The Pride rained shots on the Chicago Stars’ defense throughout the first half, but Orlando was wasteful with its chances, firing straight at the goalkeeper, missing the target, or just not being sharp enough from the penalty spot. But second-half sub Julie Doyle found one moment of precision, blasting the Pride (7-8-2, 23 points) to a 1-0 win over Chicago Stars FC (4-12-0, 12 points) at home to snap a two-match losing streak.

The Pride took 20 shots in the first half, with eight on target. Unfortunately, that target seemed to be Stars goalkeeper Katie Atkinson. With Barbra Banda out on international duty with Zambia for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Orlando struggled to finish in and around the penalty area. Marta even failed to put away a penalty kick opportunity. Thanks to Doyle’s strike in the 88th minute, it saved the club the embarrassment of suffering its third consecutive shutout.

“We left it late, but the most important thing is that we got the the goal that we needed and the three points,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said after the match. “Phenomenal performance from start to finish. I’ve been in these games where you are relentless and you keep pushing and keep pushing, and you know you get hurt in one moment, and so I was so pleased with the players that they were able to get it to the final whistle and and score the goal.”

Hines deployed his typical 4-2-3-1 formation with goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse behind a back line made up of Oihane, Zara Chavoshi, Cori Dyke, and Kerry Abello. Ally Lemos and Haley McCutcheon served as the defensive midfielders, with Solai Washington, Jacquie Ovalle, and Angelina taking up the attacking midfield roles and Marta up top.

The first action of the night came in the fourth minute from Chicago’s Jameese Joseph, who sent a hard shot in from the left, but it was a tight angle, making it easy for Moorhouse to save.

In the sixth minute, the Pride responded with Washington sending in a cross that Katie Atkinson popped up high for a McCutcheon header that the Stars keeper collected easily. Two minutes later, Oihane worked her way down the right to the end line and sent in a low cross for McCutcheon. Her redirected shot hit the bottom of the cross bar, bounced nearly over the goal line and out, and Chicago cleared it away.

Lemos sent in a lofted ball into the box for Washington from about 24 yards out in the 10th minute, but the forward popped her header high over the crossbar. Oihane sent in another cross in the 12th minute that Chicago deflected away. It fell to Angelina, who mishit her touch and sent it right at Atkinson. Washington followed up a minute later, working her way into the box and trying to link up with Ovalle, but she redirected her shot wide for a Chicago goal kick.

Marta interceptred a bad pass by Manaka Hayashi in the 15th minute and charged toward goal. Once again the shot offered no trouble for Atkinson.

Working up the middle in the 24th minute, Washington sent the ball out wide for Ovalle, who managed a couple of nice quick cuts at the top of the box to shake off two defenders. The Mexican international freed herself for a shot and fired, but the effort had no power to it and was again right at Atkinson.

Washington worked a ball into the box in the 25th minute for Marta, who was lurking, but she was surrounded and her shot was blocked. A minute later, Abello carried the ball down the left side, working with Washington, who fed it to McCutcheon at the top of the box. However, her shot was blocked as well.

After the hydration break, the match restarted with the Pride playing a short corner in the 33rd that Chicago defended. Orlando recycled the attack, with Lemos firing, but again Atkinson fended off the ball, sending it out for another corner. The following corner was again taken short and carried in from the right by Oihane, who fired into the outside netting.

Angelina fired another good opportunity right at Atkinson in the 35th minute for an easy save. A minute later, Lemos stole the ball and worked it out wide for Washington, who sent in a nice, low cross, but it went through the Chicago defense, just in front of McCutcheon and just behind Ovalle.

Soon after, Marta fed a ball out wide for Oihane who fired in a cross that Sam Staab stabbed away, but Orlando collected it and Oihane sent it back in. Aaliyah Farmer cleared the ball, but it landed just in front of Angelina, who fired, yet again hitting it right at Atkinson.

After the play, the referee indicated the need for a video review and after going to the monitor he awarded the Pride a penalty. Farmer had commited a foul on McCutcheon in the box, kicking through her leg to try to get to the ball. Marta stepped up in the 43rd minute to take the spot kick. She tried to use her final few steps to force Atkinson to pick a side, but the Chicago goalkeeper didn’t move. The Brazilian sent a poor ball with little pace toward the left post, but too central and at a perfect height for Atkinson to save. Marta fired over the bar after the ensuing corner.

A minute later Chicago charged down the pitch and nearly broke through off of a long ball that Pinto almost got onto, but Dyke did well to clear it. Chicago earned a corner after another attacking attempt. The ensuing ball was sent in high and Farmer almost got her head to it, but it bounced harmlessly to Moorhouse.

Washingon responded and made a solo run down the left side in the second minute of stoppage time and took a shot from a wide angle but it was another effort straight at Atkinson, who saved the shot.

In the sixth added minute, Marta sent a ball over the top to Washington, who worked her way to the edge of the six-yard-box to get a shot off, but again it was from a wide angle and right at Atkinson.

The Pride led in all categories at the half: possession (57%-43%), shots (20-2), shots on target (8-1), passing accuracy (86%-82%), and corner kicks (5-1).

“Haley [McCutcheon] said something at halftime. It was like, we can either use all of those missed chances as a time to get down on ourselves and put our heads down, or we can use it as confidence that we are on this team and we’re dominating and we’re so close,” Chavoshi said. “That’s kind of a pattern we’ve been facing all year is we’re so close, and so, believing in each other, and at halftime instead of getting on each other, it was like, ‘let’s take a deep breath because we’re doing all the right things.'” 

The second half did not see as much of a relentless attack by the Pride, who didn’t connect as well. When Orlando was able to get forward, a wayward pass or a loose touch would usually spoil the play.

The Pride started the second half well, with a Washington cross that Chicago’s defense cut out, a wide shot from distance by Angelina, and a Marta shot over the crossbar.

Chicago had more success finding space and connections through the midfield and up the wings in the second half, with Leila Ouahabit trying a long-distance attempt in the 51st minute that went high and out of play.

Perhaps Orlando’s best chance to score came accidentally in the 58th minute. McCutcheon sent in a cross that deflected off Hayashi’s head and flew toward goal. Atkinson did well to get a hand on it, pushing it toward her own goal on the flailing attempt and fortunate to see it crash off the crossbar.

Hines made three substitutions in the 61st minute, sending on Nicole Payne for Washington, Rafaelle for Abello, and Hailie Mace in for Oihane. Rather than providing energy to Orlando, however, it was Chicago that began to grow in confidence following the substitutions and managed a few shots in the 64th, 66th, and 70th mintues, with Joseph hitting the crossbar on the second of those three efforts.

Doyle subbed on for Marta in the 71st minute, and the captain was not happy about it. However, it turned out to be the right move by Hines.

In the 74th minute, Julia Grosso broke loose and got a weak shot off that Moorhouse saved easily.

Mace and Angelina tried shots over the next few minutes but neither troubled Atkinson’s goal.

Orlando finally put a shot on target without hitting it right at Atkinson in the 88th minute. McCutcheon sent the ball out wide to Dyke on the left, and the defender led a charging Doyle, who broke toward goal. The substitute blasted a swerving shot under the crossbar and in to make it 1-0. It was Doyle’s first goal of the season.

Julie Doyle gets her first goal of the season at the perfect time for Orlando! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/Org4Jipdte

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 25, 2026

“It’s always so fun to score the winning goal and to celebrate with your teammates that have been literally putting their bodies on the line for 90 minutes,” Doyle said. “It was just a moment that I’ll cherish.”

“I was so pleased with Julie [Doyle] because she got that well-deserved goal and she’s been working so hard for that moment, so she deserves all her flowers for the game,” Hines said. 

Chicago threatened a few times down the stretch, working the ball into good spots but without any end product, mirroring Orlando’s first-half play.

The referee finally blew for full time in the 98th minute, with the Pride walking away with all three points.

The match ended with Orlando still leading in all categories: possession (54%-46%), shots (28-10), shots on target (10-2), passing accuracy (85%-83%), and corner kicks (8-1).

“Some of the football that we played in the first half was probably some of the best we’ve played,” Hines said. “So, going into halftime, there was full belief. You think like you’re in a boxing match and you’re just punching away, and you’re just waiting for that knockout punch. We left it to the 88th minute, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort. We just kept going and going, and their keeper played well and made some really good saves.”

“I mean, it’s so frustrating,” Doyle said about all of the chances on which Orlando failed to capitalize. “That’s soccer though, right? It happens at every single level. (It’s about) Just not giving up, and Seb [Hines] told us at halftime to take responsibility. So, when I got in there, I took responsibility.” 

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The Pride will try to build on tonight’s win when they visit the North Carolina Courage a week from tonight.

Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (6-8-2, 20 points) return home to play Chicago Stars FC (4-11-0, 12 points). This is the second and final time these teams will meet during the regular season.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

History

The Pride and Stars have played every season since Orlando’s entrance into the NWSL except 2020. The teams have played 23 games, with the Pride going 8-13-2 overall and 2-7-2 at home in the regular season. Orlando has also faced the Stars in the playoffs once, wining at home.

The last meeting between the Pride and Stars took place on March 25 in Evanston, IL. Jacquie Ovalle had arguably her best game for the club, netting a goal and adding an assist. Her goal was the second of the night with strikes by Barbra Banda and Hannah Anderson securing the 3-0 win.

The first game last season took place March 14 in Orlando. It was a dominant performance by the Pride as they struck early through Haley McCutcheon, and Ally Watt doubled the lead before halftime. An own goal by Anderson (then with Chicago), a Julie Doyle strike, and a Banda brace saw the Pride come away with a 6-0 win. On Sept. 7, 2025, in Evanston, IL, Sam Staab gave the hosts the lead early in the second half and Carson Pickett equalized a few minutes later. The tie score didn’t last long, as a minute later Jameese Joseph made it 2-1 Chicago. Goals by Bea Franklin and Julia Grosso put the game away, despite McCutcheon getting one back. A late conversion by Ludmila secured the 5-2 win for Chicago.

The Pride and then-Red Stars met first in 2024 on March 29 in Orlando, the Pride took the lead early through a Taylor Malham own goal, but Mallory Swanson equalized in the second half, resulting in a 1-1 draw. The teams then met in Illinois on Sept. 8, 2024. Marta’s goal was the difference as the Pride came away with a 1-0 win.

The Nov. 8, 2024 meeting was the Pride’s first-ever home playoff game and they dominated. Watt set up a McCutcheon goal to give the hosts the lead, and Banda netted a brace with a goal on each side of halftime. Marta made it 4-0 with a penalty, sealing the result. It would’ve been a clean sheet, but Anna Moorhouse cleared the ball off of Joseph and into her own net, capping the scoring in a 4-1 Orlando win.

The teams first met in 2023 on May 27 in Illinois. Orlando dominated the entire 90 minutes, with Chicago only getting two chances on its home field. But the Pride struggled to hit the target, and Yuki Nagasato’s goal was the difference as the Pride fell 1-0.  The Aug. 20 return matchup was the debut of Pride center back Rafaelle, and the Brazilian scored to give Orlando the early lead. The hosts continued their attack, resulting in four more goals. Messiah Bright scored a pair, new signing Mariana Larroquette scored her first Pride goal, and Mikayla Cluff capped off the night with a goal as the Pride won 5-0.

The first meeting of 2022 took place on May 22 in Orlando. Sarah Griffin gave the visitors the lead, and goals by Bianca St-Georges and Swanson made it 3-0 Chicago. It appeared as though the Red Stars would run away with the game, but the final 10 minutes saw three goals and two penalties for an exciting finish. Sydney Leroux missed a penalty, but Amy Turner scored the Pride’s first goal late. Swanson converted her penalty moments later, and Leah Pruitt scored her first goal for the Pride a minute after that in a 4-2 Red Stars win. The second meeting of the 2022 season was on June 12 in Illinois. Swanson capitalized on an early Pride turnover and the Red Stars held on for the 1-0 win.

The teams met three times during the 2021 season but didn’t play until Aug. 8 in Illinois. Jodie Taylor and Leroux scored for the Pride before halftime. The 2-0 win ended a six-game winless streak and was the first NWSL victory for interim head coach Becky Burleigh.

The second meeting was held Oct. 13 in Bridgeview, a rescheduled game that was originally supposed to take place Oct. 2. Kealia Watt scored early and the Red Stars defended that lead for 84 minutes on their way to a 1-0 result. The teams met again Oct. 29, 2021, in Orlando in the final game of the regular season. The Red Stars controlled the game and Watt scored the lone goal in a 1-0 Chicago win.

The Pride and Red Stars didn’t play in the 2020 Fall Series, so the last meeting prior to 2021 came in 2019. The teams first met June 30 at Exploria Stadium. Goals by Chioma Ubogagu and Marta were topped by a Sam Kerr hat trick as the Red Stars won 3-2. The teams met again Aug. 21 in Bridgeview. The Pride took a 2-0 lead with goals by Rachel Hill and Ubogagu. Tierna Davidson cut the lead in half for Chicago, but the Pride won 2-1. The third meeting in 2021 took place Sept. 11 in Orlando. Casey Short stole the game for Chicago with the game’s lone goal five minutes into second-half injury time as the Red Stars won, 1-0.

The 2018 NWSL season saw the Pride and Red Stars meet three times. On May 2 in Bridgeview, Hill and Ubogagu scored in a 2-0 Pride win. They met in the same location May 26, with a Leroux brace and goals by Hill, Alex Morgan, and Dani Weatherholt leading to a 5-2 Pride win. The Red Stars were led by a Kerr brace in a 3-1 Chicago victory on Aug. 25 in Orlando in the third meeting of 2018.

The Pride and Red Stars met three times in 2017. A Christen Press goal on July 1 lifted Chicago to a 1-0 win. On July 22 in Bridgeview, a Press brace led her team to a 2-1 win. The final meeting came a week later in Orlando. Morgan and Sofia Huerta traded goals in a 1-1 draw.

The Red Stars won both meetings in 2016 by 1-0 final scores.

Overview

The Pride have struggled since returning to action from the FIFA World Cup break. They’ve lost three of their four games, getting shut out in all three losses. Surprisingly, the win came in a dominating 3-0 second half against a red-hot Kansas City Current team.

A major reason for the offensive slump is that Banda is in the process of returning from a thigh injury. She played the final 14 minutes against Kansas City on July 10, the final 30 minutes against Boston Legacy FC on July 15, and started Saturday night in Utah, playing 32 minutes.

While the team has struggled to score goals, the Pride have been strong defensively. Following the 2-0 loss to Angel City FC, they earned a clean sheet against Kansas City and only gave up one goal each against Boston and Utah. A slight improvement offensively could see them climb up the table, even if they’re not scoring multiple goals each game.

The Pride have now entered the back half of the season and find themselves in the unfamiliar situation of being below the playoff line. The loss Saturday night saw them drop to ninth, one point behind the North Carolina Courage and two points behind Angel City FC. Making things more challenging is that they’ve played more games than the teams around them. That makes getting points even more crucial, especially at home. Additionally, Banda, who leads the NWSL with 12 goals, has departed the team to compete with Zambia in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The Pride will look to get back on the right path tonight and they’re playing a team that should support that goal. Chicago sits in 15th of the 16-team league after 15 games. The Stars have only won four times this year and only once away from home. Given that the Pride already crushed this team back in March, nothing less than three points should be acceptable.

Chicago has struggled on both ends of the field this year. It is the only team in the league yet to score double-digit goals, having only netted eight, and is the first team to reach 30 goals conceded this season. The Stars’ -22 goal difference is the worst in the league by 11 goals.

Chicago claimed an impressive 3-2 win over the Utah Royals coming out of the World Cup break, but dropped back-to-back 2-0 results to Boston and Angel City heading into tonight’s game.

In the absence of Swanson, who has missed much of the year on maternity leave, most of the team’s offense has come from Jordyn Huitema. The Canadian international leads the team with four goals, providing half of the team’s attack this season. However, Huitema tore her ACL against Angel City, ending her season.

The team has also improved defensively, though there’s still work to do. The Stars conceded four goals and three goals twice through May 16, but haven’t conceded three times since. Still, they’ve only earned two clean sheets, with the last one coming on May 24, and have conceded multiple goals in all four games since.

“I think it’s two teams that are looking to get back on form,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said ahead of the match. “We’ve had two disappointing results by one-goal deficits, so, we’re looking to bounce back. Looking to get back to our own environment, playing in front of our own fans, and put on a performance that everyone’s proud of.”

The Pride will play tonight without Banda (international duty), Anderson (lower leg), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), and Viviana Villacorta (knee). The Stars will be without Ryan Connaughton (knee), Emma Egizii (lower leg), Bea Franklin (torso), Huitema (knee), Natalia Kuikka (knee), Swanson (lower leg), Taylor Wood (lower leg), and Michelle Alozie (international duty).

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Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Zara Chavoshi, Cori Dyke, Ohiane.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Ally Lemos.

Attacking Midfielders: Jacquie Ovalle, Angelina, Marta.

Forward: Solai Washington.

Bench: Cosette Morche, Hailie Mace, Nicole Payne, Rafaelle, Zoe Matthews, Luana, Summer Yates, Julie Doyle, Simone Jackson.

Chicago Stars FC (4-1-4-1)

Goalkeeper: Katie Atkinson.

Defenders: Nadia Gomes, Sam Staab, Aaliyah Farmer, Jenna Bike.

Defensive Midfielder: Maitane Lopez.

Midfielders: Tessa Dellarose, Brianna Pinto, Manaka Hayashi, Jameese Joseph, .

Forward: Ivonne Chacon.

Bench: Alyssa Naeher, Halle Mackiewicz, Kathrin Hendrich, Elise Evans, Leila Ouahabi, Julia Grosso, Micayla Johnson.

Referees

REF: JC Griggs.
AR1: Matthew Rodman.
AR2: Sharon Gingrich.
4TH: Richonne Clark.
VAR: Jamie Padilla.
AVAR: Maggie Short.

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How to Watch

Match Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: Victory+.

Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @themaneland.bsky.social on Bluesky and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter (@ORLPride) or Bluesky (@orlpride.com) feed.

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Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

The Orlando Pride’s 2026 season has been defined by two very different stories.

One side of the team has spent much of the year trying to rediscover what made it a championship-winning group. The other has been searching for the consistency needed to support that foundation. 

Early in the season, the biggest questions surrounding the Pride centered on the team’s defense. The unit that helped win the club’s first NWSL championship did not immediately look like the same dominant group. Goals were conceded more frequently, defensive mistakes were more costly, and they appeared to be searching for the organization and stability that became a defining part of their recent success. 

But Head Coach Seb Hines eventually found the adjustment that helped the back line regain its identity.

By moving Hailie Mace from center back to her natural right back position and shifting Cori Dyke into a center back role, Hines created a defensive structure that gave the Pride more balance. It was clear that Dyke is more comfortable in that center back position, while Mace had much better performances on the right side.

And the results were almost immediately noticeable.

In the five games before the shift, the Pride conceded multiple goals four times. Since that change, the team has only conceded two goals once — a 2-0 loss to Angel City FC on July 3.

But that move wasn’t the only one that’s made a difference.

Left back Kerry Abello has been out injured for much of the year and Mace has found herself on the shelf as well. That forced Dyke back to an outside back role and injuries to Brazilian center back Rafaelle have resulted in the pairing of Hannah Anderson and Zara Chavoshi. Even with backups forced into starting roles, the back line has been excellent in recent games.

Since returning from the break, the Pride have only conceded four goals in four games, including a clean sheet against the Kansas City Current and back-to-back 1-0 defeats to Boston Legacy FC and the Utah Royals. They’ve lost three of their last four games, but it’s not the fault of the defensive unit.

The losses come down to the lack of consistency in the attack.

The Pride have one of the most dangerous forwards in the world in Barbra Banda. The Zambian striker has been everything the Pride hoped for when the club made her one of the biggest signings in NWSL history, and she currently leads the league in goals scored.

But even Banda’s impact has come with some challenges.

The star has been working her way back into full match fitness from a thigh injury, and Hines has been carefully managing her minutes. That’s meant the Pride have not always had their most dangerous weapon available for a full 90 minutes.

The loss in Utah Saturday night was the first time Banda started since the World Cup break and the 62 minutes she played were her most in game during that stretch.

Getting Banda back to full fitness will be a major factor for the Pride moving forward, but they’ll also have to prepare for a stretch without her. Banda will soon be leaving for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, creating another challenge for an attack that has already struggled to find consistency.

That makes the need for secondary scoring options even more important.

Banda has done more than enough to carry her share of the responsbiity. The forward currently leads the NWSL with 12 goals, but the rest of the roster has combined for just nine goals this season. The next-highest scorers on the team are Haley McCutcheon, Marta, and Anderson, who have each found the back of the net twice.

Those numbers highlight just how much the Pride have relied on Banda for goals.

That type of dependence is difficult for any team to sustain. Even the best forwards in the world will eventually face opponents who adjust their defensive approach and focus more resources on limiting their impact. Other players have to step up and create goals from different areas of the field.

The Pride have already shown they can win games without dominating offensively. The defense has kept them competitive. Even when they’ve failed to score, they’ve remained within striking distance.

Saturday night was a perfect example. The Pride were outshot 13-3 and didn’t put a single attempt on goal. However, they only trailed 1-0 in the final minutes, so one quality strike or a fortunate bounce of the ball would’ve been enough to claim a valuable point.

That’s both a strength and a frustration for this team.

The defense has given the Pride a chance in nearly every game. It recovered from early-season struggles, adjusted through injuries, and returned to being one of the most reliable units in the league. But without consistent offensive production, those strong defensive performances have not always translated into results.

The Pride don’t have to become an offensive powerhouse overnight. They already have a world-class goal scorer and a defensive foundation capable of competing with any team in the league.

They just need more players to share the responsibility.

That’s been a defining characteristic of Hines’ teams in Orlando. The Pride have been built around a dominant defensive identity, but they’ve also found goals when they needed them — often from unlikely sources.

Even last season, when Banda suffered a season-ending injury, the Pride continued to find ways to create important moments and collect valuable points. The defense gave them a foundation, but the attack provided enough to turn close games into results.

This season, those moments have been harder to find.

The encouraging sign is that the Pride have already solved one major problem. The defense has rediscovered its identity despite injuries, lineup changes, and a difficult start to the year. Now they need the attack to do the same.

If the Pride can pair their improved defensive form with more consistent offensive production, they will once again have the formula that made them one of the NWSL’s best teams.

The defense has found its identity. Now the offense needs to find its rhythm.