ORLANDO, Fla. — It was nail-biting all around this weekend for fans of Orlando City and Orlando Pride, but in the end, both teams come away with 3 points on the road.
Orlando City started Saturday gameday in New Jersey against the New York Red Bulls.
This is the third time the two teams have met this season — at two MLS regular season games and one U.S. Open Cup semifinal in July.
During the last regular season game at Exploia Stadium in April, the Red Bulls beat the Lions 0-3.
Th Lions are coming off three losses in regular season play and have not won a game since July 9, in the late night own-goal game against its state rival, Inter Miami.
The game was evenly matched with possession in the first half. In the 17th minute, the Lions build out from the back, ending with Pato sending a leading pass to the left side of the field, finding Facundo Torres with a strike that skimmed the far post and in the back of the net.
After the goal, the Lions kept pressing but were not able to find the back of the net. They also did not sit back too early and spent the last quarter of the game defending in their own third, which has become somewhat of a tradition when they take the lead.
A scary moment in the game came in the 41st minute when Pato took a challenge in the NYRB box, went down holding his knee and had to be stretched off the field.
The Lions have not released any updates on his condition. Pato sat out much of his first season after an early injury in 2022 with a knee injury that needed surgery.
Orlando Pride head west, taking 3 points from Alex Morgan and the San Diego Wave FC
What some expected could be a blowout for the Orlando Pride turned into the perfect start to an early Sunday Funday for fans.
The Pride traveled to San Diego early in the week to get acclimated to the time change and it may have worked.
This was a family reunion of sorts for the Pride, with the leading NWSL goal scorer Alex Morgan, Emily van Egmond, Jodie Taylor and Taylor Kornieck, on the Waves roster, all former Pride players.
San Diego Wave FC has shown great potential early this season as an expansion team but has lost its last two games.
The Wave was dominant from the start of the match with plenty of changes they just could not get past Erin McLeod or the goalposts.
Alex Morgan had the first opportunity when Taylor Kornieck found Morgan in the box, shielding off Megan Montefusco to send the ball towards goal, only to hit the post.
The Pride got the first of a few opportunities in the 22nd minute, when Julie Doyle attempted a cross in the box and found the left arm of Wave defender Kaleigh Riehl.
The referee quickly called for the penalty and Maggie Dougherty Howard stepped up and sent a low ball into the left corner of the goal, beating Kailen Sheridan’s dive.
For the rest of the game, the Pride kept the Wave at bay. Morgan had one more shot at evening the score in the 60th minute off a free kick inches outside the box.
Morgan got the ball over the wall but hit the post again. The Pride was able to clear it after a scramble in the box.
The win extends its six-game unbeaten streak and gets the team its first win in over a month.
Both teams are back on the road this weekend. Orlando Pride travels to Chester, Pennsylvania to take on NJ/NY Gotham FC on Aug. 20, while Orlando City heads to Charlotte on Aug. 21.
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