The Washington Spirit find supreme form as wasteful Orlando Pride wait for better days
How Adrián González's team took control of the second half to overcome the Orlando Pride and secure another impressive victory
After starting the season with a four-game winless streak, last year’s NWSL runner-ups, the Washington Spirit, tore through the Orlando Pride Saturday in a 4-2 road win to secure their fourth straight victory. During this stretch, the Spirit have won games by a combined 11-2 goal differential.
The Spirit outdueled the Pride despite coming into the game with just two days of rest compared to an entire week for the home side. Trinity Rodman netted a goal and recorded a pair of assists, while Sofia Cantore scored a brace to help move the Spirit into second place in the league table.
“This is more than three points,” said Spirit coach Adrián González, “because of the circumstances … It’s not easy to overcome a situation like this and be able to compete, as we’ve done.”
Following a weather delay of over 90 minutes, Cantore wasted no time, scoring in the second minute from outside the box with a well-struck finish into the bottom-left corner. Leading to the goal, the Spirit built up through the centre of the field, and Rodman played a hopeful ball over the top to the Italian international before she tucked a finish into the net.
In the sixth minute, Cantore secured her brace when she capitalised on a transition chance. Pride forward Solai Washington hit the post, and the Spirit quickly flipped the field. Rodman then assisted Cantore again after patiently finding her with a through ball behind a clueless Rafaelle.
Ally Lemos missed a penalty for the Pride in the 33rd minute, but it only took a minute for star forward Barbra Banda to create space and score after taking a brilliant touch on the chest following a header down from the ensuing corner.
Banda’s equaliser came in the 39th minute when she beat Spirit’s Esme Morgan with a touch after receiving the ball from Oihane Hernández on the end line.
Despite just two days of rest, the Spirit still came out of the second half in better form, taking the lead via a 55th-minute goal by Claudia Martinez and a commanding advantage when Rodman scored in the 70th minute, her third straight game with a goal.
“When you win, and you keep winning, players release a lot of pressure, and they enjoy [it],” González said. “We want to have fun.”
Half-time adjustment allows Spirit to regain dominance
After giving up a two-goal lead in the first half, it could’ve been easy for the Spirit to fall behind in the second half on short rest. Instead, they took control, creating the two biggest chances of the half, both of which led to goals.
González said the team noticed during the last minute of the first half that if they kept the ball and showed patience, they would find more success. They did that by holding 58% possession compared to 51% in the first half, while affording the Pride only three shots on goal.
Andi Sullivan was also substituted in at half-time, playing her most minutes this season after returning from an ACL tear and maternity leave. She helped the team keep possession, making 23 of 26 accurate passes.
“We did a great job in the second half to put more energy,” Cantore said. “We were more aggressive, and also we were more patient with the ball. We were really great to take control of the game in the second half again after they scored the two goals back.”
Rudd said the team focused on getting back to their tactical plans and staying compact defensively.
Early in the season, the Spirit struggled to be ruthless in the final third, leading to a slow start. But Cantore said they’ve now hit their stride, and they showed that on Saturday with a superb second half.
“We’ve been doing the right things from the beginning, (but) maybe the last thing wasn’t clicking,” said defender Tara Rudd of the team’s shift in form since the season’s start. “The confidence of this group is really high right now.”
Martínez scores in first NWSL start
Martínez has played a role off the bench for the Spirit since signing in January to a three-year deal with a club option. While she had appeared in seven matches already, the Paraguayan 18-year-old received her first NWSL start in place of Rosemond Kouassi with the team on two days’ rest.
She had an average night, winning just two of nine duels and making eight out of 16 accurate passes in 72 minutes. But ultimately, her goal ended up being the game-winner.
Martínez scored after carrying the ball over a third of the field, as seen in the picture below, before putting away a simple finish.
González praised how quickly Martínez has adjusted to the speed and physicality of the NWSL, leveraging her versatility to play on both wings and centrally as a No 9 or No 10.
“Claudia continues to improve and continues to do well,” González said. “She gives us a lot of versatility and can play in different positions and is also a very goal-scoring player.”
Claudia Martínez carries vs. Orlando Pride 2 May (via Sofascore)
Pride lose again despite solid underlying numbers
It’s been a tricky start to the season for the Pride, who have fewer points than their underlying metrics indicate. Entering Saturday’s game 10th in the table, they ranked tied for first in expected goals differential per 90 (0.86).
Pre-game, coach Seb Hines said the Pride were trending in the right direction despite inconsistent results and he was focused on their details in the final third. They were getting into good spaces and creating chances well already, he added.
But Saturday’s game ended up being more of the same for the Pride, who generated 1.96 xG compared to the Spirit’s 1.51 xG. Their back line looked out of sync, with their centre-back pairing frequently allowing high-quality chances.
The xG numbers suggest better days ahead for the Pride, but they’ve lacked the details to execute victories from their performances.
The Pride will look to rebound on Friday vs the North Carolina Courage, while the Spirit will hope to continue their outstanding run against the Seattle Reign on 10 May.
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