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

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5 years ago

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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 Jamaican International Forward Solai Washington

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

Published

4 days ago

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January 19, 2026

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has signed Jamaican international forward Solai Washington. The former Florida State Seminole  through the 2027 season with a mutual option for the 2028 season.

“Solai is a player we’ve had an eye on for a while during her two years in college,” Orlando Pride head coach Seb Hines said in a club press release. “Her composure on the ball, her ability to break lines, and the maturity she showed at Florida State make her a fantastic fit for what we’re building here. She brings energy, versatility, and a real competitive edge, which is what we look for in players. We’re excited to have her here in Orlando and to see the impact she can make in our environment both on and off the field.” 

The 20-year-old attacker from Atlanta made 35 appearances in her two years in Tallahassee, scoring eight goals and adding four assists while helping the Seminoles win the 2025 NCAA national championship and the 2024 ACC tournament. Washington was a member of the 2024 ACC All-Freshmen Team, the 2024 All-ACC Academic Team, and was named to TopDrawerSoccer’s postseason Top 100 Freshman list (at No. 42).

On the international stage, Washington has already represented Jamaica at the senior level on the biggest stage, making three appearances with the Reggae Girlz at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, debuting in a scoreless draw with France.

What It Means for Orlando

The Pride’s need for depth in the attacking positions is well documented, and Washington is a young player with a ton of upside in an area of need. From that perspective alone, this is a signing that makes sense. While it would be nice for the club to sign some proven NWSL-level scorers to provide depth for Barbra Banda, Marta, and Jacquie Ovalle, it’s always good to develop young talent. Since the abolition of the NWSL Draft, teams must work harder to secure the services of players like Washington.

It will require some time to know whether Orlando’s faith in Washington will be rewarded, and she wasn’t the most prolific scorer at FSU, but it says something about a player that they can get minutes at age 17 in a World Cup. It will be up to Hines and his staff to develop Washington, who will have no shortage of great mentors as teammates.

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Orlando Pride Announce 2026 NWSL Schedule

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

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1 week ago

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January 15, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

The National Women’s Soccer League schedule was announced this morning, telling us who, where, and when the Orlando Pride will play this year. The 2026 season will once again feature a balanced schedule with all teams playing the other 15 teams once at home and once on the road. The addition of Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC will see each team play 30 games, making it the longest regular season in league history.

The Pride will begin the season at home, facing the Seattle Reign on March 15. This season begins with a two-game homestand, ending with the club’s first-ever match against the Summit and the return of Ally Watt. The first road game will occur on March 25 when the Pride face Chicago Stars FC in Evanston, IL.

The Pride’s home schedule will end on Oct. 25 when they face NJ/NY Gotham FC. They’ll then travel west to face Seattle on Decision Day in the return game on Nov. 1, concluding the team’s 11th season in existence.

Orlando’s games this year are well distributed among the league’s various broadcast partners. The Pride will play nine times on Victory+ — the league’s new free streaming partner. Additionally, they’ll play six times on Prime Video, five times on Ion, twice on CBS Sports Network, once on ESPN, and once on ESPN2. The remaining games will be available on NWSL+.

Should the Pride qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive year, the quarterfinals will take play Nov. 6-8, followed by the semifinals on Nov. 14-15. The championship game will take place on Nov. 21 at a location yet to be determined.

The longest homestand this year is two games and will occur three times. As previously mentioned, the Pride begin with a pair of home games against Seattle and Denver on March 15 and March 20, respectively. They’ll host the Washington Spirit and North Carolina Courage on May 2 and May 8, respectively; the Kansas City Current and Boston on July 10 and July 15, respectively; and Utah Royals FC and the Houston Dash on Aug. 29 and Sept. 6, respectively.

The longest road trip this year is a three-game swing in May. Orlando will face Boston at Gillette Stadium on May 12, Denver on May 16, and San Diego Wave FC on May 24.

The league will take a month-long break during June as the country hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Pride’s final game before the break is on May 29 at home against Bay FC and they will return to action on July 3 against Angel City FC in Los Angeles.

The busiest months of the season will be May and July, when the Pride will play six times in each month. They’ll play four times in March, August, and September, three times in October, twice in April, and once in November.

Here’s a month-by-month breakdown of the regular season:

  • March — 4
  • April — 2
  • May — 6
  • June — 0
  • July — 6
  • August — 4
  • September — 4
  • October — 3
  • November — 1

The most common day the Pride will play this year will be Friday (11 times), the same as last year. They’ll play nine games on Sunday, seven on Saturday, two on Wednesday, and one rare Tuesday match.

Here’s the Pride’s breakdown by day for the regular season:

  • Monday — 0
  • Tuesday — 1
  • Wednesday — 2
  • Thursday — 0
  • Friday — 11
  • Saturday — 7
  • Sunday — 9

For fans that follow Orlando City and the Pride, the teams will play on the same day five times. However, two of the days won’t see the games overlap. On May 2, the Pride hosts the Spirit at 4 p.m. and the Lions face Inter Miami away at 7 p.m. On Sept. 19, the Pride host the Portland Thorns at 4 p.m while City plays at the New England Revolution at 7:30 p.m. 

The teams’ games will overlap on three occasions, but they never start at the same time. On May 16, Orlando City hosts Atlanta United at 7:30 p.m. before the Pride play in Denver at 8:45 p.m. On Aug. 15, Orlando City hosts FC Cincinnati at 7:30 p.m. and the Pride play in Portland at 8:45 p.m. On Aug. 29, the Pride host the Royals at 7 p.m. and Orlando City faces Minnesota United FC away at 8:30 p.m.

2026 Orlando Pride Schedule (All Times Eastern)

  • Sunday, March 15 — vs. Seattle Reign FC, 4 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, March 20 — vs. Denver Summit FC, 8 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Wednesday, March 25 — at Chicago Stars FC 8 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Sunday, March 29 — at NJ/NY Gotham FC, 7 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, April 3 — vs. Angel City FC, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Friday, April 24 — at Racing Louisville FC, 5:30 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Saturday, May 2 — vs. Washington Spirit, 4 p.m. (ION)
  • Friday, May 8 — vs. North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Tuesday, May 12 — at Boston Legacy FC, 8 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Saturday, May 16 — at Denver Summit FC, 8:45 p.m. (ION)
  • Sunday, May 24 — at San Diego Wave FC, 7 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, May 29 — vs. Bay FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
  • Friday, July 3 — at Angel City FC, 10 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Friday, July 10 — vs. Kansas City Current, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Wednesday, July 15 — vs. Boston Legacy FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
  • Saturday, July 18 — at Utah Royals FC, 8:45 p.m. (ION)
  • Friday, July 24 — vs. Chicago Stars FC, 8 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, July 31 — at North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Saturday, Aug. 8 — vs. Racing Louisville FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
  • Saturday, Aug. 15 — at Portland Thorns, 8:45 p.m. (ION)
  • Sunday, Aug. 23 — at Washington Spirit, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
  • Saturday, Aug. 29 — vs. Utah Royals FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
  • Sunday, Sept. 6 — vs. Houston Dash, 7 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, Sept. 11 — at Kansas City Current, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Saturday, Sept. 19 — vs. Portland Thorns, 4 p.m. (ION)
  • Sunday, Sept. 27 — at Bay FC, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
  • Friday, Oct. 2 — vs. San Diego Wave FC, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Sunday, Oct. 18 — at Houston Dash, 1 p.m. (CBSSN)
  • Sunday, Oct. 25 — vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 3 p.m. (CBSSN)
  • Sunday, Nov. 1 — at Seattle Reign FC, 5 p.m. (TBD)
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How the Orlando Pride Can Return to the Mountaintop

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

Published

1 week ago

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January 15, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

A fall-off after winning the double in 2024 was probably inevitable, yet the Orlando Pride still managed to come within minutes of playing in a second straight NWSL championship match. Many of the pieces are still there, and there are resources to get more. However, there have been some big changes in personnel on and off the pitch.

What needs to happen for the Pride to challenge for another double in 2026?

Reinvigorate the Attack

The return of Barbra Banda is the balm to soothe the worries of Orlando Pride fans. Even when the Pride struggled before she was injured, Banda scored plenty of goals. The biggest problem is she was left on an island as the team tried lobbing the ball up the field to her, hoping she’d do it all herself. Jacquie Ovalle didn’t take the NWSL by storm as we hoped, but it sometimes takes time for a player to adjust to a new league and club. If they had been able to work together, it’s likely the Orlando attack wouldn’t have faltered. Ovalle’s ability to deliver the ball into the box, combined with Banda’s ability to put the ball in the net, is a dangerous combo.

Of course, the Pride will need more than the two of them if the club is to win some trophies in 2026. I made this point several times last season, but Marta needs to find her form from 2024. With Banda and Ovalle in the attack, it should allow Marta the freedom she needs to be creative without having to carry the offense. Additionally, the Pride need other attackers to also find their 2024 form. I’m looking at Julie Doyle and Summer Yates in particular.

Fill the Roster

Haley Carter didn’t leave the cupboard bare when she departed for the wicked Washington Spirit. As such, Seb Hines and new Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Caitlin Carducci don’t have too much to do. But, the transfer of Emily Sams did create a need at center back. Fortunately, the Orlando Pride received $650,000 in intraleague transfer funds for Sams. That kind of cash can go a long way to filling the gaps in the roster.

With Kylie Nadaner on maternity leave and Rafaelle seemingly always on the verge of injury, finding a replacement for Sams is a priority. Some might point to Zara Chavoshi, but unless she levels up quickly, Carducci will need to look elsewhere. Offensively, as important as Banda is, adding another striker is necessary for quality depth. The departures of Ally Watt and Prisca Chilufya mean there’s a spot for an even better backup striker. I’m also not opposed to a quality left back.

Find the Grit

In 2024, the entire Pride team was personally offended if the opposition scored a goal. The level of defending up and down the pitch was a big factor in breaking records and winning hardware. The players need to pick up the chip and put it back on their metaphorical shoulders. I somewhat addressed this with the need to replace Sams, but there’s more to it than that. The Pride wore teams down over the course of a match, meaning it wasn’t necessary to score tons of goals. Of course, it’s not just the back line that needs to be better, but the entire team. Fortunately, Hines knows a thing or two about defenses. The Pride still have Marta to motivate them, and that — while not everything — is not a small advantage.

Those are the things I will be looking for in 2026. Let me know your thoughts or ideas in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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