It was a heartbreaking Sunday afternoon in Orlando when the Pride ‘s hopes for back-to-back NWSL championships came crashing down as Gotham FC escaped with a late 1-0 victory in their semifinal.

“The result is a hard one to take. I don’t think it’s a reflection on the performance. I thought we were brilliant tonight. I thought, even toward the end, we were going to be the team that scores the first goal, but it wasn’t meant to be,” Pride coach Seb Hines said. “This is a cruel game. You don’t always get what you deserve, but it’s going to be a motivator for us.”

Orlando had finished fourth during the regular season with 40 points while Gotham wound up eighth with 36.

Orlando player Jacqueline Ovalle (13) screams and leaps over Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger (bottom) during the NW

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