Orlando Pride 2-1 San Diego Wave FC

By Alonso Contreras

In a dramatic match filled with key moments and intense action, Orlando Pride emerged victorious over San Diego Wave FC with a 2-1 win. Both teams battled fiercely, with Orlando Pride’s Marta scoring a pivotal penalty and Haley McCutcheon netting the opening goal in the second half. Despite a late push from San Diego Wave FC, they could not equalize, handing Orlando Pride the win.

First Half

The match began with early chances for both teams. San Diego Wave FC's D. Cascarino had an effort on goal in the 8th minute, but it was saved by Orlando's B. Banda. In the opening minutes, both sides had a number of shots on goal, but neither could break the deadlock.

In the 12th minute, San Diego’s S. McCaskill suffered an injury, which halted play momentarily. Orlando Pride responded with a strong offensive push, and in the 19th minute, H. Lundkvist (San Diego Wave) committed a foul, giving Orlando a free kick.

Despite some early defensive fouls from both teams, including a yellow card for San Diego's D. Cascarino in the 41st minute for a foul, the teams went into the halftime break level at 0-0, though Orlando was pushing for a breakthrough.

Second Half

The second half saw a flurry of activity. In the 49th minute, Orlando Pride broke the deadlock. H. McCutcheon found the back of the net, scoring the opening goal for Orlando after a strong offensive play. The lead was short-lived, though, as San Diego Wave FC responded quickly. Just 12 minutes later, in the 61st minute, Chiamaka Okwuchukwu scored to equalize for the Wave, making it 1-1.

Orlando regained the lead in the 75th minute when Marta converted a penalty after a foul in the box. The goal gave Orlando a 2-1 advantage, which would ultimately prove to be the decisive strike.

San Diego Wave FC continued to push forward, making several substitutions in an attempt to find a late equalizer. However, despite some strong efforts, including shots from K. Dali and K. Carusa, Orlando's defense held firm.

The match saw several fouls and yellow cards in the final minutes, including a yellow card for Orlando’s P. Chilufya in the 90+2 minute. San Diego Wave FC's efforts in stoppage time, including a corner kick by K. Dali, came to no avail as Orlando Pride secured the 2-1 win.

Key Moments:

• 49': McCutcheon (Orlando Pride) scores to give Orlando a 1-0 lead.

• 61': Okwuchukwu (San Diego Wave FC) scores to equalize at 1-1.

• 75': Marta (Orlando Pride) scores from the penalty spot, making it 2-1.

• 90+2': P. Chilufya (Orlando Pride) receives a yellow card for a foul.

Orlando Pride's victory keeps them in contention, while San Diego Wave FC will look to regroup and bounce back from this narrow defeat.