Video above: WESH 2’s post-game coverage of Sunday’s NWSL semifinal The Orlando Pride won’t be returning to the NWSL championship this year. The 2024 league champions lost 1-0 to Gotham FC on Sunday in front of an announced attendance of 15,714 fans at Inter&Co Stadium in the NWSL semifinal. A free kick sent in from Jaedyn Shaw and a last-minute heroic save from Anna Katrin Berger sealed the victory for the New Jersey-based club. “The result is a hard one to take,” said Orlando Pride coach Seb Hines. “I don’t think it’s a reflection on the performance. I thought we were brilliant tonight. I thought even towards the end, we were going to be the team that scores the first goal, but it wasn’t meant to be.” “This is a cruel game,” added Hines. “You don’t get what you deserve, but it’s going to be a motivator for us now. We’ve had so many highs in the last couple of years. Obviously, this is a disappointing result, but it’ll motivate us to move forward, and we’ll reflect.” Late show A controversial free kick was called in favor of Gotham after Jaquelinne Ovalle was called for a foul outside the box. As Shaw struck the ball, it bounced into the box and past Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse deep into stoppage time for Gotham’s opener. Orlando pressed for an equalizer moments later, but a diving save from keeper Ann-Katrin Berger denied the Pride that moment and helped seal the win for Gotham. Gotham will meet the Washington Spirit in Saturday’s NWSL Championship at PayPal Park in San Jose, California. Bittersweet The result was bittersweet for the Pride, according to coach Seb Hines. Orlando dominated the ball for the most part and had 10 shots, with two of them on target. The Pride entered Sunday’s semifinal game riding a 6-game unbeaten streak. The Pride won the 2024 NWSL Championship last year after defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0 to lift Orlando’s first major league title. Mike Gramajo is an Assignment Editor and Sportswriter at WESH 2, who has covered the Orlando soccer scene since 2012. You can follow his coverage over on X and Instagram.

Video above: WESH 2’s post-game coverage of Sunday’s NWSL semifinal

The Orlando Pride won’t be returning to the NWSL championship this year.

The 2024 league champions lost 1-0 to Gotham FC on Sunday in front of an announced attendance of 15,714 fans at Inter&Co Stadium in the NWSL semifinal.

A free kick sent in from Jaedyn Shaw and a last-minute heroic save from Anna Katrin Berger sealed the victory for the New Jersey-based club.

“The result is a hard one to take,” said Orlando Pride coach Seb Hines. “I don’t think it’s a reflection on the performance. I thought we were brilliant tonight. I thought even towards the end, we were going to be the team that scores the first goal, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

“This is a cruel game,” added Hines. “You don’t get what you deserve, but it’s going to be a motivator for us now. We’ve had so many highs in the last couple of years. Obviously, this is a disappointing result, but it’ll motivate us to move forward, and we’ll reflect.”

Late show

A controversial free kick was called in favor of Gotham after Jaquelinne Ovalle was called for a foul outside the box.

As Shaw struck the ball, it bounced into the box and past Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse deep into stoppage time for Gotham’s opener.

Orlando pressed for an equalizer moments later, but a diving save from keeper Ann-Katrin Berger denied the Pride that moment and helped seal the win for Gotham.

Gotham will meet the Washington Spirit in Saturday’s NWSL Championship at PayPal Park in San Jose, California.

Bittersweet

The result was bittersweet for the Pride, according to coach Seb Hines.

Orlando dominated the ball for the most part and had 10 shots, with two of them on target.

The Pride entered Sunday’s semifinal game riding a 6-game unbeaten streak.

The Pride won the 2024 NWSL Championship last year after defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0 to lift Orlando’s first major league title.

Mike Gramajo is an Assignment Editor and Sportswriter at WESH 2, who has covered the Orlando soccer scene since 2012. You can follow his coverage over on X and Instagram.