Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (6-0-3, 21 points) take on Seattle Reign FC (2-6-1, 7 points) in the Pacific Northwest. This is the first of two games the Pride and Reign are scheduled to play during the 2024 NWSL regular season. They’ll finish the season against each other in Orlando on Nov. 2.

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

History

The Pride and Reign have met 16 times since the Pride joined the league in 2016. The Pride hold a 2-7-7 record in those meetings and have yet to beat tonight’s opponent away from home, with an all-time record of 0-5-3 out west against the Reign.

The most recent meeting was on Sept. 3 at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Pride got off to a terrible start when Anna Moorhouse was sent off in the third minute. Carly Nelson came in and did well, but Jordyn Huitema scored in the 49th minute as the Reign won 1-0.  The game on July 7 at Exploria Stadium featured one of the best performances of the year for the Pride, as they had more shots and shots on target than the opposition. Julie Doyle beat her defenders and found the head of Messiah Bright in the 16th minute for the game’s lone goal as the Pride won 1-0 for their second all-time win over the Reign.

The teams played for the first time last season on Aug. 26 in Orlando. Meggie Dougherty Howard gave the hosts the lead, and the Pride tried to hold onto that one-goal advantage, but Megan Rapinoe found Bethany Balcer for an equalizing header. The visitors pushed for a win and Rapinoe got a goal for herself two minutes into second half injury time, lifting the Reign to a 2-1 win, snapping Orlando’s seven-match unbeaten run.

The return game was on Oct. 1, 2022 at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Pride had already been eliminated from playoff contention and it looked like it as OL Reign dominated the game. Rapinoe opened the scoring just eight minutes in, Huitema doubled the hosts’ lead soon after, and Balcer made it 3-0 after 31 minutes. The Pride held the Reign scoreless in the second half, but fell 3-0.

The teams played twice during the 2021 season and the first game was on July 24 in Orlando. The Reign scored a goal in each half, with Jess Fishlock scoring early and Tziarra King doubling the lead just after the break on the way to a 2-0 win. On Sept. 26 in Tacoma, WA, Balcer opened the scoring in the third minute and Eugenie Le Sommer scored a brace, giving the Reign a 3-0 lead at halftime, ultimately beating the Pride by that score.

COVID canceled the teams’ meetings in 2020, but they played three times in 2019. On April 21 in Tacoma, Alanna Kennedy gave the Pride an early lead. But Balcer equalized and the teams drew 1-1. They met again on Sept. 7 in the same location. This time, the Reign took the early lead as Darian Jenkins scored twice inside the first 12 minutes. Beverly Yanez made it 3-0 soon after, effectively putting the game away early. Camila converted a late penalty but the Reign won 3-1. The final meeting that year came on Oct. 12 in Orlando. The Pride scored first through Rachel Hill, but Jenkins and Jodie Taylor gave the visitors a 2-1 lead going into halftime. Marta equalized late and the teams drew 2-2.

The first meeting in 2018 came on April 28 in Orlando. Allie Long gave the Reign a first-half lead, but Marta equalized, resulting in a 1-1 draw. On June 3, the teams met in Seattle but neither team could find the back of the net as they ended in a scoreless draw. The final meeting that year was on July 21 in Orlando. Toni Pressley gave the Pride a first-half lead but Taylor equalized with 20 minutes remaining and the teams drew for the third time that year.

The 2017 season saw the Pride and Reign play twice, first meeting on May 21 in Seattle. Yanez gave the hosts the lead just before halftime but Marta scored just after the break and the teams drew 1-1. They met again on Sept. 7 in Orlando in a game that looked to be ending scoreless but took a surprising turn. Alex Morgan gave the Pride the late lead in second-half injury time, but Fishlock equalized two minutes later and they drew 1-1.

The first-ever meeting between the two teams occurred on May 8, 2016 in Orlando. Sarah Hagen gave the Pride an early lead and Lianne Sanderson made it 2-0 late, which was the final score. The return game in Seattle was on July 23 and was the highest-scoring game between the two teams. Kim Little and Fishlock made it 2-0 Reign at halftime. Manon Melis scored a third for the hosts. Jasmyne Spencer scored, but Kendall Fletcher made it 4-1 four minutes later. A Pressley own goal and late strike by Kristen Edmonds added one more goal to each team’s tally in a 5-2 Reign win.

Overview

The Pride are off to unquestionably the best start in team history. After drawing their first three games, they’ve gone on a team record six-game winning streak. Five of those six wins have been decided by one goal and four have been 1-0 results. They capped off their sixth win last Saturday night, defeating Bay FC 1-0 through an Adriana penalty.

While the Pride were playing well already, Barbra Banda has been everything the Pride hoped for when they agreed to the second-highest transfer fee in NWSL history to bring in the Zambian international. She scored four goals in her first three starts and has drawn two penalties. She didn’t score against Bay FC, but drew the penalty that resulted in Adriana’s goal.

The Pride have also been exceptional defensively, conceding seven goals in nine games. Only NJ/NY Gotham FC is the one team to concede fewer goals than the Pride, giving up six in their first eight games this year.

The Reign are off to a poor start this season, claiming seven points from their first nine games. They currently sit in 13th in the 14-team league, only ahead of the Utah Royals. Tonight’s opponent has struggled offensively and defensively this season. Their seven goals scored this year is third least and one more than Gotham and Utah. Meanwhile, they’ve conceded 14 goals, fourth most in the league. As a result, they’ve had trouble coming away with results in the early part of the season.

Bethany Balcer has led the Reign in goals this season, scoring three so far. Only three other players have scored and all once. The other goals have come from Ji So-Yun, King, and the Reign’s leading goal scorer last season, Veronica Latsko. Three of the team’s goals have been assisted, two coming from So-Yun and one from Fishlock.

“They’re a good team. They’ve got an experienced coach there as well who has won a lot in this league,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s opponent. “And so we have to be mindful of Seattle and what they can create and it’s going to be a challenging game for us because our record is not great away at Seattle. So that’s something that we want to improve and continue this momentum that we’ve showed early on in the season.”

The Pride will play tonight without Angelina (knee), Celia (hip), Simone Charley (right leg), Luana (illness), Megan Montefusco (right heel), and Viviana Villacorta (left knee). Additionally, Mariana Larroquette (lower leg) is listed as questionable. Meanwhile, the Reign will be without Claudia Dickey (knee), Jordyn Huitema (back), and Quinn (knee).

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Projected Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, Emily Sams.

Defensive Midfielders: Morgan Gautrat, Haley McCutcheon.

Midfielders: Julie Doyle, Marta, Adriana.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Seattle Reign FC (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Laurel Ivory.

Defenders: Phoebe McClernon, Lauren Barnes, Shae Holmes, Sofia Huerta.

Midfielders: Olivia Van der Jagt, Ji So-Yun, Jess Fishlock, Tziarra King.

Forwards: Bethany Balcer, Veronica Latsko.

Referees

REF: Elijio Arreguin.

AR1: Seth Martin.

AR2: Salma Perez.

4TH: Iryna Petrunok.

VAR: Shawn Tehini.

AVAR: Kaili Terry.

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How to Watch

Match Time: 6 p.m.

Venue: Lumen Field — Seattle, WA.

TV: Bally Sports Florida.

Streaming: NWSL+.

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

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Enjoy the match. Go Pride!

In front of more than 7,500 fans Saturday night, the Orlando Pride defeated expansion side Bay FC 1-0 and extended their win streak to a club-record six victories. It was the Pride’s most attended home game of the season and they are tied with the Kansas City Current on points at the top of the table. With a third of the season behind them, the Pride have six wins, three draws, and no losses, and soccer fans in the City Beautiful are energized. While Orlando will almost certainly lose a match at some point this season, the club’s identity and togetherness laid the foundation for this undefeated start and raised the bar for the rest of the campaign.

There may be some optimistic Pride fans who predicted Orlando would be tied for first place after nine matches, but most would admit that this season is going better than anticipated. With the benefit of hindsight however, Orlando’s current form can be seen as a continuation of the progress made by the club under Head Coach Seb Hines and General Manager Haley Carter. This duo has led the way in establishing a culture focused on player wellbeing and inclusion off the pitch, as well as grit and flexibility on it.

The environment created by the staff can have a big impact on the locker room and the outcomes of matches. Nothing shows this team’s togetherness clearer than the “L” goal celebration they have flashed time and again for midfielder Luana following her diagnosis with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It is evident from watching the Pride play as a team, pick each other up, and celebrate together after goals and victories that they are doing it for each other. 

“Having the buy-in from everyone, it doesn’t just take myself, it takes the whole group, and it starts from the top, but I think the most important thing is we wanted to create a culture where everyone felt they had an opportunity to come in and make a difference,” Hines said in the preseason. “Making the players feel valued is really important for us and I think that can be a recipe for success.”

After a season where the Pride barely missed out on the playoffs, a credible target for the club going into 2024 would have been just to reach the postseason. However, one word describes Orlando’s performances through nine matches: incredible. After being overlooked by the larger soccer audience the last two off-seasons, expectations should be changing rapidly for NWSL fans, the media, and opposing clubs. Perceptions can be slow to change though, and there are still a large number of doubters outside of the state of Florida.

“Coming out of last season [the players] have a bit of a chip on their shoulder and they feel like they have something to prove” said Carter several weeks ago. “Everyone’s goal is to make the playoffs and ultimately to win an NWSL championship.”

Carter also called winning a title a lofty goal that needs to be taken one game at a time.

While there are many matches left to be played, the Pride are showing they belong on the list of contenders for an NWSL championship. At the start of the season, conventional wisdom would have had the 2023 NWSL Shield winners, the San Diego Wave, and the 2023 NWSL champion, NJ/NY Gotham FC, as favorites for trophies this year, along with perennial competitors like the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage. Instead, the top three teams in the standings are the Current, Pride, and Washington Spirit. 

The only real knock against Orlando’s table-topping credentials is the relative ease of the schedule played to date. So far, six of the team’s nine matches have been at home, and six matches have come against teams currently in the bottom half of the standings. Regardless, this easier start may have been a blessing, as it allowed the Pride to build positive momentum from the get-go. 

The eye-test says that Orlando’s record is not a fluke. The Pride have defended exceptionally well, and the recent addition of Barbra Banda, who has four goals, two assists, and two penalties drawn in four starts, has unlocked a new level in the attack. While a loss will inevitably come, the Pride have shown that they will be competitive in every match remaining.

The biggest risk to the Pride continuing their electric form is injuries, something to which no team is immune. Season-ending injuries have already reduced the team’s depth, as Megan Montefusco, Simone Charley, and Luana won’t feature again in 2024. Emily Sams, Morgan Gautrat, and the Brazilian trio of Rafaelle, Adriana, and Marta have also missed time but since returned to the lineup. Angelina, another Brazilian and a standout performer in the early goings of the season, recently underwent an arthroscopic knee scope and is going to be evaluated week to week. Her fellow midfielders will have to play at their best to minimize the impact of her absence, and the team will hope for fewer injuries the rest of the year.

To keep their form going strong, the Orlando Pride need continued contributions from each part of the organization, including the players, the staff, and even the fanbase. First, the players need to continue to build their on-field chemistry as the season progresses until they instinctively know where to pass, when to make a run, and when to press as a team. This team has the potential to be even better once the new players and experienced players alike have spent more time together.

Regarding the staff, Carter’s job is to never be fully content with the roster as it is. As spring turns to summer, she will likely keep an eye on the contract situations of the top talents around Europe and other leagues that follow the traditional soccer calendar. The team may be able to add more depth in midfield or extra goal-scoring on the wings if the right player is available. Lastly, the fans need to continue to show up for the Pride and bring their friends and family to fill Inter&Co Stadium. As more folks around Orlando take notice of the Pride, the club should be able to create a formidable advantage at home.

Before the season, Carter said the players, “know that the expectations and the bar has been raised coming out of last season, and they’re ready to live up to those expectations.” Proving Carter right, Orlando has already set several club records to start 2024, including its longest win streak in club history.

Despite the exciting start, everyone in the organization knows that awards aren’t won in May. This team has set a new standard for itself and the challenge now is to keep pushing for new heights.

The Orlando Pride are off to their best start in team history with a six-game winning streak and nine-game unbeaten run to begin the 2024 NWSL season. Much has been made of the development of second-year attacker Summer Yates and the arrival of Barbra Banda, but the team’s strength has been its defense.

During the current six-game winning streak, four of the games have been shutouts, including the last two games. It’s been necessary in those contests, because the team has won each of those four games 1-0. Much of that success can be credited to the back line, primarily consisting of Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, and Emily Sams. While the credit will largely go to the defenders, keeping the opposition off of the scoresheet is a team effort.

“I think when you say defense, you talk about the whole team, because the work that everyone is doing to keep the clean sheet is unbelievable,” Head Coach Seb Hines said after the 1-0 win over Bay FC Saturday night. “You know, it starts from the front and having the structure and the organization from the front and reading those triggers, and obviously you talk about midfield and then the back line and goalkeeper. You know, it’s a real togetherness to keep the ball out of the net.”

As Hines said, the defensive effort begins up front. The Pride have been using a high press on the opposing back line to put them under pressure as soon as they lose possession of the ball. That strategy has resulted in several turnovers over the past few weeks and created chances for the Pride.

Additionally, the speed in their Pride’s attack is unrivaled by other NWSL sides. The typical attacking midfield includes Julie Doyle and Adriana, two players that possess tremendous speed and a willingness to attack opposing defenses. Hines also recently made a tactical change that proved successful. Usually deploying a 4-2-3-1 formation, we’ve seen a 4-4-2 at times with Banda and Ally Watt — arguably the fastest player in the league — as the striking pair. The duo’s speed has enabled the Pride to quickly counterattack. As a result, opposing teams have to be careful with how many players they send forward.

“Our forwards work so hard, our midfielders work so hard to put some pressure on, make it predictable, and make it easy for us to read the play and step in,” Strom said about how the back line benefits from the pressure. “So it’s a team effort and it feels good.”

As Strom states, the pressure the forwards and midfielders provide, as well as the transitional threat, makes the job of defending much easier on the back line. They’re less likely to deal with opposing counterattacks. But the back line has stood strong when the opposition has gotten into positive positions in the final third. In the same way the attackers assist the defenders, the strength of the back line makes it easier for the attacking players.

“Our back line has also been phenomenal helping us not conceding, so then we are able with our players, Marta, Summer, everyone, to be able to defend and help,” Adriana said about the team effort. “And also us, in the attacking side, be able to go fast and work on transition. So we can also help the team that way.”

Hines said everyone buying into the system and their specific role is another reason why the team has been so solid defensively. When the young head coach took over in 2022, it was obvious the players bought into his style of coaching. They would frequently repeat his teachings, something rarely seen under previous coaches. There have been multiple changes to the squad since then, but the newer arrivals still buy into the team-wide effort taught by the former center back.

“Everyone has a responsibility out of possession and you can see that the work ethic and the attitude and the desire to put teams under pressure and win the ball and then you know, again, being threatening in transition if we win it. Can we have a mindset of going to the other side and being threatening in goal scoring opportunities,” Hines said about his team’s mentality. “So I can’t just pinpoint on the back line, because they are doing a great job, but it’s the whole team. Everyone’s doing their role.”

Most of the focus is on the team’s current form because of the Pride’s success, which has pushed them to the top of the NWSL standings. But they’ve been successful in limiting scoring opportunities all season. As we near the midpoint of the season, the Pride have only conceded seven goals in nine games. That’s second in the league behind San Diego Wave FC, which has conceded six goals. However, the Wave have only scored seven goals and the Pride have netted 15. Their goal difference of +8 is also second in the league to the Kansas City Current (+9). Unsurprisingly, the Pride and Current are currently battling for the top spot in the NWSL standings.

As the season continues, the Pride’s defensive efforts will be crucial to their success. The team has been much better this year in putting shots on target. But you can’t always depend on goals to carry a team through. The Pride had far more shots (18-6) and shots on target (18-4) Saturday night, but Bay FC goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland had a career day with nine saves. The defending keeps the team in games and enables Orlando to win in different ways.

The Pride’s attack has been unpredictable this season. After netting two in the first game against Racing Louisville FC, they scored a single goal in each of their subsequent four games. In back-to-back wins over the Washington Spirit and North Carolina Courage, the Pride scored seven goals, outscoring the first five games combined. But the two most recent wins have been 1-0 nail biters.

“I think it allows us to be somewhat unpredictable,” Hines said. “I think, going back to the North Carolina game, it was very much a transition type of game. Being defensively solid to then transition and, whether it’s half the field or full field transition, we always feel like we can be threatening in the attack. It’s a great mix of being adaptable to what the game gives you.”

What has been predictable is the team-wide defensive effort. In addition to the four clean sheets, the Pride have only conceded once in three other games. The only two times they’ve conceded multiple goals were the 2-2 draw against Louisville and the 3-2 win over the Spirit. And the Spirit only scored twice because of the ball slipping through the hands of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse on a relatively innocuous shot.

The Pride currently sit atop the NWSL standings with 21 points from their first nine games. After narrowly missing out on the playoffs in 2023, they could be contenders for the NWSL shield this season, which would be the team’s first trophy. If they continue to play as well defensively as they have so far, that result is a legitimate possibility.