Back in March, Orlando Pride made waves when they signed Barbara Banda from Shanghai Shengli FC for $740,000.
Second in the NWSL in goals scored and goal contributions, the signing was a stroke of genius.
But the story behind this Orlando team doesn’t end there.
Littered with stars and with a tactical approach that suits the personnel beautifully, this Seb Hines coached side is on the verge of a regular season championship.
They are both one of the most prolific attacking sides and the top defensive team in the league.
This tactical analysis digs into the specifics of their defensive principles and then offers an analysis of key attacking concepts.
Makings Of A Stout Defence
Orlando had conceded just 12 goals in 19 matches.
In their seven previous NWSL games, they’ve allowed just one, which came from a brilliant individual effort by Temwa Chawinga.
While they are third in goals scored this season, Pride’s defensive tactics are at the heart of their success.
That is despite the fact that Rafaelle, the former WSL star with Arsenal, hasn’t played since 6 June while recovering from a foot injury sustained at the Olympics.
A 4-4-2 setup is typical, often in a mid-block or 3/4 press.
One of the key characteristics of this Hines-led team is their ability to adapt to opponents.
When playing against weaker teams, it’s common to see a greater emphasis on a high press.
Against more prolific opponents, that mid-block may sit a little deeper, setting a midfield line of confrontation.
If there’s a need to press with three players in the highest line, they can do that as well.
Even in this example below against KC current, the base setup is a 4-4-2, but the left midfielder typically took a higher position while the right midfielder dropped deeper to deal with KC’s asymmetric attacking shape.
We can also see the spatial allocation of the midfield four.
Orlando is wider on the right and more narrow on the left.
There’s still a focus on blocking off the middle and contesting entry passes into that space.
Against Houston, there was a greater emphasis on a high press.
The approach showed a more standard flat four in midfield.
The two forwards worked to funnel play into the wings, blocking access to the middle with their shadow marking.
Once the Dash played wide, Orlando ramped up pressure on the ball.
By accelerating the Dash’s attacking tempo, they were able to force poor passes forward and intercept the ball.
One of the other key points for this Orlando team is simply how prepared they are for defensive transitions.
There was an example against Gotham that perfectly highlights their rest defence and preparedness for defensive transitions.
As the Pride played out of the back, an errant pass was intercepted on their left-hand side.
Orlando did have six players in front of the ball, which left them 4v4 to defend a counterattack.
This is where the positioning of the four players was so important.
One applied pressure on the ball while the other three were more centrally located, preventing Gotham from landing a quick interior pass.
This was a “bend, don’t break” moment for Orlando.
Though a poor build-out left them in a tight spot, and Gotham did get a service into the box, Orlando was able to deal with the loss of possession and keep the ball out of the net.
Their organization, both in and out of possession, is a key factor in their success.
Fluid Attacking Tactics & Key Spaces
Orlando’s defence deserves high praise, but their attacking production is almost as good.
With the legendary Marta and women’s football’s second-most expensive signing in Banda, this is a prolific attacking side.
Between their individual quality and collective understanding, this is a team that is difficult to contain.
15 June’s 0-0 draw against North Carolina Courage is the only time this season that Orlando has been held without a goal.
With 36 goals and 19 games, scoring has not been an issue.
In possession, their attacking shape will often oscillate between a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1.
The wide midfielders push high in attack, and the second striker, typically Marta, often drops into midfield and fulfils a role closer to a #10.
As Marta drops in, she gives the Pride midfield a third player.
Depending on the opponent, the wide midfielders may also take up more central areas, as seen below in the match against Gotham.
Here, it’s the left midfielder, Summer Yates, who tucks inside to give them four while the right midfielder, Adriana Leal, takes up a high and wide position.
Even though the setup shows four midfielders on a flat line, Orlando can find ways to get a third or fourth player centrally to unbalance the opposition.
One of the great strengths of this Pride team is their ability to get into forward-facing positions and run at the opponent’s backline.
Take this example against Gotham.
As Orlando dropped numbers behind the ball and recovered it, their first couple of passes helped them retain the ball.
That bought time to get players in the space between the lines.
The pass was played, and Haley McCutcheon carried the ball forward with three teammates in front of her.
Orlando is so dangerous in these situations.
With the athleticism inequality of Banda, who draws much of the opponent’s attention, and midfielders who fly up the field, Orlando finds opportunities to stretch the opposition and play behind them.
In this instance, they found Yates for the game-winner.
Looking at their penetrating carries map, they are exceptional at receiving the ball and carrying it deep into the opponent’s territory.
The left and right half-spaces are the areas they typically target on the dribble.
Depending on this situation, that could be a shot against an unsupported goalkeeper or an opportunity for the final ball.
One of the key players to get on the ball and carry it into the box is Banda.
The Zambia international uses her world-class pace to get behind the backline and carry the ball forward.
One of the ways Orlando targets her is with balls from the wide midfielders down the line.
Once Banda gets on the ball, she can use her 1v1 ability to beat the first defender and force emergency defending tactics from the opponent.
As Banda drives into the box, she routinely has teammates making late runs, which are so difficult to track.
This is a team with an attack that rivals their fantastic defence.
Any opposition scout report of Orlando has to figure out how you score on this team as well as how you contain the threat posed by these dynamic attackers.
An Overwhelming Counterattack
The threat Orlando poses through the counterattack is obvious.
Banda’s blazing pace and physicality is a big enough threat on its own.
But the way they defend plays a massive role as well.
By sitting a little bit deeper and fighting opponents to take up more expansive positions, Orlando uses their positional superiority to overwhelm opponents via the counterattack.
Unless her help is needed behind the ball, often to preserve a lead or help with one of the top teams in NWSL, Banda will stay high.
The threat of her running behind directly impacts the risk opponents can take moving forward.
Cover is always needed, and back pressure is preferable.
Having that threat up top allows Orlando to take a more conservative approach with their defensive tactics.
They’re not afraid to drop everyone except Banda behind the ball or leave two higher, with Marta dropping to the opponent’s deepest midfielder to limit circulation through the centre.
Those numbers behind the ball in a vertically and horizontally compact shape present an often insurmountable obstacle for the opponent and a tightly connected network for Pride to counterattack through.
In the example below, we see the numbers they have behind the ball as they see out a lead late in the game against Houston.
Once the ball is recovered, they play the first pass forward.
Marta, Banda and the wingers see the cue to accelerate the attacking tempo.
That early awareness and quick burst up the pitch puts them in a 3v3 situation as they enter the Houston half.
Hines’ team executes the use of that positional advantage in the transition from defending to attacking so well.
They suffocate opposition attacks and then use their positional and socio-effective superiorities to quickly break the first wave of the counterpress and initiate more direct attacks towards goal.
We can see how tightly connected they are against Kansas City and how easily they are able to play the first pass forward after a recovery.
Even once they play that first pass forward, the nearby second attackers flash their tactical IQ by quickly finding soft spots in the opposition’s counterpress to offer a lane for that second pass.
They both get into those gaps and take on body shapes that allow them to continue advancing towards goal.
Whether in structured attacks or on the counter, this Pride team is best when they can receive between the lines and drive at the opposition’s defenders.
Whether they are slipping Banda behind the lines, Adriana is carrying the ball from the wing, or Marta is leading the attack from the central channel (as seen below), this Orlando team has so many dynamic playmakers who can produce a moment of brilliance.
The connection of principles between structured attacks and counters leads to highly effective and entertaining football.
Those principles within the game model are the reason Orlando has an attack that rivals its near-impenetrable defence.
Given this side’s quality, prolific attack, and ability to keep the ball out of their own net, they are well-suited to give Marta another NWSL title.
Conclusion
The regular season title is within reach, and the club has its sights set on the NWSL championship.
This is a team that’s built for playoff football.
Once they reach the knockout rounds, this is a side that will use their staunch defence and up-tempo attacking to overcome their opposition.
As the regular season winds down, there’s still some work to do to clinch the regular season crown, but yesterday’s win against Chicago puts them six points clear of the second-place Washington Spirit and within reach of that top seed.
This is a Pride team that’s a great tactical study and an entertaining team to watch.
Their attacking tempo has caused issues for the whole league and should serve them well as they close out the season.
Their sights are set on the NWSL crown.
As we close out the season and move into the playoffs, we’ll see if anyone can stop them.
