Zara Chavoshi passed her debut test with Orlando Pride | OneFootball

It didn’t take long for Orlando Pride supporters to get a look at defender Zara Chavoshi on the competitive pitch.

Just two matches into the 2025 Orlando Pride season, supporters got to see defender Zara Chavoshi in a match. She substituted in against NJ/NY Gotham FC in the 88th minute.

The match on the Sports Illustrated Stadium pitch ended in a 2-0 victory for the Pride. This is the team’s second consecutive clean sheet. Yet, they initially took the pitch with a case of nerves.

Head Coach Seb Hines acknowledged that the only remedy for their nerves was to focus on keeping pressure on the home team. They disrupted every effort by Gotham players so fully that their first score was an Own Goal.

With the match well in Orlando Pride's hands in the final minutes, it still wasn’t a quiet debut for Chavoshi. It’s true that Gotham players still failed to threaten the Pride in any way. So, the supporters rose in a loud and offensive manner.

Both teams and the NWSL officially condemned the abusive language of the Gotham fans.

Even in this strange and ugly environment, Chavoshi stood solidly with her teammates and, in her debut, helped register the clean sheet. Hines said she dealt well with the hostile eruptions and stayed focused.

Dec 9, 2024; Cary, NC, USA; Wake Forest defender Zara Chavoshi (24) with the ball as North Carolina forward Olivia Thomas (33) defends in the first half at WakeMed Soccer Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Chavoshi is the first player signed by the Pride out of college since the NWSL removed the league draft. Her previous time on the competitive pitch was with Wake Forest University. She played 74 games in her college career, starting in all but four.

She was ranked the No. 20 player by TopDrawerSoccer.com. She passed the test for mental strength and focus in the NJ/NY Gotham match. She brought that focus from college, where she made the ACC Honor Roll and All-ACC Academic Team.

Zara Chavoshi will continue to pass all the tests the NWSL gives her. So will her Orlando Pride teammates.