April 2, 2023 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Orlando Pride News Release
*ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando Pride (0-2-0, points) dropped a 2-1 decision on Sunday night to Angel City FC (1-1-0, 3 points) in what served as the Club’s home opener for the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season.
The match saw 2023 NWSL Draft selection Messiah Bright score her first professional goal, drafted by the Club at No. 21 overall back in January. Bright entered the match in the 23rd minute, coming on for an injured Julie Doyle.
The Pride had a number of chances on the night but were unable to convert to add to their one-goal tally. The first half saw a pair of chances hit the woodwork, one apiece from Kylie Strom and Adriana. With the match tied at 1-1 entering into stoppage time, goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse denied Claire Emslie from the penalty spot to keep the two sides level, making her the fifth different Pride goalkeeper since the Club’s inception in 2016 to deny an opponent from the spot, the Club now with a league-high eight stops in total across the five netminders in that span.
Scoring Summary:
39′ Claire Emslie (PK) – LA 1, ORL 0
The visitors took the early lead thanks to a penalty kick from former Pride forward Claire Emslie, converting from the spot after teammate Alyssa Thompson was taken down in the box by the Pride defense.
51′ Messiah Bright (Erika Tymrak) – ORL 1, LA 1
The home side leveled things up early in the second half, with Kylie Strom stripping Angel City of possession in the midfield. Strom found Erika Tymrak, who split the defenders on a pass to Messiah Bright. The rookie calmly slotted the ball in for her first professional goal.
90+10′ Katie Johnson (Claire Emslie) – LA 2, ORL 1
Angel City scored the decider at the death with Katie Johnson getting her head on a late corner from Claire Emslie inside the near post for the finish.
Head Coach Seb Hines:
“I am disappointed, we want to win the games at home. At minimum you want to take a point away and to concede in the way we did at the end of the game it is frustrating and disappointing…You have to build character in these moments and our players will build character, every moment that they go for every minute that they spend on the field is going to build them and be the players that we all believe in at the end of it. So, you have to go through these moments too, to really identify who you are, as well. It hurts, and that’s a good thing, it hurts to lose a game at home, it’ll hurt to…