Chicago Stars 5, Orlando Pride 2: Second Half Surge Seals Victory

By Alonso Contreras

The Chicago Stars produced a commanding second half to defeat Orlando Pride 5–2 in an action-packed encounter filled with goals, fouls, and dramatic momentum swings.

The first half was tight and physical, with both sides trading fouls and testing each other defensively. Orlando created the first sparks through Simone Charley, who forced multiple saves, while Haley McCutcheon and Rafaelle stood strong at the back. For Chicago, Ludmila da Silva and Jameese Joseph carried much of the attacking weight, with shots that kept Anna Moorhouse and her defense alert. The breakthrough finally came in the 49th minute when Sam Staab rose highest during a set piece to put Chicago ahead 1–0. Orlando answered immediately through Carson Pickett in the 52nd minute, leveling the score and reigniting their hopes.

That equalizer, however, woke up the Stars. Within a minute, Joseph restored their lead with a sharp finish, making it 2–1. From there, Chicago’s attack could not be stopped. Bea Franklin added a third in the 64th minute with a composed strike, and just four minutes later Julia Grosso scored the fourth, punishing Orlando’s disorganized defending. Haley McCutcheon pulled one back for Orlando in the 71st minute, briefly injecting life into the contest, but the Stars responded yet again. In the 88th minute, Ludmila capped off her performance with a well-taken goal, putting the match beyond doubt at 5–2.

The closing minutes brought plenty of drama, with fouls, yellow cards, and saves on both ends. Orlando pushed through Angelina, Ally Watt, and Rafaelle, but they found Alyssa Naeher in excellent form between the posts. Meanwhile, Chicago rotated their squad with fresh legs, including Nádia Gomes and Mallory Johnson, to maintain pressure and see out the game.

The Pride showed resilience, especially through Pickett, McCutcheon, and Watt, but defensive lapses and Chicago’s clinical finishing told the story. With Joseph, Franklin, Grosso, and Ludmila all on the scoresheet, the Stars left no doubt about their attacking depth and their ability to punish mistakes.

Chicago Stars walked away deserving winners after a ruthless second-half display, while Orlando Pride were left ruing missed chances and costly defensive errors.