Issues in attack and defence: How Orlando Pride lost to Gotham – tactical analysis

A NWSL Challenge Cup match was played last Wednesday between Orlando Pride and Gotham FC and the result was a win for the visitors, Gotham FC. This was the first game of the season for Gotham FC while it was the second match for Orlando Pride who made a 2-2 draw in their first encounter against Racing Louisville.

This away win was very important for Gotham FC since it allowed them to share the top spot with North Carolina Courage in the Eastern division’s standings, despite playing just one match. While for Orlando Pride, they only got one point out of two games currently which prevented them from exceeding the fourth spot in the standings, just like Racing Louisville. Yet, there are still numerous other matches to play for both teams to turn things upside down and aim at qualifying for the final match of the NWSL Challenge Cup.

In this tactical analysis article, I will focus on what went wrong for Orlando Pride even though they looked more dangerous in key moments while at the same there will be a section of analysis exploring the way in which Gotham FC succeeded in their mission.

Line-ups

Marc Skinner, Orlando Pride’s head coach, started this match with the 4-2-3-1 formation relying on Ashlyn Harris as a goalkeeper, Ali Krieger, Konya Plummer, Phoebe McClernon and Ali Riley in defence, Marisa Viggiano and Jade Moore as central midfielders with Marta as an advanced playmaker and both Courtney Petersen and Taylor Kornieck as wingers behind Sydney Leroux, the team’s striker.

On the other side, Freya Coombe, Gotham FC’s head coach, preferred to use the 4-1-4-1 formation with Dijana Haracic as a goalkeeper, Erica Skroski, Gina Lewandowski, Mandy Freeman and Imani Dorsey in defence, Jennifer Cudjoe as a defensive midfielder, Lee So-dam and Nicole Baxter as central midfielders, Paige Monaghan and Nahomi Kawasumi on the wings with Ifeoma Onumonu playing as a striker.

Orlando Pride’s playmaking and finishing dilemma

Since the early stages of the game, it was clear that Orlando Pride relied on Petersen a lot to get the ball and advance on the left-wing to then serve one of both Leroux and Kornieck who were always present inside the box in such situations. Petersen was able to create some dangerous opportunities from the wing with the help of Marta and Riley who often supported her with passes or with movement without the ball.