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Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Final Score 0-0 as Pride Gets Road Result

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After not playing for almost a year, the Orlando Pride were finally able to get their first game in 2020 in a 0-0 draw on the road against the North Carolina Courage. Lynn Williams and Orlando rookie Carrie Lawrence both hit the frame of the goal but nothing went in as the teams split the points in Cary, NC. For the Pride (0-0-1, 1 point), getting a road result against a Courage team (1-0-1, 4 points) that had beaten them six times in a row is not a bad result — especially in the Pride’s first match of the year with a lineup that included several rookies.

“I can’t be prouder of the team’s effort,” Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner said after the match. “North Carolina are a changed team, I take nothing away from that. But the ability to take your physicality and play it on the pitch and then make sure that you control the spaces that they’re so dangerous in — I thought we did a wonderful job today.”

Skinner went with veteran goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris behind an experienced center back pairing of Ali Krieger and Tony Pressley, with rookies Carrie Lawrence and Courtney Petersen outside at the fullback positions. Marisa Viggiano and Jordyn Listro played the central midfield, with Marta and Kristen Edmonds dropping deep to help. Sydney Leroux and Abby Elinsky led the line in a formation that was announced as a 4-2-3-1 but played more like a 4-4-2 for the most part.

Orlando looked good early on and had some chances early in the match. Lawrence was sent down the right side of the box in the seventh minute and hit either a shot that went wide or a cross too far out in front of her teammates.

The Courage went with three defenders at the back and six midfielders, which compressed the field and helped the hosts take more possession of the game. A ball over the top for Lynn Williams looked to be trouble but Harris came way outside her area to get to it first. She made a mess of the clearance attempt, but Krieger was there to bail her out in the 16th minute.

Still, there were some decent looks for Orlando. Leroux got her head on a cross in the 25th minute but popped it up for an easy catch by North Carolina goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe. Three minutes later, Labbe was well positioned to catch another Leroux header — this time on goal off a set piece cross.

Leroux again got her head onto a cross in the 32nd minute when Listro found some space on the right and sent it in. The striker couldn’t direct the chance on target, however.

Ryan Williams fired a shot from out on the right flank in the 37th minute but it was no trouble for Harris. Debinha had a chance in the 42nd minute with a shot from a corner kick but Lawrence did just enough to cause her shot to go wide.

That was the last good opportunity of the first half and the teams went to the break without a goal. North Carolina led in shots (6-3), but Orlando had more on target (2-1). The Courage also led in corners (5-2), passing percentage (79.5%-73.6%), and possession (52.3%-47.7%).

The Courage came out flying to start the second half, looking for the breakthrough. Debinha nearly got in behind in the first minute of the second half but Lawrence did some good last-ditch defending to break it up. Debinha then sent a shot high over the bar in the 47th minute on a corner kick, as Orlando failed to find the crafty Brazilian on set pieces far too often in this game.

Lauren Milliet sent a header right at Harris in the 50th minute for an easy save, but the Courage nearly scored just moments later. Milliet sent in a cross to Debinha in the 53rd minute and it looked like a sure goal but Harris made a huge save with her right leg to keep the game level.

Milliet fired high again in the 55th minute as the Courage kept the pressure on.

But Marta showed some magic in the 58th minute with a spin move on the left side, fizzing a cross toward Leroux at the back post, but Labbe was able to grab it.

Lynn Williams created another chance in the 62nd minute by splitting two defenders and turning Pressley inside out, but she hit the near post with a left-footed shot.

Deneisha Blackwood came on for Elinsky, making her Pride debut, and she created some chances in her first few minutes, first winning a corner and then finding Marta in traffic but the Brazilian couldn’t get her header on target in the 66th minute. Two minutes later, Blackwood fizzed a cross into the area and Edmonds was just inches from getting onto it in front of goal.

Leroux played the role of provider in the Pride’s best scoring chance of the day in the 71st minute. Her cross to the back post found Lawrence wide open but the right back’s shot slammed off the crossbar.

“I just wanted to get good contact on the ball but I should have just placed it,” Lawrence said. “I put more power into it than I needed to. It could have just hit my leg and deflected in. But I saw it coming. I knew it was a good opportunity, obviously, to score but…pretty unlucky off the bar. But that won’t happen again.”

The Pride seemed to lose their legs a bit after that, as the lack of game minutes caught up to Orlando. It was more about survival in the final 15 minutes plus stoppage time than getting a winner.

The most dangerous moment came in the 80th minute, when Debinha released Lynn Williams down the right side. With a runner coming to the back post, Williams crossed it in front of goal, where it somehow squirted through Harris and trickled toward goal. Lawrence got there in the nick of time to clear it off the line and prevent the go-ahead goal.

“They always crash the back post. For sure I knew there’s gonna be a player coming,” Lawrence said. “And there was contact on it and I saw it just kind of roll past Ash, I think. And I knew Danica (Evans) was coming, so it was just last-minute defending and I just cleared it.”

After that, the Pride survived a few late set pieces and the whistle blew on a hard-fought road draw. North Carolina led in shots (18-6), shots on goal (4-2), corners (8-4), and passing accuracy (77.1%-72.8%), but the Pride managed to eke out a slight advantage in possession (50.9%-49.1%).

It was Orlando’s first clean sheet since July 20, 2019 against Sky Blue FC at home. It was the first time ever that the teams have drawn, as the Pride’s record now stands at 2-7-1 in all competitions against North Carolina (1-4-1 on the road).

“I was happy with the moments we created,” Skinner said. “I’d like to create more with the players that we have, you know, with Syd and Marta and so on in those advanced positions. But it’s really, really important that we continue this growth of the mental stability and the mental side of the game. We have to be tougher. We have to be better at one-v-ones. We have to be better on our defensive situations.”

“I thought we battled really hard,” Leroux said. “Our defense was great, the rookies were great. So, I’m just really happy that I got to be on the field with them.”


The Orlando Pride will again be on the road next week, taking on the NWSL Challenge Cup champion Houston Dash next Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

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Orlando Pride Sign Midfielder Haley McCutcheon to New Contract

The midfielder extends her stay in the City Beautiful with a new deal through 2028.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Orlando Pride veteran midfielder Haley McCutcheon extended her stay in Central Florida after agreeing to a new contract through the 2028 season. The club officially announced the new deal this afternoon.

The 29-year-old native of Overland Park, KS joined the Pride on Aug. 18, 2022 in a trade with the Houston Dash in exchange for $75,000 in Allocation Money and a 2023 second-round draft pick the Pride had acquired from OL Reign. She was still known as Haley Hanson at the time. Since then, McCutcheon has become a mainstay in the Pride lineup — first as a right back before moving to the defensive midfield in recent seasons. She helped the club win the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship in 2024.

Two months after her arrival, McCutcheon signed a new contract through the 2024 season. The University of Nebraska product signed a new three-year contract through the 2026 season on Dec. 20, 2023. As has become customary for the Pride, the club has locked her down well before her current contract was set to expire.

“Haley’s leadership on the pitch, her versatility in multiple positions, and her unwavering commitment to our community make her an invaluable part of our foundation,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Her clutch performances in our 2024 playoff run, including crucial goals against Chicago and Kansas City, demonstrated why she’s such a vital piece of our championship culture. This extension reflects our commitment to retaining the core players who helped bring the NWSL Shield and championship to Orlando, and we’re excited to continue building on that success with Haley leading the way.” 

McCutcheon has appeared in 73 matches across all competitions in her time with the Pride, logging five goals and one assist in her time in purple. Two of those goals and her assist have come during the 2025 season, in which she has appeared in all 13 matches (12 starts), playing 1,059 minutes and recording 17 tackles, a 68% tackle success rate, and nine interceptions.

After her arrival in 2022, The Mane Land staff gave the defender/midfielder a composite grade of 5 out of 10, although she had only appeared in six matches and started four, playing 373 minutes without a goal contribution. That rating improved to a 6 after a 2023 season that saw her start all 22 matches in the regular season, subbing off only twice and playing 1,955 minutes. She scored her first goal with the Pride that season in a win over the San Diego Wave in April and appeared in her 100th NWSL match in Orlando’s 3-0 road win over the Washington Spirit on July 1, 2023. She again improved her performance in 2024, receiving a 6.5 from our staff for a steady season that saw her appear in 22 matches (18 starts), playing 1,700 minutes without a goal contribution in the regular season. However, she shone in the postseason, starting all three games and playing all 270 minutes, scoring two vital goals to help the Pride navigate through Chicago, Kansas City, and Washington en route to the NWSL Championship.

The Houston Dash selected McCutcheon seventh overall in the 2018 NWSL Draft. She is approaching 200 career NWSL appearances — currently sitting on 173 — scoring six times and adding four assists. She was a part of the Dash side that won the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.

McCutcheon was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree during her time at Nebraska, where she played in 75 games, scored 19 goals, and chipped in seven assists.

What It Means for Orlando

By retaining McCutcheon through 2028, the Pride have solidified a central midfield slot for the next three seasons. McCutcheon will turn 30 in February, so she will be 32 when this deal expires. Her play is important, but her leadership is equally valuable to the Pride. McCutcheon’s clutch play and experience are important to have on the roster. She’s also versatile enough to fill in at multiple spots.

This is probably the first of many announcements the Pride will make in the coming weeks and months. Without games to focus on for several weeks during the NWSL break, the club can spend time assessing future roster needs and addressing them without distracting players from upcoming matches. By our unofficial count, there are nine Pride players who are on contracts that expire at the end of 2025 and four more who have option years for 2026 as part of their deals.

 

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Orlando Pride Must Improve Attack During Summer Break

The Pride have been great defensively but struggled offensively this season. That must change.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride got the 2025 season off to a flying start. But, while the defense has largely been great, the team has struggled in the attack. It’s something that must be fixed during the summer break if the Pride hope to repeat as NWSL champions.

The Pride started the season about as strong as you could hope. It began with a 6-0 thumping of the Chicago Stars, followed by wins over NJ/NY Gotham FC and San Diego Wave FC, two of the best teams in the league. The Pride outscored their competition 10-1 in those first three games, netting multiple goals in each.

However, things have gone downhill on the attacking side since then. Only twice in the last 10 games have the Pride scored multiple goals — a 3-2 comeback win over Angel City FC on April 25 and a 3-1 win over the Utah Royals on May 23.

The attack has largely been placed on the foot of striker Barbra Banda, who has eight goals this season. However, five of those eight goals were in two games — a brace against Chicago and a hat trick against Utah.

Marta is second on the team this season with three goals, with her last coming in the April win over Angel City. Since that game, only three players have scored. Adding to Banda’s four goals, Prisca Chilufya and Cori Dyke have netted one each — their only goals of the season.

A big problem for the Pride this year has been support up top for the star striker. Too often Banda ends up alone in the opposing third surrounded by defenders. The Zambian does her best to create space, but usually slams a shot into a defender or takes an off-balance attempt that sails wide and high of the goal.

Making this situation more confounding is that the Pride often have the fastest player in the league on the field. Ally Watt can outrun any player in the NWSL, including Banda. But the team-wide defense often sees the speedster defending in her own box. It’s something Pride Head Coach Seb Hines prioitizes.

Defending as a team has been a focal point since Hines took over partway through the 2022 season. It’s been successful, as the Pride have built a reputation as one of the best defensive squads in the league. They conceded a league-fewest 20 goals last year and lead the league again this season with just 10 allowed.

While putting numbers behind the ball keeps the opposition from scoring, it hurts the team going forward. The Pride has a tendency to take the route one appraoch of sending Banda into the opposing half. But since everyone else is behind the ball defensively, nobody is supporting the striker, leaving her to take on the entire opposing defense on her own.

As the Pride enter the lengthy summer break, the task for Hines and Haley Carter is clear. The duo must find a way to improve the number of goals scored.

One option is to change the attacking strategy. Turning Watt from essentially a midfielder into a strike partner and keeping her further upfield will provide some help for Banda. Since Banda likes to attack the opposition on her own, they can also push the striker to use her support when it arrives.

Another option is to change the typical starting lineup. Hines has turned Angelina from a defensive midfielder into an attacking midfielder this season — a position she can, and has played, but not necessarily her best role. While the Brazilian has played well, she doesn’t have the pace of Julie Doyle.

Doyle and Watt have flanked Marta in the attacking midfield before, causing problems for defensive back lines. The duo are the two of the fastest players on the team and could provide more support for Banda.

Doyle has been working back to form after returning from a knee injury suffered on March 14. The attacker has been on and off the availability report, listed as questionable Friday night in Louisville. But the extended break could see her ready for action when the season reconvenes.

Regardless of their decision, something has to change for the Pride in the second half of the season. The defense will likely contnue to be among the best, but you can’t expect the team to keep opponents to one goal or fewer every game.

If the Pride can find a way to score goals, they have a great opportunity to catch the Kansas City Current for the NWSL Shield and compete for a second consecutive league title. Whether that happens may depend on if the team can fix its offensive woes.

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Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville: Final Score 2-0 as Pride Still Can’t Win in Kentucky

The Pride lacked quality but not effort in a frustrating 2-0 road loss at Louisville.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride were looking to end the first half of the season on a high note, but ended up doing just the opposite in a forgettable performance at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville. Orlando (8-4-1, 25 points) continued to waste scoring opportunities, but instead of playing the stalwart defense of the last couple of games, the Pride also failed to mark at the back post on a set piece and conceded an unnecessary penalty to gift the hosts a two-goal advantage in a 2-0 loss to Racing Louisville (6-5-2, 20 points).

Center back Arin Wright scored her first goal of the season and Taylor Flint added a penalty kick goal for Racing. The Pride dropped to 0-4-1 at Louisville since the series began and fell eight points adrift of first-place Kansas City, although the focus for now should perhaps be on finding their offense rather than catching the Current.

“Obviously disappointed with the result,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said after the match. “It’s come down to two set pieces.”

Hines’ starting lineup included goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse behind a back line of Cori Dyke, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, and Ohihane. Haley McCutcheon and Angelina were the central midfielders with Summer Yates and Ally Watt outside and Marta and Barbra Banda up top.

Louisville came out pressing high and pinning Orlando back in its own end. The Pride eventually settled into the game, worked hard and seized the advantage in terms of possession and chances. However, they were wasteful with their few clear-cut opportunities, and rather than build an early lead, Orlando ended up gifting Racing an early advantage and had to play catch-up — something the Pride simply couldn’t do on this night.

Marta was called for an early foul that she knew little about, jumping up between two defenders. Ary Borges backed into her space, and there was contact, with Marta getting saddled with the foul. Sarah Weber got her head to the cross on the free kick, sending it just inches over the crossbar and onto the roof of the net in the fourth minute.

Orlando’s first shot came in the seventh minute after the Pride broke Racing’s pressure. The ball found Banda, who cut inside from left to right and fired from the top of the box. The Zambian international left her shot too close to goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer, who got down and made the save.

The Pride suffered a blow moments later as Oihane went down without contact trying to keep a ball in play at the sideline. She was clearly in a lot of pain and had to be subbed off. While waiting for the sub, the game played on with Orlando using just 10 players.

Racing kept the pressure on and that resulted in shots from distance as the Pride left too much space just outside the area. Taylor Flint had a go from 30 yards out but sent her rising effort over the bar in the 11th minute. A minute later, Savannah DeMelo sent a shot from the top of the area over the goal.

Hines was finally able to send Kerry Abello on in the 13th minute, slotting her in on the left and moving Dyke to right back.

McCutcheon’s foul near the left corner of the box just past the quarter-hour mark gave Louisville a dangerous set piece shortly after the substitutions. DeMelo fired the free kick on target, and Moorhouse caught it and then got bundled over by Ary Borges who was pressed from behind by Sams.

Orlando started to settle into the game a bit after that, but did not execute well in the attack. Banda allowed Ellie Jean to knock the ball away from her in the box in the 17th minute. Moments later, Marta’s set piece delivery into the box from near the right corner of the penalty area was too low and easily cleared.

The Pride started winning corners but took all of them short, possibly to avoid Racing’s height, but they created nothing with the opportunities except a few long-range shots. On the first, Yates was knocked down in the box in the 23rd minute after getting to the end line, but the referee ruled it was a fair challenge.

Orlando should have scored in the 28th minute. Watt put in a fantastic cross to a wide-open Yates at the back post. With plenty of open net to shoot at, Yates pushed her free header wide of the left post, wasting a sitter.

“I mean, goals change games,” Hines said. “We had a chance just before their set piece (goal) where the ball gets to Ally (Watt), she takes on Courtney Petersen, puts in a really good cross. And (Yates) gets her head on it, but it wasn’t on target. And I think if that had gone in, it might have changed the trajectory of the game. You know, you’re then asking Louisville to be even more aggressive. There’s more space for us to manipulate.”

A minute later, the game turned in Louisville’s favor. Banda was too indecisive after receiving the ball in the attacking third. Leaving the ball at her feet and trying to head fake, Racing easily dispossessed the forward and broke in transition, winning a corner at the other end. Louisville paid off the set piece when Orlando left two players completely unmarked at the back post. Unlike Yates earlier, Wright got her head on the ball and didn’t miss the net, putting the hosts up 1-0 in the 30th minute. Former Pride fullback Courtney Petersen got the assist for her delivery.

Angelina fired from outside the box on a couple of short corners but the first, which may have been a back-post pass to Nadaner, went wide and out of play in the 34th minute.

Orlando again should have scored in the 35th minute. Watt did well to steal the ball in the attacking third and immediately played it to Banda. The goalkeeper was caught out, but Banda was deliberate in lining up her shot. Once she did, she missed the net entirely.

Watt had a chance to cross into the box in the 38th minute but sent her service right at Bloomer. Angelina fired a good effort from distance in the 40th minute. The dipping shot was on target but Bloomer was able to knock it out for a corner. Orlando played it short again and Angelina fired from distance only to see it deflect out off a defender. The Brazilian then ended up with yet another shot from range on the next corner, but sent it right at Bloomer.

Banda had a chance to play Marta in alone in the first minute of stoppage time, but she didn’t get enough on the pass. Flint was able to close down and knock it out for another corner. Nothing came of that one either, and moments later the half was over with the Pride staring up at a 1-0 deficit in a game they probably should have led.

The Pride finished the first half with the advantage in possession (57%-43%), shots (9-7), shots on target (4-2), corners (6-1), and passing accuracy (82%-79%). But the wasted opportunities and moment of inattentive set piece defending had the hosts out front at the break.

Hines made his second change at the half, sending Carson Pickett on for Yates. After the match, Hines said Yates hadn’t been feeling well and needed to come off, so she became the second unexpected substitution of the match.

“It kind of disrupted the momentum that we had in the first half going into the second half,” Hines said of sacrificing Oihane and Yates. “But we have good players who can adapt, and so I thought we still put them under pressure going to the second half, playing through the press.”

Louisville started the second half much like the first — as the aggressor. Emma Sears blasted wide just after the restart. On the ensuing goal kick, Orlando quickly turned it over and Borges ended up in alone on goal with the ball. With just Moorhouse to beat, the Brazilian smashed the ball off the right post, wasting an opportunity to make it 2-0 in the 49th minute.

Orlando’s first attack of the second half came in the 50th minute and it quickly broke down. Banda tried to find Pickett as she approached the box, but she made a mess of the pass and the defense cleared. The ball went to Marta at the top of the area, and the Pride captain saw her shot blocked. The rebound found Banda, who send a soft shot straight at Bloomer.

“I just think at this moment in time, everyone’s kind of adapted to us,” Hines said. “We’re getting into really good, promising positions, and we just need to execute in that last final part.”

Wright did well to keep a cross from reaching McCutcheon at the back post in the 53rd minute. Both players needed treatment after a clash of heads and were off the pitch for a few minutes.

Sears nearly made it 2-0 in the 61st minute, losing Dyke in the corner, cutting inside and must missing the far post by about a yard.

Louisville put the game away a few minutes later. On a routine throw-in, Sams was positioned well behind Weber just inside the box near the right sideline. Rather than hold her position, she tried to muscle her way around the Louisville forward, pulling her down. The referee pointed to the spot immediately.

Former Pride midfielder Flint took the spot kick. Moorhouse guessed correctly, but Flint placed the shot well to make it 2-0 in the 68th minute.

Shortly after the second goal, Hines pulled Marta, McCutcheon, and Dyke, subbing on Morgan Gautrat, Ally Lemos, and Simone Jackson, who made her NWSL debut. Those three were not likely to provide the missing piece of the attack, and they didn’t, as Orlando continued to struggle in the offensive third.

Banda put a shot on frame from a tight angle on the right in the 78th minute, but it was a comfortable save for Bloomer. The ball fell in the box near the end line where Wright was prone. Banda ran in to try to win it, but Wright wisely knocked it out off the Zambian for a goal kick.

Weber nearly made it 3-0 on another Louisville corner kick opportunity in the 80th minute. This one was slightly more contested than Wright’s and Weber put her shot wide.

Down the stretch, Orlando wasted a couple more short corners and simply couldn’t find any lethality. Banda missed the net four times in the game’s final minutes on what was an apparently frustrating night for the Golden Boot contender.

Orlando’s statistical advantage was not reflective of the final score. The Pride finished with the edge in possession (64%-36%), shots (16-14), shots on target (7-3), corners (11-3), and passing accuracy (82%-74%).

“I learned that nothing’s given, no matter what rank you are as a team,” Jackson said after making her pro debut. “So, it’s like everyone is coming after you. You have a target on your back when you wear this badge. So, I think it was wake-up call for a lot of us, and I think that I’m excited for the second half of this season.”


The Pride have a long break to stew in this performance, as the NWSL schedule won’t resume for several weeks. Orlando’s next NWSL is Aug. 3, when the Utah Royals visit Inter&Co Stadium.

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