Gotham FC falls to the Orlando Pride 2-0 in the home opener | OneFootball

In their first game of 2025 in the newly renamed Sports Illustrated Stadium, NJ/NY Gotham FC fell 2-0 to the defending Shield and Championship winners Orlando Pride. The loss sees the Bats start their season winless in their first two games following last week's 1-1 draw away to the Seattle Reign FC.

This loss was obviously the opposite of the desired result in Gotham FC's first game in front of their home fans. However, the overall performance was not something to be ashamed about. They created plenty of chances and had ample opportunity to potentially get back in the game late, but Orlando's defense held strong, blanking the Gotham attack.

Of course, they have every reason to feel hard done by after the way the NJ/NY team played against a team like Orlando and lost due to an own goal and a penalty kick.

It was a less-than-ideal start to the season for Gotham FC, and they are within their right to think they should have more than one point from two games. But there was always a high probability of things playing out this way given the large amount of roster turnover and the difficult schedule to begin the season. And while a win over Orlando in the home opener would have been a huge statement, it was not to be tonight.

An unfortunate start set the tone for Gotham FC

The first half got off to possibly the worst start possible for Gotham FC. Rookie Lilly Reale, starting her first game for the club in place of the suspended Mandy Freeman, scored an own goal less than 90 seconds into the game. A free kick from Orlando managed to find Reale in an awkward position facing her own goal where she tried to boot it over the crossbar for a corner. Unfortunately, she did not get enough height on it and instead blasted it into her net.

The momentum then started to sway in Gotham's direction with them having the majority of the chances in the following minutes. Esther González, Sarah Schupansky, and Reale all had opportunities to equalize but struggled to find the back of the net. On the other side, while Orlando did not have as many chances, they did have better quality chances.

Multiple times throughout the first half Orlando won the ball in midfield and started fast-break counterattacks the other way. This was mainly through the likes of Barbra Banda, Marta, and Ally Watt. Initially, Ann-Katrin Berger and her defense stood tall, making key saves and blocks when called upon.

But Orlando finally knocked the door down again in the 44th minute. After some slick passing in the Gotham box, the ball fell to the feet of Angelina who was then subsequently fouled by Jess Carter, conceding a penalty kick. The ensuing penalty kick was converted by Marta who gave the Pride a 2-0 lead going into halftime.

It was then very nearly 3-0 in the opening minutes of the second half as Banda had a huge chance on goal but Berger came up with yet another key stop. The match then settled into a relatively low event rhythm with both teams having some chances, but none of which were overly threatening. Then around the 70th minute, Orlando seemingly went into a defensive shell, willing to forego a third goal in favor of keeping their 2-0 scoreline intact.

Almost all of the play in the final 20ish minutes of the match was played in Orlando's defensive third with Gotham having the majority of the chances, shots, and possession. And while they had a few good looks at goal, it was not enough for Gotham as they lost 2-0 and came away from their home opener empty-handed.

Despite her early own goal, Reale settled into her first professional start incredibly well, breaking up chances when called upon and contributing to the attack with some really well-placed crosses and passes. Other standout performers include Berger, Jaelin Howell, Schupansky, and fellow rookie Khyah Harper who made her pro debut as a substitute and looked lively and contributed to Gotham's late push to get back in the game.

The games do not get any easier as Gotham FC will travel to Texas to face the Houston Dash and familiar faces Yazmeen Ryan, Delanie Sheehan, and Abby Smith. Two games into the season, the Dash looks much improved compared to last year, so the game could be a difficult one.