Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Player Grades and Player of the Match

Published

8 years ago

July 2, 2018

The Orlando Pride came out and played cautiously to start the match, looking to build through possession, but it all fell apart as the North Carolina Courage quickly scored three goals in just a four-minute span.

They gained a bit more control in the midfield from time to time after that, but it wasn’t enough to close in on the scoreline. Let’s go ahead and dig deep on this one and find our player of the match.

Starters

GK, Ashlyn Harris, 5 — In a game where Harris was called on more often than I’m sure she liked, North Carolina continued to exploit the holes in the defensive line. It started early in the fourth minute when she had to come off her line to secure a ball, and it wouldn’t stop until after the three-goal barrage. She got a hand on the first goal, and perhaps could have gotten a bit more on it. I feel she could have definitely done better on the second goal as she was on the near post and the ball snuck right in between her and the woodwork. The third was just a good strike from Jessica McDonald with all the space in the world. She had some solid saves, and her distribution was at times a bit creative, especially late in the game when she wanted to make things happen.

D, Ali Krieger, 4 — This was Krieger’s first game back in action since her injury on May 26, and there was a bit of rust. This season especially, she’s been pretty dynamic getting forward and creating chances, but there was none of that in this match. Her passes were a bit off, and there was little to no defense from her when needed, especially during the stretches where the Courage scored. She had a turnover that led to the second goal and left way too much space for McDonald on the third goal. She seemed hesitant to plant her foot to make plays throughout the match, so I expect this to wear off almost immediately now that she made it through a match unscathed.

D, Monica, 4 — Monica was decent enough for most of the match, but like Kreiger, she really fell asleep at the wheel when it mattered most. She had a poor clearance on the first goal and let McDonald roam a bit too freely on the third.

D, Shelina Zadorsky, 4.5 — Zadorsky’s game was just a tad better than the rest of the defense, but not by much. She too gave a bit too much space during the three-goal run, and like the rest of the line, got exploited throughout the game. One thing I liked about her play was that she got forward a couple of times and provided a bit of “oomph” on the attack, although her shot on goal was a bit soft.

D, Poliana, 5 — Poliana was okay. Early on, she had some good movement with Sydney Leroux, and later with Marta. However, she wasn’t up to task on taking on Lynn Williams when the Courage player would rush up the side. Most of her long passes went nowhere, but she did have a pretty stellar one to Alex Morgan in the 57th minute that probably should have resulted in a bit more.

MF, Rachel Hill, 4.5 — Hill didn’t do too much on the night and that had a lot to do with her matchup with Kaleigh Kurtz. The opposing player had the speed to keep anything from going forward on Hill’s side, and that pretty much killed Hill’s game. She would be replaced at halftime by Dani Weatherholt.

MF, Emily van Egmond, 4 — This to me, was Van Egmond’s worst game in purple. What I’ve loved about her previous appearances is her vision and seeing not even the final pass, but the pass before that, which has really sprung open the offense time and time again. None of that was to be found in this one as she couldn’t seem to get anything going for the Pride.

MF, Alanna Kennedy, 4 — Kennedy was really slow. One moment specifically stood out. It was in the 53rd minute when Debinha got the ball and hustled down field. She passed by Kennedy who was just trotting along, then continued until she gets to the top of the box. Luckily, her shot was off target, but this is just one example of pretty much everything that Kennedy did wrong on the night. Even the normal highlight of her tenacity on a set piece was absent.

MF, Sydney Leroux, 5 — I’m putting Syd at midfield on this one, because that seems to be where she played most of the match, and if that’s the case, then she gets a solid average rating. She did good at tracking back (probably the best on the team for the night), and like I said on Poliana’s recap, they had good chemistry early on, but she wasn’t able to help in unlocking the offense.

F, Marta, 5.5 (PotM) — Marta is my player of the match because she never quit trying to make something, anything, happen. The entire team seemed off on the night, and it showed through Marta because she typically makes everyone around her look good, and that wasn’t the case most of the time on Saturday. Maybe it’s better to say that she improved those around her but it still wasn’t good. Early in the second half, she had some of her usual awesome footwork against the entire North Carolina defense. But when she made it through, there wasn’t anyone around to pass to. That was Marta’s night. All of her corners were pretty decent and she put in a solid shift. All things considered, I can’t expect much more from her.

F, Alex Morgan, 4.5 — For some reason, I feel like I have to justify this rating, even though I feel like she would probably give herself the same. She got beat up. A lot. She took four shots, with one on goal. All things considered, she gave a lot but it was against a great team and none of what she did produced results. She played a great ball to Marta in the 57th and she won back a turnover by Syd in a few of her flashes of brilliance. But overall, it was a below average night for Morgan.

Substitutes

MF, Dani Weatherholt (45’), 5.5 — Weatherholt came on to start the second half and did a decent job of actually pressing the Courage. I thought most of the team throughout the night gave a bit too much space, but she was always there to close that leftover space and force a pass. A decent second half from Dani.

MF, Christine Nairn (71’), 5 — She wasn’t able to get too involved, but Nairn did okay. Even after watching the game a second time, I can’t say much about her time on the field. If that is the case with Nairn, then it was indeed a very average game.

D, Kristen Edmonds (75’), 5 — Edmonds put in a decent 15 minutes, was able to cause a turnover, and didn’t have any serious mistakes, so we’ll go with an average rating here. But I will go ahead and give a nod to her versatility. She seems to come in for whoever, whenever, doesn’t she? Awesome to have a player like that on the roster.

So, there you have it. It’s always hard to find the silver lining in a match like this, but I think I found it in Marta. What about you? Vote below and of course, let me have it. I want to hear your perspective. Here’s to hoping the Pride turn it around at home on July 7 against the Washington Spirit!

Polling Closed

Player	Votes
Ashlyn Harris	7
Marta	12
Sydney Leroux	6
Dani Weatherholt	5
Other (comment below)	4

Related Topics:Player Grades SBN_migrated

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Sign Jamaican International Forward Solai Washington

The Pride add attacking depth by signing former Florida State forward Solai Washington.

Published

5 days ago

January 19, 2026

Michael Citro

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has signed Jamaican international forward Solai Washington. The former Florida State Seminole through the 2027 season with a mutual option for the 2028 season.

“Solai is a player we’ve had an eye on for a while during her two years in college,” Orlando Pride head coach Seb Hines said in a club press release. “Her composure on the ball, her ability to break lines, and the maturity she showed at Florida State make her a fantastic fit for what we’re building here. She brings energy, versatility, and a real competitive edge, which is what we look for in players. We’re excited to have her here in Orlando and to see the impact she can make in our environment both on and off the field.”

The 20-year-old attacker from Atlanta made 35 appearances in her two years in Tallahassee, scoring eight goals and adding four assists while helping the Seminoles win the 2025 NCAA national championship and the 2024 ACC tournament. Washington was a member of the 2024 ACC All-Freshmen Team, the 2024 All-ACC Academic Team, and was named to TopDrawerSoccer’s postseason Top 100 Freshman list (at No. 42).

On the international stage, Washington has already represented Jamaica at the senior level on the biggest stage, making three appearances with the Reggae Girlz at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, debuting in a scoreless draw with France.

What It Means for Orlando

The Pride’s need for depth in the attacking positions is well documented, and Washington is a young player with a ton of upside in an area of need. From that perspective alone, this is a signing that makes sense. While it would be nice for the club to sign some proven NWSL-level scorers to provide depth for Barbra Banda, Marta, and Jacquie Ovalle, it’s always good to develop young talent. Since the abolition of the NWSL Draft, teams must work harder to secure the services of players like Washington.

It will require some time to know whether Orlando’s faith in Washington will be rewarded, and she wasn’t the most prolific scorer at FSU, but it says something about a player that they can get minutes at age 17 in a World Cup. It will be up to Hines and his staff to develop Washington, who will have no shortage of great mentors as teammates.

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

1 week ago

January 15, 2026

Sean Rollins

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)

Orlando Pride

How the Orlando Pride Can Return to the Mountaintop

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

Published

1 week ago

January 15, 2026

David Rohe

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!