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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns, NWSL Semifinals: Final Score 4-1 as Quick Start by Hosts Too Much to Overcome

Published

8 years ago

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The Orlando Pride’s season came to an end where it began, with a loss on the road against the Portland Thorns. The playoff-tested hosts jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead and held on to win 4-1 against a Pride side that made a game of it but was unable to pull completely level to get a fresh start in the match.

Four different Thorns scored in a lopsided final outcome that doesn’t fully tell the story of the game, in which the Pride had to chase the game from 15 minutes on, but looked a threat to pull even for much of the game.

The Pride headed to Portland for a match-up that featured a true immovable object vs. unstoppable force, with Orlando’s league-best offense (45 goals)up against the Thorns’ NWSL-best defense (20 goals allowed). On paper, this match looked like one the Pride didn’t want to face, as they went to league’s No. 1 home field advantage in Portland — today with over 18,000 in attendance — against a team that had only lost one match at home all season.

Making things more difficult is that Orlando had never beaten the Thorns in two seasons, including not scoring against Adrianna Franch — the NWSL’s leader in shutouts (8) — in two previous attempts.

With the injury to Camila, Tom Sermanni decided to go with a new look for his lineup, handing Toni Pressley earning her first start in over two months and leaving Rachel Hill — who has performed very well at the end of the season — on the bench. Portland’s move was notably in the exact opposite direction as the Thorns were able to get Tobin Heath back for her first start of the season.

While there was a bit of back and forth all match, Portland’s midfield had firm control, as the noticeable change of a very deep sitting Pressley vs. the ball control of Camila was everything that Lindsey Horan and Christine Sinclair were hoping for. They continually tortured the Pride and owned the middle of the pitch all day.

That, combined with the Pride employing a very high line and offside trap tactic proved to be the telling stories of this match. The Pride, despite having control for much of the match, couldn't make the deficiencies in both of these areas.

Portland came right out of the gate firing on all cylinders, putting Orlando on its heels. After a first five minutes, during which each team felt each other out, the next 15 minutes would be nearly all Thorns as the Pride couldn’t get themselves settled anywhere on the field.

The left side of the Pride’s defense was being ravaged by Heath but also Meghan Klingenberg, as Marta was having a tough time tracking back. This ultimately led to the first goal by Portland only 12 minutes into the match. Sinclair found a wide open Klingenberg on the left wing. The wingback played a fantastic curling ball to Armandine Henry, who got behind Ali Krieger and headed home to make it 1-0.

It didn't take long for Portland’s second in the 15th, as Heath’s free kick found a streaking Emily Sonnett, who beat Pressley to the near post for a flick over an out of position, and still moving, Ashlyn Harris. 

But after the goal, Orlando seemed to settle down and begin getting back into the match. Just eight minutes later, some good buildup play led to a corner. Marta played a short corner to Chioma Ubogagu, who played it back to Marta. The Brazilian’s ball got a flick from Pressley and eventually found Alanna Kennedy at the back post for Orlando’s first postseason goal.

Orlando consistently flirted with a very high line, one that would eventually cost the Pride, and Portland had a couple of good opportunities only to be spoiled by offside. And, in one case in the 27th minute, Klingenberg almost had a 1-v-1, but she couldn't catch up to a through ball from Horan.

From that point until around the 40-minute mark, the Pride controlled much of the match. Sermanni made a much-needed swap of Marta and Ubogagu. This enabled Marta to take advantage of a much worse Thorns right side while allowing Chi to follow Klingenberg around, making her much more quiet than the first 15.

The 40th minute saw Portland gain back some control as Australian international Haley Raso drove against multiple Pride defenders to earn a corner. At this point, the Pride had moved to zonal marking after giving up the first goal. This time the cross found Sinclair but she headed wide.

Portland continued to press in the last five minutes of the first half, nearly getting Sinclair in but again it was offside.

The second half started with a bit of back and forth but the Pride found some early opportunities that they just couldn't close. In the 55th minute, a great direct ball over the top by Pressley found Morgan for a first-time attempt that she sent wide across the box. Marta also had a free kick opportunity that nothing came of.

Then, in the 57th, Sinclair almost found what would have been a wide open Horan in the middle of box. The high line again flirted with being caught out, but Horan and Sinclair weren't on the same page as the ball dropped into an empty box and out for a goal kick.

From the 57th to the 69th minutes the Pride continued to have possession and opportunities but were continually denied by a strong Portland defense. Portland looked content to sit back a little bit and defend crosses and the Pride couldn’t find a final ball.

The inability to find that last ball finally came back to haunt Orlando as the high line was finally burnt in the 71st minute. Horan played a quality weighted ball over the Orlando defense to find Raso, with no one within five yards, who calmly finished past Harris to make it 3-1. Harris on the play seemed disconnected with her back line as she was sitting rather deep and hesitated on what could have potentially been an easy claim or clearance at the top of her box.

The high line almost immediately saw another goal in the next minute as a dangerous cross got behind again but the final ball was wide.

One of the many constant themes of the match was a Hack-A-Morgan strategy that saw the Thorns beating up on the Pride striker consistently. It came to a climax as another tackle by Sonnett in the 73rd found nothing but Morgan’s top half and forced her to the sideline briefly (no foul by the way). Portland featured 15 fouls all match and used plenty of them on Morgan to keep her out of the game as much as possible.

The remainder of the match saw the Thorns never step off the gas pedal as they looked to keep the Pride away from a hometown championship match. With substitutions of three international players in Dagný Brynjarsdóttir (Iceland), Allie Long (USA), and Nadia Nadim (France), the Thorns continued to prove their depth was too much to handle as Sermanni could only counter with Jasmyne Spencer, Rachel Hill , and Danica Evans.

Brynjarsdóttir’s fresh legs proved to be a pain for the left side of defense as she consistently found space to play many dangerous crosses across the six. Orlando began to look out of sorts as fatigue set in late from chasing all game long.

In her first set of touches, Nadim gave Portland a 4-1 lead in the 84th minute by finding a Sinclair at the back post with a ball inches over Kristen Edmonds. The Canadian calmly placed the ball into the back corner.

The Pride finish their second season 11-7-7, seeing huge growth over last year’s ninth-place finish. Leading the league in goals scored and with multiple players up for year-end awards, it proved a successful campaign. While it fell short, we can't help but be optimistic that a full year with Morgan, the experience gained this year and the right off-season moves will see the Pride back in the postseason in 2018.

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Announce 2026 NWSL Schedule

We now know who, when, and where the Pride will play during the 2026 NWSL regular season.

Published

4 days ago

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January 15, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

The National Women’s Soccer League schedule was announced this morning, telling us who, where, and when the Orlando Pride will play this year. The 2026 season will once again feature a balanced schedule with all teams playing the other 15 teams once at home and once on the road. The addition of Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC will see each team play 30 games, making it the longest regular season in league history.

The Pride will begin the season at home, facing the Seattle Reign on March 15. This season begins with a two-game homestand, ending with the club’s first-ever match against the Summit and the return of Ally Watt. The first road game will occur on March 25 when the Pride face Chicago Stars FC in Evanston, IL.

The Pride’s home schedule will end on Oct. 25 when they face NJ/NY Gotham FC. They’ll then travel west to face Seattle on Decision Day in the return game on Nov. 1, concluding the team’s 11th season in existence.

Orlando’s games this year are well distributed among the league’s various broadcast partners. The Pride will play nine times on Victory+ — the league’s new free streaming partner. Additionally, they’ll play six times on Prime Video, five times on Ion, twice on CBS Sports Network, once on ESPN, and once on ESPN2. The remaining games will be available on NWSL+.

Should the Pride qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive year, the quarterfinals will take play Nov. 6-8, followed by the semifinals on Nov. 14-15. The championship game will take place on Nov. 21 at a location yet to be determined.

The longest homestand this year is two games and will occur three times. As previously mentioned, the Pride begin with a pair of home games against Seattle and Denver on March 15 and March 20, respectively. They’ll host the Washington Spirit and North Carolina Courage on May 2 and May 8, respectively; the Kansas City Current and Boston on July 10 and July 15, respectively; and Utah Royals FC and the Houston Dash on Aug. 29 and Sept. 6, respectively.

The longest road trip this year is a three-game swing in May. Orlando will face Boston at Gillette Stadium on May 12, Denver on May 16, and San Diego Wave FC on May 24.

The league will take a month-long break during June as the country hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Pride’s final game before the break is on May 29 at home against Bay FC and they will return to action on July 3 against Angel City FC in Los Angeles.

The busiest months of the season will be May and July, when the Pride will play six times in each month. They’ll play four times in March, August, and September, three times in October, twice in April, and once in November.

Here’s a month-by-month breakdown of the regular season:

  • March — 4
  • April — 2
  • May — 6
  • June — 0
  • July — 6
  • August — 4
  • September — 4
  • October — 3
  • November — 1

The most common day the Pride will play this year will be Friday (11 times), the same as last year. They’ll play nine games on Sunday, seven on Saturday, two on Wednesday, and one rare Tuesday match.

Here’s the Pride’s breakdown by day for the regular season:

  • Monday — 0
  • Tuesday — 1
  • Wednesday — 2
  • Thursday — 0
  • Friday — 11
  • Saturday — 7
  • Sunday — 9

For fans that follow Orlando City and the Pride, the teams will play on the same day five times. However, two of the days won’t see the games overlap. On May 2, the Pride hosts the Spirit at 4 p.m. and the Lions face Inter Miami away at 7 p.m. On Sept. 19, the Pride host the Portland Thorns at 4 p.m while City plays at the New England Revolution at 7:30 p.m. 

The teams’ games will overlap on three occasions, but they never start at the same time. On May 16, Orlando City hosts Atlanta United at 7:30 p.m. before the Pride play in Denver at 8:45 p.m. On Aug. 15, Orlando City hosts FC Cincinnati at 7:30 p.m. and the Pride play in Portland at 8:45 p.m. On Aug. 29, the Pride host the Royals at 7 p.m. and Orlando City faces Minnesota United FC away at 8:30 p.m.

2026 Orlando Pride Schedule (All Times Eastern)

  • Sunday, March 15 — vs. Seattle Reign FC, 4 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, March 20 — vs. Denver Summit FC, 8 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Wednesday, March 25 — at Chicago Stars FC 8 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Sunday, March 29 — at NJ/NY Gotham FC, 7 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, April 3 — vs. Angel City FC, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Friday, April 24 — at Racing Louisville FC, 5:30 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Saturday, May 2 — vs. Washington Spirit, 4 p.m. (ION)
  • Friday, May 8 — vs. North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Tuesday, May 12 — at Boston Legacy FC, 8 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Saturday, May 16 — at Denver Summit FC, 8:45 p.m. (ION)
  • Sunday, May 24 — at San Diego Wave FC, 7 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, May 29 — vs. Bay FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
  • Friday, July 3 — at Angel City FC, 10 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Friday, July 10 — vs. Kansas City Current, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Wednesday, July 15 — vs. Boston Legacy FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
  • Saturday, July 18 — at Utah Royals FC, 8:45 p.m. (ION)
  • Friday, July 24 — vs. Chicago Stars FC, 8 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, July 31 — at North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Saturday, Aug. 8 — vs. Racing Louisville FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
  • Saturday, Aug. 15 — at Portland Thorns, 8:45 p.m. (ION)
  • Sunday, Aug. 23 — at Washington Spirit, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
  • Saturday, Aug. 29 — vs. Utah Royals FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
  • Sunday, Sept. 6 — vs. Houston Dash, 7 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, Sept. 11 — at Kansas City Current, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Saturday, Sept. 19 — vs. Portland Thorns, 4 p.m. (ION)
  • Sunday, Sept. 27 — at Bay FC, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
  • Friday, Oct. 2 — vs. San Diego Wave FC, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Sunday, Oct. 18 — at Houston Dash, 1 p.m. (CBSSN)
  • Sunday, Oct. 25 — vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 3 p.m. (CBSSN)
  • Sunday, Nov. 1 — at Seattle Reign FC, 5 p.m. (TBD)
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Orlando Pride

How the Orlando Pride Can Return to the Mountaintop

What needs to happen for the Pride to win hardware in 2026?

Published

4 days ago

on

January 15, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

A fall-off after winning the double in 2024 was probably inevitable, yet the Orlando Pride still managed to come within minutes of playing in a second straight NWSL championship match. Many of the pieces are still there, and there are resources to get more. However, there have been some big changes in personnel on and off the pitch.

What needs to happen for the Pride to challenge for another double in 2026?

Reinvigorate the Attack

The return of Barbra Banda is the balm to soothe the worries of Orlando Pride fans. Even when the Pride struggled before she was injured, Banda scored plenty of goals. The biggest problem is she was left on an island as the team tried lobbing the ball up the field to her, hoping she’d do it all herself. Jacquie Ovalle didn’t take the NWSL by storm as we hoped, but it sometimes takes time for a player to adjust to a new league and club. If they had been able to work together, it’s likely the Orlando attack wouldn’t have faltered. Ovalle’s ability to deliver the ball into the box, combined with Banda’s ability to put the ball in the net, is a dangerous combo.

Of course, the Pride will need more than the two of them if the club is to win some trophies in 2026. I made this point several times last season, but Marta needs to find her form from 2024. With Banda and Ovalle in the attack, it should allow Marta the freedom she needs to be creative without having to carry the offense. Additionally, the Pride need other attackers to also find their 2024 form. I’m looking at Julie Doyle and Summer Yates in particular.

Fill the Roster

Haley Carter didn’t leave the cupboard bare when she departed for the wicked Washington Spirit. As such, Seb Hines and new Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Caitlin Carducci don’t have too much to do. But, the transfer of Emily Sams did create a need at center back. Fortunately, the Orlando Pride received $650,000 in intraleague transfer funds for Sams. That kind of cash can go a long way to filling the gaps in the roster.

With Kylie Nadaner on maternity leave and Rafaelle seemingly always on the verge of injury, finding a replacement for Sams is a priority. Some might point to Zara Chavoshi, but unless she levels up quickly, Carducci will need to look elsewhere. Offensively, as important as Banda is, adding another striker is necessary for quality depth. The departures of Ally Watt and Prisca Chilufya mean there’s a spot for an even better backup striker. I’m also not opposed to a quality left back.

Find the Grit

In 2024, the entire Pride team was personally offended if the opposition scored a goal. The level of defending up and down the pitch was a big factor in breaking records and winning hardware. The players need to pick up the chip and put it back on their metaphorical shoulders. I somewhat addressed this with the need to replace Sams, but there’s more to it than that. The Pride wore teams down over the course of a match, meaning it wasn’t necessary to score tons of goals. Of course, it’s not just the back line that needs to be better, but the entire team. Fortunately, Hines knows a thing or two about defenses. The Pride still have Marta to motivate them, and that — while not everything — is not a small advantage.

Those are the things I will be looking for in 2026. Let me know your thoughts or ideas in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Name Caitlin Carducci Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager

Caitlin Carducci leaves the Kansas City Current to become the Pride’s new vice president of soccer operations and general manager.

Published

6 days ago

on

January 13, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride have found their replacement for Haley Carter, naming former Kansas City Current general manager Caitlin Carducci as the club’s new vice president of soccer operations and general manager. Carducci arrives in Orlando after helping assemble the Current squad that broke some of the Pride’s league records set in 2024, moving from the 2025 NWSL Shield winners to the 2024 NWSL Shield Winners.

“Caitlin is a proven leader whose experience across every level of women’s soccer and history of building championship-caliber rosters set her apart,” Orlando Pride Owner and Chairman Mark Wilf said in a club press release. “She emerged as the clear choice in our search with her deep expertise, strong reputation, and a vision that aligns with our culture. Caitlin is the ideal person to elevate the strong foundation we have established and position the Pride for sustained success.”

The Pride used Bloom Sports Partners to assist in the club’s search for Carter’s replacement. Carter left behind a team that won the double in 2024, capturing both the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship, and came tantalizingly close to a second straight appearance in the NWSL final last season. Carducci, who helped architect the team that won another trophy in 2024 — the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup — now inherits the club Carter left behind on Nov. 18 of last year to take a job with the Washington Spirit.

“I’m incredibly honored and excited to take on this role and help elevate the strong foundation that the club’s players, staff, and supporters have already created,” Carducci said in the club’s release. “The chance to work with the Wilf family, whose leadership and investment reflect their commitment to a world-class organization, along with a championship-level roster and technical staff, made this an easy decision. I’m eager to begin this next chapter, strengthen the inclusive and ambitious culture that defines this club, and help push the Pride toward new heights.”

Carducci spent the last three seasons with Kansas City, serving multiple roles, most recently as the Current’s general manager. She joined Kansas City in 2023 as director of soccer operations, becoming interim general manager in May of 2024. Carducci became the club’s GM later that season. Her key accomplishments include bringing in the final piece of the Current’s puzzle — Brazilian international goalkeeper Lorena, who broke Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse’s short-lived NWSL single-season record for shutouts. Carducci also acquired Ally Sentnor during the 2025 season from the Utah Royals. She was also instrumental in the Current re-signing star players Debinha, Temwa Chawinga, Michelle Cooper, and Lo’eau Labonta.

That Current team set new league single-season records for most wins (21), points (65), and shutouts (16), and won the NWSL Shield faster than any previous winner in NWSL history.

During her playing days, Carducci played at Ashland University. The Central Ohio native later served as an assistant coach at Ohio Northern University while completing her law degree.

Like Carter, Carducci has a varied background and numerous skillsets that will serve her well in her new position. She served as a compliance officer at Xavier University and as manager of member programs for U.S. Soccer, overseeing professional player registration and FIFA compliance and acting as the primary point of contact for organization members, including state associations and professional leagues. She returned to U.S. Soccer in 2022, where she became vice president of member programs and stakeholder engagement.

What It Means for Orlando

In the short term, hiring a general manager should help fill out a roster that came close to a second consecutive NWSL final, despite being without star striker Barbra Banda for the final weeks of the season and all of the postseason. That roster needs immediate help at center back after Emily Sams recently requested and received a trade to Angel City. There aren’t a lot of holes in the Pride roster, but the center back group needs help and more production and depth are needed in the attack.

Overall, this seems on the surface to be an addition that mirrors the Pride bringing Carter to Orlando in 2023. She brings a variety of experiences that will help the club in multiple ways. From her law degree to her compliance background to evaluating talent and luring those players to non-marquee market teams, Carducci seems to check all the boxes. It’s easy to understand how the club arrived at this decision. Ultimately, how Carducci’s tenure in Orlando goes will depend on what the club does on the field and how well it develops talent.

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