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Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars: Final Score 3-1 as the Pride are Eliminated From Playoff Contention

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7 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (8-9-6, 30 points) are officially out of the playoffs. Needing to get all three points tonight, the Pride fell apart in the final minutes of the first half. Sam Kerr recorded a brace and provided an assist to propel the Chicago Red Stars (8-4-10, 34 points) to a 3-1 victory in front of 5,016 fans in Orlando City Stadium.

“I’m a little bit embarrassed by the performance tonight,” Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni said. “Fundamental aspects of our game that should be automatic are not an automatic. If you can’t go out and set a match effort and willingness and work rate and organization and pick up some of the some cues that we should be picking up and be able to run, then you're going to struggle in this league. It’s been the story all season. We’ve been a team that seems to be waiting about for something to happen whereas all the other teams go out and make the best of it and make things happen.

“It’s difficult to rectify when, frankly, there are so many players that haven’t lived up to what our expectations have been. That might be down to a failure of me, and how we've coached them and set them up, I don’t know. It’s just some of the fundamental things that we do, or don’t do, are really coming back to haunt us.”

One of the least surprising parts of the night was that Sermanni changed up his starting XI yet again. This time, he deployed his team in a 4-3-3. Carson Pickett got her first start since July 11, when the Pride lost 3-1 to Houston. Up top, Sermanni went with Chioma Ubogagu, Alex Morgan, and Marta, and Alanna Kennedy returned to the midfield.

“On the field, I think it’s building those relationships with each other,” said Ali Krieger. “Maybe we didn’t have the same lineup every game, which might have caused some problems with building relationships. And then some injures so you have to switch out, or you’re resting people at times during the season. I don’t know if that’s an issue but I think the consistency of switching some lineups and personnel, that’s always tough to build that relationships that you need to build with the players around you.”

The game lasted just seven minutes before it had to be stopped because of a lightning delay. Kerr had the only good chance in this period when her shot in the first minute went wide. 

Once the game resumed it did not take long for Chicago to get an opportunity. In the 11th minute, Vanessa Di Bernardo had the chance to put Chicago up a goal but her header went on the wrong side of the post. 

The Pride’s game plan was to find Morgan off of crosses but they were unable to find the back of the net from it. Routinely they played long balls into the box but Chicago’s defense would not let Morgan get a good look. 

“I think our style is adjusting to our opponent and that’s really difficult because we don’t necessarily have that style that we can go out and have that presence and confidence and know this is how we are going to play every single game,” said Morgan. “We are adjusting to every opponent. We were changing formations this game after going to a three-back the last couple of games.”

As for the Red Stars, they looked to play through balls and at first were having trouble with it as they could not stay onside. Once they got the timing correct the Pride had no answers for the attack.

“We’ve played against Sam Kerr a number of times and we’ve talked about how she can’t get in behind,” said Sermanni. “She’s probably going to get in behind your defense once or twice a game if you’re alert but to get in seven, eight, nine times, it’s unacceptable for the quality of players that we’ve got.”

In the 27th minute, Alyssa Mautz was in the 18 but Ashlyn Harris made a great save to tip the ball over the bar and keep the game goalless. 

Four minutes later, Harris made another huge stop, this time off of Kerr. 

It was looking like the game would go into the half without any goals but Chicago had something to say about that. The Red Stars scored two goals in the final two minutes of the half, the first coming from Kerr. Nagasato played a perfect flick-on to Kerr, who was left wide open. Kerr got right around Shelina Zadorsky, took a right-footed shot that left Harris rooted to the ground, and the Red Stars took the lead. 

It then went from bad to worse as Orlando was left flat footed and Chicago hit right back. Kerr found Di Bernardo with about as easy a goal as they come. Two defenders were nearby but neither Krieger nor Kristen Edmonds closed down Di Bernardo.

“I think it was just silly errors that gave up the goals and obviously we didn’t have enough chances on goal,” said Morgan. “We shot ourselves in the foot in the first half not hanging onto to that 0-0 coming into halftime.”

Chicago was clearly the better team in the first half. While possession was fairly even — 51%-49% in favor of the visitors — Chicago outshot Orlando, 11-2, and Orlando did not threaten offensively much at all. The lone shot on goal for the Pride was from Marta from distance that did not trouble Alyssa Naeher at all.

After the beginning of the second half saw no noticeable difference, Sermanni wasted no time in bringing on Rachel Hill in the 54th minute and she provided a much-needed energy. However, she was unable to do much with that energy, and it slowly dissipated, and in the 59th minute Kerr got her brace and put the game out of reach.

In the 64th minute Sermanni made a sub that changed the momentum of the match. Camila made way for Monica as the Pride moved to be as attacking as possible and this led to a goal just a minute later. Marta put the ball on a platter for Morgan and Naeher could do nothing to stop the perfectly placed header. 

Chicago was able to hold out for the remainder of the game. The Pride tried to push forward but just could not hold onto the ball long enough to have any true chance at getting back into the game. The off-the-ball movement was almost nonexistent and players were left to fend for themselves. Overall, the play was far too slow and there were hardly ever more than one or two players in the box.

“It’s disappointing,” said Sermanni. “Disappointing for the fans; we’ve got a great set of fans. Disappointing because if anything that you want to see from a team, you want to see effort. Our effort just seems to be, when I say nonexistent I mean just very slow. It’s just made us look very vulnerable and it’s made us look like a poor team.”

After the match, Sermanni, Krieger, and Morgan were all honest with how they felt the season went and what needs to chang next season. All three talked about the quality of players and how disappointing the season has been.

“Having a team of great players doesn’t make a great team,” Morgan said. “We’ve tried to make it fluid where it does transcribe from the paper onto the field but unfortunately that’s not the way the season went. We have been on different pages a lot this season between players, between each other, between coaches and players. I think it’s been a little disjointed. I think frustration began to come out mid-season, probably last month when we started losing and dropping points and I think it went downhill from there.

“There hasn’t been a turning point where we've been able to turn it around, unfortunately. I think just dropping points against Jersey, against Houston; these are teams we should have picked up points against, should have won. Coming out lethargic after a weather delay, or whatever it may be, in the past, it all added up and frustrations have definitely boiled over.”

The Pride will play in their final game of 2018 on Sept. 8 when they travel to New Jersey to play Sky Blue at Yurcak Field after next weekend’s international break.

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Orlando Pride Sign Jamaican International Forward Solai Washington

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

Published

2 days ago

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January 19, 2026

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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.

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Orlando Pride Announce 2026 NWSL Schedule

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

Published

6 days ago

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January 15, 2026

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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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How the Orlando Pride Can Return to the Mountaintop

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

Published

6 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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