Match Report: Pride close season with shutout home win over Houston

ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 15, 2023) – Orlando Pride (10-11-1, 31 points) earned a 1-0 win over the Houston Dash (6-8-8, 26 points) in Exploria Stadium on Sunday evening, with Marta scoring her fourth goal of the season to secure all three points for the Pride. Due to other Decision Day results, the Pride were eliminated from postseason contention, with Angel City FC owning the goal-differential tiebreakers. Orlando also tallied double-digit wins for the second time in its history, finishing with 10 wins on the year, the second highest in the NWSL this season.  

With the win, the Pride also set a new Club record for most wins at home in a single season with seven, while also seeing the largest attendance for a regular-season Pride game since July 20, 2019 vs. Sky Blue FC. 

The Pride battled throughout the match, pushing for the win and creating most of the attacking opportunities. Marta ended up getting the best opportunity of the night, drawing a penalty in the dying minutes of the second half and burying it for the 1-0 lead. Her goal served as the game-winner, taking her past former Pride forward Alex Morgan for the Club record in the category.

With two saves on the night, Anna Moorhouse recorded her 71st and 72nd stops this season, setting the Club’s single-season saves record with the latter.

Scoring Summary:

87’ Marta (PK) – ORL 1, HOU 0 
The Pride found the breakthrough late in the second half with Marta getting brought down in the box. The captain stepped up to the spot and calmly slotted home the penalty to the goalkeeper’s right and in for the game-winner.

Head Coach Seb Hines:

“We won the game, but we lose, so it is difficult. I thought we started a little bit slow and not as threatening as I would have liked us to be, but I get it, there was a lot at stake in this game and a lot of pressure. I felt like in the second half, we were more aggressive. The goal comes from a terrific ball from Julie [Doyle] and a great run from Marta and gets in behind the backline and gets brought down and you think you are one-nil up and looking towards next week, but it wasn’t meant to be. It is a tough one.”

Match Notes:

• Marta scored her fourth goal of the season, all of which have come from the penalty spot. The goal was also Marta’s second penalty goal in as many games.  
• Marta’s goal served as the game-winner, taking her past former Pride forward Alex Morgan and setting the new all-time Club record.  
• The win was the Pride’s seventh of the season in Exploria Stadium, a new single-season Club home record.  
• The Pride shut out the Dash on the night, posting their seventh clean sheet of the 2023 campaign across all competitions.  
• Defender Emily Madril exited the match in the 88th minute, finishing the 2023 campaign just two minutes away from earning the Ironwoman recognition.  
• Sunday’s attendance, 8,540, was the largest crowd in Exploria Stadium for a Pride regular-season game since July 20, 2019 against Sky Blue FC. 
• The Pride finished the regular season tied for the second most wins in the league with 10, tied with the Portland Thorns and trailing only San Diego Wave FC. This season was the second season all-time that the Pride finished with double-digit wins, previously achieving the feat in 2017. 
• With two saves on the night, Anna Moorhouse broke the single-season Club record for most saves made in a season. 
• Head Coach Seb Hines made one change to his starting lineup with Erika Tymrak entering the Starting XI.