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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue FC: Final Score 1-1 as Pride Can’t Hold Late Lead

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6 years ago

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The Orlando Pride played perhaps their best game of the season but old problems resurfaced to prevent a win in a 1-1 draw against Sky Blue in front of 8,314 fans at Red Bull Arena. Shelina Zadorsky gave the Pride an early lead that served as the game’s only goal until Carli Lloyd’s unchallenged header off a corner kick cross leveled the game late in the 88th minute.

The Pride (4-15-3, 15 points) ended up undefeated against Sky Blue (5-13-5, 20 points) on the season, finishing with two wins and a draw against the New Jersey side. Unfortunately (or fortunately if you want the top overall draft pick), it will make things difficult for Orlando to avoid finishing in dead last place in the NWSL in 2019. The Pride have two remaining home matches to Sky Blue’s one match, but trail eighth place by five points.

Marta returned to the lineup for Marc Skinner on the forward line, with Rachel Hill and Claire Emslie. Joanna Boyles, Marisa Viggiano, and Alanna Kennedy made up the midfield. Kristen Edmonds started at right back, making her 100th NWSL appearance alongside back line teammates Ali Krieger, Zadorsky, and Carson Pickett. Ashlyn Harris started in goal. Sydney Leroux made the 18 in her return from maternity leave.

The Pride started the match on the front foot and were dominant in the game’s first 20 minutes, out-shooting Sky Blue 9-1 in that span. Jo Boyles started things five minutes in with a shot from distance that trickled in easily for Kailen Sheridan to grab. Two minutes later, Viggiano made a nice turn and run into the Sky Blue penalty area, firing a shot that took a slight deflection and bounced off of the top of the crossbar.

Sky Blue cleared the set piece but Marta stole the ball on the left just outside the area and sent a left-footed shot just inches wide of the right post. In the ninth minute Hill sent a shot just wide to the left from outside the box. Sheridan was forced into a good diving save in the 10th minute to keep out Marta’s near-post effort.

Viggiano was one of Orlando’s best players in the first half, linking up well with her teammates, helping win back the ball from Sky Blue, and earning a dangerous set piece chance in the 13th minute. Zadorsky headed Emslie’s set piece cross just wide on the ensuing free kick.

Kennedy fired wide in the 15th minute from outside the area as the Pride continued to fire shots toward Sheridan’s net. In the 17th minute, Edmonds won a free kick near the right corner of the penalty area and it led to the opening goal. Emslie provided the service and it fell to the ground near the back post where Zadorsky swept it home for her first ever NWSL goal in the 18th minute.

Sky Blue looked to regroup after the goal and started building more patiently from the back, being more deliberate with the ball and keeping more possession, although it didn’t lead to many opportunities. The hosts were able to gain more confidence and stem the tide of Orlando chances by passing the ball more accurately and safely around their own half.

Still, Hill was able to win a free kick in a dangerous spot in the 27th minute. Emslie’s service was knocked down by the defense just behind the onrushing Krieger.

Sky Blue got their first transition opportunity in the 30th minute but Edmonds and Krieger combined to block a shot by Jennifer Hoy. Moments later, Marta stole the ball just outside the area and fired over the bar. Sky Blue came right back down the field and Paige Monaghan fired wide from long distance in the 32nd minute. A minute after that, Imani Dorsey sent in a cross that hit Lloyd and bounced toward goal but Harris got over to grab it.

Emslie sent in a deadly cross in the 40th minute that was just inches in front of Kennedy, who only needed the slightest touch to send it home.

Marta, making her first appearance since before the August FIFA break, nearly doubled the Pride’s lead in first-half stoppage time. Emslie won a free kick just outside the area after a hard challenge from behind by Dorsey. Marta took the set piece and curled a shot toward the upper 90 that didn’t quite bend enough and it smashed off the crossbar.

Although it didn’t take an inordinate amount of time for Marta to line up and take the free kick, for some reason the referee allowed quite a bit of play afterward — a theme that ended up repeating at the end of normal time as well. As a result, the hosts nearly — and should have — leveled in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage. Dorsey sent in a cross for Hoy who muffed her wide-open header and knocked it well over the bar just before the halftime whistle finally came.

Sky Blue saw more of the ball after the break and looked much more dangerous. The Pride started to get nervous in their own end as they’ve done throughout the season, gifting balls back to the opposition, failing to link up with teammates due to errant passes, and failing to deal sufficiently with routine balls into the area.

This resulted in more corner kicks for Sky Blue, and almost all of them seemed dangerous. The first warning bell of the half sounded after a corner was awarded in the 52nd minute and the cross in was headed by Boyles onto her own crossbar. In the 55th minute, an unmarked Lloyd sent a free header over the bar that she should have put on frame.

Viggiano sent a shot over the bar in the 58th when she had a teammate breaking through the defense. It was a mistake by the rookie in an otherwise solid game. Hill got into the box on a turnover seconds later but before she could shoot from about the penalty spot she stumbled and the chance evaporated.

In the 64th minute a good ball over the top found Hill who fired just wide as the Pride continued to squander opportunities to kill the game off.

A minute later Viggiano gave Hill another perfect ball. This time Hill scored but the flag was up for offside. Obviously the broadcast often doesn’t give a good view of the entire field but it appeared Hill needed to run past at least two Sky Blue defenders to get onto the ball and no good replay was shown, so whether the call was right or not…well, I can’t tell you. Hill didn’t argue it much so she must have thought so.

Marta stole another pass in the 68th minute and spied Sheridan off her line. She tried a shot from distance but didn’t elevate it and it was no trouble for Sky Blue’s goalkeeper. Moments later, Marta cut back a pass for Emslie at the top of the area and the Scottish international missed just wide on another wasted chance. A minute later, Marta again picked out Emslie — this time with a good ball over the top. Emslie brought it down and fired but the shot was blocked by Erica Skroski.

Harris parried away a Lloyd chance at the near post in the 76th minute as the hosts continued to press for an equalizer. Three minutes later, Pickett headed down an aerial ball perfectly for Sky Blue to start the transition but Monaghan sent a shot or a cross wide of goal.

Skinner put Camila in for Emslie and brought on Leroux for Viggiano. It was Leroux’s first appearance since Sept. 8, 2018. Neither sub made much of an impact on the game, except to waste a few precious seconds late. It wasn’t enough, as Sky Blue equalized just two minutes after Leroux was introduced. Lloyd was again free on a corner kick and this time the USWNT star didn’t miss, beating Harris to the far corner late in the 88th minute. Pickett — perhaps not the best player to be marking Lloyd — allowed the U.S. international to get inside of her and, like earlier, Kennedy tried to play the ball in the air rather than putting a body on the Sky Blue striker.

That was just about it, although Zadorsky fired a weak shot in easily for Sheridan to handle in the 90th minute on the recycle of a set piece. Lloyd then nearly won it for Sky Blue in the fifth (nearly sixth) minute of stoppage time of a game that was set to have three additional minutes and only a 45-second delay in getting Hill subbed off for Abby Elinski slowed the play after normal time had expired.

Harris came off her line to smother the initial shot and then knocked it aside as Elizabeth Eddy bundled over her. Harris knocked Eddy over on the play, which could have drawn a late penalty, but a foul had already been given for contact on the goalkeeper. Either way, it was nearly three minutes after the stated added time and it prevented an even worse fate for the Pride.

The Pride led in shots (17-16), shots on goal (5-2), possession (50.1%-49.9%), and passing accuracy (82.4%-76.7%) but managed to let the late lead slip away. Orlando was out-shot 15-8 after Zadorsky’s goal but the Pride got numerous quality chances and simply couldn’t put any of them away. That was obviously compounded by continued weak defending on set pieces. Lloyd is a great player but there’s no good reason not to ensure she’s marked on set pieces.

In the end, the Pride dropped two more points by allowing their 14th goal conceded after the 75th minute this season.

Next up for the Pride is a home date with the Washington Spirit next Saturday in a makeup game of a match that was postponed due to Hurricane Dorian’s approach.

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Opinion

In Praise of the Unity Kit

The Orlando Pride hit it out of the park on their newest secondary kit.

Published

1 week ago

on

February 27, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

When it comes to soccer jerseys, I can perhaps be unfairly critical. I like what I like, and in a time when new jerseys cost at least $100 if not closer to $150, I have to be seriously impressed by something in order to shell out that much money. While I’ve liked most of the jerseys that Orlando City and the Orlando Pride have put out over the years, I’ve never liked one enough to spend my own money to buy one, although I did receive a Heart and Sol jersey as a birthday present several years ago. The one exception has been the Sea Cow prematch top that the club put out in 2023, which I bought instantly and would have happily forked over one of my kidneys to acquire (as any sane person would).

I might very well be adding a new jersey to the closet soon though, because the Orlando Pride absolutely knocked it out of the park with the Unity Kit that they released on Thursday. I’m now going to shut up for a second and let you feast your eyes on this beauty.

That is just fantastic, and let’s talk about why. First of all, the base color is light purple, and while that isn’t traditionally in the Pride’s color palette as they favor a more royal purple shared by Orlando City, it is still purple. It’s also a light enough base color for the team to be able to use it as an away jersey without simply making the background color white. While I wouldn’t necessarily have an issue with a white base, that’s pretty common with away jerseys and the light purple is a good way to do something different while still providing a good contrast between it and an opponent’s dark home jersey.

If you were missing the Pride’s more traditional color of purple, fear not! The decision to use it on the collar and sleeves is a great one, as it gives the jersey a really nice splash of contrast in a shirt that could otherwise risk being washed out by all of the pastel tones that are present. The same color is also present in the badge, name, numbers, sponsors, and jock tag, and pops very well because its used so sparingly.

When viewed from a distance, the collars and sleeves provide a good outline for the kit, while the eye gets a general sense of intermingled pastel tones as the ribbons blend into each other well, and while no one color is definable, it isn’t an assault on the eyes either.

Closer up though, the ribbons are far more vibrant and detailed, and you notice that rather than simply being uniform colors for each one, they’re actually made up of several different colors that blend together and intertwine, and the effect is pulled off really well. For me, its a shirt that be appreciated both further away, and right in front of your face, and that isn’t always the easiest thing to do.

Suffice it to say, I’m a huge fan of how this thing looks. A lot of thought was clearly put into the design, and it was executed well. I want to talk about more than just the way it looks though.

We’re 10 years on from the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub that took the lives of 49 people, and the Pride and overarching ownership have a new way of honoring the victims and remembering a period of time that was so difficult for the city. The rainbow seats at Inter&Co Stadium have served the same purpose since the ground was opened back in 2017, but the Pride will be using the new jersey to honor both the victims and the way in which the city came together after the tragedy, while also putting their money where their mouth is.

The team’s decision to donate $20,000 from sales of the jersey to The Center Orlando and its Orlando United Resiliency Services (OURS) program is a very good touch on what was already a well-thought out kit. The program’s purpose is to provide advocacy, education, and support for the Orlando area’s LGBTQ+ community, and as someone who believes sports teams should be active and positive pillars in the community where they play, I couldn’t be happier to see this. It’s a decision that the team was under no obligation to make, but in choosing to go the extra mile, it proved that the club is more than just empty words and gestures when it comes to issues that hit close to home.

In short, the Unity Kit checks all the boxes for me, including ones I didn’t even know I had. It looks great from a distance, has thoughtful and well-executed details when seen up close, and represents something important while also actively honoring and helping to provide resources for a marginalized community. To everyone who was involved with the concept and execution of this jersey, I salute you. Consider it a job very well done.

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Unveil New ‘Unity Kit’ Ahead of 2026 Season

The Pride dropped their new secondary kits ahead of the 2026 season, paying tribute to the strength of the community shown after the Pulse nightclub tragedy.

Published

1 week ago

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February 26, 2026

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Image of Marta showing off the Pride's new Unity Kit.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

With their new secondary kits, the Orlando Pride paid tribute to the strength and spirit of the Orlando community in the wake of the horrific 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub. That senseless tragedy still resonates in the team’s home stadium with the 49 rainbow-colored seats that honor the victims. The ‘Unity Kit,’ which will serve as the secondary kit for the Pride through the 2027 NWSL season, features multicolored interlocking ribbons to symbolize the way Central Florida came together at that time, now 10 years past.

The Pride not only unveiled the new kits today, with a special launch event planned for tonight at The Final Whistle at Thornton Park Pub at 6 p.m., but the club also announced it will donate $20,000 from jersey sales to The Center Orlando, whose Orlando United Resiliency Services (OURS) program continues to provide crucial education, advocacy and support for the LGBT+ community and its allies.

“Orlando’s strength has always come from its people, and the Unity Kit reflects the love, resilience, and courage that define this city,” Orlando Pride/Orlando City Vice President of Community Impact & DEI and Orlando Soccer Foundation Executive Director Kaia Hyde said in a club press release. “In the days after the Pulse tragedy, our community adopted a simple but powerful message: ‘keep dancing.’ It became a reminder that even in the face of unimaginable loss, Orlando would choose optimism, unity and love. This jersey honors that spirit, and we’re proud that its launch will directly support The Center Orlando and the vital work they do for our community.”

The multicolored ribbons weave their way across the front of the new kit in pastels. The jersey’s jock tag features the universal symbol of peace: a dove, carrying an olive branch. The collar, sleeves, name and number on the back, and the front jersey sponsor logo and back bottom jersey sponsor logo feature the club’s standard purple, which pops on the light kits. Orlando Health continues as the kit sponsor, with Publix as the lower-back sponsor and the Heart of United Way returning as the sleeve sponsor.

The shorts and socks are a more subdued purple that makes the jersey stand out even more.

Fans can purchase the new kit online now at ShopOrlandoPride.com or in person at the jersey launch tonight. The launch party will include appearances by Pride players Julie Doyle, Oihane, and Hannah Anderson, Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines, and new Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Caitlin Carducci. Those who pick up their Unity jersey tonight in person can get a an Orlando United patch while supplies last. Fans can also participate in a silent disco dance party, and there will be prize giveaways. The new kit will be available at The Den starting on Friday.

You can check out the kit in all its glory in the gallery of images below:

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Orlando City

Orlando City, Orlando Pride Remain Hidden During Preseason

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride continue the odd policy of hiding information from fans as they prepare for the upcoming seasons.

Published

4 weeks ago

on

February 9, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

As preseason continues for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride, little is known about the progress the team is making in their preparations for the upcoming seasons. But it wasn’t always that way. The club used to be quite open about their preseason scrimmages. The social media accounts would provide lineups, substitutions, goals, and other game updates, allowing fans to follow along.

But there was more.

When the Wilf family took over ownership, they opened the doors to the club during preseason. In 2022, two games were open to season ticket members and both teams had a preseason game open to all fans and media.

The club continued providing an open preseason game for both teams in 2023, giving a chance to see the teams in action before the regular season started. However, less and less access has been provided to the outside world since then.

The 2024 season saw the open preseason games removed for both City and the Pride. The Lions had an FC Series game against Flamengo before camp began and a late game for Society XXI members. Last year, the Lions started with an FC Series game again, this time against Atletico Mineiro. They ended with a season ticket member game.

The club released very little information other than the FC Series contest. That leads us to this preseason, in which the club has been as tight-lipped as it has been since the Wilf family took charge of the club.

There has been even less information about the Pride. Since Seb Hines became the permanent head coach leading into the 2023 season, the club doesn’t even provide an official preseason schedule anymore.

While the club at one time provided updates on games and opened one to media and at least season ticket members, you’re lucky to even get a reference that the team still exists. The occasional photo is the only way fans know the team has even begun preseason.

The lack of availability during preseason is quite unique to American soccer. Other major American sports — the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL — allow fans and media to attend their preseason games. Soccer teams from other countries also sell tickets to preseason games and local fans often travel abroad, following the team.

Also, not all MLS teams are this quiet as they prepare for the season. On Sunday, for example, the LA Galaxy live streamed a scrimmage against the Chicago Fire.

Orlando City played Nashville SC in a scrimmage Saturday afternoon. The opposition provided lineups, substitutions, goals, and other updates throughout the contest. The only thing they didn’t offer was Orlando CIty goal scorers, something likely requested by the Lions.

But what advantage does Orlando City gain from this?

It could be argued that the club is working on tactics and doesn’t want to give anything away. But it hasn’t been like that in the past, and that argument doesn’t hold water when you see teams that routinely are more open about their preseasons making deep playoff runs.

Oscar Pareja made the most significant tactical change since arriving in Orlando during the 2024 preseason. He moved attacking midfielder Dagur Dan Thorhallsson to right back and put either David Brekalo or Wilder Cartagena at left back. The team played five in the back defensively and three in the back while in the attack. It was a significant change, but the club still provided information to fans.

In today’s sports world, fans have more access than ever before. Television networks and streaming services regularly give fans a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most popular sports teams in the world. These programs aren’t the teams or leagues showing gratitude to fans. They’ve realized that giving fans this glimpse makes them feel more connected to the teams they follow and builds a buzz heading into the season. As a result, they’re more likely to watch games on television or attend games in person.

Unfortunately, Orlando fans aren’t getting that connection anymore. The excitement for the start of preseason is nearly gone, because City and Pride fans know they’ll receive little, if any, information until the season begins.

The club will argue that it provides several experiences for all fans leading up to the regular season opener — from public jersey unveilings to drinks with coaches and players. But what would help build fan excitement about the upcoming season would be the ability to see the team in action and catch glimpses of new signings. Or at least to know how they’re progressing.

Whether the club’s habits revert to how they were just a couple of years ago remains to be seen. There’s definitely an appetite as The Mane Land and other outlets regularly field requests from fans looking for any possible information. But even those that cover the club regularly are kept at a distance.

For the time being, fans will have to be content with the occasional player signing, community event, and photo from a scrimmage the club may or may not admit is happening. And they’ll continue to count down until Orlando City’s first MLS game on Feb. 21 and the Orlando Pride’s first NWSL game on March 15.

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