CARY, N.C. (July 29, 2023) – Orlando Pride (0-3-1, 1 point) were defeated 5-0 Saturday night by the North Carolina Courage (3-0-2, 11 points) at WakeMed Soccer Park. The Pride will look to bounce back when they return home to Exploria Stadium on Friday, August 4 to face off against the Washington Spirit in another UKG Challenge Cup match.
Scoring Summary:
17’ Brittany Ratcliffe (Kiki Pickett) – NC 1, ORL 0
The home side scored first with Kiki Pickett finding a sprinting Brittany Radcliffe who was able to get past the backline and slide the ball past a diving Anna Moorhouse.
38’ Malia Berkely (Penalty Kick) – NC 2, ORL 0
The Courage doubled their advantage after earning a penalty kick. Malia Berkely stepped up to the spot, sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and finished off the penalty kick.
48’ Frankie Tagliaferri – NC 3, ORL 0
The Courage extended their lead after the ball rolled out to the feet of Frankie Tagliaferri who was able to get a shot through a crowded box and find the back of the net.
78’ Haley Hopkins (Olivia Wingate) – NC 4, ORL 0
Haley Hopkins continued the scoring after she received a ball from Olivia Wingate right at the goal line and tapped it in.
89’ Haley Hopkins (Sarah Clark) – NC 5, ORL 0
Hopkins found her second after Sarah Clark floated a ball to the backpost and Hopkins was able to head the ball down and into the back of the net.
Head Coach Seb Hines:
“The scoreline doesn’t lie. Today was not good enough. North Carolina is very good both in attack and defense. They are a difficult team to break down with their athleticism and their attitude to win the ball back quickly in transition. We found it tough. I think we struggled with the basics. We talked about a gameplan to put pressure on them in the right moments. If you time it a little late, then they will pick you off and be threatening in the attack and that is where we fell apart.”
Match Notes:
- Making the start, Jordyn Listro made her 40th appearance across all competitions.
- Midfielder Viviana Villacorta made her 30th professional career appearance in the NWSL.
- Head Coach Seb Hines made four changes to the Starting XI with Haley McCutcheon, Kylie Strom, Kerry Abello and Messiah Bright all getting the nod.
Next Match
The Pride will continue their UKG Challenge Cup run by returning home to square off against the Washington Spirit. Kickoff for the match is scheduled for Friday, August 4, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET at Exploria Stadium.
