ORLANDO, Fl. (FNN) — In Orlando Pride’s home opener of the season, Seb Hines and his squad wanted to set the record straight after losing to reigning champions Portland Thorns 4-0. However, Angel City FC were resilient and tough in the first half as they forced Orlando into compromising positions. Newly drafted Messiah Bright made her entrance off the bench after starting last game due to Julie Doyle suffering an injury. The attacking looked revitalized for Orlando as they found great crosses and attempts on goal. One shot even finished at the crossbar from Kylie Strom.

The pressure from Orlando was felt but Angel City FC relied on speed to counteract. Emily Madril was yellow carded after a dangerous lofted ball into the box. Alyssa Thompson was just a few steps faster than Madril and won out position to earn the penalty. Claire Emslie stepped up to take the penalty and easily slotted it into the right side of the net. Anna Moorhouse was fooled the opposite direction as Orlando found themselves down 1-0 at home.

Angel City FC creates havoc against the Orlando Pride during their home opener at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Sunday, April 2, 2023. Photo by Harry Castiblanco / Florida National News

With five minutes to play in the first, Orlando once again used their offensive options to create havoc. After a lazy clearance, Adriana took the ball from midfield all the way into the opposing teams box and launched a shot across goal. The resulting shot found the far post this time for Orlando. Despite the miss, Adriana managed to get the crowd fired up going into the final 45.

Messiah Bright marks first pro goal in Orlando loss

The momentum continued to shift in favor of Orlando at the start of the second. Recently subbed Messiah Bright latched onto a ball from Erika Tymrak after Kylie Strom dispossessed their opponent. Bright took the ball onwards between two defenders and put it into the back of the net as the ball calmly rolled past Didi Haracic. The score was equalized, and the crowd once again revitalized as Orlando were on the clear offensive.

With the game dwindling in pace, referee Danielle Chesky whistled to the penalty spot in the 87th minute. Claire Emslie stepped up to take it but was denied this time by Moorhouse. The Orlando Pride keeper stepped up massively to inject the fans with hope. The resulting counterattack led to Bright dishing it off to Adriana. However, the Brazilian couldn’t get the proper spin with her left foot and the ball went straight to the keeper.

With eight minutes added in extra time the drama continued until the very last whistle. McCaskill once again had a chance in the box that resulted in a penalty tackle. Despite the contact the play was called offside from the beginning, nullifying the offense from the start. Sarah McCaskill injected some fire into the offense as two of her runs ended in shots on goal.

Finally, it was Katie Johnson at the death-knell for Angel City FC after an opportune corner kick. The ball was placed in the six-yard box and Moorhouse didn’t see Johnson run up behind as her jump missed the ball. The late substitution for Angel City gave them the runaway win away from home. A true disappointment for the home fans as they fought valiantly and even looked close to the victory at points.

Something has got to change

Adriana was also a focal point of the offense in the first half but her touches on ball in the second began to wane. The Brazilian international has a huge role to fill in this offense. With Marta still reeling from injury and the other departures in offense from last year this is the most important aspect of Orlando’s offense going forward. Haley McCutcheon once again had a monster game as she shows her worth on the pitch. Her hustle, passing ability and IQ on the wing are a necessity for Orlando if they want to compete in this league.

The Orlando Pride definitely made improvements from their first game to second. Despite those strides, Seb Hines was very displeased with certain aspects of the game. When it came to officiating, Hines reclaimed that the refs have been against the Pride for two games running now. After some questionable calls from referee Danielle Chesky last night, you can see where the frustration stems from:

“And I don’t like saying it but two weeks in a row, the referees have been against us. There needs to be a change in that. It’s frustrating for everyone thats here that it keeps happening. [And] I don’t know what the solution is, but it keeps happening … It should be a fair game and it hasn’t been fair the last two games. So, you know, you’re fighting against that.”

— Seb Hines on recent officiating struggles towards Orlando Pride.