New coach, Lloyd can’t stem skid
When Saturday night’s game began, the Dash had several reasons to be positive despite the fact they had lost five in a row.
Carli Lloyd was back in the starting lineup. The players had a coach they were fully behind. They had two weeks to prepare for an opponent that was winless in five road games.
None of that seemed to matter. When Saturday’s game ended, all the Dash had was a six-game losing streak.
Five-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta scored two goals to lead the Orlando Pride to a 4-2 victory over the Dash in front of an announced crowd of 5,918 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
The lopsided loss spoiled the pro coaching debut of Dash interim coach Omar Morales.
“Same story, different game,” Morales said. “We go and we attack and we’re kind of on top of them. Then we give up a goal. We had some chances. That tacked on with some questionable refereeing, you get on the back end of it and you’re chasing the game again.”
Orlando’s goals did not come immediately, but its intent did. The Pride used a high press to suffocate the Dash. They did not turn it into an onslaught of shots, but the hosts barely got out of their end in the early going.
When the Dash did get into the attacking half, they struggled with timing. The Dash were whistled for three offsides violations in the first 10 minutes and five overall in the first half.
Orlando scored the opener on a rocket from Camila in the 16th minute. She created space in the middle of the park 33 yards from the goal and ripped it into the upper corner of the right post.
The visitors doubled their lead in the 22nd minute on a goal by Marta. She received a pass and dribbled through oceans of space before scoring from inside the penalty area.
Marta scored again in the 57th minute, effectively putting the game away. The Pride made it 4-0 in the 68th minute when Alanna Kennedy headed in a corner kick.
The Dash finally scored in the 89th minute when fullback Poliana headed in a free kick from Andressinha. It is Poliana’s third goal, which leads the team.
Nichelle Prince scored her first pro goal in the sixth minute of added time for the Dash.
It was too little too late for a team that needs to find a way out of a big hole in a hurry.
“The ball is going to roll our way,” Morales said. “I keep saying that. I really feel confident at one point in the season it’s going to change things around.”