk, as the Pride didn’t give up much to get Gautrat (and some Allocation Money), but taking a chance on a veteran like Gautrat was made possible by the success so far under Hines and Carter.
Gautrat is a high-risk, high-reward signing. She’s won a pair of FIFA Women’s World Cups with the USWNT and can be a world-class midfielder when she’s healthy. However, she’s struggled to stay on the field, a major reason why she hasn’t been part of the national team in recent years. It could be a significant acquisition if she can stay healthy but possibly a wasted roster spot if not.
The reason why the Pride were able to make such a trade is the depth they have in the midfield. The club expects Villacorta to return from a torn ACL suffered last season, her second since being drafted by the Pride in 2021. Regardless, they’ve brought in players who can fill those roles at a high level, enabling them to take a chance with Gautrat.
The success in building the roster also allowed the Pride to draft for development rather than immediate production. Last season, the club needed players who could slide right into the starting lineup. They hit on their first- and second-round picks, as Madril played almost every minute of the 2023 season as center back and Bright was a headache for defenders around the league.
This year, the club wasn’t concerned about bringing in players through the draft that would produce, as there isn’t room in the starting lineup for them anyway. Instead, they focused on potential. Ally Lemos is a 19-year-old midfielder who left UCLA after her sophomore year and was selected ninth overall by the Pride. She was widely projected to be a high first-round pick, but it remains to be seen whether the fourth-youngest player ever selected in the NWSL Draft is ready for the jump to the professional game. Fortunately, she’ll be able to learn from some of the best midfielders in the world before experiencing the higher level of professional soccer.
The second selection by the Pride was Cori Dyke, taken 22nd overall. The former Penn State Nittany Lion spent her first four collegiate years as a central midfielder before moving to center back last year. Despite it being her first season at the position, she was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Players with versatility like Dyke are highly coveted by Hines and Carter, but whether she’ll be ready for 2024 is questionable.
While the Pride have built depth in the midfield, they could use more central defenders. Rafaelle and Madril will be the starters and veteran Megan Montefusco will come off the bench. Carrie Lawrence is also returning, but she’s coming off an ACL tear last preseason that kept her out for the entire year. For this reason, Dyke might be most needed on the back line. While she was excellent in the role last year, the NWSL is a much higher level for a player with limited experience.
A year ago, the Pride would’ve needed signings and draft picks to contribute immediately as they look to build a playoff caliber roster. However, the recent success of newly acquired players has enabled them to take some risks and select players for the future. They’ve taken that opportunity with their most recent decisions without threatening a possible playoff run. More than anything, it’s an indication of how well the Pride’s rebuild has gone despite its poor start.
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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