Orlando’s Second-Half Surge Led to Dropped Points

Reign FC faltered at the close of the regular season, conceding a late equalizer to the Orlando Pride in a 2-2 draw on the road on Saturday, October 12. Despite taking the lead late in the first half, Orlando put the club under pressure in the second half in the lead up to Marta’s goal in the 86th minute.

The club came up with a tremendous response to conceding the opening goal when forward Darian Jenkins headed in a cross from defender Steph Catley in the 34th minute. Forward Jodie Taylor piled on seven minutes later, cleanly finishing a ball in from midfielder Rumi Utsugi after fighting her way free from pressure to make it 2-1.

“I was very happy with the mentality after we got scored on,” Reign FC head coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “I wasn’t happy that we had to get scored on to turn it up, but the fact that we scored two goals and took a little bit of the game over was good. Now, the overall performance was not at the level at which we can perform. There were several reasons; I don’t want to take anything away from Orlando or the way they played. I think they did well. Whether it was the long travel, the weather, it was a little bit of a shocker for us. Altogether, we didn’t play in a way to help ourselves in any way. Other than that, after everything, walking out of that environment with a point, it may be a result we’re not happy with, but it was an okay result.”

With Megan Oyster and Rebecca Quinn unavailable due to injury, Andonovski started Kristen McNabb as a centerback alongside Lauren Barnes. It was the first match of the season that the two started alongside one another in the heart of the back line—McNabb’s previous start was in place of Barnes when the latter was suspended for yellow card accumulation against Washington on September 14.

McNabb made three recoveries, three clearances and two blocks in the first half, before pushing up as a holding midfielder when Celia Jimenéz Delgado replaced her on the back line in the second half.

Midfielder Allie Long played the full 90 minutes; despite receiving a yellow card 29 minutes in. Andonovski said he trusted Long to keep her play clean enough to avoid being sent off and missing the club’s semifinal match.

“Allie is an experienced player,” Andonovski said. “She knows what she needs to do in order to finish the game. She’s been in that situation before. She knows how to handle tough situations. I had no doubt in my mind that she would be able to close out and finish the game.”

Long played a major role for Reign FC’s defense. The midfielder recorded six recoveries, five clearances, two tackles won and two blocks, including a critical clearance on a Rachel Hill shot that looked destined for goal in the 65th minute.

McNabb nearly assisted on a potential game-winner to Megan Rapinoe in the 70th minute, but the forward’s shot careened off the left post to deny Rapinoe her first NWSL goal of the season.

Still, Orlando put Reign FC under greater pressure in the second half, outshooting the club 13-5 in the second half, before Marta eventually fired a low shot through traffic that beat Casey Murphy to the near post in the 86th minute.

“(Orlando) played well,” Andonovski said. “They were able to find pockets and expose the space between our lines. We were never able to get hold of the rhythm, get hold of the game. We kept chasing. Kept chasing the ball, kept chasing the game. Ultimately, it cost us the goal we gave up toward the end.”

While the battle on the pitch was fierce, one moment stretched beyond the boundaries of competition. Orlando defender Toni Pressley, who was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this season, made her return to the field for the Pride in the 72nd minute to a rousing ovation from the reported 8,103 in attendance.

“Seeing Toni Pressley on the sideline getting ready to go in the game was incredible,” Andonovski said. “At that point, I don’t think anybody in the stadium was thinking about the game, the score, or the other team. I think all the minds were directed towards Toni and the incredible fight that she had put in to be able to be on the sideline in that moment. I’m so proud of her and so happy for her and I’m so glad that she was able to get back on the field before the end of the season.”

Andonovski isn’t too concerned that failing to end the season with a win will demoralize his side. With players returning and recovering, he expects a different outlook altogether when Reign FC takes the pitch against Shield winners North Carolina on Sunday, October 20 at 10:30 a.m. PT.

“I don’t think I want to take anything from this result or look at this game,” Andonovski said. “I think the North Carolina game is completely different and the team is going to be completely different. We’re going to have to face different challenges and overcome different obstacles on Sunday.”