Orlando Pride
The Best of the Orlando Pride in 2017
The Orlando Pride had a fantastic run in their second year. Creating team depth and consistency for any expansion team is a hard thing to do, but the Pride were also without their best scorer, Alex Morgan, over the first half their second season.
Finishing in third place, with a record of 11-6-7 — and a run of nine unbeaten matches to finish the regular season — the Pride captured something Orlando soccer hasn't seen since gaining major professional soccer: the playoffs. While they fell short to the eventual NWSL Champion Portland Thorns, we couldn't be more proud as fans of a team that fought hard all season.
So, with that being said, we wanted to look back and give shout-outs to individual and team efforts alike that stood out from the pack on this great season.
MVP — Marta
This was the easiest decision to make as the five-time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year, led the Pride in her first season into the playoffs. Had Morgan been with the team for the whole year, this may have been a tougher conversation, but Marta’s effectiveness all season was what put the Pride over the top.
The NWSL Player of the Month for September was second across the league in both goals (13) and assists (tied at six), but it was her efficiency that stands out. She was ninth on the list of total shots (44) and only had only 25 shots on goal, giving her a scoring rate of over 50% when she put shots on target.
There are many matches to choose from, but I would put Marta’s two-goal, two-assist effort on the road against the Houston Dash as her best game of the year. At 2-3-3, the Pride were just finding their rhythm in winning two of their last four, and going to Houston to face Carli Lloyd and co. is never an easy job. Marta had a hand in all four goals that day as the Pride led by as much as 4-0 at one point. This was a match that clearly showed her ability to take over any game single-handedly, and one that was needed as the Pride were looking to get back to .500.
Goal of the Year
There were no lack of goals to choose from as the Pride led the league in goals scored. When I was looking for clips, I swear it seemed like every single week a Pride player was up for the NWSL’s Goal of the Week and there were plenty of winners to choose from.
Some would argue Alanna Kennedy’s free kick to send Orlando into third place with a stoppage-time victory against NC Courage in the final match of the season should be there. And we wouldn't disagree. However, we found two other we liked just slightly better…
Runner Up — Camila against the Washington Spirit
This goal takes a lot of skill. On the run, approaching a bouncing ball that was cleared by the goalkeeper, only to lob it 35-40 yards into an open net. But alas, that’s my determining factor here. While it took a great amount of skill, it was hitting into an open net and the goal was to put us up two, not a game-winning goal — as you’ll see below — which leads me to put this No. 2.
Winner — Alex Morgan against the Washington Spirit
This Week 18 winner of the NWSL Goal of the Week was much deserved. Not only was it a game-winning goal, but a slashing Morgan came up with some karate-esque, donkey-like, behind-her-back goal that is not often seen. Combining the importance with the level of difficulty gives Alex the nod.
Best Match
Internal debate sparked on this as we needed to decide if this was the best “played” match of the season, the most meaningful match, or simply the most dominant result of the season.
Was it the draw against the Chicago Red Stars that saw Orlando start its unbeaten streak?
Or perhaps the first win of the season against the reigning champion North Carolina Courage in Week 5?
And then there’s the third seed-clinching win against the Courage in the final week of the season. This would lend to being it, right? Well, the reason I’m not taking this is because going into this week, the playoffs were a certainty for all teams, so it lacked some nuance that the fight against Seattle Reign the week before had. Which actually may have been more important than this one when you think about it.
Winner — Pride Rout Sky Blue FC, 5-0
This match has it all to me. It’s an overwhelmingly dominant performance from start to finish. It was a statement to the rest of the league that the Pride were ready for the playoff push, as it was their second win on the course to a five-game run. It put Sky Blue FC — then tied on points with Orlando with one more win to their name — firmly behind the Pride for the rest of the season. This match was a big turning point as everyone was firing on all cylinders and one that propelled us beyond.
Rookie of the Year — Rachel Hill
Hill — who was selected 14th by the Portland Thorns in the NWSL College Draft before being traded — didn't even get a normal preseason to her inaugural campaign as she didn't sign until late May after going back to finish school.
As anyone can imagine, it’s not like this team is lacking for attacking talent with two of the world’s greatest players, and Hill stayed patient until needed. Her first goal of the season came in dramatic fashion as she scored an 87th-minute header to give the Pride a 3-2 win over Sky Blue FC.
Hill continued to earn increasing playing time over the year. Most notably in a home match start against the Boston Breakers, which almost saw her score a hat trick in under 30 minutes.
A consistent inclusion late in the year for Tom Sermanni, we’re looking forward to seeing what the future brings for this bright young forward.
Breakout Player — Camila
Camila was everything for the Pride this season, whenever they needed it. Whether it be on the right wing, at central midfielder, or at right back, she was always ready to perform no matter what the situation.
Before going down with a knee injury, she was tied for second in the league in assists and her loss was clearly a massive blow to the team, as was evident by the relentless Portland attack down the right side where Camila often played. Her season ended with 22 starts, garnering four goals and five assists.
We already mentioned her above when discussing Goal of the Year, something she was in the running for after that outstanding long-range goal. And what probably is the biggest travesty is her lack of inclusion on either of the NWSL’s Best XI teams. Camila had one of the best seasons by any Pride player and we wish her a full and speedy recovery.
Defensive MVP — Steph Catley
Nominated for NWSL’s Defender of the Year, the Westfield Matilda continued to prove why she’s one of the best backs in the game. Earning NWSL Best XI Second Team, it proved another successful year.
The fullback led Orlando in total touches (1,667) and crosses (75), while her 27 chances created were the second-highest by any Pride player.
One of her best moments came against the Houston Dash with Aubrey Bledsoe caught out, when she made a goal-line saving clearance that earned her NWSL’s Save of the Week Honors.
Assist of The Year — Steph Catley against Washington Spirit
As if we haven't talked about Catley enough, her 55-plus-yard laser to an eventual Alex Morgan volley was something of beauty. Fast forward to the 0:47 mark to watch the amazing combination of Catley and Morgan.
Save of the Year
Last but not least my favorite category. As a goalkeeper, there’s nothing I love more than watching great play in net, and both of the Pride keepers rank among the top. In researching this award, it appeared Ashlyn Harris or Aubrey Bledsoe were in nearly every NWSL Save the Week nomination, or it at least felt like it.
Runner-Up: Ashlyn Harris against NC Courage
If we had enough time, Ashlyn could have filled an entire article with saves week in and week out. This save, however, was her best in that long line of outstanding reaction saves. With a Courage team all over the Pride, Ashlyn made an unbelievable save to her left when a wide-open player 10 yards out from goal had the whole net at her disposal. But Ashlyn stayed set on the incoming cross and made a wonderful diving save:
Winner: Aubrey Bledsoe full stretch against Carli Lloyd
This may be a shocker to you — an upset, if you will — but this Week 9 NWSL Save of the Week winner was everything and more. If Ashlyn’s save above is a 9, Aubrey’s is a 9.5. She may have had a better angle against the shot, but a Carli Lloyd half-volley outside the six is nowhere close to an easy shot.
What makes the difference to me is what actually happens directly after the shot. A strong left hand by Bledsoe leads to two passes and a goal only 16 seconds later. If that hand is weak and it spills into the penalty area, that’s a possible goal. But instead it’s properly pushed out and starts a counter attack. That full gambit of reaction time, technique, and finesse is what pushes this save over Ashlyn’s above.
Congratulations again to all the Pride players and staff on a successful year two. And if you don't agree with me on any of the awards, then let me hear it!
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Final Score 3-1 as Banda Brace Leads Pride to Victory
Barbra Banda bags a brace and an assist but goes down injured late in the victory.
After dropping two games to expansion teams and stealing a win in San Diego, the Orlando Pride looked to enter the summer break on a good note. The Pride (5-5-2, 17 points) had never lost to Bay FC (3-6-2, 11 points) and used a second-half burst to maintain that winning record and won 3-1 at Inter&Co Stadium.
Barbra Banda opened the scoring in the fourth minute and followed it up in the 51st minute with her second. She added an assist to Cori Dyke in the 55th minute to close out the Pride scoring. Caroline Conti scored the lone Bay FC goal at the seven-minute mark.
“No better gift than a 3-1 victory at home in front of our fans,” Pride Head Coach (and birthday boy) Seb Hines said after the game. “It feels good that we’re ending this period on a high. I think it’s the first time this season we’ve got back-to-back victories.”
The Pride made one change in the lineup, giving Kerry Abello her first start of the season over Julie Doyle. Anna Moorhouse started in goal with Abello, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Oihane on defense. Haley McCutcheon and Ally Lemos played midfield in front of them with Mace, Luana, and Nicole Payne attacking from the midfield. Banda and her leading-leading nine goals played alone up top.
After an hour weather delay, the Pride went with the in-vogue start these days by kicking the ball straight out of bounds deep on the start and pressing high. It led to an opening three minutes of play in which the Pride kept the pressure up and forced the ball to stay on the Bay FC side. In the fourth minute, Luana headed a ball towards the center which Banda controlled, bodied Bay FC’s Joelle Anderson off the ball, and slotted the opening goal with her left foot.
Bay FC fought right back in the seventh minute as the visitors didn’t have to fight through the press off their kickoff. Claire Hutton crossed the ball into the box, Abello deflected it wide but there was no Pride defender there and it fell to Caroline Conti. Abello tried to fight all the way over but Conti was able to put it past Moorhouse before any help arrived.
The entire back line got pulled to the right on the play and Mace could not get back to help out wide.
“Hailie Mace came into NWSL as a winger. She’s got some tendencies that fit a winger profile. We knew Bay FC had a high back line. How do we get behind that back line? Having someone to support Barbra and not just Nicole but add in another player who can get into the attack,” Hines said regarding the switch.
In the 16th minute, Rachael Kundananji beat Oihane and crossed the ball to Hannah Bebar, who headed it into the net, but Cristiana Girelli was in an offside position threatening the goal, so the assistant referee ruled that it put Moorhouse off enough to interfere with the play.
The teams settled down a bit and traded possession until the 27th minute when Oihane centered the ball to Payne, who scuffed the shot high. One minute later, Luana sent a through ball for Banda to run onto and she went down in the box in a collision with Brooklyn Courtnall. It was fairly evident, however, that Banda got her leg into Courtnall’s to either try to control the ball or draw a foul, and the referee, Jaclyn Metz, saw it the same way.
In the 33rd minute, Oihane was subbed out for Hannah Anderson. Oihane had been laboring a little and may have picked up a knock somewhere.
The Pride couldn’t re-establish the high press so they turned into a lot of possession by Bay FC. Any attack by the Pride ended in a turnover off a bad pass or ill-conceived long shots as Orlando’s attackers were impatient in building play. Turnover after turnover plagued the Pride for the remainder of the half as they did not threaten at all until the 45th minute, when Banda took on Maddie Moreau and Kundananji, shook them both loose, and then crossed the ball into an empty area at the back post with no one to finish.
It was a fitting final piece of sound and fury, signifying nothing, as the half wrapped without any plays of interest. The Pride weren’t able to lead any of the statistics, tying Bay FC in shots (4-4), while Bay FC led in shots on target (3-1), possession (53%-47%), and passing accuracy (85%-83%). Neither team was able to force a corner in the first half.
To start the second half, Hines subbed in Summer Yates for Abello, which pushed Mace back to the back line. In the 48th minute, Kundananji got behind when Anderson got caught out and was sizing up a one-on-one with Moorhouse. Dyke hustled back and blocked the shot.
“We started the game super strong, super intense, but I think we fell off towards the end of that first half,” Dyke said. “We got a little too stretched between the lines and weren’t getting enough pressure on the ball and we talked about that at halftime. We needed to stay more compact and then pick our moments to go.”
Go they did. Three minutes later, Yates sent a through ball angled behind Banda which allowed her to run onto the ball unopposed. She beat goalkeeper Emmie Allen, who came out of the box aggressively to defend, and then passed the ball into the net in the 51st minute.
Four minutes later, Banda pressured Allen, forcing the goalkeeper into a clearance out of play. On the ensuing throw-in, Banda held off Bebar in the box, spun, and crossed the ball to Dyke, who put the ball in off the crossbar. The ability of the Pride to retain possession and work the ball in against a lesser opponent opened up the scoring and turned the game on its head.
Bay FC didn’t have a lot to do over the next stretch of time and Taylor Huff went down with an injury in the 61st minute, prompting a change as she was subbed out for Karlie Lema. Dorian Bailey came on for Joelle Anderson in the same stoppage but at the 62nd minute.
The teams went back and forth for a bit until the Pride drew a corner in the 71st minute. It deflected off a Bay FC defender and fell to Rafaelle at the far post, who headed it just wide. Three minutes later, Jacquie Ovalle and Zara Chavoshi wrapped up the Pride substitutions by coming in for Payne and Mace. Bay FC also took the stoppage in the 74th minute to sub two players in, bringing on Keria Barry and Onyeka Gamero for Kundananji and Girelli.
Unfortunately, in the 81st minute, Banda was dribbling down the left side when she pulled up lame and went to the ground off the pitch. She stayed there until tended to and was obviously upset. We’ll have to wait for any injury news on her. Bay FC made its final substitution in the ensuing stoppage in the 82nd minute, bringing on Kelli Hubly for Conti.
The injury to Banda left the Pride playing with only 10 players for the remaining 15 minutes (including added time) due to using up all three substitution windows. They stayed fairly solid in defense and played a lot of keep-away ball to see out the victory while playing short.
“A great way to finish this part of the season with a win at home. I think we were consistent today and we took the chances we created,” Luana said. “We’ve been having highs and lows in this part of the season but we bounced back in these two wins and it brought us a lot of confidence.”
Orlando City was ahead in the only stat that matters, goals, but trailed in every other major stat. Bay FC finished ahead in shots (14-8), shots on target (5-4), possession (54%-46%), passing accuracy (85%-84%), and corners (4-1).
The Orlando Pride now will be off until early July for the NWSL World Cup break. The next match is scheduled for July 3 in Los Angeles against Angel City FC.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride return home to face Bay FC in their final game before the FIFA World Cup break.
Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride (4-5-2, 14 points) return home from a three-game road trip to take on Bay FC (3-5-2, 11 points). This is the first of two meetings between the two teams with the return game scheduled for Sept. 27 in San Jose.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
Bay FC is one of two expansion teams that entered the NWSL for the 2024 season. The teams have met four times, with the Pride holding a 3-0-1 record and a 1-0-1 mark at home in the series.
The most recent meeting took place on Sept. 13, 2025, in Orlando. The visitors took the lead just before halftime when Racheal Kundananji headed in a long pass by Caprice Dydasco. The Pride equalized in the second half, when Ally Watt headed a Jacquie Ovalle cross past Jordan Silkowitz to claim a 1-1 draw.
On June 13 of last year in San Jose, CA, Bay FC led almost every statistical category, but the Pride defense held strong until Barbra Banda scored shortly after halftime. The Pride withstood attack after attack, coming away with a hard-fought 1-0 win.
The teams met twice in 2024, with the first-ever game between the clubs occurring on May 11. Just prior to the half-hour mark, Banda dribbled inside and Deyna Castellanos attempted an ill-advised challenge, resulting in a foul in the box and a Pride penalty. Adriana put the ball into the bottom left corner for the only goal, lifting the Pride to a 1-0 win. It was the sixth win in an NWSL-record, eight-game win streak.
The teams met for the second time on Sept. 20, 2024. It looked like the game might be headed for a scoreless draw until Banda got her head on the end of a Carson Pickett cross, redirecting it past Katelyn Rowland to give the Pride the 1-0 win.
Overview
The Pride return home tonight after a difficult road trip that saw the team fall 2-1 to Boston Legacy FC and 3-1 to Denver Summit FC. Having already lost to both expansion teams, they headed west to face San Diego Wave FC, a team near the top of the standings. But Nicole Payne’s first professional goal lifted Orlando to a 1-0 win.
Despite not scoring in two of the last three games, Banda still leads the league with nine goals in 10 games this season. She has a two-goal lead on Ashley Sanchez, who is second in the league. Haley McCutcheon is the only other Pride player with multiple goals, scoring twice in the same game. Ovalle, Marta, and Hannah Anderson have the team’s other three goals. The assists have been spread out much more evenly with Ovalle, McCutcheon, and Rafaelle all sharing the team lead with two.
The clean sheet against San Diego was big for the back line as the team has conceded too many goals recently. Dating back to their 3-2 loss to Racing Louisville FC on April 24, the Pride have conceded multiple goals in four of the last six games. The only other game in which they didn’t concede at least twice was a 1-0 win over the North Carolina Courage on May 8, their last home game.
Tonight is the Pride’s last game before the league breaks for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After the game, they won’t play again until July 3 and won’t play at home until July 10. That makes getting a quality result tonight essential for momentum going through the remainder of the season.
If you’re looking for a team to win against, Bay FC is one of the most likely candidates. The Bay -area side sits 13th in the NWSL on 11 points, just four points ahead of Louisville for last place. Tonight’s visitors are currently on a four-game winless run (0-2-2) and a two-game losing streak. Their last win was a 1-0 victory against San Diego on May 3. The club’s most recent games are a 2-0 loss to Portland Thorns FC on May 20 and a 1-0 loss to Chicago Stars FC on May 24.
Bay FC has struggled this year on both ends of the field. Its eight goals are second fewest in the league and Bay is one of three teams with single-digit goals this year. Meanwhile, the team’s 14 goals conceded are sixth in the league. The California side has been better defensively overall than the Pride, who have conceded 16 goals, but worse offensively, as the Pride have scored 15 goals so far this year.
Bay FC has been led in the attack by Alex Pfeiffer and Dorian Bailey with two goals each. Kundananji, Taylor Huff, Keira Barry, and Joelle Anderson have one apiece. Pfeiffer also leads the team in assists with two, tied with Cristina Girelli. Huff and Sydney Collins are the only other players with assists this season.
It should help the Pride tonight that Bay FC will be missing two key players. Silkowitz and starting center back Aldana Cometti were sent off against Chicago Sunday, meaning they’ll miss tonight’s game.
However, the Pride have their own key absences. In addition to injuries that have accumulated this season, Angelina was handed an additional game’s suspension after being sent off on May 16 for pulling Delanie Sheehan’s hair.
“We’re looking forward to it. Looking forward to being back home,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “It’s been a long road trip. Excited to get in front of our own fans. Want to create that atmosphere, make it hostile for Bay FC. We know it’s a quick turnaround for both teams as well, so we want to make sure that we start off on the front foot, build on what we achieved last Sunday in San Diego, and finish this part of the season on a high.”
The Pride will be without Angelina (suspension), Cosette Morche (ankle), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Solai Washington (knee). Marta (thigh) and Ovalle (thigh) are listed as questionable. Bay FC will be without Cornetti (suspension), Abby Dahlkemper (maternity leave), Anouk Denton (lower leg), Dydasco (maternity leave), Heather Gilchrist (knee), Alyssa Malonson (knee), Emily Menges (maternity leave), Pfeiffer (knee), and Silkowitz (suspension).
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Oihane, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, Hailie Mace.
Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon.
Attacking Midfielders: Kerry Abello, Luana, Nicole Payne.
Forward: Barbra Banda.
Bench: McKinley Crone, Zara Chavoshi, Hannah Anderson, Julie Doyle, Marta, Jacquie Ovalle, Summer Yates, Seven Castain, Simone Jackson.
Bay FC (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Emmie Allen.
Defenders: Sydney Collins, Joelle Anderson, Brooklyn Courtnall, Maddie Moreau.
Defensive Midfielders: Hannah Bebar, Claire Hutton.
Attacking Midfielders: Racheal Kundananji, Caroline Conti, Taylor Huff.
Forward: Cristiana Girelli.
Bench: Camryn Miller, Kelli Hubly, Jamie Shepherd, Dorian Bailey, Karlie Lema, Onyeka Gamero, Tess Boade, Keira Barry.
Referees
REF: Jaclyn Metz.
AR1: Art Arustamyan.
AR2: Adam Cook.
4TH: Edson Carvajal.
VAR: Anya Voigt.
AVAR: Katarzyna Wasiak.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7 p.m.
Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.
TV: None.
Streaming: NWSL+.
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.
Enjoy the game. Go Pride!
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Three Keys to Victory
What do the Pride need to do to earn all three points against Bay FC?
The Orlando Pride welcome Bay FC to Inter&Co Stadium this Friday night for the last match before the World Cup break. This is an opportunity to get a win over a team lower in the table and move up in the standings. What must the Pride do to earn all three points against Bay FC this weekend?
Keep the Chip
I have been asking all season on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for the Pride to play with the chip on their shoulder that they had when they won the double in 2024. We saw that against the San Diego Wave. My hope is that the players have now remembered what that feels like and will execute with the same level of intensity going forward.
The task is potentially a little easier against Bay FC, as the California-based side has scored less than half the number of goals that the Wave have this season. Of course, that is the trap. The Pride cannot slack off against Bay FC. Having Rafaelle anchoring the defense is a big help, and moving Hailie Mace out to right back has proven effective. In 2024, this team hated — with a capital “H” — conceding goals. They took it personally. That is the passion I want again. The chip on the shoulder.
Overwhelm and Outscore
As I mentioned above, Bay FC is not a prolific scoring team. Friday’s visitors have also given up 14 goals this season. That’s not the best or the worst in the league, but they haven’t faced Barbra Banda yet. The Orlando Pride don’t have any trouble creating chances, but they have had trouble getting anyone other than Banda to finish them this season. Banda leads the league in goals, and she has an opportunity to maintain or extend that lead against Bay FC.
What will truly make the difference for the Pride against Bay FC is if any of the other players can contribute a goal. We saw the space that Banda can provide her teammates when Nicole Payne scored her first goal against San Diego. Now I want other players to take advantage of that space to provide some goals for the Pride.
More Luana
Luana got her first start since coming back to the squad cancer-free. I think we’ve forgotten that she was a starter on the 2024 squad before her Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis. She was a starter on a team that won the double. Now she is back and she is a leader and an inspiration for her fellow players.
Given Marta’s limited minutes, having Luana out there as a stabilizing presence is important. Obviously, she brings a different skill set than Marta but still a critical one. Much like the defense, the midfield was better last match, and I feel she was a big part of that.
That is what I will be looking for on Friday night. The Pride can head into the World Cup break on a high with a victory. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!
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