The Orlando Pride
lose again, falling to Chicago 3-1.
The Orlando Pride knew only a victory would suffice against the Chicago Red Stars.
A loss would eliminate the Pride from playoff contention. A draw wouldn’t allow the team to gain any ground and would be all but useless.
In Orlando City Stadium with the season on the line in front of an announced crowd of 5,016, the Pride couldn’t deliver.
The Pride (8-9-6, 30 points) fell 3-1 to the Red Stars on Saturday, extending their winless streak to five matches, ending their push for the playoffs and leaving the team in a state of flux heading into next season.
“To be honest, a little bit embarrassed by the performance tonight, if I’m being frank,” Orlando Pride coach Tom Sermanni said. “Fundamental aspects of our game that should be an automatic are not an automatic.
“To be frank, apart from Dani Weatherholt, probably Marta, I can’t turn around and say any other player has played to the expectations we have of
Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris raises money to prevent suicides, C3
them.
“There’s barely been a game this season where I felt we’ve been a dominant force.”
Goalkeeper and captain Ashlyn Harris said before the match there would be questions for the club to answer if the Pride couldn’t beat the Red Stars and keep their hopes of a playoff berth alive.
Because with this year — with talent on the roster and last season’s run to the playoffs — was supposed to be the year. Sermanni and the Pride entered 2018 with high expectations after key additions, including striker Sydney Leroux, joined the club in the offseason.
Instead, the story of the season has been one of collapses, particularly in the second half of the year. The Pride gave up two goals in two minutes to end the first half after opening the match strong.
“It’s tough, because when you have such high expectations for the season and you don't meet those expectations with the caliber of players that we have, it’s a bit frustrating,” Pride defender Ali Krieger said.
Red Stars forward Samantha Kerr opened the scoring in the 44th minute after repeatedly getting in behind the Pride’s back line. She received a through ball from Yuki Nagasato and calmly put a shot by Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris — who had already denied two oneon-one shots in the first half — to give the Red Stars a first-half lead.
Two minutes later, in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, Kerr made her way to the end line and cut the ball back for midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo, who onetimed it into the back of the net and doubled the Red Stars’ lead.
The possession in the first half was just about even, though the Red Stars fired 11 shots (six on target) compared to just two shots from the Pride. Orlando’s only shot on form was a weak one from Marta that went right at Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
Kerr got her brace in the 59th minute, pouncing on a Pride midfielder in the final third and stealing the ball in the penalty area before putting another shot by Harris.
The Pride managed to get a goal back in the 65th minute after Marta’s cross from the left side of the penalty area found star forward Alex Morgan, who headed the ball home. The Pride played with a bit more fire after that, but couldn’t find a second goal to put pressure on the Red Stars.
The first half was interrupted in the eighth minute by a 46-minute lightning delay.
Orlando wraps its season on Sept. 8 with a road match against winless Sky Blue FC.