Over the last five matches, the social media birds chirping against the Orlando Pride have some substance to their negativity.
A typical exchange lately on X overlapped a bit with disappointment over Orlando City SC. But the originator quickly got everyone back on track. Their concern is the Orlando Pride in the NWSL.
Supporters of both Orlando clubs have shared concern lately. But Pride supporters do have evidence to fuel their anguish.
Through 19 matches, the Orlando Pride held the fifth spot in NWSL. Their record was 8-4-7. The next two teams up in the standings also had eight wins. They were the San Diego Wave and Portland Thorns.
Driving the concern of supporters is what they’ve seen from the Pride players in the last five matches, specifically nos. 15-19. They have three losses and two draws. All other teams above them have at least one win. In fact, except for the San Diego Wave, they have more than one win.
The no. 1 team, the San Diego Current, won four of their last five matches.
In their 19th match facing Chicago Stars FC, defender Carson Pickett scored her first goal of the NWSL regular season – her second across all competitions – for the Pride. She was assisted by midfielder Haley McCutcheon. In the 72nd minute, McCutcheon got her own goal, her third of the season. She was assisted by striker Julie Doyle.
The problem came as Chicago piled it on for a 5-2 win.
Supporters speculated that over the past five bewildering matches that Head Coach Seb Hines has been inadvertently telegraphing the Pride’s moves. But it’s easy to establish that this is not the case.
At the beginning of the second half in what became the loss to the Stars, winger Jacqueline Ovalle made her Pride debut and contributed to a different look. That was the half in which the Pride scored, but not enough.
In fact, Hines made four changes to the starting lineup compared to their previous match.
But the chirping supporters are right about one thing. Opponents constantly take the pitch while having the number of the Orlando Pride. The organization will have to find out how they get that number. Then they’ll have to replace it with one that the opponents don’t have.