Despite being on the road, the Courage dominated possession in this game. The Pride played like the typical visiting team, defending fiercely and hitting the opposition on the counter attack. It was successful, as they scored twice with that method and nearly had more. The task became easier when Malia Berkely was sent off in the 78th minute, enabling the Pride to control the dying minutes.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made three changes to the team that lost 1-0 to OL Reign on Sept. 3 in Seattle. Carly Nelson started in goal for the suspended Anna Moorhouse, who was sent off in the third minute in the team’s most recent game. Watt entered the lineup in the striker’s role for Messiah Bright, and Adriana returned to the lineup after missing the trip out west, replacing Kerry Abello. Bright and Abello started this game on the bench.

The back line in front of Nelson was Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, Emily Madril, and Haley McCutcheon. Mikayla Cluff and Jordyn Listro were the starting defensive midfielders behind Julie Doyle, Marta, and Adriana. Watt was the lone forward up top.

Cluff and Viviana Villacorta started the season as the defensive midfield partnership. That changed to a Villacorta and Abello partnership with Cluff and Listro coming off the bench. However, Cluff and Listro have started the last two games, an interesting switch as the season nears its end.

“It’s tough decisions, right? There’s not a lot (of separation) between the four midfielders, between Jordyn, Kayla, and Vivi. They’ve all done really well this season,” Hines said about the change. “So it’s being adaptable, giving players opportunities. We felt like it was a good balance in the midfield with Kayla and Jordyn.”

The Pride got off to the best possible start in this game. Listro intercepted a Matsukubo pass at midfield and played Adriana forward. Watt ran around left back Emily Fox, reaching the ball at the top of the 18. Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy came out and got a piece of the shot, but not enough as the ball rolled in to give the Pride an early lead.

“Ally took her goal really well,” Hines said about Watt’s strike. “Very pleased for Ally because she’s put so much work into her craft the last couple of weeks. And she gets a reward with a goal.”

“I think you just realize you have — we have — full trust and faith in them with anything,” Watt said about playing with Marta and Adriana. “Adriana is called the wizard for a reason. She gets balls off in the most magical way I’ve ever seen, honestly. So, I think we just have full trust in them. So when we make the run, we fully know that we’re going to get that ball if we execute properly. And when they’re on the ball, they might do some magic on their own, but they’re going to feed it to you as well. So, we always have to be prepared for whatever they’re going to be providing, because they’re very unpredictable players. And that’s what we love about them.”

The goal crossed the line 38 seconds after kickoff, making it the earliest goal in Pride history. It was only 16 seconds off of the league record of scoring 22 seconds into a game.

“We talk about starting the game quickly,” Hines said. “You know, the first pass, first dribble, setting the tone straight from kickoff. And it’s the best way to start a game, scoring a goal.”

The Courage had their first chance of the game in the eighth minute when Ryan Williams’ cross was headed out of play by McCutcheon. Haley Hopkins jumped over Doyle to reach Berkely’s corner kick at the back post, but sent it straight to Nelson.

In the 13th minute, Williams received the ball from Kerolin and dribbled into the Pride box. The right back cut inside and played a short pass where Kerolin had run past Rafaelle. The midfielder found forward Tess Boade wide open at the top of the six-yard box, but Boade couldn’t get over the shot and sent it over the target.

A Pride goal kick in the 16th minute ended up with Rafaelle, who attempted to play it short to Strom on the side. But Kerolin intercepted it. After quickly playing a pass to the middle for an open Boade, Rafaelle took down her international teammate, earning the game’s first booking.

The ensuing free kick by Narumi Miura was short to Kerolin and the Brazilian lifted the ball to the top of the six. Nelson came out strong, initially fumbling the ball after midair contact with an opposing attacker, but eventually collecting it. Kaleigh Kurtz charged into Nelson and both players went to the ground. Referee Danielle Chesky called a foul on Kurtz, ending the North Carolina threat.

The Pride had a chance to double their lead in the 24th minute when Watt found Adriana in the box from the left. Miura got in front of the shot, blocking it back to the midfielder. Adriana took a second shot, but Miura got in front of that one as well, enabling the Courage to clear.

The Pride scored their second goal right after the restart of the first-half hydration break. Nelson restarted with a goal kick to Strom, who sent the ball forward for Adriana. The attacker left it for Marta, whose back heel was blocked by Berkely, but it went right back to her. The second pass attempt by Marta was wide to Doyle, who sent Adriana behind the Courage back line with her first touch. As Miura attempted to catch up with the Brazilian, Murphy stayed on her goal line. Adriana put it into the corner of the net from the top of the six-yard box, giving the Pride a 2-0 lead.

“I saw Marta get it, and whenever Marta gets it on her left foot, that means I’ve got to run into the back space, because I know that she can find me through. And that’s what she did,” Doyle said about her assist. “And then I saw Adriana had a ton of space in behind, because they were really high. And Adriana’s so fast. I’m just like, all I have to do is get it to her and I know that she’ll do great things. And that’s what we saw.”

Poor passing in the 44th minute nearly gave the Pride a chance for a third when Murphy played a short ball to Berkely in the Courage box. The center back nonchalantly sent it back to her goalkeeper, wide of the target. Watt, one of the league’s fastest players, attempted to beat Murphy to the ball and got a piece as Murphy attempted to clear it. But the visitors were able to get it away without any damage.

At halftime, North Carolina had far more possession (69.4%-30.6%), but couldn’t do much with it. Meanwhile, the Pride were happy to hit them on the counter, resulting in a halftime lead. While both teams had four first-half shots, the Pride put two on target and the Courage put one on frame. North Carolina also led the Pride in corner kicks (1-0) and crosses (6-1), and passed more accurately (91.6%-74.2%).

“Going into the second half, we changed our formation a little bit when we had that water break, so we just went over it again. Because passing information is difficult in that kind of situation,” Watt said about the halftime message. “(Hines) was telling us that I’m going to put the pressure on you. You guys are 2-0 up, and that’s a dangerous lead to have. They can come in and score and get momentum, and they certainly did score, but we did a really good job hanging onto it. And then the red card happened and we were just able to take control of the game and everything.”

The Pride created a pair of chances within the first five minutes of the second half. In the 48th minute, a Kurtz pass across for Miura was intercepted by Watt. The forward sprinted towards the Courage box, pulling up when Berkely got in front of her. Adriana called for the ball, but Watt took the long-distance shot herself. It didn’t cause any trouble for Murphy at the near post, who easily collected it.

A minute later, the Pride went on another counterattack. Doyle turned her defender and played a give-and-go with Marta on the left. The midfielder sent a low cross into the box for Adriana, but it was too far in front of her and Fox cleared it away.

The two missed opportunities proved costly in the 52nd minute when North Carolina got a goal back. Hopkins played the ball wide for Fox and the defender sent a cross into the box. Hopkins had made a run, but let the ball run past her to Matsukubo waiting behind, unmarked. The 19-year-old didn’t miss her opportunity, putting it past Nelson to cut the Pride lead to 2-1.

Three minutes later, the Courage had a chance for an equalizer when Kerolin sent a cross toward Fox in the middle of the box. The left back redirected the ball towards goal, but couldn’t get over it and the attempt went over the crossbar.

Shortly after the miss, Hines made his first substitution of the night. Regular starting striker Bright entered the game for Watt. The Pride made two more changes in the 64th and 65th minutes, replacing Doyle and Cluff with Abello and Villacorta.

A controversial moment occurred in the 66th minute when Adriana dribbled into the North Carolina box. She cut inside to beat Kerolin, before Fox came back to win the ball. The ball popped up and appeared to hit Fox’s arm at the edge of the box, which was up to shield her face. The play is only reviewable for a penalty, but the video assistant referee didn’t call for Chesky to take a look.

“In the 66th minute, the referee observed the ball hit the NC Courage player’s hand, which was in a natural position,” Chesky responded after the game. “At the next stoppage, the VAR checked the incident and confirmed no clear or obvious error.”

The comeback got more difficult for the Courage in the 78th minute when Berkely was sent off. A short free kick to the center back resulted in a bad pass into the box. Madril got to it first, sending it downfield. Adriana was the first to the ball and used her speed to get behind Berkely. The center back, who was clearly the last defender, took down the midfielder and Chesky immediately issued a red card. The VAR checked the play and confirmed the decision, giving the Pride a player advantage for the final 12 minutes.

The Pride nearly took advantage and scored a third in the 82nd minute when Marta’s shot was blocked out by Kurtz. The ensuing corner kick by Adriana found a wide-open Rafaelle beyond the back post. The center back’s header was off the outside of the post, keeping the score at 2-1.

The fourth official showed five minutes of second-half stoppage time, but that was increased when Rafaelle’s inadvertent elbow found the head of Courage substitute Tyler Lussi. Blood was dripping down her face, so the forward needed to change her shirt and shorts. Hines took the opportunity to make two final changes, replacing Adriana and Listro with Brianna Martinez and Celia.

While the Pride had a defensive lineup for the final minutes, the 10-player Courage were unable to create any chances. The Pride did well to maintain possession, continuously taking it to the corner to run the clock out. It was a successful strategy as they held on for a crucial win.

North Carolina ended the game with significantly more possession (67.2%-32.8%), but was unable to create more chances with it. Both teams had 10 shots and the Pride put more on target (3-2). The Courage had more crosses (14-11) and passed more accurately (88.7%-73.2%). The Pride had more corner kicks (4-2).

“Massive win tonight,” Hines said. “Running out of games now. Only three games to go and we have to give absolutely everything. I think looking back, you know, some of the performances are brilliant. We haven’t rewarded ourselves with the three points and you know, I’m so happy that we were able to get up in the game, take our opportunities. And a lot of credit has to go to the players, because they’re the ones who are competing, going out there day in, day out in training and performing at such a high level in the field. We’ve made it uncomfortable for North Carolina, going up in the game and then not giving them too much to try and play through the lines and stop that rhythm. But you have to have the right mindset to do that, and I felt everyone from back to front did their job and they were brilliant at their job.”

“We’ve been working so freaking hard, and it’s so nice to finally get the reward, because I think you’ve seen this team have games like this and sometimes it just doesn’t go our way,” Doyle added. “So for it to finally go our way, it’s just such a relief.”

It was a unique home game for the Pride because the hosts usually have the majority of possession. It was the opposite in this one because the Courage dominated possession and the Pride had to maintain their concentration. That’s something the team has had trouble with this season, especially on set pieces.

“We knew they’re a team that gets 500 passes per game. So credit to them,” Doyle said. “They’re a super good football team, so we knew we had to be disciplined in our defensive shape. That’s what we’ve been working on all week and we really just had to stay compact.”

The win sees the Pride jump the Houston Dash, Racing Louisville FC, and Angel City FC, from 10th to seventh place. They’re now only one point behind the Washington Spirit for the sixth and final playoff spot. While they’re tied with Angel City on points, the Pride currently hold the tiebreaker on goal difference.

The Pride now have a two-week break before they take the field again. They were supposed to play Angel City in Los Angeles on Thursday night, but that game was delayed until Oct. 2 because of the upcoming international break.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

History

The Pride and Courage have played 22 times since the Western New York Flash moved to North Carolina and became the Courage. The Pride are 4-13-5 in those games (4-10-1 in the NWSL regular season, 0-0-2 in the Fall Series, and 0-3-2 in the NWSL Challenge Cup).

The most recent meeting between the two teams was a July 29 Challenge Cup contest in North Carolina. The Pride didn’t show up for that one, getting demolished by the Courage. Brittany Radcliffe and Malia Berkely gave the hosts a 2-0 halftime lead before Frankie Tagliaferri made it three, and a late brace by Haley Hopkins completed the 5-0 result.

The game prior to that was on June 17 in North Carolina and, again, it was all Courage. Kerolin and Meredith Speck gave the hosts a 2-0 lead before a Haley McCutcheon own goal made it 3-0 to North Carolina. On April 19 at Exploria Stadium, the Pride took the lead after halftime when Summer Yates set up Ally Watt for the opening goal. But Denise O’Sullivan equalized in the ninth minute of second-half injury time, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

Prior to that game, they last played on Sept. 21, 2022, at Exploria Stadium. The Courage got off to a great start when Debinha scored in the second minute. The Brazilian then assisted Tess Boade in first-half injury time to double the lead, and later added another, dooming the Pride to a 3-0 defeat.

The previous 2022 meeting came on May 18 in North Carolina. The Pride got off to a great start in that game, with Sydney Leroux scoring early. Mikayla Cluff doubled the lead with her first professional goal. A late goal by Brianna Pinto got the Courage back within one, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride took the 2-1 win.

The Pride and Courage were placed in the same division for the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup, so the teams played twice before the regular season started. The first game was on March 26 in North Carolina. Merritt Mathias converted a penalty after Gunny Jonsdottir was called for a handball in the box, lifting the hosts to a 1-0 win. The return match in the tournament took place on April 16 in Orlando. The Courage got off to a fast start in this one, scoring three goals in the first nine minutes. Darian Jenkins netted a brace to make it 3-2, but a late Debinha goal put the game away and North Carolina won 4-2.

The teams played three times during the 2021 NWSL season. On May 22 in North Carolina, goals by Leroux and Alex Morgan gave the Pride a 2-0 lead late into the game. Jessica McDonald scored late to pull one back but the Pride held on for a 2-1 win. On July 4 in Orlando, Debinha and Havana Solaun goals helped the Courage take home a 2-0 win. The final game came on July 31 in North Carolina. Leroux opened the scoring but Brittany Ratcliffe equalized moments later and the teams drew 1-1.

The two teams were also matched up in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup but they only played once in that tournament. Neither team was able to find the back of the net in that game in a scoreless draw.

Similar to the Challenge Cup, the teams were in the same group of the 2020 Fall Series, meeting twice. The first was on Sept. 19 in North Carolina and ended in a scoreless draw. The second was on Oct. 17 at Exploria Stadium. Led by a Debinha brace, the Courage went up 3-0. But the Pride came back with goals by Marisa Viggiano, Kristen Edmonds, and Ally Haran for an exciting 3-3 draw.

The Pride and Courage played three times during the 2019 season. The first game was on April 17 in North Carolina. The Courage took a 1-0 lead into halftime but scored four times in the second half to win 5-0. They played a second time on June 1 in Orlando. Again, it was a dominant performance by the Courage as the Pride fell 3-0. The final meeting that year was another thrashing by North Carolina. The Pride got a goal in that one but still fell 6-1.

The teams also met three times in 2018 but the results were much closer. On May 23 in Orlando, goals by Alanna Kennedy and Rachel Hill saw the Pride come back from a 3-1 deficit. But McDonald scored a winner in the 90th minute and the Courage won 4-3. The Pride went down by three goals in the final two games that season, but were unable to come back and fell 3-0 in both contests.

The 2017 season saw the teams meet for the first time. The Courage took the first game 3-1 on Apr. 29 in North Carolina. They played a second time two weeks later in Orlando when the Pride took the 3-1 win. The final meeting in 2017 came in the final game of the season on Sept. 30. The Pride took a 2-0 lead but the Courage came back to even it at 2-2. It looked headed for a draw until Kennedy netted a late winner, leading the Pride to a 3-2 win.

Overview

Three games ago, the Pride were in a great position to qualify for the NWSL playoffs for the second time in team history. They were two points out of sixth and facing the team occupying that spot in two consecutive games. They fell 2-1 to San Diego Wave FC at home on Aug. 25 and fought valiantly, despite being down a player for almost all of the 1-0 loss against OL Reign.

The Pride now find themselves in a tough position. They’re four points behind the Washington Spirit with four games remaining, but there are three teams between them. Angel City FC and Racing Louisville FC are two of those three teams and the Pride will face both in the coming weeks. Regardless, they’ll likely need to finish the season on a four-game winning streak to qualify for the postseason.

The quest for their longest winning streak of the season and the longest since 2017 begins tonight. The team will be without starting goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, who was sent off in the third minute against OL Reign two weeks ago. Carly Nelson will take her spot in the lineup after a terrific display in Seattle.

The key attacking player missing against OL Reign was Adriana, whose four league goals are second on the Pride behind Messiah Bright’s six, and her three assists lead the team. She wasn’t on the availability report prior to the game in Seattle but didn’t make the trip. Her return tonight would be a boost to a team that desperately needs three points.

The Courage suffered back-to-back 2-1 losses to Angel City FC and the Portland Thorns on either side of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup break, but have grabbed draws in their last two games against the Chicago Red Stars and NJ/NY Gotham FC. The latter of those games saw the Courage take a 2-0 lead into halftime only to give up three goals in the second half, drawing 3-3.

While the Pride were off last weekend, the Courage hosted Racing Louisville in the Challenge Cup final. North Carolina won the trophy in a storm-delayed game with goals by Kerolin and Japanese international Manaka Matsukubo.

The player to stop for North Carolina is Brazilian international Kerolin, who leads her team with nine goals and three assists. She’s been a terror against the Pride in the previous games and keeping her off the scoresheet will be key if the Pride hope to get anything from this final meeting between the teams.

The Courage have a balanced lineup with a consistent back line that has resulted in them having the second-best goal difference in the league. Their 26 goals scored is tied with the Wave for second-most, and their 19 goals conceded is tied with Gotham and Louisville for second fewest.

“Obviously, they’ve had some success with winning the Challenge Cup. So they’ll have some good momentum, high spirits,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s opponent. “But, as always, we have to focus on ourselves. We’ve lost our last two games, but in that, the performances have been good. Obviously, different circumstances, but the performances have been pretty consistent all season. We want to continue to make this a difficult environment to play. We’re playing against arguably the best footballing team in the league, so it will be a really good challenge for us, but our mindset is win every game that comes towards us.”

North Carolina is without six players tonight. Emily Gray (knee), Clara Robbins (lower leg), and Meredith Speck (knee) are out for the season. Estelle Johnson (thigh), Rikako Kobayashi (knee), and Brittany Ratcliffe (thigh) are also out for this game.

The Pride are only missing two players tonight and both were expected. Carrie Lawrence (knee) is out for the season and Moorhouse is serving her one-game suspension after being sent off last week.

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Carly Nelson.

Defenders: Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, Emily Madril, Haley McCutcheon.

Defensive Midfielders: Mikayla Cluff, Jordyn Listro.

Midfielders: Julie Doyle, Marta, Adriana.

Forward: Ally Watt.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Erika Tymrak, Megan Montefusco, Messiah Bright, Mariana Larroquette, Kerry Abello, Viviana Villacorta, Brianna Martinez, Celia.

North Carolina Courage (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Casey Murphy. 

Defenders: Ryan Williams, Kaleigh Kurtz, Malia Berkely, Emily Fox.

Defensive Midfielders: Narumi Miura, Denise O’Sullivan.

Midfielders: Kerolin, Manaka Matsukubo, Haley Hopkins.

Forwards: Tess Boade.

Bench: Katelyn Rowland, Brianna Pinto, Sydney Collins, Kiki Pickett, Olivia Wingate, Mille Gejl, Frankie Tagliaferri, Tyler Lussi, Rikke Madsen.

Referees

REF: Danielle Chesky.
AR1: Bennett Savage.
AR2: Cameron Siler.
4TH: JJ Bilinski.
VAR: Alexandra Billeter.
AVAR: Joel McKell.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Exploria Stadium — Orlando.

TV: FOX 35 Plus.

Streaming: Paramount+ (U.S.), NWSLsoccer.com (International).

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

Enjoy the match. Go Pride!

“Tori has worked hard this season, and we believe she has a bright future ahead. So we’re excited to agree to a new contract and to work with her further on her development,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter said in a club press release. “It was a priority that we find a high-performance environment where Tori can get valuable match minutes and leadership opportunities and the team and staff at Melbourne Victory offer just that. We are excited for Tori for this next step in her career and look forward to supporting her upcoming season in Australia.”

The Pride selected Hansen with the first pick of the third round (25th overall) in the 2023 NWSL Draft out of the University of North Carolina and signed her on March 29 to a one-year deal with an option year. The center back played sparingly during her first three seasons with the Tar Heels, but started 26 games during her senior year, recording eight goals and two assists. That one season was enough for selection into the first-division league.

Hansen started the first two Challenge Cup games during her rookie season with the Pride, playing all 180 minutes. She surprised everyone during the second game of the competition, scoring the opening goal in the 10th minute of a 4-2 loss at the Washington Spirit on May 10. Despite only making those two appearances, she was on the bench for the other four Challenge Cup games and nine league games. But she didn’t appear on the team sheet after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup when Rafaelle was signed and Megan Montefusco was sent to the bench.

Collins was initially selected by the Pride in the 2021 NWSL Draft in the fourth round (34th overall) out of the University of Southern California, where she was named to the All-Pac 12 team twice. She didn’t appear in her rookie season with the Pride, but played one Challenge Cup game last year, a 1-1 draw against NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Despite the departure of starter Erin McLeod prior to this season, Collins remained the third choice goalkeeper behind Anna Moorhouse and the newly-signed Carly Nelson. She’s made two appearances, a league start on April 15 against Gotham and a May 10 Challenge Cup start against the Spirit. She’s conceded seven goals in her three professional games, saving 10 of her 17 shots faced.

“Since joining the club in 2021, Kaylie has been a valuable member of our goalkeeping corps and has continued to grow as both a player and a person. We believe she has the potential to become a top goalkeeper in this league, and gaining competitive experience and meaningful game minutes while in Australia is critical to her development,” Carter said about Collins in a press release. “We’re looking forward to cheering her on during the A-League season and keeping track of her progress over the next few months.”

What It Means for Orlando

It might seem odd to give these players new contracts and immediately send them out on loan, but both contracts run through the 2024 NWSL season and they’ll be playing through the winter months. These new contracts enable the Pride to keep them on their books while they play during the off-season and bring them back in the for 2024 campaign. Both will have the chance to develop in a good, competitive league.

Since Hansen’s been on the team sheet 15 times this season, the Pride clearly think she can contribute. They currently have six defenders that can play center back, including Carrie Lawrence, who suffered a season-ending injury during preseason. Three of those six players — Caitlin Cosme (24), Emily Madril (24), and Hansen (22) — are 24 years old or younger, and Hansen is the youngest of the group. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said during the draft that Hansen was a long-term project, and at just 22, there’s still plenty of time for her to develop.

Collins is the third-string goalkeeper and, at 24 years old, the youngest of the goalkeeping group. Moorhouse is only 28 and Nelson is only 25, but Moorhouse’s contract expires after this season. Meanwhile, Nelson’s runs through 2024. Whether Collins will be second or third on the depth chart next season largely depends on whether Moorhouse returns next season.

The Pride welcomed San Diego Wave FC to Exploria Stadium on Aug. 25, two points behind their opposition for the sixth and final playoff place. A win would’ve seen them jump San Diego and a draw would keep them within touching distance. After conceding early and equalizing just before halftime, the Pride gave up the winning goal in the 75th minute to lose 2-1.

They had another chance to get into a playoff position on Sept. 3 against OL Reign in Seattle. It was a tougher task as the Pride have never won away to the Reign, and it was made more difficult when starting goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was sent off in the third minute. Despite the numbers advantage, it took the hosts until the second half to convert and the Pride fell 1-0 for their second straight loss.

It might seem like the Pride had lost their chance to qualify for the NWSL playoffs for the second time in team history, but it’s not over yet. They currently sit in ninth place of the 12-team league and are four points out of sixth. However, they play the two teams directly in front of them — Angel City FC and Racing Louisville FC — in two of their final four games.

The two most recent losses makes it a tall task to make the playoffs, but the Washington Spirit have to go to Seattle to face OL Reign, and NJ/NY Gotham FC, which is five points ahead, has to travel to Portland to face arguably the league’s best team. If the Pride can win their final four games, they might only need one of the teams to drop points in one other game. The key to that situation is that the Pride probably need to win their final four games for any chance of making the playoffs.

A major factor in the last two losses has been the play of the back line. Against the Wave, both goals by the visitors were scored off set pieces. Haley McCutcheon failed to clear the ball off a corner kick on the first goal, enabling Abby Dahlkemper to convert seven minutes into the game. On the second goal, Kyra Carusa beat Mariana Larroquette to the ball to head in the winner. As a striker, it might not be expected for Larroquette to win that challenge, but Rafaelle got caught in the middle without marking anyone, resulting in Larroquette being forced to win a defensive header.

The loss against OL Reign can largely be chalked up to the third-minute red card by Moorhouse. However, the cause of the play was another defensive error. Bethany Balcer split Emily Madril and Rafaelle, getting behind the pair. Moorhouse’s choices were to stay in goal and probably concede, or to come out and attempt to win it. She decided to come out, Balcer got there first, and Moorhouse was given her marching orders.

In all three situations, a lapse in concentration can be faulted for deciding moments in the games. The defenders weren’t focused enough on the set pieces and the center backs weren’t aware of where Balcer was in relation to them, leaving them and their goalkeeper in a vulnerable position. It’s something Pride Head Coach Seb Hines mentioned following the San Diego loss and has mentioned on multiple occasions this season.

On the attacking end, the loss against the Wave was a similar story prior to Adriana and Marta returning from the World Cup. After the red card in Seattle, it was always going to be a defensive strategy for the Pride. But in a game where both teams had 11 players, the Pride outshot San Diego 17-8. However, the Wave put five of their eight shots on target and the Pride only put six of their 17 shots on goal. Creating more chances than the opposition is meaningless if you can’t put those shots on frame.

If you compare those statistics to the team’s 5-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars in the first league game after the World Cup, the Pride only outshot their opponent 13-9. But they put seven shots on target as opposed to Chicago’s one attempt on frame. Hines said after the Wave game that the visitors didn’t allow them good looks at goal, but much of that was the Pride taking long-distance attempts rather than looking for a higher-percentage shot.

The Pride were given a break Friday afternoon when it was announced that the team’s Sept. 21 game against Angel City had been moved to avoid international scheduling. Instead, they’ll play on Oct. 2. That move means that Rafaelle, Adriana, Marta, and Larroquette will be available when the team travels to Los Angeles. Given the way the Pride have played without Adriana, her inclusion in that match could be a deciding factor.

The Pride’s current two-game losing streak has put them in a tough position. Not long ago, they were playing directly for a playoff spot, but now they find themselves four points behind that coveted sixth position. Despite recent failings, they can climb into seventh with a pair of upcoming games and have a favorable schedule to some currently in playoff spots. However, the team will need better performances offensively and defensively to qualify for the postseason for the second time in team history.

With the loss, the Pride fell to 3-21-9 in all competitions in the months of September and October in their history and to 0-5-3 in road games against the Reign. What’s worse is that it was the Pride’s second consecutive loss in which a win would have vaulted the team above the playoff line at the expense of the opponent that night.

“I think everyone could see there was a real togetherness today,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said after the match. “You do all the preparation to win a game of football and then within two or three minutes you’re down a player, so then you have to be adaptable and you have to adjust and, you know, it really challenged our players, obviously, defensively.”

Hines’ lineup included Moorhouse in goal behind a back line of Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, Emily Madril, and Haley McCutcheon. Jordyn Listro and Mikayla Cluff started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Kerry Abello, Marta, and Julie Doyle, with Messiah Bright up top.

Orlando attacked from the opening whistle and Marta won a corner. The ball was cleared off to OL Reign’s defensive left side, where Marta picked it up and brought it back into the box. She fired a shot but it was right at goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. It was the Pride’s lone shot on target in the match.

The game was ruined for Orlando fans moments later. A through ball for Bethany Balcer got behind the Pride’s back line and Moorhouse came out of her box to try to beat the Reign attacker to the ball. She got Balcer’s foot instead of the ball and was immediately sent off for the foul, putting her team down a player for the final 87 minutes. It was the earliest red card by any player in NWSL history. Listro subbed off for backup goalkeeper Carly Nelson.

“You’re literally never ever hoping that your first string (goalkeeper) goes down. But you’re always ready when it does happen,” Nelson said. “These are the moments we prep for. It felt good to be back out there after I was able to settle into the game.”

The game became a shooting gallery for OL Reign after the Pride were reduced to 10. It started with Megan Rapinoe’s free kick from the spot of Moorhouse’s foul, but her delivery hit the wall and skipped out for a corner. Jess Fishlock fired just wide in the sixth minute on the recycle of a second corner after the first one deflected out.

OL Reign had to sub out Balcer, who picked up a knock, bringing on Canadian international Huitema.

Marta nearly scored an epic own goal with a crazy back pass toward her own net that Nelson had to head off the line. It was the first of two scary moments in her own end for the Brazilian.

Bright fired a shot from long range in the 17th minute but it wasn’t close to the goal frame.

Fishlock then got a pair of chances. The first was a shot right at Nelson in the 18th minute. A minute later, Marta again made a terrible back pass that Fishlock jumped in front of and stole just outside the area. Her shot was again denied by Nelson, who got up to tip it over the bar.

In the 27th minute, it was Madril nearly knocking a Huitema cross into her own net, but it was wide of the near post, giving OL Reign a corner. The corner pinged around the Pride box dangerously before being cleared. The recylcled possession ended up on Rose Lavelle’s foot and Nelson made a huge stop to keep the game scoreless in the 29th minute.

OL Reign again nearly unlocked the defense in the 30th. Rafaelle tried to head the ball back to Nelson but didn’t get anything on it and Huitema was able to chip the ball toward goal but it skipped wide to the right.

Huitema shook free of Doyle in the box and forced a terrific diving save by Nelson in stoppage time off another Reign corner on the last good look for either side in the opening period.

As one would expect, OL Reign dominated the stat sheet at the break, leading in possession (55.3%-44.7%), Shots (13-3), shots on target (5-1), corners (5-3), and passing accuracy (81.6%-74.3%).

“I think we were just trying to regroup at half, because that (red card) happened so early on,” Cluff said. “We were kind of scrambling, but we did really well to get into halftime and keep it tied and not concede in the first half, and we kept it close. And that was what we were trying to do the remainder of the game, is just keep it within reach so that we could keep trying to chase the game and manage the game.”

The hosts came out firing again in the second half, with Rapinoe sending a shot over the bar in the opening moments after the restart.

OL Reign’s breakthrough came off an Orlando goal kick. The Pride had been sloppy in passing all game and it finally caught up as the ball was handed to Lavelle, who fed Huitema in the middle near the top of the box for the easy finish. The hosts took the lead in the 49th minute.

“I saw Kylie open in space, and I literally just mishit the ball. That was it,” Nelson said of the turnover to Lavelle. “I do that a thousand times in a week hitting that ball, and I think just it was unlucky. It was unfortunate. You know, it was execution.”

The Pride learned nothing from the goal, as Huitema nearly doubled the lead a minute later. This time it was Cluff who turned it over in her own defensive third, but the shot from Huitema was off target.

Perhaps Orlando’s best chance of the match came on a corner kick in the 69th minute. Marta’s curling effort was likely meant for second-half sub Ally Watt, but Dickey had to leap over Watt and knock it off the line to keep it out. Had Watt jumped, she may have been able to head it in or at least could have prevented Dickey from seeing it to keep it out.

Sofia Huerta had a chance to double OL Reign’s lead in the 72nd minute when the Pride defense fell asleep, assuming a ball would go out for a goal kick. OL Reign hustled to keep it in play and the ball found Huerta, but the U.S. international shot over the crossbar.

Orlando was unable to maintain possession for most of the match, but the Pride fashioned a chance in the 81st minute, when substitute Brianna Martinez got down the right wing and crossed in for Watt, who couldn’t direct it past Dickey in front. The rebound sat in the six-yard box for a couple of seconds but Dickey recovered before Mariana Larroquette could arrive.

From there, OL Reign mostly tried to run out the clock, looking for opportunities to sneak in behind but not sending numbers forward.

The Pride had one last gasp in stoppage time on a corner kick. Both Strom and Larroquette were unmarked at the back post but they ran into each other and the ball appeared to go off of Strom and fizz wide of the left post in the team’s last opportunity.

Despite the valiant effort under difficult circumstances, the Pride dropped a vital match and the team’s playoff aspirations are on life support with four matches remaining.

OL Reign finished with lopsided advantages on the stat sheet, leading in possession (55%-45%), shots (18-4), shots on target (7-1), corners (7-5), and passing accuracy (79.7%-74.3%).

“I’m really proud of the players and how they coped with a lot of difficult moments, and their real togetherness,” Hines said. “And obviously disappointed with the result, but not too much on the performance.”

“I think there’s a lot of learning and growing opportunities and you know, the circumstances —we’re playing with 10 players — and we fought hard,” Nelson said. “I’m disappointed, definitely. I know the team is. We want to win, and we’re going to look back on this and learn and grow.”

The Pride have next weekend off and will host the North Carolina Courage on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

History

The Pride and Reign have met 15 times since the Pride joined the league in 2016. The Pride hold a 2-6-7 record in those meetings and have yet to beat tonight’s opponent away from home, with an all-time record of 0-4-3 out west against the Reign.

The most recent meeting was on July 7 at Exploria Stadium. It was one of the best performances of the year for the Pride, as they had more shots and shots on target than the opposition. Julie Doyle beat her defenders and found the head of Messiah Bright in the 16th minute for the game’s lone goal as the Pride won 1-0 for their second all-time win over OL Reign.

The teams played for the first time last season on Aug. 26 in Orlando. Meggie Dougherty Howard gave the hosts the lead, and the Pride tried to hold onto that one-goal advantage, but Megan Rapinoe found Bethany Balcer for an equalizing header. The visitors pushed for a win and Rapinoe got a goal for herself two minutes into second half injury time, lifting the Reign to a 2-1 win, snapping Orlando’s seven-match unbeaten run.

The return game was on Oct. 1, 2022 at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Pride had already been eliminated from playoff contention and it looked like it as OL Reign dominated the game. Rapinoe opened the scoring just eight minutes in, Jordyn Huitema doubled the hosts’ lead soon after, and Balcer made it 3-0 after 31 minutes. The Pride held the Reign scoreless in the second half, but fell 3-0.

The teams played twice during the 2021 season and the first game was on July 24 in Orlando. The Reign scored a goal in each half with Jess Fishlock scoring early and Tziarra King doubling the lead just after the break on the way to a 2-0 win. On Sept. 26 in Tacoma, WA, Balcer opened the scoring in the third minute and Eugenie Le Sommer scored a brace, giving the Reign a 3-0 lead at halftime, ultimately beating the Pride by that score.

COVID canceled the teams’ meetings in 2020, but they played three times in 2019. On April 21 in Tacoma, Alanna Kennedy gave the Pride an early lead. But Balcer equalized and the teams drew 1-1. They met again on Sept. 7 in the same location. This time the Reign took the early lead as Darian Jenkins scored twice inside the first 12 minutes. Beverly Yanez made it 3-0 soon after, effectively putting the game away early. Camila converted a late penalty but the Reign won 3-1. The final meeting that year came on Oct. 12 in Orlando. The Pride scored first through Rachel Hill, but Jenkins and Jodie Taylor gave the visitors a 2-1 lead going into halftime. Marta equalized late and the teams drew 2-2.

The first meeting in 2018 came on April 28 in Orlando. Allie Long gave the Reign a first-half lead, but Marta equalized, resulting in a 1-1 draw. On June 3, the teams met in Seattle but neither team could find the back of the net as they ended in a scoreless draw. The final meeting that year was on July 21 in Orlando. Toni Pressley gave the Pride a first-half lead but Taylor equalized with 20 minutes remaining and the teams drew for the third time that year.

The 2017 season saw the Pride and Reign play twice, first meeting on May 21 in Seattle. Yanez gave the hosts the lead just before halftime but Marta scored just after the break and the teams drew 1-1. They met again on Sept. 7 in Orlando in a game that looked to be ending scoreless but took a surprising turn. Alex Morgan gave the Pride the late lead in second-half injury time, but Fishlock equalized two minutes later and they drew 1-1.

The first-ever meeting between the two teams occurred on May 8, 2016 in Orlando. Sarah Hagen gave the Pride an early lead and Lianne Sanderson made it 2-0 late, which was the final. The return game in Seattle was on July 23 and was the highest-scoring game between the two teams. Kim Little and Fishlock made it 2-0 Reign at halftime. Manon Melis scored a third for the hosts. Jasmyne Spencer scored, but Kendall Fletcher made it 4-1 four minutes later. A Pressley own goal and late strike by Kristen Edmonds added one more goal to each team’s tally in a 5-2 Reign win.

Overview

The Pride went into last weekend’s game against San Diego Wave FC on a three-game winning streak and two points out of a playoff position. The hosts had more possession and chances than the visitors, but could only convert once. They fell apart on two set pieces, which resulted in San Diego’s two goals in a 2-1 result.

It was a missed opportunity for the Pride to climb into a playoff spot, but they get a do-over this weekend. They currently sit two points behind Angel City FC and OL Reign, and have a game in hand on the former. A win tonight will see them vault over both teams and into the sixth and final playoff spot.

Claiming points in this game is harder than it sounds as the Pride have struggled mightily in the northwest. Since the team’s inception in 2016, the Pride are 1-11-3 against the Pacific Northwest teams — the Reign and Portland Thorns. The poor record is due to the long travel and tough opponents, both of which will be against the Pride tonight.

The Pride have been the better team in their first two games following the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup break. They beat the Chicago Red Stars 5-0 and had the better chances against the Wave. Rafaelle and Emily Madril have made a comfortable center back pairing and the team has been creating chances for multiple players going forward.

A large portion of the success can be attributed to the play on Doyle on the left. The Pride have gone to her frequently in the last two games and she’s done well to beat defenders and get crosses off. Three points tonight will depend on whether Bright can reach those passes like she did in the previous meeting between these two teams.

The Reign have had a tough return to the NWSL regular season. They lost 1-0 to the Kansas City Current and 2-1 to Angel City, both away from home. Tonight, they’ll return to Lumen Field for the first time since the restart of league play, looking to maintain their playoff spot.

The Reign are tied for the third-most goals scored this year with 24. Balcer leads the team with five, followed closely by Huitema and Veronica Latsko with four. As expected, Rapinoe has been the primary playmaker for the team, recording four assists in 10 games.

The Seattle-based club has conceded the sixth-fewest goals this season with 21. That success is largely because of the center back pairing of Sam Hiatt and Alana Cook, who have started together in 14 of the team’s 17 games this season.

“Obviously, we were disappointed after the last game. I felt we did enough to win the game,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said. “San Diego capitalized on two set pieces, and we have identified that we need to stay concentrated in those moments. We are all in good spirits and we still have the objective to win the games ahead of us and hopefully that starts on Sunday against Seattle.”

Carrie Lawrence (knee) remains out with a season-ending injury and is joined by Thais Reiss (thigh) on the injury list. But the most significant absence is Brazilian midfielder Adriana (thigh), who has a team-leading four goals and three assists this year. Meanwhile, OL Reign is in the unusual position of having everyone available for tonight’s game.

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, Emily Madril, Haley McCutcheon.

Defensive Midfielders: Jordyn Listro, Mikayla Cluff.

Midfielders: Kerry Abello, Marta, Julie Doyle.

Forward: Messiah Bright.

Bench: Carly Nelson, Celia, Brianna Martinez, Megan Montefusco, Viviana Villacorta, Summer Yates, Erika Tymrak, Mariana Larroquette, Ally Watt.

OL Reign (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Claudia Dickey.

Defenders: Lauren Barnes, Phoebe McClernon, Alana Cook, Sofia Huerta.

Midfielders: Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, Quinn, Jessica Fishlock.

Forwards: Megan Rapinoe, Bethany Balcer.

Bench: Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Sam Hiatt, Nikki Stanton, Angelina, Olivia Van der Jagt, Elyse Bennett, Tziarra King, Veronica Latsko, Jordyn Huitema.

Referees

REF: Ricardo Fierro.
AR1: Noah Kenyawani.
AR2: Baboucarr Jallow.
4TH: Christopher Calderon.
VAR: Shawn Tehini.
AVAR: Benjamin Wooten.

How to Watch

Match Time: 6 p.m.

Venue: Lumen Field — Seattle, WA.

TV: Fox 35 Plus.

Streaming: Paramount+ (U.S.), NWSLsoccer.com (International).

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

Enjoy the match. Go Pride!

Orlando played well overall against the Wave, keeping former Pride and USWNT striker Alex Morgan quiet and limiting San Diego’s chances. However, two coverage errors on corner kicks and the Pride’s lack of finishing quality in the attacking end allowed the visitors to escape Orlando with all three points.

Despite the loss, nothing much has changed for the Pride. Orlando sits just behind the sixth playoff spot, but now is chasing OL Reign — the team it will visit on Sunday. The scenario hasn’t changed, just the opponent. A Pride win will lift Orlando above the playoff line with just a few games left in the team’s 2023 campaign.

However, the Pride will not just be fighting a difficult opponent — Orlando has never won a road game against the Reign, going 0-4-3 in seven previous trips — but also their own history. The Pride’s tendency to fade badly at the end of the season has been well established. The team has cratered at the end of every season of its existence except for the lone playoff year of 2017. In fact, that season, Orlando went 6-0-3 to close the regular season before falling 4-1 away to Portland in the club’s only previous playoff appearance. That 2017 season was the only season in which Orlando won its final game of the regular season.

Here’s how Orlando’s seasons have finished since the team’s inception in the non-playoff years:

2016: 0-7-1
2018: 0-4-2
2019: 0-5-2
2020: 0-2-2 (No NWSL season; Fall Series only)
2021: 0-5-0
2022: 0-5-1
2023: ???

As you can see, the Pride have finished all but one full season on prolonged winless streaks. If you toss the lone playoff year aside as an outlier and discount the lost 2020 season in which the Pride only participated in the four-game Fall Series, with a lot of younger players seeing action, you get an average winless streak of six games to conclude each NWSL season and there are very few draws in there.

The final five Pride matches will all take place after the month of August. This has historically been the worst time of the season for Orlando in terms of results. The Pride have an all-time record of 3-20-9 in all competitions from Sept. 1 through the end of the season. Two of those three wins came in the team’s only previous playoff season of 2017, when the Pride went 2-1-2 after August concluded. The only other Pride win after August came on Sept. 11, 2021 against Racing Louisville at home.

Here is the Pride’s record each season after Aug. 31:

2016: 0-3-1
2017: 2-1-2 (the loss was in the playoffs)
2018: 0-1-0
2019: 0-4-2
2020: 0-2-2 (No NWSL season; Fall Series only)
2021: 1-5-1
2022: 0-4-1
2023: ???

An all-time record of 3-20-9 after August is beyond awful, and only having one single win from Sept. 1 through the end of the season since 2017 is dire indeed.

It won’t be easy for the Pride to turn these dubious trends around. As previously mentioned, they’ve never won a road game against the Reign.

After visiting OL Reign, Orlando will face a North Carolina Courage team that has toyed with the Pride in the last two meetings. The Courage have won the last two matchups — one regular-season game and one in the Challenge Cup — by a combined 8-0 scoreline. Those games were both on the road. The Pride managed to draw the first Challenge Cup meeting at home, 1-1 against North Carolina, but dropped points from a winning position late by allowing a 99th-minute strike by Denise O’Sullivan.

Orlando is just 4-10-1 in league play against the Courage in the all-time series, and just 1-5-0 at home against North Carolina in league play. If you include all competitions, the Pride are 4-13-5 vs. the Courage.

After the Courage match, the Pride will travel back across the continent to face Angel City on the road. The Pride are 0-1-0 in the season series after allowing Katie Johnson to score a 100th-minute game winner back on April 2. Angel City is one of the hottest teams in the league right now, going unbeaten in six (3-0-3), and the California team is just one point behind Orlando in the standings.

After Angel City, the Pride are on the road again to face Racing Louisville, which is also just one point behind Orlando. Like Angel City, Louisville is getting better at the right time, having lost just once in its last six games (2-1-3). The Pride have yet to win a road game at Louisville, going 0-2-0 in the regular season and 0-2-1 in all competitions.

Orlando closes the season against the Houston Dash. The Dash won the only previous meeting this season, 2-0 in Houston. The Pride have won only once in their last 10 meetings with Houston across all competitions, although if you want a bright side, that was at home last year. The 2023 season finale will also be in Orlando. But the Pride have only won their final game of the regular season once, and that was a much better Orlando team.

If these numbers seem to spell certain doom, it’s important to remember that this is all historical data, and past performance doesn’t always serve as a predictive tool. This year’s Orlando Pride team has a chance to rewrite club history by finishing strong and bucking the trend of collapsing down the stretch.

With the NWSL’s teams so closely locked together this season, there’s no telling what the next five games will hold in store for the Pride. They could finish the season anywhere from about second to 12th in the league. History suggests the team will finish closer to the bottom than the top, but the law of averages almost certainly has to find some equilibrium at some point.

After the Pride’s 5-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars Sunday night, Head Coach Seb Hines used the same lineup for this matchup against the Wave. Anna Moorhouse started in goal behind a back line of Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, Emily Mardril, and Haley McCutcheon. Viviana Villacorta and Kerry Abello were the defensive midfielders behind an attacking midfield of Adriana, Marta, and Julie Doyle. Messiah Bright started up top after scoring her first career brace.

San Diego was happy to sit back in this game and hit the Pride on the counter attack. As a result, the Pride led in every meaningful statistical category. The Pride had chances in the first half through some poor passing by the Wave, but were unable to take advantage, and San Diego goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan made some good saves to keep the game at 1-1. The downfall for the Pride was on set pieces, conceding on both of the Wave’s corner kicks — both of which were conceded unnecessarily.

The Pride had the first chance of the game in the second minute when Marta shielded the ball at midfield and sent Doyle behind the back line. Dribbling into the box from the left, Doyle attempted to beat Sheridan to her near side, but the ball bounced off the post.

The Wave almost opened the scoring in the sixth minute when Alex Morgan pressured Moorhouse’s pass to Madril. The center back sent a poor pass to either Moorhouse or Rafaelle, sending it into open space, where Rachel Hill picked it up. The forward quickly shot on goal, and should have scored, but it was too close to Moorhouse, who did well to knock it wide with her left foot.

The ensuing corner ended up at the foot of Danielle Colaprico, who shot on goal. McCutcheon got in front to block the attempt, but could only clear it as far as Dahlkemper near the penalty spot. The center back’s shot was over Moorhouse and off the bottom of the crossbar with enough momentum to get over the line, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Adding salt to the wound, it was Dahlkemper’s first NWSL regular-season goal since 2016.

In the 15th minute, pressure by Doyle on the sideline forced Hill into a bad pass back for Dahlkemper. Bright intercepted it and, after faking herself out with a stepover, played it across for Abello. Adriana ended up with the ball and enough space for a long-range attempt. The shot was dipping towards the bottom corner, but from that far out, it was comfortable for Sheridan to track it and make the stop.

The Pride had another chance in the 20th minute from another bad San Diego pass. Christen Westphal attempted to play the ball back for Meggie Dougherty Howard, but Marta picked it off and carried the ball into the Wave box. Naomi Girma challenged the Brazilian, but she got the shot off. Unfortunately, it was straight at Sheridan.

Adriana took her second shot from distance in the 26th minute. This attempt was more towards the center of the field, but she didn’t get much on the shot. Sheridan dove to her right to make the stop, but the dive was because of her positioning further towards the opposite post.

The Wave had a chance for a second in the 29th minute, when Morgan played the ball to the top of the box for Kaleigh Riehl. She laid the ball back for Dougherty Howard, who shot towards the far post, forcing Moorhouse into a diving stop.

A minute later, Dougherty Howard sent Hill behind the Pride defense. The attacker shot from the top of the box and Moorhouse got her hand to the ball, tipping over the crossbar. But the assistant’s flag was up on the initial pass, as Hill couldn’t hold her run, negating the chance.

In the 41st minute, Marta collided with Colaprico near the Pride box and referee Matthew Thompson called a foul. Colaprico hit her head on the ground, resulting in a brief delay in the action. Morgan took the free kick, but sent it over the crossbar.

Three minutes later, the Pride found the equalizer. Doyle sent Marta down the right towards the end line where she was defended by Dougherty Howard. The Brazilian used some nifty footwork to lose her defender and send the ball into the box. The cross was just over the head of four defenders and reached the head of an unmarked Adriana, who put it in for her fourth goal of the season.

“It was a brilliant goal,” Hines said about the conversion. “You know, Marta’s brilliance and a great finish by Adri.”

The Pride had the majority of the chances in the first half, but weren’t able to convert. Despite the frustration of being the more attacking team and down 1-0, they didn’t let it dampen their confidence.

“Even when we went down early, we were never in doubt,” Strom said about the resilience leading to the equalizer. “We know we can get the equalizer.”

After 45 minutes, San Diego had more possession (55.9%-44.1%), but the Pride had more shots (8-6), shots on target (4-3), corner kicks (2-1), and crosses (6-2). Both teams ended the first half completing 83% of their passes.

“The first half we sat off a bit. We knew that they’re a pretty direct team. They wanted to go long and find Alex for the flick on,” Strom said about the halftime message. “And I think what we spoke about at halftime is one of our strengths is our press, our mentality. When we went after them, they struggled a bit. We were able to read the long balls better. They were kicking it out of bounds and weren’t as successful. So I think that’s part of our identity. We’re hungry. We like to press and it caused them a lot of problems.”

“I think the first 20 minutes of the game, we were kind of passive,” Hines added about the first half. “We changed that. There was more intensity to our press, put them under pressure. Caused a lot of problems with turnovers and we got ourselves back into the game.”

While San Diego didn’t make any halftime changes, Hines made two. Mikalya Cluff and Jordyn Listro entered the game for Abello and Villacorta.

“Just energy,” Hines said about the halftime substitutions. “You know, they did extremely well when they came on last game against Chicago. I felt we were a little bit tired in the midfield, so they came on, made an impact, lots of energy, the pressing that they put into it as well, causing a lot of problems and turnovers.”

It didn’t take long for Cluff to get involved. She took a shot in the 46th minute that was well over the target, but it was her second shot that gave the Pride an opportunity. The attempt from distance was blocked by Dahlkemper, sending Sheridan the wrong way. The ball was rolling towards the far post as the Wave goalkeeper scrambled to the opposite side of the goal. Unfortunately, the ball went just wide and out for a corner kick.

The ensuing set piece by Marta reached Rafaelle at the far post, but her international teammate couldn’t redirect it on goal.

In the 53rd minute, a ball into the Pride box was headed out by McCutcheon. Morgan was the first one to it, playing a quick give-and-go with Dougherty Howard before getting a shot off from distance. It was right to Moorhouse, but the Pride goalkeeper couldn’t handle it. Hill was there to put it back on target, but Rafaelle cleared it away. The assistant’s flag went up anyway as Hill was judged to be offside.

After receiving the ball from McCutcheon in the 59th minute, Doyle played the ball around Riehl and attempted to beat her with speed. Riehl put her shoulder into Doyle, knocking the attacker down in the box. But Thompson decided it wasn’t enough for a penalty. The ball went to Makenzy Doniak and Bright took her out from behind, earning the game’s first booking.

In the 65th minute, Adriana made a long run before pulling up just outside of the box and playing it back for Cluff. It looked like Cluff would lift the ball into the box, but she played it across for McCutcheon instead. The right back attempted an ambitious shot from distance and it looked like it would sail over the target. The ball was dipping, but still went just over the crossbar.

The Pride made their third change of the game in the 65th minute as Mariana Larroquette replaced Bright.

In the 75th minute, Listro knocked the ball off the foot of Doniak, but got too much on it, conceding a corner kick. Doniak’s ensuing set piece was to the top of the six, where Carusa got inside of Larroquette. The second-half substitute headed the ball past Moorhouse and San Diego retook the lead 2-1.

“They’re a direct team. They’re very strong in the air, all over the pitch, set pieces, in the run of play,” Strom said about conceding twice on corner kicks. “It was great services, great finishes, but at the same time, we need to be better. I think it’s maybe a bit of a lack of concentration on our part. To win those first and second balls, step out, deny the shots. So, it’s something we’re definitely going to have to look at and go back to our old ways and be really resilient in those moments.”

“Anytime there’s a situation like that, you know, there’s sometimes a lapse of concentration,” Hines said about conceding on set pieces. “A moment where you relax and I think they punished us in that moment.”

The Pride almost found another equalizer in the 79th minute when Adriana carried the ball to the top of the box and played it across for McCutcheon. The defender had plenty of space to touch the ball onto her left foot and fire from distance. It was heading under the crossbar, but Sheridan was able to get a hand to it, tipping the ball over the top.

Hines made his fourth change in the 82nd minute and it was an attacking one. Forward Ally Watt came into the game for left back Strom as the Pride went to a back three looking for an equalizing goal.

The Pride had a set piece opportunity in the 86th minute when Watt’s cross was deflected out of play by Riehl. Marta’s corner kick was towards the back post, where Cluff and Dahlkemper collided. The ball popped back for Rafaelle, but her header was into the hands of Sheridan.

The fourth official showed eight minutes of second-half stoppage time, a welcome sight for the Pride. But an odd moment occurred in the second minute when Sheridan’s free kick went over the head of Dahlkemper and straight out of play near midfield. As Listro ran over to take the throw-in, Wave Head Coach Casey Stoney, sitting on a cooler, kicked the ball away. Thompson ran over and immediately issued a confused Stoney a red card.

“In the 90+2 minute, the ball came out of play for an Orlando throw-in near the San Diego Wave technical area when head coach Casey Stoney kicked the ball away,” Thompson said after the game. “She was shown the red card and sent off for ‘delaying the restart of play by the opposing team, e.g. kicking the ball away’ per the IFAB Laws of the Game Law 12.”

The Pride continued to maintain possession and push for an equalizer, but weren’t able to create any solid chances on goal. After eight minutes and nine seconds of second-half injury time, Thompson blew the final whistle and the Pride fell to San Diego for the first time, missing an opportunity to climb into a playoff spot.

At full time, the Pride had more possession (52.4%-47.6%), shots (17-8), shots on target (6-5), corners (8-2), and crosses (23-3), and passed with more accuracy (80.9%-75.5%). But the hosts were unable to find a second goal and dropped all three points.

“It’s a strange one because I thought we did enough to win the game ,” Hines said about the performance. “Obviously, football doesn’t always work out like that. We’ve been in this situation, or have sat in this seat, multiple times where we felt like we’ve done enough to win the game. It just hasn’t fallen our way.”

In addition to conceding on both corner kicks San Diego had in the game, the Pride were unable to convert, despite having many more chances than the opposition. It’s been a recurring problem for this team and one of which they’re aware.

“That’s something we spoke about,” Strom said after the game. “We need to finish our chances because San Diego is a team that if they feel like they’re in it, they’re always going to have a bit of hope. All they need is one long ball behind. And they know they can score off of that and be dangerous off of that. So we need to take our chances. We did create quite a few and then it’s just finding that end product and putting it away and gaining that momentum and putting fear in the other team.”

“Every team is going to cause us different problems,” Hines said about the offensive troubles. “And that’s what San Diego did. They made it difficult to get any clear cut opportunities. You know, there was opportunities but they weren’t clear cut. And again, we learn from it.”

The Pride came into this game two points behind San Diego for the sixth and final playoff spot. Despite the loss, Orlando still sits two points out of the playoff places — now behind OL Reign, which holds a game in hand, which will take place Sunday at Angel City.

Hines said the Pride still have a good chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

“We’re still in a really good position. We’re still chasing, but we’re still in and around it,” Hines said. “And, you know, you see how close this league is. Anyone can beat anyone on their day and we fell short today. But, you know, we’ll have that hunger and drive.”

The Pride will look to bounce back from this loss next Sunday when they take on OL Reign in Seattle in another pivotal match with postseason implications.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

History

The San Diego Wave joined the NWSL last season and have only faced the Pride three times in their existence. The Pride have yet to lose in those three games, posting a record of 2-0-1. The first meeting this year was at Snapdragon Stadium on April 29 after a 0-4-0 start to the season. It looked like it would be a fifth straight loss when Jaedyn Shaw gave the hosts the early lead. But Adriana assisted Mikayla Cluff on the equalizer and Haley McCutcheon scored just before halftime to give the Pride the lead. Adriana got her first goal of the season in the 69th minute to put the game away as the Pride won 3-1.

The first-ever meeting was on Aug. 13, 2022  in San Diego. The lone goal in the game came from the penalty spot after a Julie Doyle cross hit the arm of Kaleigh Riehl in the first half. Meggie Dougherty Howard stepped up and buried the penalty. The Pride held on for 67 minutes to beat one of the top teams in the league, 1-0 away.

The second meeting was on Sept. 25 in Orlando and the Pride got off to a great start. Doughety Howard opened the scoring in the first half and Gunny Jonsdottir doubled the advantage in the second. It looked like the Pride were headed for six points out of six against the expansion side, but San Diego came storming back. Makenzy Doniak cut the lead in half and former Pride attacker Taylor Kornieck equalized late, resulting in a disappointing 2-2 draw.

Overview

The Pride have gotten hot in regular-season play and have done so at the right time. Despite missing Adriana and Marta, the Pride beat the Washington Spirit 3-0 and OL Reign 1-0, leading into the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup break. Sunday night was their first game back in regular-season action, and they dominated the Chicago Red Stars, 5-0.

The winning streak has made tonight’s game one of the biggest in team history. The Pride currently sit just two points behind the Wave for the final playoff spot. Three points tonight would put their opportunity for a postseason berth in their own hands.

The biggest surprise recently has been the play of the back line. The Pride’s 21 goals conceded this season is the sixth most of the 12-team league. But three consecutive clean sheets and outscoring their opponents 9-0 in the past three games has brought the Pride to within a goal of evening their goal differential.

The Pride made two signings prior to the World Cup break, bringing in defender Rafaelle and forward Mariana Larroquette. Both additions scored on their debuts, but the return of Adriana and Marta from the World Cup are the biggest impact. The pair of Brazilians make the team much more dangerous in the attack, creating space for Julie Doyle and Messiah Bright to score goals.

Despite sitting in sixth, tonight’s opponent has been impressive this season. The Wave’s 23 goals scored are second in the league and their 19 goals conceded is tied for fifth fewest. They’ve returned most of the team that made the playoffs last year and made some additions in the midfield, most notably Dougherty Howard and Danielle Colaprico.

The Wave are in a similar position as the Pride tonight, needing to take something from this game. They’re led by U.S. international Alex Morgan, who has five goals and four assists on the season. Teenager Shaw has had a breakout second season, with four goals and two assists, becoming an integral part of the Wave attack.

The Wave are coming off a 2-1 win over NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. They won with backup goalkeeper Shae Yanez in goal after Canadian starter Kailen Sheridan was sent off in her last league game prior to the World Cup. Yanez had a good performance, making three saves, but Sheridan will be back in the net tonight.

“It is another exciting and competitive game and comes around quickly,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “The highs of our last performance and we are right back at it on Friday against San Diego, who are a good team. They are in the playoff position that we want to be in, so we expect nothing less than a competitive game. We will be more than ready for it.”

The Pride remain healthy heading into this key clash. The only player unavailable is Carrie Lawrence (knee), who suffered a season-ending injury during preseason. The Wave will be without starting left back Kristen McNabb (hip), Kornieck (excused absence), and Kelsey Turnbow (excused absence).

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.

San Diego Wave FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Kailen Sheridan.

Defenders: Kaleigh Riehl, Naomi Girma, Abby Dahlkemper, Christen Westphal.

Defensive Midfielders: Danielle Colaprico, Meggie Dougherty Howard.

Midfielders: Makenzy Doniak, Jaedyn Shaw, Rachel Hill.

Forward: Alex Morgan.

Bench: Amirah Ali, Melanie Barcenas, Belle Briede, Kyra Carusa, Chai Cortez, Giovanna DeMarco, Sierra Enge, Madison Pogarch, Shae Yanez.

Referees

REF: Matt Thompson.
AR1: Rhett Hammil.
AR2: Jennifer Garner.
4TH: Marie Durr.
VAR: Alejandro Mariscal.
AVAR: Kaili Terry.

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 @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

Enjoy the match. Go Pride!

The return of the World Cup participants meant that Marta and Adriana rejoined the lineup. Rafaelle also entered the lineup at center back, replacing Megan Montefusco and making her Pride debut. The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Kylie Strom, Emily Madril, Rafaelle, and Haley McCutcheon. Viviana Villacorta and Kerry Abello were in the defensive midfield behind Julie Doyle, Marta, and Adriana, with Bright up top.

Similar to their first meeting in Illinois on May 27, the Pride dominated this game from start to finish. Other than a brief flurry of blocked shots in the first half, Chicago couldn’t get anything going offensively. However, while the Pride were unable to hit the target in their first meeting, they put five behind Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher in this one.

The Pride dominated possession in the opening minutes, creating all of the opportunities in the opposing end. In the 11th minute, Marta attempted to play Bright behind the Chicago defense, but the rookie striker wasn’t expecting it. Two minutes later, Rafaelle sent a terrific ball behind the back line for Bright. Unfortunately, her first touch was too heavy, allowing Naeher to collect it.

The first shot of the game came in the 13th minute, when Doyle, who the Pride were constantly playing to outside early, sent a low cross into the box. It looked like the defense would easily clear, but there was some miscommunication. Marta took advantage, reaching in to put the ball on goal. However, the close-range shot was right to Naeher.

The Pride finally took the lead in the 14th minute from a corner kick. Adriana and Marta stood over the ball, with Adriana stepping over it. Marta’s cross was outside of the six-yard box and beyond the back post, where Rafaelle got her head to it. The newly-signed Brazilian sent the ball towards the opposite post where it beat Naeher for the opening goal.

“Obviously, Rafa is a world class center half,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about the opening goal. “And you know, she’s been threatening in her career off set pieces, and it’s nice to get that early goal. Nice for her to get that goal early on as well.”

Less than a minute later, McCutcheon nearly doubled the Pride’s lead. She attempted to play the ball across for Bright, but it was blocked right back to her. The right back’s second ball was a shot towards the far post that sent Naeher diving, but it went just wide of the post.

Marta came close to scoring in her first game back with the team in the 19th minute, when Doyle’s low cross was cleared out by Kayla Sharples. The clearance went to Marta outside of the box and the Pride captain took an ambitious shot on goal. It was a good strike, but went just over the crossbar.

The Pride doubled their lead in the 24th minute when McCutcheon blocked a long-distance attempt by Penelope Hocking — Chicago’s first shot of the game. She played the ball forward for Doyle, who immediately sent Bright into the Red Stars half. Hocking slid in with a very late challenge on Doyle, but referee Anya Voigt waved play on. Taylor Malham was on the striker, but left her too much space. Bright took advantage of the room, sending the ball inside the far post to give the Pride a 2-0 lead.

“I think when you just think about it in the moment and think it’s just picking your moments, I’m usually more of an attacking player that looks to go in the box,” Bright said about her first goal of the night. “So I think just trusting myself with my shot and knowing that I do have the range to kick it outside of the 18 as well. So I just took a chance and just really just had a good technique on it.”

“I think we’ve had games before where we’ve had those chances in the first 15, 20 minutes and we haven’t put them away,” Madril said about scoring two goals early. “And then it just puts more pressure on us to try to get that goal and then we have to work harder to just get those goals. So I think it’s great to get those two goals early and kind of let things calm down and kind of play or composed soccer and keep the ball and have Chicago chase the whole time.”

Before the Red Stars could restart, Voigt went back to the challenge on Doyle, issuing Hocking a yellow card for the late challenge.

Bright had a chance for a first-half brace in the 29th minute when a quick give-and-go between the rookie and Marta sent Bright behind the Red Stars defense. She got herself in position to shoot as she entered the box with Malham closing in, but the attempt was right to Naeher.

After only taking one shot in the first 34 minutes, the Red Stars had two good chances in the 35th minute. Strom attempted to shield St-Georges from the ball near her own end line, but St-Georges was able to play it back for Ava Cook. The forward took a touch to create space from Rafaelle and shot. Fortunately, Madril was backing her fellow center back up and blocked it. The rebound went right back to Cook, who laid it off for Yuki Nagasato behind her. Nagasato’s shot beat Rafaelle, but was blocked by Strom.

A minute later, the Red Stars forced Moorhouse into her first stop of the game when Casey Krueger found Hocking to her left. Hocking had some space for a shot and tried to beat Moorhouse to her near post, but the Pride goalkeeper got down to block it out of play.

The Red Stars had one more first-half opportunity in the 36th minute, when Nagasato found Julia Bianchi outside of the Pride box. The midfielder took a shot from distance, but Madril stepped in front of it for the block. The small flurry of chances was the only Chicago threat in the first half and the Pride were able to take a 2-0 lead into the break.

After 45 minutes, the Red Stars had more possession (51.7%-48.3%), but the Pride had more shots (9-5), shots on target (4-1), and crosses (11-7), and better passing accuracy (85.5%-81.2%). Both teams had two corners in the first half.

It looked like the Red Stars might get back into the game in the 49th minute when Krueger sent a long ball for Jenna Bike, who came on at halftime for St-Georges. Bike got behind the Pride defense, but Strom slid in to take the ball away. Hocking and Bike, who went down on the play, threw their arms in the air, claiming it should’ve been a penalty. But Voigt decided it was a clean challenge.

The Pride quickly went the other way with Adriana playing it forward for Marta. The Brazilian used the outside of her left foot to send Bright behind the Red Stars defense. Naeher came out of the box to challenge the striker, but Bright remained calm, dribbling around her and putting it in for her second goal of the night.

“The main thing that was going through my mind was just making sure I stayed even with the back line so I wouldn’t be caught offside,” Bright said about the goal. “But also just having that separation as well to break off once she passed. It is quite amazing how she got the ball through there. It’s Marta, so I mean, couldn’t expect nothing less. But my main thing was once she played it, I saw Naeher coming out, so I just went around her and the goal was wide open. I was kind of getting off balance a little bit so my main thing was just placing it, putting a little heat on it, and just redirecting it in the goal.”

It was Bright’s sixth goal of the season, tying her for fifth in the league. It’s also her first career brace, something the rookie says she’s been aiming for.

“I’ve been searching for that career brace for a minute now,” Bright said. “So it was pretty, you know, good to just get that. And I was actually aiming for a hat trick but, you know, take it a game at a time.”

Chicago had a chance to get one back in the 59th minute when Bianchi’s long-distance shot was blocked out of play by Rafaelle. The ensuing corner kick got under the arm and Moorhouse, but, fortunately, the Pride were able to clear.

Hines made his first changes of the game in the 60th minute. Cluff, Larroquette, and Jordyn Listro entered the game for Doyle, Bright, and Villacorta.

It didn’t take long for Larroquette to make an impact as she scored 3:46 into her Pride debut. The new forward received the ball on the left side of the box from Cluff and cut inside to beat her defender. The Argentine placed her shot with her right foot past Naeher and into the top corner to give the Pride a 4-0 lead.

“For Larroquette, you know, coming in and, you know, you can see the hunger that she brings to try and score.”Hines said about the new striker. “Every moment she wants to score.”

Four minutes later, the Pride scored a fifth and it was another substitute. Cluff played Adriana down the right and the Brazilian used some good footwork to beat Amanda Kowalski. Cluff continued her run into the box and Adriana found her. Cluff’s first touch was a soft shot inside the far post to give the Pride a 5-0 lead.

With the game well under control, the Pride made two final changes. Megan Montefusco came on for Rafaelle in the 70th minute and Summer Yates replaced Adriana in the 73rd minute.

The Pride nearly had a sixth in the 82nd minute when Abello beat her defender and sent a cross towards the top of the six-yard box. Naeher tried to knock the ball away, but only put it in front for Larroquette. Unfortunately, the Argentinian couldn’t get her foot on the ball and the Red Stars cleared.

Chicago had a chance to get on the scoresheet in the 85th minute when Ella Stevens sent fellow substitute Ally Schlegel behind the Pride defense. Schlegel’s first touch should’ve been a shot on goal, but it was a heavy one instead. Moorhouse came out to challenge and the two collided, resulting in the ball rolling out of play. Moorhouse was down briefly and required medical attention, but was able to continue.

The fourth official put up six minutes of second-half stoppage time, but the Pride were content with their five-goal lead. The only chance in the dying minutes came in the first minute of added time when Krueger did well to keep possession in the Pride box and send the ball towards the penalty spot. Cari Roccaro met the ball and took a shot, but Madril got in front of the attempt, blocking it wide.

The Red Stars finished the game with more possession (51.1%-48.9%) and corner kicks (6-4), but weren’t able to create much from them. The Pride had more shots (13-9), shots on target (7-1), and crosses (17-15), and better passing accuracy (85.6%-82.8%).

“The players were brilliant today,” Hines said about the performance. “From start to finish, the intensity of how they did everything, from attacking to defending. We talked heavily about taking our opportunities, end product in the final third. And, you know, they were brilliant. I can’t speak highly (enough) of them. You know, we’ve felt like that performance has been coming. But it’s nice to finally get a good score line at the end of it.”

The five goals are the most the Pride have scored in a game since May 26, 2018 when they beat the Red Stars in Illinois, 5-2. It’s their largest win since Aug. 12, 2017 when they won 5-0 over Sky Blue FC at Exploria Stadium. It’s also the first time that the Pride have beaten the Red Stars in Orlando, now with a record of 1-7-1 at home against tonight’s opposition.

In addition to team history, the Pride also set some league history tonight. They did that earlier this year by conceding the latest goals in league history, but this time it was positive. Brazilians Marta, Adriana, and Rafaelle all had a part in goals, the first time in NWSL history that three players from the same country other than the United States had goal contributions in the same game.

It was a clutch performance for the Pride as they attempt to qualify for the NWSL playoffs for the first time since 2017. Racing Louisville lost last night, so the Pride move in front of them into seventh place. The final playoff spot is currently held by San Diego Wave FC, which is three points ahead of the Pride after this weekend’s games.

The win makes the Pride’s next match even more essential as they welcome the Wave to Exploria Stadium Friday night with a chance to climb even on points for the sixth and final playoff spot.