Orlando, FL – The Orlando Pride continued their historic season with a commanding 2-0 victory over NJ/NY Gotham FC at Inter&Co Stadium. The win extended the Pride’s unbeaten streak to 19 matches, a new NWSL record.
Adriana stole the show with a first-half brace. Her goals came in the 6th and 19th minutes, giving the Pride an early lead they never relinquished. The Pride’s defense, anchored by goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, held firm throughout the match,keeping Gotham scoreless.
“It was a great moment for Adriana. She’s been looking forward to getting on the score sheet,” Hines said about the brace. “She’s been working extremely hard with her finishing, and she had a night tonight.”
The Pride led most of the statistical categories in the first half, including possession (52%-48%), shots (7-4), shots on target (3-0), corner kicks (3-0), and crosses (10-4). The hosts also had better passing accuracy (88%-85%) in the first 45 minutes.
“We always mention it at halftime. You know, 2-0 is a dangerous score line at halftime,” Hines said. “Two halves are never the same. And especially when we’re dominating so much in the first half and creating some really good opportunities in the first half and played some really good football. A team like Gotham is going to adjust things.”
“We say it all the time, 2-0 is a very dangerous lead,” Strom added. “So we knew that they were going to change something. We weren’t sure what. So, we just needed to problem solve and adapt and, you know, try to figure out how to beat the press in the second half.”
With the victory, the Pride further solidified their position atop the NWSL standings. They now have a 10-point lead over second place Portland Thorns FC. As the season enters its final stretch, the Pride are poised to make a strong run at their first NWSL championship.
