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Edmonds rescues Pride with goals in 90th and stoppage time

Kristen Edmonds scored the equalizer in the 90th minute and the winner deep in stoppage time to lead the Orlando Pride to a wild, 2-1 victory over the Boston Breakers on Sunday evening at Camping World Stadium. Edmonds also drew the foul that led to her free kick that tied the match and went off injured after scoring the winner. There was not enough time left to determine of the injury would have forced her off for the night. The Breakers, who played stoppage time with 10 women after Brooke Elby was shown a second yellow card, were mere minutes from their first win outside of Boston since July 2014 only to walk away with nothing and extend their winless streak away to 19 (0-17-2).

Following a weather delay of nearly an hour the match opened in dubious fashion for the Pride. As the Breakers worked out a buildup toward the penalty area newly minted Pride keeper Kaitlyn Savage came off her line and appeared to have time to boot the ball to safety. But she elected to go down and play it with her hands only to bobble it and see it squirt to Mollie Pathman. From there it was an easy finish for Pathman and five minutes in the Breakers had the early lead. It marked the first since since May 2, 2015 in Western New York the Breakers have as much as had a lead on the road (they lost that match 3-1.)

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Savage endured a few more anxious moments in her decision making, but the match remained 1-0 deep into the second half. In the 87th minute Savage got her chance to atone for the early blunder. The Breakers, trying to run out the match while on their heels, played a long ball to Stephanie McCaffrey. After a good battle with defender Toni Pressley, McCaffrey was able to get off a shot from just above the penalty spot and Savage stood tall, reached her hands up, and knocked the ball away.

The Breakers played the corner kick short and burned off some clock but the Pride still had push. Edmonds got on the ball and went to goal against several Breakers and went to the ground with a slight shove from Elby who was shown the exit doors for her second yellow card. Edmonds stepped into the free kick and beat Jami Kranich to the far post for the equalizer.

The Pride spent all of stoppage time in attack mode. Another dangerous free kick was squandered and Kranich made a solid save on Pressley and then Jasmyne Spencer was a tick too late to redirect a cross that slid across the six. The ensuing goal kick was sent forward by Leah Fortune. Edmonds and Spencer read it well and snuck bhond the Breakers defense where Edmonds chipped Kranich to make it 2-1. Unfortunately Kranich ran into Edmonds trying to defend the play and it took several minutes for the hero of the night to get up and walk off.

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The match marked the third straight time the Pride won or lost on a goal in the final minute and the first time in NWSL history a team scored twice in the 90th minute or later to flip the result. The Pride (6-6-0, 18 pts) are within a tiebreaker from fourth place from the Red Stars who they host on Saturday. The Breakers (1-10-1, 4 pts) are home next Sunday to face Sky Blue FC.

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