Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville FC: Five Takeaways

Published

5 years ago

April 12, 2021

The Orlando Pride tied Racing Louisville FC 2-2 in both teams’ first match of the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup. It was a wet and rainy match that saw back-and-forth action. The Pride were poor to start the game, and the hosts took full advantage of it. However, Orlando was able to get back into it, looked much better in the second half, and eventually went up 2-1 thanks to goals from rookies Taylor Kornieck and Abi Kim. Louisville equalized from a set piece in stoppage time in what ruined what would have been the first come-from-behind win in Marc Skinner’s tenure.

Here are the takeaways from the match:

Marta Magic?

The Brazilian is one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Many times she has pulled Orlando back into matches on her own during her time with the Pride. But the Marta on Saturday night looked different. There could be any number of reasons why, but Marta had a poor outing. Defensively, she failed to make an impact and constantly missed tackles. She looked slow in transitions and frequently got outmuscled.

Even more shocking was in possession. Marta is known for keeping possession and using extraordinary foot skills to spark attacks. This was not the case on Saturday. She gave the ball up many times throughout the game, and that Marta Magic was never on display, although she was a part of starting the build-up on the winning goal.

Hopefully, this was just a one-off game, and she will be back to her usual self on Wednesday. It was not a night to remember, but even the best players have a poor game every now and then.

The Kornieck Effect

Kornieck was the best player on the field. She created many chances for Orlando and got the Pride back into the match with a terrific header goal.

She conceded four fouls — more than any other player on the field — but that was due to a combination of questionable officiating at times, combined with her size. Skinner talked about this after the match. He said she naturally will be called for fouls in many cases because of her strength. Apart from getting her goal, she also made a few good runs and helped out attacks with her passing.

After the game, Kornieck talked about how going on loan to Germany helped her. She would not have been the same player without that experience.

“It just really helped me mature as a player and a person off the field,” said Kornieck. “So I think that was definitely a really important thing for me in my life, and it definitely carried on into the NWSL, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that opportunity.”

Gameday Conditions Were Suboptimal

After the game, both Skinner and Ali Riley talked about the conditions in the match. Something they both commented on was the weather. From the TV, it looked like hurricane conditions out there. From the players’ perspective, it seemed they felt the same.

“It was crazy,” Riley said of the weather. “We trained on the field last night. It was so hot, it was so dry, and the grass is really thick. The ball doesn’t move, same in the warm up. Obviously, as players, we take responsibility for the type of shoes we’re wearing, but I don’t see how we could have predicted that this was going to happen. Just from the moment I first slipped on [the field] — they told us we’re going to have a water break because it was so hot. So we’re like trying to get the shoes ready, so we could switch, and then, of course, with the pouring rain, we didn’t have the water break. So we switched at halftime, and it felt a lot better, and then, of course, the rain stopped.

“Ash was just saying the wind and the rain was just straight in our eyes in that first half. It was really wild. It definitely affected the game. But of course, they’re experiencing the same thing. But the slipping, as a defender, you hate to see it.”

The conditions of the field were not perfect either. Both Riley and Skinner were not impressed.

“What you probably can’t see, it looks really nice, and it is — it’s a super pitch — but the grass is a little bit longer. And then with the rain, which is a torrential downpour, it kind of made it quicker at moments and slower at other moments. So I don’t think the players got a rhythm of the pitch.”

These factors seemed to impact the Pride early on in the match. They could be reasons why they started out so slowly. They did improve throughout the game, and, as Riley said, Louisville had to fight through the same conditions, so it should not be an excuse.

Transition Moments Favored the Hosts

Skinner said in the NWSL, “it’s whoever manages the transition best will win.” The Pride did not manage the transitions well on Saturday. Louisville did not threaten much overall, except in transition moments.

The first goal was directly from a transition. First, Konya Plummer sent the ball to nobody down the right wing. The Pride were able to regroup and win the ball back before Kornieck turned it over. After her errant pass, the team froze. It was just for about one second, but in that second, Emily Fox had enough time to scan the field and see Cece Kizer.

Before that, Plummer turned the ball over while attempting to dribble. Phoebe McClernon did well to close down the ball, but Louisville was able to find the open player, and if not for Ashlyn Harris’ heroics, it would have been the opening goal.

Moments like this continued throughout the game. While the Pride overall improved as the match went on, they were still left vulnerable in transitions.

Pride Show A New Central Defense

Plummer and McClernon both started in central defense on Saturday night. The beginning of the match was not great for the pair. They looked a step off from the start of the match and gave the Louisville attackers too much space. On the first goal, they were late in reacting. Kizer made a straight run down the middle of the field. Both were slow in seeing the play happen, and it was an easy finish.

After the slow start, the pair picked it up. They were excellent in the second half and gave up few chances. After the match, Skinner talked about how there will be some growing pains. The pair have a combined age of 46. McClernon made her NWSL debut, while it was Plummer’s second start. While it took time for them to grow into the game, the fact that they ended up playing well, especially in the second half, is a very positive sign.

“They’re 23 years old, so they have to be birthed and they have to be given an opportunity to succeed,” said Skinner about Plummer and McClernon. “We’ll assess everybody’s performance but I can’t ask any more of them tonight. They gave everything and they will grow definitely from tonight.”

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Sign Jamaican International Forward Solai Washington

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

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2026

Michael Citro

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.

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Announce 2026 NWSL Schedule

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

Published

1 week ago

January 15, 2026

Sean Rollins

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)

Orlando Pride

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

January 15, 2026

David Rohe

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!