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The Orlando Pride’s Rebuild is Being Halted By Transfer Struggles

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7 years ago

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Today is deadline day as the primary NWSL transfer window closes. It’s no secret that the Orlando Pride, headed up by first-time General Manager Erik Ustruck, has failed to do anything significant by way of recruitment and it’s costing the team on the field. The Pride is currently winless through their opening six games, and while they were under no illusions that it would be an easy season, it shouldn’t really be “two goals scored, 13 conceded” level of bad. So what’s behind it all?

The Pride came into the season as a non-playoff team, ergo, they weren’t good enough. They knew they needed to change that and felt a change in head coach was part of the answer. Tom Sermanni departed in September, and after a lengthy off-season search, Marc Skinner was officially appointed in January. In the meantime, there was a huge change in the front office. Former Orlando City and Pride General Manager Niki Budalić was relieved of his duties for both teams and Ustruck was promoted as the Pride’s very first dedicated GM, with Luiz Muzzi taking the helm on the men’s side.

Essentially what you ended up with was a failing team and the two people tasked with turning it around both had huge learning curves ahead of them. Skinner is at his second ever club, having progressed up the career ladder at Birmingham City in England, a team with no huge financial clout but great at developing its own youth. He’s not only trying to adapt to the NWSL’s playing style but also the confusing intricacies of roster building within the league. Likewise, Ustruck, who was basically the understudy during Budalić’s reign, is still relatively new to his role and trying to find his feet. Combined, they have attempted to revamp and rebuild the Orlando Pride in probably the single worst set of circumstances possible.

Not only would they have to take a losing roster that tumbled out of the playoff places in the final few weeks of the 2018 season after only taking two points from their final six games, but they would have to do so in a majorly disruptive World Cup year that has seen eight players depart for this summer’s tournament and preceding warm up schedule — the second most of any team in the league behind only Portland’s nine. The league average is 6.33, with Sky Blue losing the fewest (three). Orlando also saw Chioma Ubogagu miss preseason with England but we now know she remain in Central Florida after missing out on the final Lionesses squad.

Add to that Sydney Leroux missing the season during her pregnancy, Christine Nairn getting traded to Houston, and Brazilian internationals Mônica and Poliana both departing to Brazilian clubs for free, and the Pride are currently missing 12 players that last year accounted for 69% of the team’s minutes. While most teams spent the off-season preparing to cope with this mass exodus of players, with a total of 57 NWSL players set to compete in the World Cup (roughly 29% of the league), the Pride had their own fires to put out.

Earlier in the month, Ustruck explained to ProSoccerUSA.com that he has been “handcuffed” by back-loaded contracts, historic issues geared towards short-term solutions that he was now working to undo. Not only did he have to free up some salary cap space in order to begin the rebuild, but he also only had two draft picks, a third- and a fourth-round selection, to help lay the foundations in his first year.

Amid such a mess, all the Pride have actually been able to do so far is replace those starters with untested youth. On April 4, the Pride made their only deal to do date, trading a 2020 fourth-round draft pick in exchange for North Carolina’s 2018 fourth-round selection, Morgan Reid. The other seven off-season acquisitions across both the senior and supplemental roster were the aforementioned draft picks (Erin Greening and Marisa Viggiano), along with free agents — two undrafted rookies (Lainey Burdett and Caitlin Farrell) and three players entering their second professional season (Bridget Callahan, Abby Elinsky and Joanna Boyles). Between all eight signings, they combined for three professional career top-flight appearances. In total, 11 players are currently on senior minimum salary deals.

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With so little room to maneuver, it’s not surprising there hasn’t been better reinforcement to a squad now depleted to 16 players and sitting rock bottom of the league. But that’s not to say Ustruck hasn’t been trying. On Tuesday, news broke that the loan deal to bring a defender from FA WSL side Chelsea, potentially Jess Carter, a 21-year-old with an England cap to her name who had worked under Skinner at Birmingham, was not given approval by the NWSL despite both clubs agreeing to terms — a deal that the teams had been working on since the end of March. The loan supposedly fell through as Chelsea wanted a recall clause in the deal, something that comes as standard to most loan deals and wouldn’t seem to be an issue given Chelsea are now out of season until September. Ustruck also said he is still working on “three or four things,” although with very limited time, the aforementioned salary constraints, and the NWSL throwing obstacles at every turn, nothing significant appears likely.

Instead the Pride will now have to look towards the secondary window that opens on June 25, 10 games into the Orlando Pride’s 24-game season and 12 days before the World Cup final, if they want to make any signings. The Pride currently have two international roster spots available — one as a result of Camila getting her green card, and the other from the Nairn trade, although the second expires at the end of the season. Meanwhile, national team replacement players — like Elinsky and Callahan were for the Pride last year — can only be domestic players and must be on minimum salary deals, attracting nowhere near the same caliber of player they’ll be replacing.

In short, the rebuild is slower and more complicated than many would have hoped. Despite the available international roster slots, a significant number of potential signings are away at the World Cup and the Pride’s salary situation still isn’t clear. The team also has very few assets left to trade, especially considering the Pride haven’t had a draft pick earlier than the third round since their debut season. In the meantime, Skinner and his staff will have to develop and get the most out of the young talent he has very intentionally sought to bring in and use as a foundation building block for his long term plan during his debut window in charge now the vast majority of his starters have gone.

However, the rebuild may have also come at exactly the right time. The squad was on a downward turn, aging and being hit hard by the World Cup, something it was not in a position to cope with in the first place. Add a coaching change with a huge switch in playing style to the mix and it seems the Pride have approached the 2019 season with a “better to rip the Band-Aid off fast and in one go than prolong the suffering” outlook.

So, while things are bad, it’s hopefully the worst they’ll get, both on and off the field with all the key coaching and executive infrastructure now in place and closer to being settled.

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Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 2-2 as Pride Let Two-Goal Lead Slip Away

The Pride saw a two-goal lead evaporate in three minutes and draw in Kansas City.

Published

1 day ago

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September 11, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

The Orlando Pride (9-12-3, 30 points) squandered a 2-0 second-half lead tonight, drawing 2-2 with the Kansas City Current (11-8-5, 38 points) at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Barbra Banda gave the Pride that lead with goals in the 43rd and 50th minutes. But goals by Temwa Chawinga in the 53rd minute and Elizabeth Ball in the 56th minute saw the team share the points.

Pride interim head coach Yolanda Thomas deployed the same starting lineup that defeated the Houston Dash 3-1 Sunday night. The back line in front of goalkeeper Cosette Morche was Hailie Mace, Hannah Anderson, Cori Dyke, and Oihane. Angelina and Ally Lemos were the defensive midfielders behind Jacquie Ovalle, Haley McCutcheon, and Summer Yates with Banda up top.

It was the first time the Pride have had the same starting lineup in back-to-back games since May 2 and May 8.

Getting anything would’ve been a success coming into the game. But it looked like the Pride might take all three points when they went up 2-0 shortly after halftime. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be as the Current responded with two quick goals. It then appeared as though it was only a matter of time before the Pride gave up a third, but they held on to get a point away from home.

The Current dominated play from the opening whistle, putting the Pride on their heels. However, the only early chance the hosts could muster was a Debinha shot from the top of the box with Anderson right in front of her.

The hosts nearly took the lead in the 17th minute when Kayla Sharples tried to flick on a throw-in in front of goal, but Oihane blocked it over the end line. Morche tipped but couldn’t punch away the ensuing corner kick, resulting in the goalkeeper being caught out of position. Ball played the ball to Sharples at the top of the box, but her shot was blocked. Ball then got a shot of her own, but Morche got back in time to block the attempt and fall on the loose ball.

The Pride got their first good look in the 24th minute when Michelle Cooper fouled Jacquie Ovalle in the Current third of the field. Lemos and Ovalle stood over the ball with Ovalle sending the set piece toward the penalty spot. McCutcheon made a diagonal run and attempted to head it inside the near post, but Current goalkeeper Lorena was there to make the stop.

Kansas City quickly went the other way and created a chance of its own. Cooper dribbled into the Pride third before playing the ball wide right for Debinha. The Brazilian sent a beautiful ball to the far post, where Haley Hopkins was making a wide-open run. The attacker had time to settle the ball, but decided to one-time it instead. That was a mistake, as the ball got caught in her feet and went wide of the target.

Vanessa DiBernardo forced Morche into action in the 29th minute when the defensive midfielder sent a shot from outside the box to the far post. The ball was heading in until Morche dove to her right and tipped it wide. The Pride cleared the ensuing set piece to keep the game scoreless.

Lemos played the ball wide left for Mace in the 37th minute. It appeared as though the defender would cross, but she shot toward goal instead. Lorena backpedaled and tipped the ball over the crossbar. The Current headed the ensuing set piece out, where Mace collected it. This time she did cross the ball, but it was right into the Lorena’s hands.

After Dyke headed a Current 39th-minute corner kick over the end line, the hosts nearly took the lead. Sharples flicked the second set piece to the back post, where Ball was waiting. The center back put her first-touch shot inside the near post, where it bounced off Morche and Oihane before the Pride goalkeeper fell on it inches from the goal line.

Despite spending most of the first half defending, it was the Pride who took the lead in the 43rd minute. Lemos sent a hopeful ball down the field for Banda between two defenders. The striker was the first to reach it and sent her first-touch shot from long range over Lorena — who was off her line — to give the visitors a shocking 1-0 lead.

Following the goal, the Current went on the hunt for an equalizer and came close twice. As the game entered first-half stoppage time, Lo’eau LaBonta sent a long ball down the right for Cooper. Debinha, who played the initial ball to LaBonta, continued her run to the top of the box. Cooper spotted her teammate wide open and the Brazilian’s first touch was a shot. But she was leaning back, sending her attempt off the crossbar and out of play.

The final chance came in the third minute of stoppage time when DiBernardo found Izzy Rodriguez making a run down the left. Chawinga got her head to the cross, directing the ball wide of the far post. The halftime whistle blew immediately after the miss.

While the teams split possession in the first half, the Current doubled the Pride’s number of shots (12-6). However, both teams put three on target. Kansas City also had the advantage in crosses (20-9), corner kicks (6-4), and passing accuracy (86%-81%).

Thomas made one halftime change, replacing Yates with Solai Washington.

The Pride didn’t take long after the restart to double their advantage, doing so in the 50th minute. Mace played the ball down the left for Banda with Ball on her back. The striker made a lightning-quick turn, powered past her defender, and sent her shot under Lorena’s left arm to make it 2-0.

“When she’s on the field, we’re never out of the game,” Thomas said. “That’s just the reality. So that is another source of confidence and just comfort almost for her teammates to know that if they keep fighting, she’s going to find a way to create something. Whether that’s them serving it up or her just creating something out of nothing. So it also keeps opponents on their back foot because you can’t relax when she’s still on the field. So, really excited for her to get back to scoring multiple goals, and we’re ready to support her to continue chasing more.”

Unfortunately, the game turned following that goal. As the Pride looked to defend their lead, the Current went on the attack, looking to continue their season-long unbeaten run at home. And it didn’t take long for their response.

A poor header by Mace in the 53rd minute allowed Cooper to start a two-on-two counter attack with Chawinga to her left. Mace caught up with the attacker, but opted not to take a tactical foul. Cooper was then free to play the ball between Oihane and Cori Dyke for Chawinga. The striker’s initial touch held her up and it looked like the Pride defense might survive. But she dribbled through them before playing the ball past Morche to make it 2-1.

The Current then tied the game three minutes later when the Pride were unable to defend a set piece. Debinha couldn’t turn the near-post corner kick on goal and Morche blocked Rodriguez’s follow-up shot. Unfortunately, her save went to the top of the six-yard box. Hopkins couldn’t get a solid foot on the ball, but it went to Ball, who put it in to even the game at 2-2.

“They’re a team that’s going to take advantage and try to punish your mistakes, so mental lapses, being safe, and taking low risks, and then them punishing us,” Thomas said about the Kansas City goals. “And when you’ve got a player like Temwa Chawinga and Michelle Cooper transitioning to your own goal, they’re likely to get something, right? So just not really managing those moments right after we’ve gotten scored on, which we know those are vulnerable moments for any team. So they’re learning points.”

“I just think it’s two lapses,” Lemos added. “Teams are always most vulnerable whenever you score. So I think really just focusing on the big five moments. The five minutes after you score, you’re the most vulnerable. So I think really just focusing in and honing in on all the little details and just staying fully locked in those next 5-10 minutes would have really helped us. And we had two unfortunate lapses.”

The second goal completely changed the momentum of the game and it felt like only a matter of time before the hosts would take their first lead. In the 61st minute, Morche punched a corner kick away and, after Debinha’s sliding shot was blocked, the defense blocked LaBonta’s attempt over the target.

The Pride were again unable to clear a set piece, allowing the Current to keep the ball in the Pride box. The ball was touched off Hopkins’ foot, going to Cooper outside the 18. The attacker fired from distance, sending her attempt off target.

Rodriguez took Angelina down near midfield in the 70th minute, earning a yellow card and giving Thomas a chance for a second substitution. This time, Ovalle made way for Sanne Lekven. It was the second appearance for Lekven, who continues to acclimate herself to her new team.

“Step one is really get to know your teammates, get to know the league. In Florida, get acclimated to the weather. So, we’re doing what we can do to bring her along. And she’s a fun personality,” Thomas said about Lekven’s minutes these last two games. “Sanne speaks Norwegian. I speak Swedish. So, we understand each other quite well. So, it’s really just about getting her acclimated.”

LaBonta found Hopkins near the top of the six-yard box in the 76th minute, forcing Morche into a terrific save, tipping the ball over the crossbar. However, Hopkins was deemed offside anyway, so the save didn’t count. Thomas used the stoppage to make her third sub, replacing Lemos with Marta.

Chawinga tried to dribble through the Pride defense in the 80th minute, but Mace blocked her last move. The Pride went the other way, resulting in Banda carrying the ball into the Current third of the field. The striker unleashed a long-distance shot for the near post, but it sailed wide.

Banda played a square ball behind Lekven and Marta in the 86th minute, allowing Angelina to collect it on the left. The defensive midfielder dribbled inside before taking a shot that forced Lorena to block it wide. Marta’s ensuing corner kick found Anderson beyond the back post, but her header attempt was into Lorena’s arms.

Penelope Hocking tried to find Hopkins inside the six-yard box in the 88th minute, but Dyke got a foot in to block it out of play. Despite heading the ensuing corner kick out of the box, the Pride were unable to get it out of their own third. Cooper collected it and shot from distance, sending her attempt well off target.

Thomas used the stoppage to make her final change of the game, replacing Angelina with Luana.

In the 90th minute, Rodriguez chested a short clearance down and dribbled into the Pride box. Anderson initially stuck her leg out, but pulled it back just before Rodriguez went to the ground. The Current players wanted a penalty, but the referee rightfully allowed play to continue.

The hosts created a couple more chances as the game reached the final seconds. The first was a Rodriguez cross that Sharples headed wide. Then Hocking found Amelia White on the right side of the box, but her shot was over the target.

At full time, Kansas City had the edge in every category: possession (56%-44%), shots (24-12), shots on target (8-6), crosses (36-16), corner kicks (13-8), and passing accuracy (88%-80%). However, the Current had to erase a two-goal deficit at home just to get a point.

“It feels disappointing when you’re up 2-0 and you don’t come out with three points,” Thomas said. “But the fact that we are now feeling disappointed about not getting three points in a game like this is a testament to how far we’ve come in just a week and a half. So, still to go into this atmosphere, given what we’ve been through, and to get a point is still a good thing for us. And I’m proud of the effort put forth and the fact that we’ve come out of here with a point.”

“Hard environment to come away and play in. And, at the end of the day, we got a point,” Lemos added. “Still not fully satisfied, but it’s a step forward.”

Three points would’ve been crucial for the Pride’s chances of reaching the postseason for the third consecutive year. They would’ve moved into ninth, one point behind the Seattle Reign while playing two more games than the teams around them. Instead, they remain in 11th and a postseason appearance is an even longer shot than before the night began.

On the plus side, the point ensures the Pride remain the only NWSL team to be undefeated at CPKC Stadium, something that’s not lost on them.

“We talked about it. We talked about it yesterday and today,” Thomas said about their undefeated record in the stadium. “So I reminded them of listen, this is a tough environment. It’s going to be tough. But also I’m going to challenge you to actually thrive in it because we have a history of thriving here. A lot of us have really good memories in this place, and so can you channel that? But I also reminded them that each time we’ve actually gotten a result here, something crazy has happened. So, whether it’s a weather delay, a red card, an injury, we’ve found a way to overcome. So, those were reminders that we used throughout the week.”

They also have now claimed points in two consecutive games, something they haven’t done since they beat San Diego Wave FC 1-0 on May 24 and Bay FC 3-1 on May 29.

The Pride will look to extend that point streak on Sept. 19 when they welcome the Portland Thorns to Orlando.

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Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride look to build on their win over the Houston Dash as the take on the Kansas City Current in Missouri.

Published

2 days ago

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September 11, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (9-12-2, 29 points) take on the Kansas City Current (11-8-4, 37 points) in Missouri (8 p.m., Prime Video). This is the second and final time the two teams will face off during the 2026 NWSL regular season.

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

History

The Current joined the NWSL in 2021 after the team’s ownership group bought the Utah Royals and relocated the club to Kansas City. It’s the second NWSL team in the city — FC Kansas City played there from 2013 to 2017 before moving to Utah — and the current team was known as NWSL Kansas City for its inaugural season.

The Pride and Current have played 11 games against each other in the regular season and once in the playoffs. Orlando has a 4-3-4 record in the regular-season series (2-1-2 away) and is 5-3-4 in all competitions.

The two teams last met on July 10 in Orlando. It was a dominant performance by the Pride, especially in the second half. After a scoreless opening half, Marta gave the hosts the lead early in the second half, and Hannah Anderson doubled the advantage a short time later. Barbra Banda came off the bench to add a late insurance goal, lifting the Pride to a 3-0 victory.

The first meeting of 2025 took place on May 16 in Orlando, Temwa Chawinga was the difference, scoring the game’s lone goal in a 1-0 win by the Current. On Aug. 16, 2025, in Kansas City, the Current outshot the Pride 16-5, but each team only put one on target in a scoreless draw.

The first game in 2024 happened on July 6 in Kansas City, Banda gave the Pride the lead, but the hosts responded two minutes later through Chawinga. Despite a second yellow card for Carrie Lawrence dropping the Pride to 10 players just before halftime, Marta converted a second-half penalty, lifting her team to a 2-1 win.

On Sept. 13, 2024, in Orlando, the teams combined for 27 shots, but neither converted as the game ended in a scoreless draw. The final meeting of the 2024 season came on Nov. 17 in the NWSL semifinals in Orlando. Debinha gave the Current the lead and Haley McCutcheon equalized just before halftime. Banda made it 2-1 in the second half and Marta doubled the advantage late in normal time. Vanessa DiBernardo got one back deep in stoppage time from the penalty spot, but the Pride won 3-2 to advance to the NWSL Championship in the Current’s home stadium.

The teams first met during the 2023 season on April 23 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City. It was scoreless after an hour before the Current got a quick flurry of goals by Debinha and CeCe Kizer, lifting Kansas City to a 2-0 win. On June 23, 2023, in Orlando, the visitors took the lead through Debinha, and Kizer doubled the advantage just before halftime. Marta converted a penalty to pull one back, but the Pride fell 2-1.

The first meeting in 2022 took place May 14 at Exploria Stadium. The Pride took the lead early in the second half on a Gunny Jonsdottir goal. Elyse Bennett scored late in the second half, and the visitors appeared to win the game a minute into injury time through Kristen Hamilton. However, Kylie Strom was pulled down in the box five minutes later, resulting in a penalty. With Marta injured, center back Toni Pressley stepped up and drilled the ball into the roof of the net, pulling out a 2-2 draw.

Their second meeting in 2022 came on July 31 in Kansas City while the Pride were in the middle of a seven-game unbeaten run. The Pride opened the scoring when Erika Tymrak found Celia, whose header made it 1-0, and doubled the lead just after halftime through Julie Doyle. The Current stormed back with goals by Bennett and Kizer, pulling out a 2-2 draw.

The teams played twice during the 2021 NWSL season, with the first game held on May 30 at Exploria Stadium. Courtney Petersen found Alex Morgan just outside the six-yard box and the striker headed in the game’s lone goal as the Pride won 1-0.

The Pride and Current met again on June 23 at Legends Field in Kansas City. The Pride had a weakened squad as then-coach Marc Skinner left some key players at home, preparing to lose them to the Olympics. It looked to be costly when Mariana Larroquette gave the hosts the lead late in first-half injury time. But the Pride responded well. Two minutes after Larroquette’s goal, Sydney Leroux’s shot took a deflection off a defender and went in to make it 1-1. Shortly after halftime, Leroux scored on a great individual effort from just outside the box. Marta then scored the goal of the game, beating Kansas City goalkeeper Abby Smith from the top of the center circle, lifting the Pride to a 3-1 win.

Overview

Last week was a tough one for the Pride. Head Coach Seb Hines was fired on Monday with Yolanda Thomas taking over on an interim basis. Thomas did well to keep team spirits as high as possible, allowing the Pride to defeat the Houston Dash 3-1 Sunday night.

It was one of the team’s best performances since the FIFA World Cup break, which isn’t saying much. The team has only won four times in its last 11 games, including a 3-0 win over the Current, a 1-0 win over the Chicago Stars, and a 1-0 road win against the Washington Spirit. The latter saw the team concede the majority of possession and chances, but Orlando held onto its slim lead for 87 minutes.

While Sunday night’s win will provide some confidence, the team still finds itself in a tough spot. The Pride are currently in 11th place, three spots and five points behind the Seattle Reign for the eighth and final playoff spot. With only seven games to go in the season, it would take an impressive and unexpected run to make the postseason for the third consecutive year.

Banda leads the Pride attack and is second in the NWSL with 14 goals, four behind North Carolina’s Ashley Sanchez. The Zambian led the league until recently, when Sanchez went on a tear to overtake Banda. However, Banda has played four fewer games. Outside of Banda, goals have been hard to come by. McCutcheon is second on the team with four goals, scoring her fourth Sunday night. Nobody else on the team has netted more than two.

Prior to the game against Houston, Thomas emphasized that a win could be a building block moving forward. It could provide the confidence to go ahead and get three points in the next game. Unfortunately, that next game is in Kansas City.

After dominating the regular season last year, the Current have had more of a struggle in 2026. They sit seventh with 37 points, but they’re just two points out of third. The Current team you see typically depends on where they’re playing. While Kansas City is 3-8-1 on the road, the Current have been literally unbeatable at home with an 8-0-3 record.

The Current are on a good run of form, gaining points in six of their last seven games. The only loss was a 2-1 defeat away to first-place NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Chawinga leads the Kansas City attack and has caused the rest of the league problems since joining in 2024. She’s only scored nine goals this year, but that’s largely due to her missing time at the beginning of the season with an adductor injury. Those nine goals have come in 12 games and 10 starts, making her one of the most dangerous attacking threats in the league.

Croix Bethune is another leader in the Kansas City attack. The 25-year-old attacker has 10 assists this year out of the midfield, tying her with Cloe Lacasse of the Utah Royals for the league lead.

However, both Bethune and Chawinga are listed as questionable for this game, so they might not play a role. That would improve the Pride’s chances of coming away with points, especially considering they played Sunday night and the Current have a full week’s rest.

“It’s a short week, so we want to build on the momentum of getting a win at home,” Thomas said ahead of tonight’s game. “But really, it’s about deciding how we are going to attack it quickly and then make the most of the sessions. The reality is we have about one full session to prepare, so it’s really about getting the message across clearly and quickly this week, and the players taking that on. I think the bigger picture is we’ve gone to Kansas City many times and have found a way to get a result. So, it’s embracing the difficulty and knowing that we can do hard things.”

The Pride are relatively healthy for this game with no new names on the injury report. They’ll be without Kerry Abello (thigh), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Rafaelle (head), and Viviana Villacorta (knee). The Current are without Ellie Bravo-Young (maternity leave), Alana Cook (knee), Claire Gagne (head), Mary Long (knee), Gianna Paul (excused absence), Gabrielle Robinson (knee), Kolo Suliafu (thigh), and Katie Scott (international duty). Additionally, Bethune (hip) and Chawinga (illness) are listed as questionable.

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Cosette Morche.

Defenders: Hailie Mace, Hannah Anderson, Cori Dyke, Oihane.

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Angelina.

Attacking Midfielders: Jacquie Ovalle, Summer Yates, Haley McCutcheon.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: Cara Martin, Luana, Marta, Zara Chavoshi, Gabi Nunes, Julie Doyle, Sanne Lekven, Nicole Payne, Solai Washington.

Kansas City Current (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Lorena.

Defenders: Izzy Rodriguez, Kayla Sharples, Elizabeth Ball, Laney Rouse.

Defensive Midfielders: Vanessa DiBernardo, Lo’eau LaBonta.

Attacking Midfielders: Haley Hopkins, Debinha, Michelle Cooper.

Forward: Temwa Chawinga.

Bench: Marisa Jordan, Kaylin Williams-Mosier, Amelia White, Rocky Rodriguez, Bayley Feist, Itala Gemelli, Penelope Hocking.

Referees

REF: Gerald Flores.
AR1: Chris Schurfranz.
AR2: Nicholas Seymour.
4TH: Kaitlyn Trowbridge.
VAR: Amin Hadzic.
AVAR: Matthew Seem.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: CPKC Stadium — Kansas City, MO.

TV: None.

Streaming: Prime Video.

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!

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Orlando Pride vs Houston Dash: Final Score 3-1 as Yolanda Thomas Wins Her First Game in Charge

Barbra Banda set a club record and factored in all three goals as the Pride won in Yolanda Thomas’ debut as interim coach.

Published

6 days ago

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September 6, 2026

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Image of Haley McCutcheon after scoring a goal
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

It was a night of milestones and records as interim head coach Yolanda Thomas picked up her first win in her first game in charge of the Orlando Pride. Barbra Banda scored her 14th goal of the season, giving her the club’s single-season record with seven games remaining. The goal was scored from the penalty spot, which was Banda’s first penalty kick for the Pride. She also forced an own goal and assisted on Haley McCutcheon’s second-half strike to lead Orlando (9-12-2, 29 points) to a 3-1 win over the Houston Dash (7-11-5, 26 points) at Inter.co Stadium.

“I’m so proud of what this group was able to accomplish in a really difficult week,” Thomas said after the game. “That’s not very technical, but we poured everything we had in us and left it on the field to get three points. There was not a single member of staff that was not involved in making this happen.”

Thomas made one change to the lineup from Aug. 29 vs. Utah, bringing in Hannah Anderson for the injured Rafaelle (concussion). Cosette Morche got the start in goal with a back line of Hailie Mace, Anderson, Cori Dyke, and Oihane. McCutcheon and Ally Lemos played in the defensive midfield with Angelina, Summer Yates, and Jaquie Ovalle in front of them. Banda played up top.

The Pride opened keeping Houston pinned in its own half for the first four minutes. Yates intercepted a pass in the box but stumbled when she tried to turn, losing the opportunity. Yates turned over Dash defender Leah Klenke three minutes later in front of Houston’s goal but her pass to Lemos didn’t produce any danger.

At the 11-minute mark, Angelina sent a through ball past the Dash defenders onto Banda’s foot, but Jane Campbell saved her shot. Houston responded two minutes later as Maggie Graham crossed it to Kat Rader and Morche saved her volley shot.

The Pride opened the scoring on the ensuing counter. Houston tried playing out of the back but sent the long ball right into Ovalle’s path. She led Banda wide down the left, where she crossed the ball in. Campbell deflected the cross right into Klenke’s shin, and it deflected into the goal to open the scoring in the 14th minute.

The Pride kept up the pressure and, in the 19th minute, Yates slid a dangerous ball to Banda but it was cleared before she could do anything with it. Banda tried a 40-yard shot 60 seconds later off a takeaway, as Campbell was off her line, but the striker sent it wide. Banda continued to harry the Dash defense, muscling and maneuvering through to cause another save from Campbell 22 minutes in.

In the 27th minute, Banda went down at a stoppage of play as she was having problems with her right hand. The Pride played short for two minutes while she got it wrapped and then she re-entered the game.

The teams traded quiet possession until the 34-minute mark when Kate Faasse laid the ball off for a Cate Hardin shot that went just wide. In the 40th minute, Yates split two defenders with a spin move and passed to Banda, who worked her way down the right. She found Ovalle in front of the Houston goal but there was too much traffic for Ovalle to get anything clean off.

Just 90 seconds later, Yates broke into open space and weaved her way down the field, putting Klenke on her hip. As she worked her way into the box, she jabbed inside and Klenke caught her foot, drawing a penalty. Banda took the shot from the spot, sent Campbell the wrong way, and buried it in the left side to make it 2-0 minutes before halftime.

Rader put the ball in the net for Houston just a minute into stoppage time, but Faasse was offside in the buildup of the play, allowing Orlando to see out the first half and take a 2-0 lead into the break.

The Pride led at the half in shots (12-3), shots on goal (4-1), and corners (5-1). The Dash possessed the ball more (56%-44%) and led in passing accuracy (83%-80%).

Houston came out of halftime trying to claw back into the game. Morche had to reach to get to a Rader shot to the top right in the 48th minute. After that, both teams traded a couple of half-chances but nothing of consequence.

The Dash made a couple of substitutions at the 56-minute mark. Kiki Van Zanten came on for Miljana Ivanovic while Lisa Boattin replaced Paige Nielsen. Right after the substitutions, Faasse got on the end of a searching long ball from Graham and forced Morche into a diving save.

Orlando responded with substitutes 62 minutes in, bringing in Solai Washington for Yates and Zara Chavoshi for Anderson. The Pride also responded to the changes by creating a chance, but converting theirs. McCutcheon sent Banda down the left side and then Banda returned the ball to McCutcheon, who took a touch and then rifled a shot on the bounce into the top right corner to triple the lead in the 64th minute.

In the 71st minute, Houston brought in Khyah Harper for Danielle Colaprico. On the very next Dash attack, Harper rewarded coach Fabrice Gautrat by taking advantage of a Mace turnover and sending in a dangerous cross right to Van Zanten, who headed it past Morche inside the right post.

The teams then continued to trade substitutions with Luana coming on for Ovalle in the 74th minute for the Pride. Houston responded with Clarissa Larisey replacing Rader in the 77th minute, and the Pride sending new signee Sanne Lekven in for Mace for her NWSL debut in the 78th.

“I was in the stands last weekend and was looking forward to getting on the field myself today,” Lekven said after the game. “It was hot and very physical and fast, which is a little different from home.”

Harper volleyed a Boattin cross right at Morche at the 79th minute mark but the Pride goalkeeper was able to collect it. Three minutes later, Banda tried to get past Graham but Graham pushed her in the back to prevent her from getting by and picked up a yellow card.

The Pride picked up a pair of yellow cards as the game wore on. McCutcheon was given one in the 86th minute for pulling back Faasse and Lekven received hers in the 89th minute.

After the fourth official announced six minutes of extra time, the Pride collected a couple more dangerous attacks before the end. Banda got on the end of a Lemos long ball but put it high and Washington shot it right at Campbell off a Angelina pass moments later.

The Pride finished ahead in shots (23-12), shots on target (8-7), and corners (8-2) while Houston led in possession (54%-46%) and passing accuracy (81%-80%).

“(Coach) Yo (Thomas) really stressed our defensive principles and shape in pressing and I think we executed. We kind of gave them nothing,” McCutcheon commented after the game. “I think it was a pretty dominant performance. We would’ve loved the shutout, but I think our back line played really, really well.”

The Pride travel to Kansas City on Friday to take on the Current and then return to Orlando the following weekend to host the Portland Thorns.

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