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Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Final Score 1-0 as Late Goal Dooms Pride

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4 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (0-2-1, 1 point) played much better tonight than the loss in North Carolina last weekend but fell 1-0 to NJ/NY Gotham FC (1-1-1, 4 points). Despite several late chances on goal, It was a late Midge Purce goal that was the difference and the Pride still have yet to score a goal this season.

Pride Head Coach Amanda Cromwell made some significant changes from the team that lost 1-0 to the North Carolina Courage. While Marta is out after suffering a knee injury last weekend, starting defender Carrie Lawrence and goalkeeper Erin McLeod were listed as questionable heading into this game and neither player made the bench. As a result, Anna Moorhouse got her first start in goal for the Pride. Additionally, Kylie Strom and Erika Tymrak made their first starts of the 2022 NWSL campaign.

The game also marked some milestones for two Pride players. It was Tymrak’s 150th NWSL appearance in all competitions and Sydney Leroux’s 125th appearance in all NWSL competitions.

Gotham got the first chance of the game in the second minute. A corner by the visitors landed in the box and a scramble ensued as the Pride desperately tried to clear. Eventually, they were able to send the ball out of play, avoiding a catastrophic start.

The Pride nearly had their first good chance of the game in the ninth minute when a long ball nearly met the foot of Gunny Jonsdottir deep in the Gotham half. However, it was just beyond her reach as the chance went missing.

The Pride’s best chance of the half came in the 19th minute. Jonsdottir found Leroux making a run into the Gotham box. The Pride forward gained control, turned to the inside of the box, and fired on goal. The shot was on target but Ashlyn Harris made a diving save. After nearly 20 minutes of play, it was the first shot on target by either team.

Shortly after the chance for Leroux, the Pride had a couple of opportunities from free kicks. In the 24th minute, Meggie Dougherty Howard’s ball into the box ended up at the foot of Amy Turner but her shot sailed over the crossbar.

Three minutes later, another Dougherty Howard free kick found the head of Jonsdottir in the box. However, the header was off target as the Pride were once again unable to put any pressure on Harris.

The Pride’s inability to finish nearly cost them in the 30th minute when a Paige Monaghan cross was headed down by Caprice Dydasco near the top of the Pride’s six-yard box. Fortunately for the hosts, no Gotham players were there to get on the end of it and the Pride were able to clear.

Arguably the best chance for the visitors came in the 33rd minute. Purce found herself with the ball in front of goal and was able to get off a shot. However, Toni Pressley did well to get in front and make the block.

Monaghan had been a pest on the left by creating chances but had a chance to get the opener herself. In the 40th minute, Kristie Mewis found Monaghan on the far side with no defenders on her. The attacker attempted a one-touch shot on goal but didn’t get enough of the ball as it rolled wide.

As the game entered first half stoppage time, the Pride found some energy and created some chances that nearly resulted in the game’s first goal. It started with Leroux carrying the ball into the box behind the Gotham defense, but her shot was saved by the leg of Harris. Seconds later a cross into the box found the head of Leroux, but she couldn’t redirect it on target as it rolled wide.

Gotham had more possession (51.7%-48.3%), more passes (253-236), and more shots (9-6) than the Pride in the first 45 minutes. However, the Pride’s two shots on target were the only shots on frame in the first half.

Just like the first half, Gotham started the second period on the attack. In the 47th minute, the visitors had another scramble in the box that could’ve resulted in an opening goal. However, the Pride were once again able to clear in what was eerily similar to the start of the game.

The first second-half chance for the Pride came in the 54th minute. A McCall Zerboni foul just outside the box set up a chance for the Pride. However, Pressley’s free kick wasn’t high enough as Monaghan was able to block it out for a corner.

Three minutes later, Dougherty Howard came inches away from giving the Pride the lead. Receiving the ball outside the box, the Pride midfielder decided to take a shot on goal. The hard, low attempt beat the diving Harris but not her post as it rattled the woodwork.

On the other end, Purce spun her defender and sent a ball into the middle of the box. Courtney Petersen attempted to clear but it went right to Mewis who fired on goal. Fortunately, the point-blank shot was right at Moorhouse and she was able to make the stop.

Mewis got another chance in the 63rd minute when Purce sent her towards the end line. The U.S. international outmuscled Angharad James off the ball to create a chance but sent the shot high.

Gotham got another excellent chance in the 67th minute when Monaghan beat Strom to create a one-on-one opportunity against Moorhouse. However, the Pride goalkeeper came up big once again, making a good stop to avoid a deficit.

After the save by Moorhouse, the Pride were able to create some chances of their own. A Pride counter attack ended up with Leroux who was able to get a shot off but it was blocked. Two minutes later, a poor clearance by Gotham wound up at the foot of Tymrak. The experienced midfielder’s shot was just wide of the target, beyond the outstretched arms of Harris.

In the 78th minute, Tymrak found herself with an opportunity from distance. The midfielder was looking to sneak the ball inside the post, but it went just wide.

Six minutes later, James decided to take an ambitious shot from distance. The curling ball moved away from the diving Harris but hit the post. It was the second time the Pride had hit the woodwork in the game.

James took another long-distance shot in the 86th minute. While the first one was inches away from the game’s first goal, she was unable to get over the second attempt, which went over the crossbar.

After the Pride had come inches away from scoring on multiple occasions, it was Gotham that took the lead on the ensuing attack. A chip into the Pride third led to a foot race between Purce and Pressley. The midfielder was much faster than the center back, getting to the ball first. She quickly fired on goal, beating Moorhouse to give the visitors the late lead.

“It was just a quick ball through that, I think we just got caught flat,” Cromwell said about the goal. “So the defenders have to drop off a little sooner reading that. There’s no pressure on the ball.”

“I think it’s a little bit of a lapse in concentration,” Moorhouse said about the goal. “The ball came across the 18 and maybe it really shouldn’t have got that far. And then myself and Toni (Pressley) tried to clean up the situation and it didn’t work.”

The Pride responded with an attacking mindset, mostly resulting in crosses by Petersen. After a couple of blocked cross attempts, Jonsdottir got a shot off on target. It ended up with Pressley in the box, who desperately tried to put a shot on target. After a couple of blocks, it was a sliding attempt that went wide, allowing Gotham to clear and secure the win.

After being thoroughly outplayed over the weekend in North Carolina, the Pride were much better tonight. They ended the game with greater possession (54.2%-45.8%), better passing accuracy (80.1%-77.5%), and more shots (23-14) than Gotham. The primary difference was shots on target as Gotham led that category 3-2.

Despite the loss, this is arguably the best game the Pride have played so far. It’s the first time this season that they had more possession, shots, and better passing accuracy than the opposition.

“Probably the best game so far as far as over a 90-minute period,” Cromwell said after the game. “We’ve had moments in other games that were very good, or halves, but I thought we had a lot of the ball and we created going forward. Unlucky not to score if it wasn’t for this goalkeeper (Harris).”

While the Pride’s defense has been strong in all three games, this was the best performance from the offense, something that Cromwell noted after the game.

“I thought we were very creative,” Cromwell said. “I thought Syd (Leroux) was very dangerous up top, Erika (Tymrak) coming in in a beat. This was her first start. Very creative, really good movement.”

Apart from the game, it was also the return of two Pride legends in Harris and Ali Krieger. Harris was the Pride’s first acquisition in 2016 and Krieger joined her a year later in 2017. The two were traded to Gotham this off-season as a part of the rebuilding process, leaving the club as the two players with the most appearances in club history.

“It was weird,” the Central Florida native Harris said about returning for the first time. “This is my home. This is, like, my people and my city and I love it so much. And it means so much to me. So it was a really tough day.”

The Pride are now in last in the East Division of the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. They’ll look to bounce back from the two-game losing streak when they visit the Washington Spirit Sunday afternoon.

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Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Final Score 3-1 as Banda Brace Leads Pride to Victory

Barbra Banda bags a brace and an assist but goes down injured late in the victory.

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3 days ago

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May 29, 2026

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Image of Barbra Banda celebrating her goal against Bay FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

After dropping two games to expansion teams and stealing a win in San Diego, the Orlando Pride looked to enter the summer break on a good note. The Pride (5-5-2, 17 points) had never lost to Bay FC (3-6-2, 11 points) and used a second-half burst to maintain that winning record and won 3-1 at Inter&Co Stadium.

Barbra Banda opened the scoring in the fourth minute and followed it up in the 51st minute with her second. She added an assist to Cori Dyke in the 55th minute to close out the Pride scoring. Caroline Conti scored the lone Bay FC goal at the seven-minute mark.

“No better gift than a 3-1 victory at home in front of our fans,” Pride Head Coach (and birthday boy) Seb Hines said after the game. “It feels good that we’re ending this period on a high. I think it’s the first time this season we’ve got back-to-back victories.”

The Pride made one change in the lineup, giving Kerry Abello her first start of the season over Julie Doyle. Anna Moorhouse started in goal with Abello, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Oihane on defense. Haley McCutcheon and Ally Lemos played midfield in front of them with Mace, Luana, and Nicole Payne attacking from the midfield. Banda and her leading-leading nine goals played alone up top.

After an hour weather delay, the Pride went with the in-vogue start these days by kicking the ball straight out of bounds deep on the start and pressing high. It led to an opening three minutes of play in which the Pride kept the pressure up and forced the ball to stay on the Bay FC side. In the fourth minute, Luana headed a ball towards the center which Banda controlled, bodied Bay FC’s Joelle Anderson off the ball, and slotted the opening goal with her left foot.

Bay FC fought right back in the seventh minute as the visitors didn’t have to fight through the press off their kickoff. Claire Hutton crossed the ball into the box, Abello deflected it wide but there was no Pride defender there and it fell to Caroline Conti. Abello tried to fight all the way over but Conti was able to put it past Moorhouse before any help arrived.

The entire back line got pulled to the right on the play and Mace could not get back to help out wide.

“Hailie Mace came into NWSL as a winger. She’s got some tendencies that fit a winger profile. We knew Bay FC had a high back line. How do we get behind that back line? Having someone to support Barbra and not just Nicole but add in another player who can get into the attack,” Hines said regarding the switch.

In the 16th minute, Rachael Kundananji beat Oihane and crossed the ball to Hannah Bebar, who headed it into the net, but Cristiana Girelli was in an offside position threatening the goal, so the assistant referee ruled that it put Moorhouse off enough to interfere with the play.

The teams settled down a bit and traded possession until the 27th minute when Oihane centered the ball to Payne, who scuffed the shot high. One minute later, Luana sent a through ball for Banda to run onto and she went down in the box in a collision with Brooklyn Courtnall. It was fairly evident, however, that Banda got her leg into Courtnall’s to either try to control the ball or draw a foul, and the referee, Jaclyn Metz, saw it the same way.

In the 33rd minute, Oihane was subbed out for Hannah Anderson. Oihane had been laboring a little and may have picked up a knock somewhere.

The Pride couldn’t re-establish the high press so they turned into a lot of possession by Bay FC. Any attack by the Pride ended in a turnover off a bad pass or ill-conceived long shots as Orlando’s attackers were impatient in building play. Turnover after turnover plagued the Pride for the remainder of the half as they did not threaten at all until the 45th minute, when Banda took on Maddie Moreau and Kundananji, shook them both loose, and then crossed the ball into an empty area at the back post with no one to finish.

It was a fitting final piece of sound and fury, signifying nothing, as the half wrapped without any plays of interest. The Pride weren’t able to lead any of the statistics, tying Bay FC in shots (4-4), while Bay FC led in shots on target (3-1), possession (53%-47%), and passing accuracy (85%-83%). Neither team was able to force a corner in the first half.

To start the second half, Hines subbed in Summer Yates for Abello, which pushed Mace back to the back line. In the 48th minute, Kundananji got behind when Anderson got caught out and was sizing up a one-on-one with Moorhouse. Dyke hustled back and blocked the shot.

“We started the game super strong, super intense, but I think we fell off towards the end of that first half,” Dyke said. “We got a little too stretched between the lines and weren’t getting enough pressure on the ball and we talked about that at halftime. We needed to stay more compact and then pick our moments to go.”

Go they did. Three minutes later, Yates sent a through ball angled behind Banda which allowed her to run onto the ball unopposed. She beat goalkeeper Emmie Allen, who came out of the box aggressively to defend, and then passed the ball into the net in the 51st minute.

Four minutes later, Banda pressured Allen, forcing the goalkeeper into a clearance out of play. On the ensuing throw-in, Banda held off Bebar in the box, spun, and crossed the ball to Dyke, who put the ball in off the crossbar. The ability of the Pride to retain possession and work the ball in against a lesser opponent opened up the scoring and turned the game on its head.

Bay FC didn’t have a lot to do over the next stretch of time and Taylor Huff went down with an injury in the 61st minute, prompting a change as she was subbed out for Karlie Lema. Dorian Bailey came on for Joelle Anderson in the same stoppage but at the 62nd minute.

The teams went back and forth for a bit until the Pride drew a corner in the 71st minute. It deflected off a Bay FC defender and fell to Rafaelle at the far post, who headed it just wide. Three minutes later, Jacquie Ovalle and Zara Chavoshi wrapped up the Pride substitutions by coming in for Payne and Mace. Bay FC also took the stoppage in the 74th minute to sub two players in, bringing on Keria Barry and Onyeka Gamero for Kundananji and Girelli.

Unfortunately, in the 81st minute, Banda was dribbling down the left side when she pulled up lame and went to the ground off the pitch. She stayed there until tended to and was obviously upset. We’ll have to wait for any injury news on her. Bay FC made its final substitution in the ensuing stoppage in the 82nd minute, bringing on Kelli Hubly for Conti.

The injury to Banda left the Pride playing with only 10 players for the remaining 15 minutes (including added time) due to using up all three substitution windows. They stayed fairly solid in defense and played a lot of keep-away ball to see out the victory while playing short.

“A great way to finish this part of the season with a win at home. I think we were consistent today and we took the chances we created,” Luana said. “We’ve been having highs and lows in this part of the season but we bounced back in these two wins and it brought us a lot of confidence.”

Orlando City was ahead in the only stat that matters, goals, but trailed in every other major stat. Bay FC finished ahead in shots (14-8), shots on target (5-4), possession (54%-46%), passing accuracy (85%-84%), and corners (4-1).

The Orlando Pride now will be off until early July for the NWSL World Cup break. The next match is scheduled for July 3 in Los Angeles against Angel City FC.

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

The Pride return home to face Bay FC in their final game before the FIFA World Cup break.

Published

3 days ago

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May 29, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride (4-5-2, 14 points) return home from a three-game road trip to take on Bay FC (3-5-2, 11 points). This is the first of two meetings between the two teams with the return game scheduled for Sept. 27 in San Jose.

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

History

Bay FC is one of two expansion teams that entered the NWSL for the 2024 season. The teams have met four times, with the Pride holding a 3-0-1 record and a 1-0-1 mark at home in the series.

The most recent meeting took place on Sept. 13, 2025, in Orlando. The visitors took the lead just before halftime when Racheal Kundananji headed in a long pass by Caprice Dydasco. The Pride equalized in the second half, when Ally Watt headed a Jacquie Ovalle cross past Jordan Silkowitz to claim a 1-1 draw.

On June 13 of last year in San Jose, CA, Bay FC led almost every statistical category, but the Pride defense held strong until Barbra Banda scored shortly after halftime. The Pride withstood attack after attack, coming away with a hard-fought 1-0 win.

The teams met twice in 2024, with the first-ever game between the clubs occurring on May 11. Just prior to the half-hour mark, Banda dribbled inside and Deyna Castellanos attempted an ill-advised challenge, resulting in a foul in the box and a Pride penalty. Adriana put the ball into the bottom left corner for the only goal, lifting the Pride to a 1-0 win. It was the sixth win in an NWSL-record, eight-game win streak.

The teams met for the second time on Sept. 20, 2024. It looked like the game might be headed for a scoreless draw until Banda got her head on the end of a Carson Pickett cross, redirecting it past Katelyn Rowland to give the Pride the 1-0 win.

Overview

The Pride return home tonight after a difficult road trip that saw the team fall 2-1 to Boston Legacy FC and 3-1 to Denver Summit FC. Having already lost to both expansion teams, they headed west to face San Diego Wave FC, a team near the top of the standings. But Nicole Payne’s first professional goal lifted Orlando to a 1-0 win.

Despite not scoring in two of the last three games, Banda still leads the league with nine goals in 10 games this season. She has a two-goal lead on Ashley Sanchez, who is second in the league. Haley McCutcheon is the only other Pride player with multiple goals, scoring twice in the same game. Ovalle, Marta, and Hannah Anderson have the team’s other three goals. The assists have been spread out much more evenly with Ovalle, McCutcheon, and Rafaelle all sharing the team lead with two.

The clean sheet against San Diego was big for the back line as the team has conceded too many goals recently. Dating back to their 3-2 loss to Racing Louisville FC on April 24, the Pride have conceded multiple goals in four of the last six games. The only other game in which they didn’t concede at least twice was a 1-0 win over the North Carolina Courage on May 8, their last home game.

Tonight is the Pride’s last game before the league breaks for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After the game, they won’t play again until July 3 and won’t play at home until July 10. That makes getting a quality result tonight essential for momentum going through the remainder of the season.

If you’re looking for a team to win against, Bay FC is one of the most likely candidates. The Bay -area side sits 13th in the NWSL on 11 points, just four points ahead of Louisville for last place. Tonight’s visitors are currently on a four-game winless run (0-2-2) and a two-game losing streak. Their last win was a 1-0 victory against San Diego on May 3. The club’s most recent games are a 2-0 loss to Portland Thorns FC on May 20 and a 1-0 loss to Chicago Stars FC on May 24.

Bay FC has struggled this year on both ends of the field. Its eight goals are second fewest in the league and Bay is one of three teams with single-digit goals this year. Meanwhile, the team’s 14 goals conceded are sixth in the league. The California side has been better defensively overall than the Pride, who have conceded 16 goals, but worse offensively, as the Pride have scored 15 goals so far this year.

Bay FC has been led in the attack by Alex Pfeiffer and Dorian Bailey with two goals each. Kundananji, Taylor Huff, Keira Barry, and Joelle Anderson have one apiece. Pfeiffer also leads the team in assists with two, tied with Cristina Girelli. Huff and Sydney Collins are the only other players with assists this season.

It should help the Pride tonight that Bay FC will be missing two key players. Silkowitz and starting center back Aldana Cometti were sent off against Chicago Sunday, meaning they’ll miss tonight’s game.

However, the Pride have their own key absences. In addition to injuries that have accumulated this season, Angelina was handed an additional game’s suspension after being sent off on May 16 for pulling Delanie Sheehan’s hair.

“We’re looking forward to it. Looking forward to being back home,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “It’s been a long road trip. Excited to get in front of our own fans. Want to create that atmosphere, make it hostile for Bay FC. We know it’s a quick turnaround for both teams as well, so we want to make sure that we start off on the front foot, build on what we achieved last Sunday in San Diego, and finish this part of the season on a high.”

The Pride will be without Angelina (suspension), Cosette Morche (ankle), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Solai Washington (knee). Marta (thigh) and Ovalle (thigh) are listed as questionable. Bay FC will be without Cornetti (suspension), Abby Dahlkemper (maternity leave), Anouk Denton (lower leg), Dydasco (maternity leave), Heather Gilchrist (knee), Alyssa Malonson (knee), Emily Menges (maternity leave), Pfeiffer (knee), and Silkowitz (suspension).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Oihane, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, Hailie Mace.

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon.

Attacking Midfielders: Kerry Abello, Luana, Nicole Payne.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Zara Chavoshi, Hannah Anderson, Julie Doyle, Marta, Jacquie Ovalle, Summer Yates, Seven Castain, Simone Jackson.

Bay FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Emmie Allen.

Defenders: Sydney Collins, Joelle Anderson, Brooklyn Courtnall, Maddie Moreau.

Defensive Midfielders: Hannah Bebar, Claire Hutton.

Attacking Midfielders: Racheal Kundananji, Caroline Conti, Taylor Huff.

Forward: Cristiana Girelli.

Bench: Camryn Miller, Kelli Hubly, Jamie Shepherd, Dorian Bailey, Karlie Lema, Onyeka Gamero, Tess Boade, Keira Barry.

Referees

REF: Jaclyn Metz.
AR1: Art Arustamyan.
AR2: Adam Cook.
4TH: Edson Carvajal.
VAR: Anya Voigt.
AVAR: Katarzyna Wasiak.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: NWSL+.

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

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Pride need to do to earn all three points against Bay FC?

Published

4 days ago

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May 28, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride welcome Bay FC to Inter&Co Stadium this Friday night for the last match before the World Cup break. This is an opportunity to get a win over a team lower in the table and move up in the standings. What must the Pride do to earn all three points against Bay FC this weekend?

Keep the Chip

I have been asking all season on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for the Pride to play with the chip on their shoulder that they had when they won the double in 2024. We saw that against the San Diego Wave. My hope is that the players have now remembered what that feels like and will execute with the same level of intensity going forward.

The task is potentially a little easier against Bay FC, as the California-based side has scored less than half the number of goals that the Wave have this season. Of course, that is the trap. The Pride cannot slack off against Bay FC. Having Rafaelle anchoring the defense is a big help, and moving Hailie Mace out to right back has proven effective. In 2024, this team hated — with a capital “H” — conceding goals. They took it personally. That is the passion I want again. The chip on the shoulder.

Overwhelm and Outscore

As I mentioned above, Bay FC is not a prolific scoring team. Friday’s visitors have also given up 14 goals this season. That’s not the best or the worst in the league, but they haven’t faced Barbra Banda yet. The Orlando Pride don’t have any trouble creating chances, but they have had trouble getting anyone other than Banda to finish them this season. Banda leads the league in goals, and she has an opportunity to maintain or extend that lead against Bay FC.

What will truly make the difference for the Pride against Bay FC is if any of the other players can contribute a goal. We saw the space that Banda can provide her teammates when Nicole Payne scored her first goal against San Diego. Now I want other players to take advantage of that space to provide some goals for the Pride.

More Luana

Luana got her first start since coming back to the squad cancer-free. I think we’ve forgotten that she was a starter on the 2024 squad before her Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis. She was a starter on a team that won the double. Now she is back and she is a leader and an inspiration for her fellow players.

Given Marta’s limited minutes, having Luana out there as a stabilizing presence is important. Obviously, she brings a different skill set than Marta but still a critical one. Much like the defense, the midfield was better last match, and I feel she was a big part of that.

That is what I will be looking for on Friday night. The Pride can head into the World Cup break on a high with a victory. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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