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Orlando Pride vs. OL Reign: Final Score 2-0 as Pride Fall for Fourth Time in Five Games

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4 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (4-4-4, 16 points) fell to OL Reign (4-6-1, 13 points) 2-0 at Exploria Stadium tonight. An early goal in each half by the visitors saw the Pride lose their fourth in five games and extend their winless streak to five straight (0-4-1).

In Carl Green’s first and only game as head coach of the Pride, he made some changes to the starting lineup. As expected with the absence of Ali Riley, Ali Krieger moved into her former right back position. This was also the first game that we saw the new partnership of Phoebe McClernon and Amy Turner. Regular starting left back Courtney Petersen moved into the defensive midfield and Jodie Taylor made her Pride debut, starting up top with Sydney Leroux and Taylor Kornieck.

The Pride got off to a better start than they did in Portland Sunday night, creating multiple chances inside the first five minutes. In the opening seconds, Petersen found Leroux at the back post but a poor first touch got too far away.

The Pride had another good chance in the fifth minute when Krieger found Kornieck in the box. The tall attacker got her head to the ball and directed it toward the far post, but it was just wide of the target.

The Reign woke up after those two chances and began to put the Pride on their back foot. In the seventh minute, the Reign were given a golden opportunity when McClernon sent an ill-advised ball back to Ashlyn Harris. With attackers closing in, the Pride goalkeeper fell on it and the referee immediately called for a Reign indirect free kick inside the box.

It was an uncommon scene as the Pride placed 10 players on the goal line and the 11th player at the top of the six-yard box. The defensive strategy worked as Harris made the initial save, the Reign had another shot blocked and the Pride were able to clear.

Three minutes later, another defensive miscue gave the Reign another golden chance. Krieger lost the ball near the right touchline, allowing Tziarra King to take possession with space at the top corner of the Pride box. King found Jessica Fishlock, who also happened to be wide open, and the midfielder put it past Harris for the opening goal.

The Pride did have several chances, primarily with Petersen and Krieger looking for Kornieck or Leroux. However, the majority of those balls were just off the mark, allowing the Reign to clear.

A controversial moment occurred in the 39th minute when Taylor sent a long ball for Leroux on the opposite side. The assistant referee immediately called her offside, though replays appeared to show that Leroux was onside. The NWSL doesn’t have VAR, so the decision was final.

“I felt we had a really challenging moment in the game and we should’ve had a goal, which was wrongfully disallowed,” Green said about the play. “Certainly, from the iPad replay that I was watching. And you know, we all know goals change games. We come in at halftime, level, you know it’s a completely different second half.”

The Pride did get another opportunity in the 45th minute to equalize. Marisa Viggiano sent a ball across the box, which Reign goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi came out to collect. However, the goalkeeper missed the ball and it fell to Petersen on the far side. The defender playing in the midfield shot on the open goal but the ball was struck poorly and flew back across the box, ending the chance.

The Reign doubled their lead in the 51st minute and it came from another Krieger giveaway in her own end. Attempting to dribble out of trouble, Krieger lost the ball to Eugenie Le Sommer, who quickly found King at the top of the box. The ball was well struck by King, beating Harris to the far post.

Eight minutes later, it appeared as though the Reign would get their third goal. Le Sommer received the ball in the box and got behind Turner. The Pride center back attempted to win it back as Le Sommer charged in on goal, but the late tackle from behind caused Le Sommer to go down and referee John Matto pointed to the spot.

There were questions about whether Turner actually got the ball. As Harris was receiving treatment prior to the penalty, Turner appealed to the referee to watch the replay on the video board. But the decision had been made.

Whether it was the delay or Harris’ recent success with penalties, it was a poor attempt by Fishlock. It was at a perfect height for Harris, who was able to block the shot for her fifth consecutive penalty save.

A bad giveaway by Turner gave the Reign another great opportunity in the 69th minute. The center back was too nonchalant with the ball, allowing Bethany Balcer to challenge her. Attempting to avoid the turnover, she played it softly in front of Le Sommer, giving the French striker a golden chance. However, Krieger did well to get her body on Le Sommer in the box, forcing her to take a poor touch wide of the goal.

Just 10 minutes later, Green made an attacking sub as the Pride looked to get back into the game. As Abi Kim came on for Kylie Strom, the Reign mounted yet another attack. Substitute Balcer set up Sofia Huerta at the top of the box, with the latter firing on goal. It was a low, strong shot on target, but Harris was able to get down and make the one-handed save.

While the Reign dominated the chances in the second half, the Pride did have some opportunities to get back into the game. In the 74th minute, Marisa Viggiano sent a lovely ball towards the head of Kornieck. The midfielder got her head to it but sent it over the crossbar.

They had another good chance in injury time when a Meggie Dougherty Howard free kick flew into the box. Gunny Jonsdottir headed it on for Kim, who was charging on goal, but she was unable to control it. The ball bounced off her chest and went wide of the post. That was the final chance for the Pride as they fell 2-0.

“For starters, I want to say I’m really proud of this group,” team captain Harris said after the game. “We fought to the very end. And even though we didn’t get the result, and that’s clearly disappointing, I’m very proud of the way the team has reacted to this week and the last few weeks.”

The possession in this game was quite even, with the Reign holding a slight advantage (50.8%-49.2%). The teams also had an almost identical number of passes, with Pride completing three more (388-385). The difference in this game was the number and quality of chances created by each team. The Reign dominated the Pride in shots (18-7) and shots on target (12-0). If not for the 10 saves made by Harris, the final score could’ve been much worse for the hosts.

“I think overall structure,” Harris said about the team’s lack of chances created in the game. “And preparation is key. I don’t know that we’ve necessarily been prepped and I think confidence is based on preparation. And I think we’re lacking that.”

The loss sees the Pride continue their current slide, which includes four losses in five games. It’s a shifting situation with new ownership taking over this week and a new interim coach arriving in the near future to replace Marc Skinner, who resigned on Friday.

“I’m looking forward to someone coming in with new energy and new guidance, a new perspective to help carry this team for the rest of the season,” Harris said about the coaching change. “Because we have an incredible group of female players, an incredible staff and ownership.”

“These kids have been tremendous,” Harris said of her teammates. “They have had a tough week, to say the least. And they showed up every single day and they put their head down and they wore it like professionals.”

While it was a tough week for the players, it was also tough for Green. Skinner’s immediate departure meant that Green, who had also resigned, would lead the team for the only time against the Reign.

“I think what they showed was togetherness as a set of players,” Green said about the team. “You look at the end of that game and how hard they worked for each other. And the spirit they showed. I just think it will bode so well for the team going forward for the rest of the season.”

The Pride will look to rebound next Saturday when they travel to North Carolina to take on the Courage at 7 p.m.

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Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride return home looking to build on their win in Utah as they welcome the Houston Dash.

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7 hours ago

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June 7, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (6-3-1, 19 points) return home to face the Houston Dash (3-5-2, 11 points) at 7 p.m. (FanDuel Sports Network Sun, NWSL+) at Inter&Co Stadium. This is the first of two games the two teams will play this season with the other scheduled for Oct. 3 in Houston.

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

History

The Pride and Dash have played 22 times since the Pride joined the NWSL in 2016. Orlando has a record of 9-9-2 against the Dash in regular-season play and a 6-4-1 regular-season record at home. Additionally, the teams played two Fall Series games in 2020, both of which were won by the Dash.

The most recent meeting between the two teams took place Sept. 28, 2024 in Orlando. Carson Pickett gave the hosts the lead in the 29th minute and Angelina doubled the advantage in the 51st minute. Yuki Nagasato got one back two minutes later, but Marta secured the 3-1 win in second-half stoppage time. On Aug. 23 in Houston, Angelina sent Summer Yates through in the 67th minute, giving the Pride the lead. Andressa nearly equalized in the 86th minute, hitting the post, but the Pride held on for the 1-0 win.

The first matchup between the teams last year was on June 3, 2023 in Houston. The Pride had trouble playing the ball out of the back and were hit on the counterattack, leading to a difficult night. Sophie Hirst gave the hosts the lead early and Michelle Alozie doubled the advantage just before halftime. Despite having more possession and shots, the Pride fell 2-0. The second game took place Oct. 15 in Orlando. While the Pride were the better team, the game was scoreless heading into the late stages. However, a late penalty conversion by Marta gave the Pride the 1-0 win. 

The teams first met for the first of two matches in 2022 on June 3 in Houston. The hosts were led by a Nichelle Prince hat trick, while Rachel Daly and Alozie added goals in a 5-0 Dash win. It was the last game the Pride played before then-head coach Amanda Cromwell was placed on administrative leave. The teams met again on July 8, 2022 in Orlando. Ally Prisock’s own goal was the only scoring as the Pride took the 1-0 win, the second result in a seven-game unbeaten run.

The Pride and Dash played twice during the 2021 season. The first game was held June 26 in Houston. Maria Sanchez and Veronica Latsko gave the hosts a 2-0 lead. Gunny Jonsdottir got one back, but it wasn’t enough as the Dash won 2-1. The second meeting came on Sept. 5 at Exploria Stadium. The Dash took an early lead through Daly. However, Taylor Kornieck equalized late in a 1-1 draw.

The 2020 NWSL season was canceled due to COVID but these two teams were matched up in the Fall Series. On Sept. 26, 2020 in Houston, Prince put the Dash ahead, but Marisa Viggiano responded just before halftime. Sophie Schmidt gave the hosts another lead and Shea Groom put the game away as Houston won 3-1. The two teams played again on Oct. 9 at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee — the only time the Pride have played at the venue. Groom opened the scoring early and Latsko soon made it 2-0. Sydney Leroux got one back for the hosts, but Houston held on for a 2-1 win.

The Pride and Dash played three times in 2019, with the Pride going 0-2-1. During the first game in Houston on May 5, the Pride only recorded one shot on target. However, Houston only got one goal through Kealia Ohai in a 1-0 win. The second game on June 15 was also in Houston. Joanna Boyles scored her first professional goal to give the Pride the lead, but the Dash scored twice to take the advantage. A Danica Evans conversion allowed the Pride to escape the Oven with a 2-2 draw.

The third and final meeting in 2019 occurred on Aug. 10 in Orlando. The Pride ended the game with nine players as Julie King was sent off in the 61st minute and Marta was sent off in the 85th minute. However, the Dash were only able to convert once — a late penalty by Daly — and won 1-0.

The teams played three times during the 2018 season. The first game was on April 22 in Orlando. Chioma Ubogagu scored the lone goal, leading the Pride to a 1-0 win. They met again in Orlando on June 27. Alex Morgan opened the scoring and the Pride held that lead at the break. But the second half was all Houston, as Ohai and Sofia Huerta scored, resulting in a 2-1 Houston win. The final meeting that season was on July 11 in Houston, where Daly’s brace led the Dash to a 3-1 win. 

The Pride and Dash played twice during the 2017 season and the visiting team won both games. The first was on June 17 in Houston. Camila and Alanna Kennedy added to a Marta brace as the Pride took a commanding 4-0 lead. The Dash tried to come back with goals by Poliana and Prince, but the Pride took home a 4-2 win. A week later in Orlando, Carli Lloyd and Daly scored in a 2-0 Houston win. 

The teams met four times during the 2016 season — the Pride’s first in existence. The first meeting was the Pride’s first-ever regular-season home game on April 23. An Andressa own goal gave the Pride the lead just after the half before Lianne Sanderson and Morgan made it 3-0 for the hosts. Andressa scored one for her own team, but that was it for Houston as the Pride won 3-1 in front of a then-NWSL record 23,403 fans.

The second meeting was in Houston on May 20. Kristen Edmonds scored the only goal in the 81st minute as the Pride won 1-0. The third meeting that year came on June 23 in Orlando. Jasmyne Spencer broke the scoreless deadlock in second-half injury time as the Pride won 1-0. The fourth and final meeting came on Sept. 3 in Houston. The Dash took a 3-0 lead with goals by Janine Beckie, Poliana, and Ohai. Morgan and Edmonds got the Pride back into the game, but Ohai put it away with her second in a 4-2 Dash win.

Overview

The Pride got the season off to a great start, winning their first four games before falling to the Washington Spirit in a rematch of the 2024 NWSL Championship. With the exception of a comeback 3-2 win over Angel City, the Pride went on a skid, losing three of their next five games (1-3-1).

The Pride went into their May 23 game in Utah needing a win, and Barbra Banda gave it to them.  The striker scored a hat trick in 38 minutes, the first hat trick in Pride history. More importantly, it ended thet team’s skid heading into the international break.

The defense has been the strength for the Pride this season. The 3-2 win over Angel City is the only game in which the Pride have conceded multiple goals. All three of the losses in the five-game skid were 1-0 defeats. That changed in Utah when the Pride netted multiple goals for the first time in nearly a month.

The coaching staff will be hoping the attack can continue scoring tonight. Banda now has a commanding team lead with seven goals. Marta is second with three goals and hasn’t scored since April 25.

Tonight, the internationals return home and the Pride return to action against a Dash side that sits in 12th. The blame can’t be pinned on Houston’s attack or defense. They’re 11th in goals scored with 10 and tied for eighth in goals conceded with 16.

The Dash have some attacking threats on their team like Alozie, Yazmeen Ryan, and former Pride striker Messiah Bright. But the team’s leading goal scorer is rookie Maggie Graham, who has three goals in 10 games. Avery Patterson, only in her second year, sits second in goals with two.

The Dash haven’t been terrible defensively this season. They’ve only conceded more than two goals on two occasions — a 3-1 loss to Angel City on April 12 and a 4-1 loss to the Portland Thorns on May 16. Their most recent game was a 2-2 draw with Bay FC, so they’ve conceded six goals in their last two games.

The Dash are in an interesting position at goalkeeper. Jane Campbell has been Houston’s unquestioned number one since her rookie 2017 season and has been a regular with the U.S. Women’s National Team. But, despite Campbell starting the season as club captain, new head coach Fabrice Gautrat (Pride midfielder Morgan Gautrat’s husband) dropped the veteran for Smith.

“It’s fantastic to be back at home and play in front of our fans,” Pride Assistant Coach Giles Barnes said about tonight’s game. “Houston, they’re a team that’s gone under a lot of changes over the last year and they’ve got a new coach in Fabrice. So he’s implemented his ideas. They’re definitely a different team than what they were last year. Team with a little more structure and a more possession-based team. But, as you know, there’s no easy game. So we have to prepare correctly for them.”

There’s no change to the Pride’s availability report. They remain without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), and Rafaelle (thigh).

The Dash only have two players on their availability report. Ramona Bachmann (parental leave) is out and Patterson (thigh) is listed as questionable.

Projected Lineup

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Cori Dyke.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.

Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Houston Dash (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Abby Smith.

Defenders: Paige Nielsen, Katie Lund, Natalie Jacobs, Christen Westphal.

Midfielders: Ryan Gareis, Daniele Colaprico, Delanie Sheehan, Yazmeen Ryan.

Forwards: Messiah Bright, Maggie Graham.

Referees

REF: Benjamin Meyer.
AR1: Ben Rigel.
AR2: Fernando Fierro.
4TH: Alejo Calume.
VAR: Kevin Broadley.
AVAR: Kevin Huet.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Sun.

Streaming: NWSL+.

Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @themaneland.bsky.social on Bluesky and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Barba Banda’s Goal Contribution Percentage Pace Among the Highest in NWSL History

A dive into Banda’s numbers as a percentage of the Pride’s goal contributions.

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2 days ago

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June 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The NWSL took a collective break, as early June is scheduled as a FIFA international match window, so the league did not schedule any games. Several Pride players were called up to their national teams, including all three Zambian players: Barbra Banda, Grace Chanda, and Prisca Chilufya. Zambia drew Botswana 1-1 and lost to South Africa 2-0 during its two matches during the window, and in a what I am sure will be a complete surprise to everyone, it was Banda who scored Zambia’s one goal in the two games.

In Zambia’s last two major tournaments, the 2024 Olympics and the 2023 World Cup, Banda scored five of the team’s nine goals and assisted on two others for a total of seven goal contributions, and when I was looking to see Zambia’s results over this window, I started thinking about the criticality of Banda’s goal contributions to her country’s performances, and I wondered about how that stacked up to when she plays for the Pride.

The 2025 NWSL season is only 10 games in, so one game — say, a game in which Banda had the Pride’s first ever hat trick — skews the data more than it would after a full season’s worth of games, but here is what I found when looking at the players who had the highest percentage of goal contributions as a percentage of their team’s goals in NWSL history (I removed penalty kicks and opponents’ own goals from the count of a team’s goals scored):

PlayerSeasonGoal Contributions*% of Team’s Goals*
Lauren Holiday20132067%
Crystal Dunn20151864%
Barbra Banda2025862%
Esther González2025660%
Abby Wambach20131759%
Diana Matheson2013758%
Sam Kerr20172158%
Sam Kerr20192358%
Adriana Leon20171257%
Sam Kerr20182057%
Barbra Banda**20241950%
  1. * Excluding own goals and penalty kicks
  2. ** Banda’s 2024 season was actually 19th all time, but I included it for comparison purposes and because I wanted to.

First of all, let’s get this out of the way: Sam Kerr was an absolute terror when she played in the NWSL. Despite leaving the league for Chelsea after the 2019 season, she still has the second (18) , third (17) and fourth (16) most goals scored in a season, with only Temwa Chaŵinga’s 2025 season (20) surpassing her. Kerr is one of the great strikers of the century, but even during her time on Chicago and Sky Blue (now Gotham) she was not as critical to the goal-scoring output as the top two on this list, Lauren Holiday and Crystal Dunn.

Back in 2013, Holiday was involved in an astounding two-thirds of the goals her team put into the net in all manners except penalty kicks, and two years later, Crystal Dunn —yes, the same player who started at left back for the U.S. Women’s National Team Saturday — gave her a run for her money by being involved in 64% of her team’s non-penalty goals when she was playing for the Washington Spirit.

During the 2024 season, Banda ended up contributing to exactly half of the Pride’s 38 non-penalty goals, and early returns indicate that this season is on pace for something similar. There is more than half of the season still left to play, but through 10 games Banda sits third on the all-time list with her eight goal contributions of the Pride’s 13 non-penalty goals. The Pride have scored 18 goals when you look at the league standings, but three of those came from own goals and the other two were penalty kicks, which of course were taken by Marta, because GOAT.

Whether it is actually a good thing that a player plays such an outsized role in the goal-contribution percentage is an unanswerable question, because so much of that is tied into offensive game plans and every team sets up differently. The Pride won the shield and the cup last season with Banda as the clear focal point of the offense, and despite a slightly rockier start this season, they are still in third place through 10 games.

I wrote a few weeks ago about how teams are defending the Pride, and Banda in particular, this season, and I expect that teams will continue to try to aggressively deny her the ball in areas where she can build up a head of steam and try to force her wide, preventing her from getting into the box and unleashing one of the league’s most powerful shots. It is all well and good to try that, but Banda is one of the world’s best strikers, and while most NWSL teams have excellent defenders, few are world class.

The Pride should, and do, look to exploit this advantage frequently, which plays a major role in why Banda ranks so high in her percentage of goal contributions. Her incredible talent and skill, in conjunction with the Pride’s focus on finding ways to get her the ball in the attacking third of the field, make it likely that she stays near the top of the all-time rankings as the 2025 season continues. By the end of the season I believe that she will dip below 60%, especially with several of her more attack-minded teammates like Julie Doyle and Summer Yates returning to full health, but I think she ends up above last season’s 50%.

The good news for Pride fans is that if Banda’s percentage decreases, it means that other players are contributing goals, and if it increases, it means that she is contributing goals, so we come out ahead either way. And if she continues to contribute to three out of every five goals and the Pride score handfuls and handfuls of goals, then we come out ahead that way as well. I like all these positive outcomes!

In their next match the Pride will host a Houston team which is in the bottom three in the standings and the bottom four in terms of goals allowed, so the team should have ample opportunities to score. If the Pride score three goals and Banda is involved in all three, she will move to the top of the chart, and while that would be pretty cool, the three that the Pride will care most about in that game is three points.

But as hosts Michael Citro and Dave Rohe often say on the SkoPurp PawedCast, por qué no los dos? And while I am working in a Spanish phrase, three more Banda goal contributions and three points sounds as sweet as tres leches, no?

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Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Pride need to do to secure a victory against Houston at home?

Published

2 days ago

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June 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride are back in action against the Houston Dash Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. If you don’t listen to SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast you may not have heard that I will be there in person to enjoy the match with all of you. The NWSL returns from the international break as do several Pride players. We’ve already seen that every team is bringing its best when it plays Orlando, so what do the Pride need to do to take all three points from Houston at home?

Open the Offense

Barbra Banda scored a hat trick against the Utah Royals in the team’s last match. It was the first in Orlando Pride history, but hopefully it won’t be the last. I’m not expecting another hat trick from anyone this weekend, but there’s no reason to think that the Pride can’t score three goals in total. Of course, if Banda or another Pride player wants to do so, I won’t object.

Houston has allowed 16 goals this season and has a -6 goal differential. How difficult the team is to break down is still a question. I’m not certain if Houston will continue with Abby Smith in goal or if longtime keeper Jane Campbell will make her return to the starting lineup. Smith has started the last three matches, allowing six goals (an average of two per match) and has 10 saves. Campbell started the first seven matches, allowing 10 goals (an average of 1.43 per match) and has 22 saves. I’d be good not having to worry about Campbell, even if the dropoff in quality to Smith isn’t that great.

Limit the Gaffes

Looking to the other goal, I want to see Anna Moorhouse clean things up. She’s not been bad this season, but there have been more errors than last season. We know she can step it up as we saw last season, but if the Pride are to win this match — and others against better teams — I need her to get back to 2024 levels.

Of course, she’s not the only one in the defense that needs to re-adjust. Kylie Nadaner had her best season in 2024 but has reverted just a bit so far in 2025. I’m hoping the international break allowed her and the rest of the Pride to reset. Houston has only scored 10 goals this season, but the Dash have Messiah Bright. The former Pride striker only has one goal this year, but former Pride players always seem to play well against their former team, so I want the defense focused on getting a clean sheet.

Marta and the Midfield

I will probably keep asking for this until I get it or I’m proven it’s not the best strategy. I want Marta to drop back in the attack just a bit. She doesn’t need to be the one trying to keep up with Banda every time the team pushes forward. Ally Watt is a better partner up top. What Marta can do well is facilitate the attack and be the late runner to clean up any loose balls in the box.

If Marta drops to the more traditional 10 spot, that will allow Angelina to also drop back just a bit. I think she is also better in that traditional eight spot. Allow Angelina to be the one who is linking the play through the midfield, where she can either take it herself, or connect with Marta to set up the attacks. This is something I feel has largely been missing so far this season. A match against a team like Houston is the right time to get that fixed.

That’s what I’ll be looking for on Saturday when I’m actually in the stadium. Where do you think the game will be won or lost? Let us know in the comments section.

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