1. Haley McCutcheon continues to be clutch. The Pride midfielder scored a 90+8' winner in the dying moments of the game to get a massive 2-1 victory over previously undefeated Angel City FC.
2. It was always going to be a battle of two top teams, with the LA side coming in as the hottest team in the league. The players knew it, and the game played out as an incredibly back-and-forth affair. Both teams had their chances, but ultimately, the final 15 minutes of the match determined the result.
3. It was a great start for Orlando right out of the gate as the team pressed Angel City for the first 15 minutes of the match. Causing havoc and creating chances in front of goal was something that the team discussed after going through film earlier in the week. Head Coach Seb Hines mentioned that over the last few matches, he made sure the team was performing their best when it came to playing out of possession, and making things uncomfortable for the opposition, just as they did against Chicago and Gotham the week prior.
4. The first goal came late, later than the Pride probably wanted, considering how they started the match. After Barbra Banda got the ball from Hannah Anderson on the wing, she drove towards the end line, crossing the ball into traffic. After the ball pinged around the box, hitting two Angel City defenders, McCutcheon found herself with it and an open net in front of her. As she tapped it in, she wasn't even sure what had happened in the moment. The celebration was muted as she wasn't sure if the goal would count. But after a lengthy review, the goal stood and the Pride finally had their deserved lead.
5. That lead wouldn't last long, however. Just as the game crept into stoppage time, Angel City found the equalizer. A stunning strike from outside the box by Gisele Thompson smashed off the underside of the crossbar and barely crept over the line, tying the game. In his post-match press conference, Hines said, "When a player hits one like that, you hold your hands up and say, it's a good finish from them."
6. As the game remained tied and the stoppage time continued to tick onward, it looked like the back-and-forth match would end as a stalemate. But just minutes before the final whistle, the Pride found another breakthrough, and it was McCutcheon once again on a scramble in the box. After Marta crossed the ball to the far post, the ball took multiple deflections, finding the midfielder's feet once again. And once again, she was able to tap it home, finally celebrating her game-winning goal.
7. McCutcheon's two goals add to her last few years of coming up in the clutch. After scoring two goals in the 2024 NWSL Playoffs (her first for the Pride), she scored three goals last year, another one of those coming in the playoffs. Tonight, she once again came up big for the Pride, scoring her first-ever brace in her 94th appearance for the club across all competitions.
8. Outside of the goals, the defense was once again massive for Orlando. While they didn't get the shutout for the third straight match, the team only allowed Angel City one shot on target the entire game. For a side that had the most goals in the league coming into tonight, it's yet another step in the right direction for this team that prides itself on keeping the ball out of the back of the net.
9. The Pride will now have a few weeks off before heading back on the road towards the end of the month, taking on Racing Louisville out in Kentucky on April 24. That match is set to kick off at 5:30 with the game being broadcast on Victory+.
