Orlando Pride Have Two Penalties Saved, but a Stoppage-Time Goal Leads to 1-1 Draw with Racing Louisville
Everything pointed to it being Racing Louisville’s night after two penalty saves by Jordyn Bloomer, but a late own goal off an Orlando corner saw the Pride save a point at home and draw 1-1.
The defending champions started the game very well in possession. Sixteen minutes in, Julie Doyle ran into space at the back post to meet a cross in the air from the right. About ten yards out, she got her technique all wrong, and her shot went harmlessly wide.
Orlando continued to possess the ball and wanted to push it wide in the attack to cross back in for chances. On the other side of the tactical aisle, Louisville tried to trap Orlando in their own half and play more direct, which slowly helped them grow into the game. Orlando’s possession slipped as they gave the ball away, and in the array of half-chances that dominated the first half, Louisville had more.
It took until the forty-third minute for the half-chances to end. Orlando’s Ally Limos played Barbara Banda down the left channel, and the BBC Women’s Football of the year beat two defenders to drive at goal. One of the defenders, Ellie Jean, panicked pulled Banda’s left arm back, and gave up a penalty.
Julie Doyle walked up to take the spot kick, trying to redeem her early miss, but Racing goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer read her penalty the entire way, dove to her right, and got both hands on the ball to push it away. The ensuing corner saw a shot blocked after an initial clearance, and Banda found herself on the rebound. She hit a pacy shot just inside the 18 but Bloomer came up clutch again, jumping up to punch the ball over the bar. Punching the next corner away capped what was an incredible minute of heroism.
Five minutes into stoppage time, Emma Sears drove centrally into the Orlando attacking third, beat a defender, and played Canadian National Team right back Janine Beckie down the right flank. Marisa DiGrande was wide open after a great back post run, settled the cross from Beckie with her first touch well, and hit it off the half-volley into the right side of the net. It was a lovely team goal after Sear’s central movement opened up the space for Beckie’s run, and DiGrande scored her first goal this year and only her second for the club (sixth in her career) with a great finish.
The second half kicked off with some half chances. Banda received a great through ball about eight minutes into the second half, but her shot was saved near post with not much difficulty. About five minutes later, a Louisville counter attack ends with a shot outside the box from the right going wide past the left post.
It took until the seventy-fourth minute for another major chance to come, as Louisville’s Ella Hase was played through down the left channel. She drove towards goal and created a 1v1 opportunity, but her shot did not really challenge the keeper as Moorhouse dropped to the left for the save.
Just before minute eighty, Simone Charley fought and won the balls off two Louisville players, one being Taylor Flint. She slightly pulled Charley back and she started to go down outside the box, but then Katie O’Kane made a recovery tackle in the box, driving her hip in front of Charley. It was a foul, but the referee initially called the foul outside the box for the pullback by Flint. After VAR review, however, it was recognized that advantage should’ve been played and the second foul was called on O’Kane for another Orlando penalty.
Unless you didn’t read the headline, you know where this is going. Bloomer took a step to her right, baited Angelina to shoot to her left, and she dove to parry the ball for her second penalty save! The follow-up header chance was cleared at the last second by a sprawled Gilliland, and Louisville survived again.
With only one minute remaining in normal time, Banda flicked on a header to Charley, who played it right back. Banda then drove forward and played the ball to her left, where Jackson hit a half-volley over the bar. With that, Orlando’s hopes were fading, but nine whole minutes of stoppage time were added.
They only needed three.
An in-swinging free kick from the right was flicked on by Charley, causing the ball to bounce off Ary Borges’ head and in past Bloomer for an own goal. Louisville had finally been beat, and Orlando got a gracious equalizer with six minutes to play.
Five of the remaining minutes were controlled by Louisville, but they couldn’t create a goal-scoring opportunity. Instead, after losing the ball to Angelina in midfield, Orlando had a 3v2 counter attack. After driving into space, Angelina played Banda through on the right. As the Louisville defender lunged to block her shot, the star striker somehow didn’t even hit the target with the last kick of the game, instead hitting the stands behind. With that, an extremely eventful game finished 1-1, saw the Pride stay second with 27 points, and saw Louisville keep the seventh playoff spot with 21 points.
Racing Louisville’s next match is this Friday, August 15 at 8:00pm EST as they face third place Washington Spirit in DC. Orlando will face off against current leaders KC Current this Saturday at 4:00pm EST away. Kansas City are currently 12 points clear of the Pride.
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