After an important win for the city of Orlando, the Pride faced the number one team in the NWSL; the Portland Thorns. Both teams were faced with a challenge after the sky opened up and began to downpour on the pitch at Camping World Stadium. The match was the last of two meetings between the clubs. Despite a terrific overall effort, the Pride fell short of a victory after being unresponsive to two back to back goals by Portland in the second half.
Both teams started off the match with great energy. The Thorns were ready to show the Pride why they are the number one team in the National Women’s Soccer League with some great defensive play early in the game. A wet field and a heavy ball made both teams settle down, forcing them into calculated plays to advance their side. However, opportunities came and went as Pride passes would sail just out of reach during key offensive possessions. Each side spent time cycling the ball among the back-line players before moving into their opponents defensive zone.
An aggressive Pride team showed up for the second half ready to put some points up on the scoreboard. Ball movement and patience were instrumental in threatening the Thorn’s defense. Orlando’s Jasmyne Spencer earned Player Of The Match, showing up in a big way for the pride once again. Coming off a game winning goal against the Houston Dash three days prior, Spencer was able to produce the only goal the Pride would score for the evening in the 67th minute.
Relishing in the joy of that goal would be short lived. A hustling Dagný Brynjarsdóttir outran a defender to score in the 80th after she got her foot on a well-placed header from Portland forward Christine Sinclair. Minutes later, another blow would be dealt to the Pride. A perfectly placed cross to the back post of the Pride’s goal would be collected by Hayley Raso. Lindsey Horan made her way to the center of the 18 yard box where she was met by a impeccably placed pass from Raso that Horan put in the back of the net in the 90th minute of play. The Thorns managed to slip out of this match with a victory by capitalizing on opportunities in the last 15 minutes of the game.
Pride Coach Tom Sermanni expressed his disappointment with the final minutes of the match, “All game we out played them. We created more chances. We probably played the best soccer of the season and then we gave away two of the dumbest goals that you could possibly give away”. Although he was disappointed, Sermanni went on to say that he liked the energy and was pleased with how the team stuck to the game plan.
The Pride will now be losing some key players to international play. A win at home on July 10th against the Boston Breakers would help the pride rebound from this loss. They currently stand 5th in league standings with 15 points; sitting right under the Washington Spirit who have 17 points.
Orlando Pride
