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Meet the 2018 Orlando Pride

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The 2018 NWSL season is about to begin and Tom Sermanni’s Orlando Pride welcome back the majority of last year’s playoff team that finished third overall in the regular season. With several quality additions over the winter, the Pride seem poised to make another postseason run in 2018 and perhaps challenge for some hardware in the club’s third season.

There were only two major losses in the off-season, with the trades of left back Steph Catley and forward Jasmyne Spencer to Seattle, but the Pride got good value in return and simultaneously filled the position Catley vacated by acquiring Carson Pickett in the deal. Orlando also added a few other key players who are expected to make an impact in 2018.

Let’s meet this year’s Pride team.

2 Sydney Leroux, Forward

The biggest name of the off-season acquisitions, Leroux was acquired from Utah on Feb. 2 in exchange for a 2019 first-round pick. No longer an allocated player by the U.S. Soccer Federation (i.e. the USSF no longer covers her league salary), Leroux had to sign a deal with the club prior to the season, which she did.

Sydney wasted no time getting up to speed with her new team, scoring a goal in each of the Pride’s preseason matches and led the team in scoring. At the Pride Media Day she said she feels like the old Syd is back and that’s tremendous news for Orlando fans. Nearly all of her teammates we spoke to this preseason mentioned how her physical play and tenacity inspired them to play harder and tougher. If that is the case, this could be a special year for the Pride. The former FC Kansas City and Western New York Flash forward has lots of international experience, with 77 USWNT caps, and a history of playing with Alex Morgan. Her style of play should create more space for players like Morgan and Marta.

3 Toni Pressley, Defender

Pressley enters her third season with the Pride after being selected eighth in the 2015 NWSL Expansion Draft from the Houston Dash. She started 11 times in 14 appearances during the Pride’s inaugural season but transformed herself physically through a new approach to diet and fitness and entered 2017 looking like a completely different player. Pressley appeared in 18 games (13 starts) last season and smashed in her first goal with Orlando, a screamer that earned her NWSL Goal of the Week honors.

Sermanni was able to utilize Pressley in order to change shape to three in the back late in games to go for the win and it will be interesting to see if that continues. It will be tougher to earn minutes on this year’s Pride team than ever before, so Pressley will need to work on her passing percentage and eliminate the errors in the box that led to two second-half penalties which cost Orlando points last season.

4 Shelina Zadorsky, Defender

Another of Orlando’s off-season acquisitions, Zadorsky was acquired from the Washington Spirit on Jan. 23 in exchange for backup goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe and the Pride’s natural first-round pick in 2019. The 25-year-old Canadian international was brought in to bolster a defense that shipped 31 goals in 24 games last year. The Pride’s attacking style puts the defense under pressure at times and the acquisition of Zadorsky should help shore things up. She started two of her 30+ games with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the recent Algarve Cup and her side recorded shutouts in both, which she said at Media Day will give her confidence and serve as a springboard as she heads into her first season with Orlando. Shelina is allocated to Orlando by the Canadian Soccer Association.

5 Emily van Egmond, Midfielder

One of two Australian internationals on the squad, van Egmond will not actually join the Pride until late April due to World Cup qualifying in the Women’s Asian Cup. The attacking midfielder was signed on Valentine’s Day. Van Egmond is blossoming into one of the world’s top play-making midfielders despite being just 24 years old. Her presence will either allow Marta to play on the forward line or complement the Brazilian star if Sermanni wants more bodies in the midfield. She brings to the Pride more than 75 games of international experience on some of the biggest stages, as well as previous professional experience in Australia, Europe, and the United States (Western New York Flash, Seattle Reign, Chicago Red Stars). Emily will require one of the Pride’s five international slots.

6 Chioma Ubogagu, Forward

Chi enters her second season with the Pride after her rights were acquired from the Houston Dash in January of 2017 for a third-round pick in the 2018 draft. She was out of contract after the 2017 season and re-signed in mid-January. Ubogagu appeared in 19 matches with the Pride last season (16 starts), scoring four goals and adding three assists. Chi filled a lot of gaps last year. Nine of her starts came on the forward line, six were in the midfield and one was on defense — a position she also switched to a few times during games depending on substitution patterns. She played well enough to earn a call-up to the USWNT at left back, although she did not get a cap. With more attacking pieces in place for Sermanni this year, look for Ubogagu to serve as the club’s Swiss Army knife, doing a number of different jobs.

7 Christine Nairn, Midfielder

The Pride picked up Nairn from the Seattle Reign on Jan. 29, along with defender Carson Pickett, in exchange for Catley. Nairn brings a veteran presence to the Orlando midfield, as the 27-year-old has played more than 100 NWSL games with the Reign and the Washington Spirit, scoring 18 combined goals for those clubs. Nairn is an underrated player who does a lot of little things well and has a big leg, as she displayed twice in the preseason, scoring on a free kick against UCF and chipping the goalkeeper from the center circle against South Florida. She’ll provide a veteran presence to Orlando’s midfield.

8 Danica Evans, Forward

Evans enters her second season with the Pride after being drafted 22nd overall out of Colorado in 2017. Evans was used sparingly during her rookie year, appearing in 11 matches (one start) but only playing 195 total minutes. She scored one goal, but it was a big one, tying the match late against the Washington Spirit in Orlando’s home opener. Danica earned NWSL Goal of the Week for her calm finish. Evans will provide attacking depth for a club that has a treasure trove of options.

9 Camila, Defender/Midfielder

After suffering a serious knee injury in the final regular-season match of 2017, Camila Pereira (simply known as Camila) begins the season on injured reserve and therefore won’t count against the club’s international slots or roster limit until she returns. The Brazilian international’s recovery has seemingly gone well and a return in June is expected for the second-year Pride player. Camila was Orlando’s breakout player of the year in 2017, after signing with the club in December of 2016. She appeared in all 24 regular-season matches with the Pride in 2017, starting 22. She played just about everywhere, starting four games at right back, three at forward, and 15 in the midfield. She’ll only have about half a season to do it, but Camila will look to build on her four-goal, five-assist season of a year ago.

10 Marta, Forward

Marta Vieira da Silva, known globally simply as Marta, is one of the world’s most recognizable soccer players. She returns for her second season with the Pride after arriving early in the 2017 campaign. After a few games to settle in, Marta started delivering the goals and assists she’s known for, and, if not for someone named Sam Kerr, she might have been the NWSL MVP last year. After signing with Orlando last April, Marta arrived in time to dress for the home opener, despite having arrived via international flight less than 48 hours earlier. Playing both forward and midfielder in 2017, Marta played in 23 of the club’s 24 regular-season games, starting 21, as well as Orlando’s playoff match in Portland. Marta scored a team-high 13 goals (second in the NWSL) with six assists (also second in the NWSL). She created a league-high 64 chances for her teammates and her goals + assists total of 19 was second only to Sky Blue’s Kerr (17/4), who is now with Chicago. Marta was a four-time member of the NWSL Team of the Month, and she’ll again be expected to contribute heavily to the attack and team’s possession in 2018 and perhaps she’ll have more room with Leroux to clear more space for her. She will occupy an international slot for the Pride.

11 Ali Krieger, Defender

No longer allocated by the USWNT, Krieger, like Leroux signed a contract with the Pride prior to the NWSL season. She now enters her second year with Orlando since being acquired from the Washington Spirit on Nov. 2, 2016, in exchange for the Pride’s spot in the Distribution Ranking Order. She played every minute of the Pride’s 2017 season, mostly at center back, moving over from her more familiar right back spot. She led the NWSL in passing attempts (1,300), completing 82.5% of them. She did not score a goal but did assist on two. With the additions of Zadorsky and Poliana, Krieger could again play both fullback and center back in 2018, but, regardless of where she is on the field, the Pride will rely on her leadership, experience, and calm demeanor.

12 Kristen Edmonds, Midfielder

One of the longest tenured members of the Pride, Edmonds has been with the club since her rights were acquired from the Western New York Flash — along with Becky Edwards — in December of 2015. She enters her third season with the club, having led the team in goals in 2015, but filling in as more of a role player in 2016. She played 22 games (20 starts) last season, scoring two goals without an assist, just one year after scoring six times and adding two assists. She seems destined once again to slot in wherever Sermanni needs her in 2018, whether at fullback or in the midfield but that role fits in well with her whatever-is-needed demeanor.

13 Alex Morgan, Forward

Morgan enters her third season as a player allocated to Orlando by the USWNT. She became the cornerstone of the team’s roster in October of 2015, when the Pride traded a sizable list of assets to the Portland Thorns for both her and Kaylyn Kyle. Orlando parted with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NWSL College Draft (which became Emily Sonnett), the rights to Orlando’s first pick in the 2015 Expansion Draft (Meghan Klingenberg), and an international roster spot for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Morgan missed several matches in both previous seasons with Orlando due to international play and a loan spell with Lyon. Still, she’s amassed 13 goals in 18 games across two seasons with the Pride so far. Of those, nine came last year, along with four assists, as she torched the NWSL in the second half of the season. Those numbers could climb if she remains healthy on this 2018 team.

14 Alanna Kennedy, Defender/Midfielder

Like van Egmond, Kennedy is going to be a late arrival in 2018, as she tries to help her country qualify for the World Cup through April’s Women’s Asian Cup. The Australian still requires one of Orlando’s precious international slots. The Pride traded its first ever draft pick, Sam Witteman, to the North Carolina Courage to acquire Kennedy on Jan. 19, 2017. Her deal expired after last season, but the Pride re-signed the Aussie to a new deal earlier this month. At the time of the trade, Sermanni called her “one of the best center backs in the league,” but she only played in that position for seven games before moving into the midfield. She played in all 24 matches (plus the playoff game) last year, starting 23 times in the regular season. She was second only to Krieger in minutes played, scoring four goals and adding an assist. She also scored Orlando’s first ever playoff goal at Portland. Kennedy was a ball winner, a safety-first defender (80 clearances), and a provider of timely offense. Sermanni will be happy when she returns from international duty.

15 Rachel Hill, Forward

The Pride sent two 2018 draft picks to Portland in January of 2017 for the rights to Hill, who joined the club late after finishing school at the University of Connecticut. Hill started eight matches in 2017 and appeared in 14 over the course of her rookie season, playing 713 minutes, while scoring three goals and adding an assist. This past off-season, she went on loan to Australia to continue her professional development and made a big impact with Perth Glory, where she played alongside — and learned a lot from — Kerr. She started all 12 matches in which she appeared for Perth, scoring nine goals and assisting on six more, and earning a league Player-of-the-Month honor. Hill will be looking to use that breakout performance as a springboard into the 2018 NWSL season.

16 Carson Pickett, Defender

Pickett, a 24-year-old Florida State product and Florida native, returned to her home state in the trade that sent Catley to Seattle. Pickett is a capable replacement for the Australian international left back, earning W-League Best XI honors this off-season with Brisbane Roar, for which she appeared 13 times, scoring once. Pickett enters her first season with the Pride, after two years with the Seattle Reign, where she made 36 appearances with one assist but is still seeking her first NWSL goal. She was part of Florida State’s national championship team in 2014, anchoring a defense that did not concede in the NCAA tournament. Like Catley, she’ll look to get forward and cross balls in for Morgan, Leroux, and Marta.

For more info on Pickett, check out this week’s PawedCast.

17 Dani Weatherholt, Midfielder

Weatherholt enters her third season with Orlando, after the Pride drafted her in the fourth round in 2016. She was out of contract after 2017 and re-signed with the club in January. She has appeared in 31 matches (26 starts) over the past two seasons, notching her first professional goal and assist in 2017 as she locked down a holding midfield role in her sophomore season. The 23-year-old Santa Clara product has gained confidence from playing with the U-23 USWNT and has made great strides in her first two pro seasons.

19 Poliana, Defender

The pride shipped a second-round pick in 2019 to the Houston Dash to acquire Brazilian international Poliana Barbosa Medeiros (more commonly known as Poliana) on Feb. 6. One of Houston’s more dynamic players over the past two years, Poliana notched five goals and added two assists in 37 appearances. Capable of playing both fullback and in more advanced attacking positions, Poliana shares some similarities with Camila, aside from her Brazilian heritage. She’s tested on the international level, playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League play with Icelandic club Starjnan and winning the Copa Libertadores Femenina three times (2011, 2013, and 2014) with Brazilian side São José. She also has more than 30 international caps with Brazil. Poliana will require an international roster slot.

21 Monica, Defender

Monica Hickmann Alves (or just Monica) enters her third season with the Pride since being signed on Dec. 8, 2015. The Brazilian international, who is working on securing her green card before Camila returns from injury, according to a team spokesperson, has played both center back and holding midfield for the Pride over the last couple of years. She appeared in 19 of the team’s 24 regular-season matches (16 starts) and started in the team’s playoff game in Portland. She has made a total of 35 regular-season appearances (31 starts) in two seasons. Though she has yet to register a goal or assist with the team and has only 10 shot attempts, Monica’s defending (she won or shared the NWSL Save of the Week twice last year, despite not being a goalkeeper) and passing — she led the team at 84.4% — are her greatest strengths.

22 Bridget Callahan, Midfielder

Signed earlier today as a National Team Replacement player, Callahan enters her first professional season. The former University of Central Florida standout was a nonroster invitee to preseason camp and played well enough to at least earn a temporary deal with the club. She scored nine goals and accumulated two assists in 75 games. She scored three of those goals and added one of those two assists last year. With the Aussies gone until the end of April and the Brazilians leaving after the season opener, Callahan could be with the club through the first four games of the year or so. She will not count against the roster limit.

24 Ashlyn Harris, Goalkeeper

Allocated by the USSF, Harris enters her third season with the Pride, after being selected No. 2 in the 2015 NWSL Expansion Draft from the Washington Spirit. She’s made 28 appearances over the past two seasons as a starter, posting a record of 11-11-6 (6-2-5 last year) and notching six shutouts She missed time due to the Olympics in 2016 and a quad injury last year. Harris became the first player from an expansion team to win an NWSL season award when she was named the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year in 2016, when she recorded four shutouts and won the NWSL Save of the Week a whopping nine times. In 2017, Harris only won six weekly NWSL save awards. The 32-year-old USWNT goalkeeper may be Alyssa Naeher’s primary backup with the USWNT, but she’s Orlando’s star between the sticks, and she’ll again be counted on to make big saves when the team needs them — which will hopefully be less often with the additions the team has made on defense.

25 Lotta Ökvist, Defender

Ökvist, 21, enters her first season with the Pride after her rights were acquired from the Houston Dash on Wednesday in exchange for the club’s 2019 natural third-round draft pick. The Swedish international was the No. 13 pick of the Dispersal Draft after the Boston Breakers ceased operations in January. As a 2018 NWSL Dispersal Draft selection, Ökvist will not count against the Pride’s salary cap or roster maximum for the 2018 season, and her international roster spot from Houston (via Boston) will transfer with her to the Pride (effectively giving Orlando an extra for 2018). Before signing with the Breakers during the off-season, Ökvist featured for Pitea IF in her hometown of Piteå, Sweden. She made 25 appearances with Piteå during the 2016-17 Damallsvenskan season — her second stint with the club. The 5-foot-5 defender has also played one season with Umeå IK. Ökvist led her country to the 2015-16 UEFA U-19 Women’s Championship. Prior to that, she was a member of the U-17 Swedish Women’s National Team. The left-footer will bolster the Pride’s defensive depth and can also play in the midfield.

28 Haley Kopmeyer, Goalkeeper

Kopmeyer, 27, enters her first season with the Pride after being acquired from the Seattle Reign on Jan. 29, along with Seattle’s natural third-round pick in 2019, in exchange for Jasmyne Spencer. She provides a veteran backup for Harris, having made 46 NWSL appearances, with a high of 20 during the 2017 season. The University of Michigan product has kept 11 clean sheets and made 185 saves in her five-year career. Kopmeyer previously had loan stints with Brisbane Roar and Canberra United in Australia’s W-League and with Apollon Limassol in Cyprus.


Now you know the 2018 Orlando Pride. The club enters the NWSL season with its deepest and most talented roster to date, although not all the players are here now and more will soon depart for international play. With Women’s World Cup qualifying ramping up, this will be a common theme during the 2018 season. But the club has accounted for this as best it can by securing more domestic talent and inviting more college talent than usual to preseason training.

One notable name missing is draft pick Nadia Gomes (pictured in team photo, above). She isn’t officially signed as of now, and with no current roster space, she may end up being a National Team Replacement player at some point unless she’s dealt to another team or finds her way to another team/league.

This is a team expected to challenge for the NWSL Cup by season’s end. If it can stay healthy, survive the pockets of international duty, and build upon a strong 2017, the sky is the limit.

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Focus On Scoring Early And Off Set Pieces

The Pride have found some early success this season because of when and how they’re scoring their goals.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride won their third straight game to start the 2025 season on Saturday afternoon with a 2-1 win over San Diego Wave FC. But what was important wasn’t just the fact that they won again, it’s how and when they scored.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines places an emphasis on set pieces. It makes sense for the former center back. After all, we’re talking about someone who once scored four headers in a friendly when he played for Orlando City. That focus is showing itself in his team this season and has contributed greatly to the team’s success.

The Pride’s success on set pieces started early this season. In the 41st minute of the Challenge Cup against the Washington Spirit, Marta sent a free kick off the wall. The ball went straight to Rafaelle, who put it in to give her team the lead in her first game back since July 6, 2024.

The following week, in the season opener against Chicago, one of the team’s club-record-tying six goals came off another set piece. This time it was a corner kick. Marta’s cross into the box met the head of Ally Watt, who knocked it in to make it 2-0.

In New Jersey against NJ/NY Gotham FC, it was Marta’s set piece for a third straight game setting up a goal for the Pride. Her free kick from near the top of the Gotham box was flicked on by Barbra Banda. Lilly Reale tried to clear the ball but put it in her own net. In addition to the third straight game Orlando had scored on a set piece, it was the second consecutive game the Pride were the recipient of an opponent’s own goal — the Pride’s co-leading scorer.

The Pride scored off a set piece for the fourth straight game Saturday afternoon. It was Marta from a corner kick again. Her cross to the back post was met by Banda. While Banda couldn’t put the ball on target, it went straight to Haley McCutcheon, who scored her second goal of the season.

“It’s so important. It’s a moment and we really train it,” Hines said about scoring on another set piece. “We are really focused on it. And that can determine an outcome of a game. So, you know, both sides of the game, both boxes can dictate your win or loss. And yeah, it’s great that we’re getting the results, getting the opportunities, but capitalizing on those opportunities as well.”

In addition to scoring off set pieces, the Pride have also been the more attacking team early in games and scoring early in halves. The Pride scored inside the first 10 minutes of the game in each of the first two matches this season. While they didn’t score early Saturday afternoon, they had two early shots and scored within the first 10 minutes of the second half to take the lead.

Putting the opposition on their heels early and scoring first is something Hines said is essential for the success of the team this season.

“We talk about it all the time, how we get that first goal in the game,” Hines said after the win over Gotham. “So, we always want to start fast, whether we’re at home or away. Regardless of the opponent we’re playing against, that first goal is really important to us.”

The focus on scoring early showed in the first two games. McCutcheon scored in just the seventh minute against Chicago in the season opener and the Reale own goal occurred in the second minute in New Jersey. On Saturday afternoon, Banda was sent deep into the San Diego half and took two shots inside the first four minutes of the game.

While the striker didn’t convert on either of those attempts, the Pride came out flying again in the second half. This time they converted early with McCutcheon’s goal coming in the 50th minute.

Saturday afternoon was the second time this year the Pride have scored inside the first 10 minutes of the second half. They scored through an own goal against Chicago to take a 3-0 lead, something Hines pointed out after the game.

“We talked about that at halftime. And then with the team that we have to continue our momentum, our aggressive nature,” Hines said about the goal on March 14. “And getting that third goal so early into the second half really kind of put the game to rest.”

The Pride’s focus on scoring early and from set pieces has been vital to the team’s early success. They’ve gotten games off to a strong start by creating chances, getting players forward, and converting on those opportunities. If the trend continues, they could put together another long run of results, similar to what they did last year when they started with 23 unbeaten.

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. San Diego Wave FC: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Win Third Straight

An eventful second half resulted in the Pride extending their win streak to three matches to start the season.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride (3-0-0, 9 points) won their third straight game to start the 2025 season with a 2-1 win over San Diego Wave FC (1-1-1, 4 points) this afternoon at Inter&Co Stadium. Haley McCutcheon gave the Pride the lead early in the second half before Chiamaka Okwuchukwu equalized in the 62nd minute. Marta netted a penalty in the 76th minute to give her team the win.

The Pride had only one change from the lineup that defeated NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-0 Sunday night. Rafaelle was out injured and replaced by Cori Dyke. Emily Sams moved over to her natural center back position to make room for the second-year right back.

Anna Moorhouse was in goal behind a back line of Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Sams, and Dyke. Haley McCutcheon and Morgan Gautrat were in the defensive midfield behind Angelina, Marta, and Ally Watt with Barbra Banda up top.

This was a game of two halves. Both teams looked lethargic with the noon kickoff, creating few chances. In fact, only five shots were taken in the first 45 minutes. However, the Pride went on the attack in the second half, scoring inside the first 10 minutes after the break. Add in a little chaos and it was an eventful second 45 minutes.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said earlier in the week the Pride needed to start fast and they tried to do so, creating the first chance inside the first minute. McCutcheon found Banda going forward off a throw-in. The striker took a couple of touches inside to create space for a shot, but the attempt traveled wide of the target.

Angelina sent Banda forward in the fourth minute and the striker took her second shot in the early minutes. She dribbled inside again and shot from the top of the box, but Kristen McNabb got in front of the attempt to block it.

The Wave created their first decent chance in the eighth minute when Kenza Dali found Perle Morroni on the far left. The left back sent a cross into the box looking for Adriana Leon, but Abello was there to knock it out of play.

The ensuing corner kick resulted in a pair of shots, first by Leon and then by Delphine Cascarino. However, Watt and Banda got in front of the attempts, ensuring Moorhouse wasn’t challenged by either.

The Pride should’ve had a good chance in the 27th minute when Banda played a cross to the top of the San Diego box. McCutcheon and Angelina both converged on the ball but clearly didn’t speak as they ran into each other, ending the threat.

The Pride won their first corner kick in the 37th minute when Banda’s cross was blocked out of play by McNabb. The ensuing set piece was cleared back out to Angelina, who sent another cross into the box. Banda and Savannah McCaskill collided and the ball fell for Watt. However, the whistle blew as McCaskill went to the ground. Referee Adorae Monroy called the foul on Banda though it didn’t appear there was much in it.

Leon tried to send Maria Sanchez through in the 43rd minute, playing the ball between Dyke and Sams. It initially looked like Sanchez might reach it and get in on goal, but Dyke did well to slide in and win the 50-50 ball.

Cori Dyke with the well-timed tackle 💪

NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-03-29T17:18:11.734Z

The Pride had one last chance in the final seconds of the first half when Kennedy Wesley grabbed Banda near the Wave third of the field. Marta’s free kick into the box found the head of Sams, who tried to redirect it on goal, but sent it wide.

After 45 minutes of action, San Diego had the advantage in possession (57%-43%), crosses (8-6), corner kicks (2-1), and passing accuracy (87%-81%). Both teams took three shots and none were on target.

“We are not the team that we showed in the first half. It was the first thing that I told everybody,” Marta said about the first half. “And second, we need to complete our passes because we kill ourselves all the time. When we take the ball back, we give it so fast back to them and there was a little bit suicide for us.”

“First half, it was a little bit flat, a little bit lethargic,” Hines added. “Misplaced some tackles, misplaced some pressing moments, but we were still in the game.”

The Pride made one halftime substitution as Summer Yates came on for Gautrat. The attacking change saw Angelina move into a more defensive role with Yates entering the attacking midfield.

The Pride came out attacking and Yates sent Banda behind the Wave back line in the 48th minute. The striker was free on goal and tried to beat Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan to her near post, but the Canadian international got down to tip it wide.

A minute later, Watt received the ball about 35 yards from goal. After taking a couple of touches forward, the attacker fired. It was an ambitious attempt and on target, but it was straight down the middle, allowing Sheridan to tip it over the top.

Marta’s ensuing corner kick was to the back post, where Banda ran onto it. The ball bounced off Wesley and went straight to McCutcheon. It was an easy finish for the defensive midfielder, who put it in for her second goal of the season.

Haley McCutcheon? More like Haley McCLUTCHeon 😮‍💨

NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-03-29T17:26:41.254Z

Despite her position, McCutcheon has now scored in each of her last four home games.

The Pride should’ve had a second in the 53rd minute when Banda played the ball to the penalty spot where Marta was waiting. The captain slipped as she hit the ball, sending it further to the left for Yates. The halftime substitute had a great chance to double her team’s advantage, but sent her shot over the top.

The Wave made a triple substitution in the 60th minute, including Okwuchukwu. The Nigerian immediately made an impact, creating a chance for her team in the 61st minute. Receiving a pass forward from Morroni, Okwuchukwu beat a sliding Sams and found Morroni continuing her run to the top of the box. The left back tried to find a teammate making a run, but the Pride were able to clear.

Seconds later, Dali lifted a cross into the Pride box. Moorhouse hesitated before coming out to meet the ball, allowing Okwuchukwu to get there first. The San Diego forward headed it in, however, Monroy called a foul and awarded a free kick to the Pride.

The referee was soon called to the monitor to have a second look. After a brief review, the goal was given as Okwuchukwu got there first. It was a good decision and the game was even at 1-1.

A dream debut for 19-year-old Chiamaka Okwuchukwu! 🇳🇬✨The Nigerian nets her first NWSL goal after subbing in under 2 minutes!

NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-03-29T17:38:51.683Z

“I think that sometimes that happens,” Hines said about the goal. “You know, quick throw, delivery, confusion at the back. We’ll review it, we’ll address it, and we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

The goal was the first conceded by the Pride this season after a pair of clean sheets.

Immediately after the goal, Hines made his second change of the game as Prisca Chilufya came on for Watt.

The Wave had a chance to strike again in the 68th minute when Cascarino played Kimmi Ascanio behind the Pride back line. However, her touch was too heavy, though it went off a Pride defender for a corner. Orlando cleared on the ensuing set piece to escape the danger.

In the 70th minute, Chilufya played the ball wide for Banda who took it into the Wave box. Cascarino challenged the striker from behind, knocking her over. Monroy initially allowed play to continue to see if Chilufya would gain an advantage, but the ball went out of play and the referee pointed to the spot.

Marta stepped up to take the penalty, sending Sheridan the wrong way. However, her penalty was off the inside of the post. It was only the second Marta penalty to be saved or missed since joining the Pride.

“I tried to read which side she would jump,” Marta said about her penalty. “And I read right, but my touch on the ball was so bad. It just hit my ankle and I’ll, I can’t believe, because it was almost perfect. She just jumped to one side and then the ball go to the other side.”

As the Pride tried to build another attack, Monroy stopped play after receiving word from the video assistant referee that Sheridan had come off her line early. Replays showed the goalkeeper was slightly off her line, eerily reminiscent of when Pedro Gallese came off his line against New York City FC in the 2020 MLS Cup playoffs in the same stadium.

“God gave me another chance,” she said about the decision. “He said do better than this one.”

Monroy went to the monitor to make sure the penalty had to be retaken and pointed to the spot for a second time. Marta stepped up again and, as Sheridan dove to her right, the Brazilian sent a panenka towards goal. The ball bounced off the bottom of the crossbar and in to give the Pride a 2-1 lead.

MARTA WITH THE PANENKA ‼️MARTA WITH THE PANENKA ‼️MARTA WITH THE PANENKA ‼️

NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-03-29T17:51:40.926Z

“I was a little bit confused if I go to the right or the left,” Marta said about her second attempt. “So when you are confused, you put it like that, that I did. Just chip in the middle and then expect for the best.”

The players headed to the sidelines in the 76th minute for a hydration break and Hines took the opportunity to make his third substitution. Ally Lemos came into the game for Angelina.

In the 88th minute, Okwuchukwu lifted the ball over Sams and sent Kyra Carusa behind the Pride back line. It looked like the attacker was free on goal but Abello came flying in from behind and took the ball off of her foot. It likely would’ve been either a goal or red card if Abello got it wrong, but the challenge was successful and the Pride kept their 2-1 lead.

As the fourth official showed eight minutes of second-half stoppage time, Hines made two final changes. Zara Chavoshi and Bri Martinez came into the game for Dyke and Banda.

The Pride controlled possession in stoppage time, seeing out the game. San Diego had more possession (55.6%-44.4%) and better passing accuracy (85.5%-80.1%). However, the Pride had more shots (9-5), shots on target (4-1), and crosses (10-9). Both teams won three corner kicks.

“San Diego are a very good team, very good organized ball possession. I thought we did really well at times. But, you know, they were able to pick us off, but not really create too many opportunities,” Hines said. “So our attitude and the desire to get behind the ball once they did get through our initial press is something that we take a lot of pride in. But goals change games, and to get the first goal was brilliant. Another set piece goal that we worked very, very hard on. Obviously, they get themselves back into the game, which obviously we don’t want to happen, and then show our character again to come back.”

Orlando is off to a blazing start to the 2025 NWSL season. The Pride had never won their first game of the season, but they’ve now won three straight. They’ve outscored their opponents in those games 10-1, placing them atop the NWSL standings.


The Pride are off next weekend for the international break. They’ll return to action on April 12 when they travel west to take on Seattle Reign FC.

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. San Diego Wave FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride return home to face San Diego Wave FC, looking for their third-straight win to start the season.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (2-0-0, 6 points) return home to face San Diego Wave FC (1-0-1, 4 points). This is the first of two games these teams will play this season. The return game in San Diego is scheduled for Sept. 26.

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

History

The San Diego Wave joined the NWSL in 2022 and have only faced the Pride six times in their existence. The Pride have only lost once in those games, posting a record of 3-1-2 overall and 1-1-1 at home.

The most recent meeting was on June 7, 2024 in San Diego. Julie Doyle gave the Pride the lead in the 36th minute before a second-half equalizer by Makenzy Doniak resulted in a 1-1 draw. On April 19 in Orlando, Summer Yates scored the game’s lone goal in the first half, lifting the Pride to a 1-0 win. It was the Pride’s first home win in the series.

The first meeting in 2023 was at Snapdragon Stadium on April 29 after the Pride’s 0-4-0 start to the season. It looked like it would be a fifth straight loss when Jaedyn Shaw gave the hosts the early lead. But Adriana assisted Mikayla Cluff on the equalizer and Haley McCutcheon scored just before halftime to give the Pride the lead. Adriana scored her first goal of the season in the 69th minute to put the game away as the Pride won 3-1.

On Aug. 25 in Orlando, the Pride got off to a horrible start when San Diego center back Abby Dahlkemper scored in the seventh minute for her first goal since 2016. Marta set up Adriana just before halftime for an equalizer, but Kyra Carusa netted the late winner in a 2-1 San Diego win.

The first-ever meeting was on Aug. 13, 2022  in San Diego. The lone goal in the game came from the penalty spot after a Julie Doyle cross hit the arm of Kaleigh Riehl in the first half. Meggie Dougherty Howard stepped up and buried the penalty. The Pride held on for 67 minutes to beat one of the top teams in the league, 1-0 away.

The second meeting was on Sept. 25 in Orlando and the Pride got off to a great start. Doughety Howard opened the scoring in the first half and Gunny Jonsdottir doubled the advantage in the second. It looked like the Pride were headed for six points out of six against the expansion side, but San Diego came storming back. Doniak cut the lead in half and former Pride attacker Taylor Kornieck equalized late, resulting in a disappointing 2-2 draw.

Overview

The Pride have gotten the NWSL regular season off to a flying start. After drawing 1-1 and falling on penalties to the Washington Spirit in the Challenge Cup, they thrashed the Chicago Stars 6-0 and defeated NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-0 Sunday evening. It’s the first time in club history the Pride have recorded back-to-back shutouts (or wins) to start a season.

As you might expect, Barbra Banda has been a problem for opponents so far this season. She netted a brace in the season opener and created issues for Gotham, even though she didn’t get on the scoresheet.

Unfortunately, the Pride lost another key player with center back Rafaelle listed as out for this game. The Brazilian only played 45 minutes against Washington and moved up to 62 minutes against Chicago. It was expected she would play even more against Gotham, but her time was scaled back to 45 minutes again due to injury.

In all three games, the Pride went back to the back line that was the best in the league last year. Emily Sams moved over the center back alongside Kylie Nadaner and Cori Dyke came in at right back. You can expect that back line to start today.

Another issue is the knee injury to Doyle, suffered in the win over Chicago. While Ally Watt had already taken her spot in the attacking midfield, Doyle was a key substitute. However, her absence leaves a substitution spot open for Prisca Chilufya, who we’ve heard a lot about but have yet to see play much with the Pride.

Today, the Pride look to make it three wins out of three as they welcome the Wave to the City Beautiful. The Wave had to figure out what to do when their leading striker, Alex Morgan, retired during last season. They traded for Mexican international Maria Sanchez last year and made a possibly bigger move this off-season by acquiring Canadian international Adriana Leon.

Both Sanchez and Leon have gotten on the scoresheet this season, but they’ve been topped by 22-year-old Tacoma, WA native Gia Corley. The young attacker joined the Wave from German club TSG Hoffenheim this off-season and has quickly made a name for herself in Southern California.

While the Wave have plenty of attacking threats, they’ve yet to scare anyone. They drew 1-1 in their season opener against Angel City FC and won 3-2 in their home opener against the Utah Royals. With the Wave traveling across the country and playing a noon kickoff, the Pride are expected to handle today’s opposition.

“We’re at home. We want to set the tone early,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about today’s game. “I know San Diego have had a lot of goals early on in games. We have to negate that with our defensive responsibilities and our pressing triggers, but also play our game, which is ball possession, trying to create opportunities to score, and so it leads us to an exciting game on Saturday.”

The Pride will play this game without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), Aryssa Mahrt (knee), Doyle (knee), and Rafaelle (thigh).

Meanwhile, the Wave are only missing Hillary Beall (thigh) and Trinity Byars (knee).


Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Cori Dyke.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.

Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Carson Pickett, Summer Yates, Bri Martinez, Zara Chavoshi, Ally Lemos, Viviana Villacorta, Grace Chanda, Prisca Chilufya.

San Diego Wave FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Kailen Sheridan.

Defenders: Perle Morroni, Kristen McNabb, Kennedy Wesley, Hanna Lundkvist.

Midfielders: Kenza Dali, Maria Sanchez, Savannah McCaskill.

Forwards: Gia Corley, Adriana Leon, Delphine Cascarino.

Bench: Trinity Armstrong, Kimmi Ascanio, Melanie Barcenas, Kyra Carusa, Chiamaka Okwuchukwu, Favour Emmanuel, DiDi Haracic, Quincy McMahon, Makenzy Robbe.

Referees

REF: Adorae Monroy.
AR1: Joe Suchoski.
AR2: Jeremy Smith.
4TH: Kyle Cividanes.
VAR: Corbyn May.
AVAR: Maggie Short.


How to Watch

Match Time: 12 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: ESPN.

Streaming: ESPN+.

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


Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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