In the first half, the Orlando Pride started the game being very cautious and the Thorns started creating some troubles offensively for the Pride’s backline. Minutes later, Marta in all her “GOATNESS” started to be super influential in attack for the Pride. The Brazilian created several plays in transitions linking up with Julie Doyle and Adriana but unfortunately, chances came close but they were not able to capitalize on those chances. Throughout the first half, all we saw was Orlando Pride creating and dismantling the Thorns offensively but not being able to putting it away, the Thorns on the other hand, they were just staying compact defensively and patiently awaited a turnover or a chance in transition. In the 30th minute, after a scramble in Portland’s box, Barbra Banda scored a phenomenal header goal to put Orlando up by 1. Just like Thanos, Banda is inevitable. Ten minutes later, another Banda goal, and a brace for the Zambian international. Well deserved by the Pride, phenomenal assist by Marta. The half ended with Banda being check by medics due to some pain on her hamstring.
In the second half, the Orlando Pride subbed in Ally Watt for Barbra Banda, this move was as a precaution, to make sure the striker is able to rest and not force a hammy that kept cramping throughout the game. Following the halftime whistle, Banda felt pain in her leg and went down. In response, Hines decided to make a halftime substitution, swapping Banda with Ally Watt. In the 52nd minute, Doyle passed to McCutcheon who had the first opportunity for the Pride in the second half, but Coffey deflected the ball out of play. Marta’s initial corner kick was deflected back to her, and her subsequent cross was cleared by Sinclair. The second corner kick was aimed towards Rafaelle at the back post, but her header missed the target high and wide. Following the goal kick, the Thorns swiftly changed direction as Moultrie passed the ball to Beckie on the right side. Sinclair, who had managed to bypass Rafaelle, received an excellent pass from the midfielder. Despite her effort to redirect the ball towards the goal, Sinclair was unsuccessful as the ball went over the crossbar. Doyle passed a lengthy ball to Watt in the 56th minute, allowing the quick striker to outpace Sauerbrunn and take a shot on goal that went straight to Hogan.
In the 60th minute, it seemed like the Pride would earn a corner kick when Marta delivered a threatening ball towards the goal. Although it appeared that Hogan deflected the shot out of bounds, Koroleva ruled that Marta was the one who made the final contact, which surprised her. In the game against the Thorns, Marta’s presence on the left side disrupted the defense as she initiated a threatening cross in the 65th minute. Her target was Watt, who was sprinting towards the near post in a diagonal manner. However, Sauerbrunn managed to intercept the ball before Watt could reach it, successfully deflecting it out of bounds. A moment later, Marta was pushed up on the left side and delivered a risky pass towards the goal. Watt tried to redirect the ball towards the far post with a subtle touch, but was unable to put enough force on it, resulting in the ball going out of bounds. In the 68th minute, the Thorns had an opportunity when Beckie executed a beautiful through pass, sending D’Aquila past the defense.
The substitute immediately took a shot with her first touch, but Moorhouse made a great effort to come out and block the attempt. Shortly after the pause, Hines decided to switch up his players for the second time in the game, bringing in Cori Dyke instead of Doyle. In the 71st minute, the away team scored a goal thanks to a brilliant solo play by Moultrie. The substitute had no trouble finishing the opportunity, narrowing the Pride’s lead to 2-1. In the 76th minute, the Pride made their third substitution, bringing Martinez in for Gautrat for a more defensive strategy. Watt suffered an injury in the 79th minute, needing medical assistance from the Pride staff. During this break, the players took a moment to hydrate and receive instructions from the coaches. After Watt returned to the game, Dias delivered a threatening cross towards the back post, although D’Aquila was unable to connect with it inside the penalty area. One minute later, Sugita managed to find some space to shoot the ball towards the goal. Moorhouse seemed like she would need to make a save, but the ball curved away and went out for a goal kick. The Thorns almost scored the equalizer in the 84th minute as Moultrie sent the ball forward. Dias was in between Rafaelle and Strom, but she managed to get her head to it. Moorhouse hesitated on whether to come out, which almost backfired. Luckily, the header hit the crossbar and the Pride were able to clear the ball. In the final moments of the game, Lemos obstructed Sugita as she tried to advance into the Pride penalty area, resulting in a yellow card for Lemos and a free kick for Portland in a threatening spot. Moultrie delivered the set piece to the far post, where Dias headed the ball, but unfortunately missed the target. The referee added five extra minutes to the second half, but the Thorns failed to capitalize on the opportunity. The only scoring opportunity occurred in the final minute when Moultrie attempted a shot from long distance. McCutcheon made a crucial block, helping the Pride secure a 2-1 victory.
The Pride put an end to the Thorns’ six-game winning streak and broke a new NWSL record with their eighth straight win. The team has their sights set on achieving their first ever trophy.
