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Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Final Score 4-2 as Pride Drop Fourth Straight

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3 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (0-4-1, 1 point) fell 4-2 to the North Carolina Courage (3-0-2, 11 points) for their fourth consecutive loss tonight at Exploria Stadium. The game was decided early as the Courage scored three goals in the first nine minutes of the game.

Darian Jenkins scored her first two goals since joining Orlando but by that time the Pride were down 3-0 in the match on a Megan Montefusco own goal and strikes from Jaelene Daniels and Taylor Smith. Debinha’s late insurance goal thwarted any thoughts of getting a point from the match.

Pride Head Coach Amanda Cromwell made several changes from the team’s 4-1 loss to the Washington Spirit. Kylie Strom and Toni Pressley entered the starting lineup for this game, replacing Carrie Lawrence and Amy Turner. Additionally, Celia replaced Angharad James, who is listed as on international duty, and Leah Pruitt joined the forwards in place of Gunny Jonsdottir.

The goals started flooding in early in this game as the teams combined for four goals in the first 15 minutes. The game started about as bad as it possibly could for the Pride. In the third minute, a Merritt Mathias cross bounced off Daniels and Montefusco, before rolling past Anna Moorhouse for the opening goal. Unfortunately for Montefusco, she was the last to touch it and was credited with an own goal.

Just three minutes later, the Courage struck again. This time it was a Smith cross to the near post. However, Daniels was able to beat the Pride defense to the ball, turning it in to give the Courage a 2-0 lead in the first six minutes.

The Courage got their third goal of the game in the ninth minute. Kiki Pickett found a wide open Smith on the right side. The forward had plenty of time to set up her shot and beat Moorhouse to her near post, giving the visitors a 3-0 lead.

The three goals in the game’s first nine minutes broke an NWSL record that was only two days old. On Thursday, San Diego allowed three goals at OL Reign in the first 11 minutes. That was the fastest three-goal deficit built in league history until the Pride beat it tonight.

“We looked a little bit scared,” Cromwell said about the opening minutes after the game. “We looked a little bit timid. We weren’t communicating, and putting enough pressure on the ball, and shifting well, and they came out buzzing. They’re flying. That’s what they do. And so it shouldn’t have been a surprise.

“They created overload wide. We talked about how to step to their outside back getting high with our outside back and then shifting behind. It just wasn’t happening fast enough. Their speed of play seemed to catch us off guard.” 

It almost got worse for the Pride just two minutes later. Moorhouse mishandled the ball in her own box, giving it back to the Courage in a dangerous position. Fortunately, the ball bounced away to the outside and the Pride were eventually able to clear.

The Pride finally created an offensive attack about a quarter hour into the game. In the 14th minute, Jenkins sent a dangerous ball across for Pruitt darting into the box. However, the ball was just beyond her reach and went harmlessly out of play.

But a minute later, the hosts struck. Courage goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland attempted to clear the ball out of her own end but sent it right at Pruitt. The ball bounced off of the Pride forward and settled at the feet of Jenkins in front of goal. The Orlando striker sent a screaming shot to the top corner, beating Rowland and bringing the Pride back to within two.

The Pride had a chance at a second in the 18th minute when the Courage failed to clear a corner kick. The ball skipped through the box, but there were no Pride players in the area to get on the end of it, allowing it to go out of play.

The Courage nearly scored a fourth in the 22nd minute when Mathias sent Daniels toward the end line. The forward played a quick ball across the box, looking for former Pride defender Carson Pickett at the near post. Pickett got her foot to the ball but Moorhouse made a nice save and kept the deficit at two.

The Courage focused mainly on the left early in the game through Mathias. In the 32nd minute, the defender once again sent a dangerous cross through the box. However, this one was a bit too high and no attacking players were able to get on the end of it.

As the first half wound down, both teams built attacks but the defenses did well to keep them outside of the box. Courtney Petersen took a long distance shot in the 34th minute for the Pride and Carson Pickett shot from distance in the 41st minute, but neither were close to the goal.

After going down 3-0 in the first nine minutes, the Pride had to be pleased to go into the break only down 3-1.

“What we talked about is having confidence on the ball and courage on the ball,” Cromwell said about her halftime talk. “It seemed like everyone the first half…no one wanted it or if they gave it, they were done. Like there was the pass and move and the fluid nature of how we build an attack wasn’t there in the first half. And so to keep possession, to kind of delay their attack, we had to keep the ball ourselves and that’s the best defense is possession. So I told them to have courage on the ball.”

While the Pride spent the game’s opening minutes in their own end, the team got into the attack early in the second half. It took the team 18 minutes to win a corner in the first half, but they won their first corner just three minutes into the second period.

The Pride nearly got their second goal of the game in the 55th minute. The team broke down the field after forcing a turnover. However, they took too much time in transition, allowing the defense to get back. The ball ended up with Kerry Abello who fired on goal, but the pressure caused her to miss the target.

A minute later, the Pride cut the once three-goal deficit to one. Quick passing allowed Montefusco to get down the right. The center back sent a cross into the box, which was headed down near the back post by Abello. Jenkins was right there to tap it in for her second goal of the game, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

“Just kind of had the mindset that I’m gonna frickin’ score today,” Jenkins said about her brace after the game. “I’m gonna shoot the ball as many times as I can. And it paid off, which is great.” 

Following the goal, the Courage pushed forward, trying to reclaim their multi-goal lead. Smith had an opportunity to cross from the outside in the 58th minute, but Pressley did well to block it.

They had another chance to extend their lead in the 63rd minute when Smith found herself with some space in front of goal. However, her shot was right at Moorhouse, who made the easy save.

In the 68th minute, Smith had another chance when a nice stepover allowed her to lose her defender. The forward took a quick right-footed shot toward Moorhouse’s near post, but it was right at the Pride’s shot stopper again for another save.

With 20 minutes remaining in the game, it appeared more likely that the Courage would score a fourth than the Pride would get an equalizer. In the 71st minute, they nearly scored their fourth when Debinha received the ball on the left. She attempted to beat Moorhouse to her near post, but hit the side netting.

The Pride nearly scored an equalizer in the 76th minute when a Julie Doyle cross into the box was fumbled by Rowland. Had Rowland not got a piece of the ball, Abello was nearing the back post and would’ve been able to put it in. However, Rowland got enough of the ball that the Courage could clear.

North Carolina finally put the game away in the 89th minute. Second-half substitute Diana Ordonez found Debinha just inside the box. The Brazilian playmaker immediately turned Turner, who had come on at halftime, and put it into the corner, giving the visitors a 4-2 win.

The Pride played much better after the first 10 minutes and especially in the second half. However, the Courage still led in nearly every statistical category, including possession (57.4%-42.6%), shots (18-13), shots on goal (7-5), passing accuracy (84.9%-69.1%), crosses (33-15), and corners (7-6).

“You can’t give up three goals like that,” Cromwell said about the performance. “And we almost got ourselves out of it. We almost got to the third goal. And that’s to us, that’s now our challenge is how do we (do that) because we seem to be a second half team. We have to be a both-half team, and so that’s our challenge as a staff and as a team.”

“We dug ourselves in a hole. Quite a big one,” Jenkins said about the game. “And so just knowing that we really don’t have anything to lose at this point, I think kind of gave us the energy to just really try and not be afraid of failure. I think we kind of came out scared the first 10 minutes and North Carolina has a great team that works off transition and kind of feeds off of that vibe. So yeah, that was just the script. We got nothing to lose.”

After starting the Challenge Cup with a scoreless draw with the Spirit, the Pride have now dropped four straight games. They still have one game left in the tournament, next weekend against NJ/NY Gotham FC in New Jersey. The following week they’ll start the 2022 NWSL regular season at Exploria Stadium.

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

The Pride head out on the road for the first time this season to take on NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Published

5 hours ago

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March 23, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (1-0-0, 3 points) head out on the road for the first time this year to face NJ/NY Gotham FC (0-0-1, 1 point) in New Jersey. This is the first of two times these teams will face off during the regular season. The return game in Orlando is scheduled for Aug. 29.

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

History

The Pride have faced Gotham 25 times since joining the NWSL in 2016. They’re 8-10-7 in all competitions and 4-3-5 away from home. The Pride’s record in NWSL regular-season games is 8-7-5 with a mark of 4-3-3 in New Jersey.

The most recent meeting between the two teams was on Oct 20, 2024 in New Jersey. Sam Hiatt gave the hosts the lead in the 13th minute before Adriana equalized in the 31st. However, Gotham scored on either side of halftime with goals by Rose Lavelle and Ella Stevens to win 3-1. The game on Sept. 1 in Orlando was delayed by inclement weather, but the Pride took control when it began. Adriana gave the hosts the lead in the sixth minute and completed her brace in the 19th minute. Those were the only two goals as the Pride won 2-0.

The first meeting of 2023 was a regular-season clash on April 15 in Orlando. It looked to be headed for a draw, but Gotham struck twice in the dying minutes. Midge Purce converted a penalty 10 minutes into stoppage time and then assisted on Lynn Williams’ goal seven minutes later, setting a record for the latest goal in NWSL history as the Pride fell 2-0. They played again on May 14 in New Jersey, where the Pride were the better team and created more chances but couldn’t find the back of the net. The game ended in a scoreless draw.

The Pride and Gotham met twice in the NWSL Challenge Cup following those regular-season matchups. The first was on July 23 in Orlando. A Megan Montefusco header gave the Pride an early lead, but they were unable to hold on. Jenna Nighswonger converted a penalty later in the first half and Gotham took over in the second half with goals by McCall Zerboni and Yazmeen Ryan, beating the Pride 3-1. On Aug. 9 in New Jersey, Messiah Bright gave the Pride the lead in the first half, and the team was in line for all three points until Meleana Shim equalized in second-half stoppage time, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

The two teams met four times during the 2022 season — twice in the NWSL regular season and twice in the Challenge Cup. The first was a Challenge Cup meeting March 30 at Exploria Stadium. It looked to be heading for a 0-0 draw before Purce scored a late winner. The next Challenge Cup meeting was April 23 at Red Bull Arena. Gunny Jonsdottir gave the Pride the lead, but Toni Pressley got tangled up with Ifeoma Onumonu, resulting in a penalty. Kristie Mewis leveled the game from the spot just before the half. Neither team could find a winner and it ended 1-1.

The teams met in the 2022 NWSL regular-season opener on May 1 in Orlando. After two close matchups in the preseason tournament, this one was all Gotham, as goals by Zerboni, Purce, and Mewis lifted the visitors to a 3-0 win. On Aug. 20, they played for the final time in 2022 at Subaru Park in Chester, PA. Celia and Ally Watt built the Pride a 2-0 lead. Mewis got one back for the hosts, but the Pride held on for a 2-1 win.

The Pride and Gotham also met four times in 2021, with the first coming in the Pride’s inaugural Challenge Cup campaign. On April 14, Paige Monaghan’s goal lifted Gotham to a 1-0 win. The first regular-season game that year came on June 20 in Orlando. The visitors took the lead through Caprice Dydasco, but Courtney Petersen equalized for a 1-1 draw.

On Aug. 29, the teams played at Red Bull Arena. Erika Tymrak’s long-range goal lifted the Pride to a 2-1 win. The teams played one final, high-scoring game on Oct. 9. It was a bad start for the Pride as Gaetane Thiney scored a brace and Purce made it 3-0 late. The Pride came storming back with goals by Tymrak and Marta, falling just short in a 3-2 final.

The Pride and Gotham were in different groups for the 2020 Fall Series, so the last time they met prior to 2021 was in 2019, when the New Jersey-based club was still called Sky Blue FC. They first met that year on June 22 at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, NJ. Chioma Ubogagu gave the Pride the lead from the penalty spot and Sarah Killion equalized. The difference was a Gina Lewandowski own goal as the Pride won 2-1.

On July 20 the teams met at Exploria Stadium. Marisa Viggiano’s goal won it for the Pride, 1-0. The final game occurred on Sept. 29 in New Jersey. Shelina Zadorsky gave the Pride the lead, but Carli Lloyd equalized in a 1-1 draw.

The teams met three times in 2018, starting on June 16 in Orlando, when a Sydney Leroux brace led the Pride to a 3-2 win. They met again in Orlando on Aug. 5, with the Pride giving up a 1-0 lead after Marta’s opening goal. But Dani Weatherholt equalized in a 2-2 draw. The final meeting in 2018 came on Sept. 8 in New Jersey — the final game of the season. There was only one goal in this one as Lloyd won it for Sky Blue FC.

The 2017 season saw the Pride and Sky Blue meet three times. The first was May 27 in New Jersey, where the Pride lost 2-1. They met again in New Jersey on June 28 and the Pride won, 3-2. The final meeting was on Aug. 12 in Orlando and the Pride won by its largest margin in team history to that point, beating Sky Blue, 5-0.

The 2016 season was the first time the two teams met, with the inaugural game coming on Sept. 7 in New Jersey. Alex Morgan and Sam Kerr swapped goals in a 1-1 draw. They met again three days later in Orlando, with Sky Blue winning, 2-1.

Overview

The Pride got 2025 off to a disappointing start by drawing 1-1 with the Washington Spirit in the Challenge Cup and falling on penalties. However, they took their frustration out on Chicago Stars FC on Mar. 14. Haley McCutcheon got the scoring started in the seventh minute and they didn’t stop. Watt and Julie Doyle goals were split by a Hannah Anderson own goal before Barbara Banda netted a late brace. The 6-0 win tied a club record, matching last year’s 6-0 win over the Utah Royals.

Apart from the six goals, Rafaelle got more time on the field in the most recent game. After coming off at halftime against Washington, she played 62 minutes against Chicago as she continues to build her fitness following her season-ending injury last year.

The excitement about Rafaelle’s return is quelled by the injury to Doyle, who came off with a knee injury after only 11 minutes on the field against Chicago. The attacking midfielder came off the bench in the first two games, and it looks she could be out for a considerable amount of time.

Gotham drew its season opener in Seattle 1-1 without two key players in Lavelle and Purce. Lavelle remains out after undergoing off-season ankle surgery and Purce only recently signed a new deal to return to Gotham.

This is a different Gotham team than Pride fans saw last year. Delanie Sheehan, Hiatt, and Ryan left while remaining in the league. Crystal Dunn left for Paris Saint-Germain, and Nighswonger went to Arsenal this off-season.

Gotham had a strong attack last year with 41 goals and should be at least as good this year. In addition to Purce, tonight’s hosts return Esther Gonzalez and Stevens, while new Brazilian Gabi Portilho — who scored in her debut — joins the squad. The losses of Hiatt and Nighswonger hurt defensively, but the team returns Jess Carter, Emily Sonnett, and Tierna Davidson.

While the Pride looked great in their season-opening game, this is the first time they’ve played away from home this season. It will tell us a lot about how this team will do away from the friendly confines of Inter&Co Stadium. Regardless, you can expect to see the same lineup from the Chicago game as the Pride look to get on a roll early in the 2025 season.

“I thought we were terrific (against Chicago). I thought it was a pretty much complete performance from our side,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “And going into this game, we want to build on that. Build on that momentum from the first game. We know it’s going to be a competitive game. We know that it’s always a tough environment to go play in. But we’ve shown our quality in the last two games that we’re more than capable of getting something out of this game against Gotham.”

There aren’t any surprises in the injury report for the Pride this weekend. They’re without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), Aryssa Mahrt (knee), and Doyle (knee). Gotham will be without Sofia Cook (thigh), Mandy Freeman (suspension), Lavelle (ankle), Purce (knee), and Jessica Silva (eye).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.

Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Prisca Chilufya, Cori Dyke, Viviana Villacorta, Grace Chanda, Summer Yates, Ally Lemos, Brianna Martinez, Zara Chavoshi.

NJ/NY Gotham FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Ann-Katrin Berger.

Defenders: Jess Carter, Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett, Lilly Reale.

Midfielders: Ella Stevens, Nealy Martin, Gabi Portilho.

Forwards: Jaelin Howell, Esther Gonzalez, Sarah Schupansky.

Bench: Shelby Hogan, Ryan Campbell, Bruninha, Cece Kizer, Taryn Torres, McKenna Whitham, Khyah Harper, Stella Nyamekye.

Referees

REF: Brad Jensen.
AR1: Jennifer Garner.
AR2: Zeno Cho.
4TH: Ryan Homik.
VAR: Elijio Arreguin.
AVAR: Tom Felice.

How To Watch

Match Time: 5 p.m.

Venue: Red Bull Arena — Harrison, NJ.

TV: ESPN 2.

Streaming: ESPN+.

Twitter: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Stars FC: Final Score 6-0 as Pride Open The Season With A Dominant Performance

Pride start 2025 NWSL season with a dominating home win over Chicago Stars FC.

Published

1 week ago

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March 14, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride (1-0-0, 3 points) opened the 2025 NWSL season with a dominant 6-0 win over Chicago Stars FC (0-1-0) tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. Haley McCutcheon, Ally Watt, and Julie Doyle netted goals for the Pride, while Barbra Banda scored a brace. The other goal was an own goal by Hannah Anderson just after halftime.

The fans showed up for the celebration with an announced attendance of 19,237. That’s the second-highest home attendance in club history and the largest crowd for a Pride game at Inter&Co Stadium.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines displayed the same lineup that drew 1-1 with the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup last Friday night. Anna Moorhouse was in goal behind a back line of Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Kylie Nadaner, and Emily Sams. Morgan Gautrat and McCutcheon were the defensive midfielders behind Angelina, Marta, and Watt. Banda took her usual starting position up top.

The night started on a high as the Pride celebrated their double last season. Recently retired alumni Carrie Lawrence, Celia, and Megan Montefusco carried the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship trophies onto the field before the two banners were raised above The Wall.

“It’s great. It’s, again, an incredible achievement to get both the shield and the championship,” Hines said. “It’s incredibly difficult as well in this league. The parity between the teams and all the challenges that come along with it. But to do that for the city, or we said, we always wanted to give back to the city and bring a championship to the city. And you know, as a representation of what we did last year, to see the banners in our home stadium is great for us.”

“Kylie and I were looking at them. They’re so beautiful,” McCutcheon said about the new banners. “But I think what’s even more beautiful is seeing those fans out there. I don’t know how many we had tonight, but it was absolutely electric and I think one of the biggest crowds I’ve seen since I’ve been here.”

When the game started, the Pride went on the early attack, putting the Stars on their heels. In the second minute, Watt was unable to control Marta’s cross, but the ball went right to McCutcheon. The defensive midfielder’s shot was deflected and blocked by Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. Chicago was unable to clear, allowing Banda to get a shot of her own. However, Naeher was up to the task, tipping it over the crossbar.

In the seventh minute, the Pride took the lead. Angelina sent Banda into the box and the forward shielded Bea Franklin off the ball. Her shot from a tight angle was blocked by Anderson, going right to Gautrat. The midfielder laid it off for McCutcheon, who blasted her shot past Naeher to give the Pride an early 1-0 lead.

It was the quickest goal the Pride have scored in a season-opening game in club history. Additionally, McCutcheon has now scored in three of the last four games after scoring in two of the three playoff games last year.

“I think that with the special players we have and their qualities, they take a lot of attention from defenders,” McCutcheon said of her goal streak. “And so if I can find myself getting those opportunities, I just feel like I’ve been in the right place at the right time and made the most of that. So I want to continue to do that.”

In the 17th minute, Banda made a run down the right, sending a cross into the box. She was looking for Marta or Angelina making runs into the six, but it was blocked by Anderson. The ball went directly to Abello at the top of the box, but her shot was blocked by Shea Groom. Finally, the Pride got a shot that reached the end line when Gautrat took a shot from the top of the box. However, her attempt missed wide.

The Stars got their first real chance in the 29th minute when Ally Schlegel’s cross into the six-yard box was blocked out of play by Moorhouse for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece found the head of Franklin, who put the attempt on target, but it was right to Moorhouse and didn’t cause the Pride shot stopper any trouble.

Moorhouse immediately threw the ball long and to the right for Marta. The Pride captain cut inside to beat Camryn Biegalski with Banda sprinting down the middle of the field. The Brazilian sent a hard ball across that Banda did well to chest down. The Zambian shot, but Naeher was up to the task, blocking it wide for a corner kick.

Marta’s ensuing corner kick headed out and cleared away by Nadia Gomes.

In the 34th minute, an Angelina corner kick was cleared out wide where the Brazilian took control. She sent another cross that was just out of the reach of Rafaelle and off Nadaner. Unfortunately, neither could redirect the ball on goal.

In the 37th minute, Watt dribbled to the end line and her cross was blocked out of play by Anderson for another corner kick. Marta’s set piece was to the near post where Watt outjumped Biegalski and Taylor Malham, knocking it past Naeher to give the Pride a 2-0 lead.

“I saw the ball come off Marta’s foot and I ran into the front post. And I just hoped to God I don’t get punched in the face, because I know Alyssa (Naeher) was coming off her line,” Watt said about her goal. “And we’ve been working so hard on set plays for the last week, because we get a lot of corners. We get a lot in attack, we get a lot of corners, and honestly, we should score off more. But, I just, I made my run. I keep making my run, and then Marta always puts in a fabulous ball. So I just had to make sure I was in the right spot. And I was.”

In the second minute of stoppage time, Rafaelle tried to send Banda behind the Chicago back line. Franklin got there first but misplayed the ball. Banda took possession and turned her, attempting to beat Naeher to the near post. However, the ball hit the outside netting.

“It’s renowned that 2-0 is always a dangerous scoreline and that next goal is vitally important. And so we talked about that at halftime with the team that we have to continue our momentum, our aggressive nature,” Hines said about his halftime speech. “And getting that third goal so early into the second half really kind of put the game at rest. And we could have the ability to rotate and make some substitutions and get players time on the field while still being aggressive and still trying to score more goals.”

That was the final chance of the first half as the Pride took a 2-0 lead into the break.

The Pride started the second half like they ended the first, striking early. In the 47th minute, Gautrat sent a cross into the six-yard box for Banda, but Anderson stepped in the way. However, the ball bounced off the center back and in to give the Pride a 3-0 lead.

“I think tonight, coming in at 2-0 at halftime is always kind of a weird scoreline. And so to start off, I think we scored the first two minutes into the second half,” McCutcheon said about the early second-half goal. “So again, just when we come out on the front foot, not only from half to half, but dead balls, things like that. We’ve really just tried to lock in on. We call them big five moments.”

The Pride had a chance for a fourth in the 49th minute when Naeher misplayed a pass back from Franklin. The goalkeeper was attempting to clear the ball upfield, but gave it right to Watt instead. The attacker had plenty of time and tried to curl her second touch into the top left corner, but sent the attempt off target.

Hines made his first three changes in the 62nd minute. Cori Dyke, Julie Doyle, and Prisca Chilufya came on for Rafaelle, Gautrat, and Watt. The Rafaelle change wasn’t surprising as she returns to full fitness. The move sent Dyke to right back and moved Sams to center back alongside Nadaner.

The Pride netted a fourth in the 65th minute and it was one of the substitutes. It started when Sams collected a Stars clearance and played Banda down the right. The striker used a nice touch to beat Anderson, giving her a path into the box. She played the ball central, where Chilufya was making a run, but Doyle called for it behind her. Chilufya wisely let it go and Doyle put it in to give the Pride a 4-0 lead.

In the 72nd minute, Doyle went down with a non-contact injury. After passing the ball forward for Banda, the midfielder held her right knee with tears in her eyes. After receiving treatment from the medical staff, she was helped off the field and replaced by Ally Lemos.

When play resumed, the Pride were given a good chance when Angelina’s shot was off the arm of Franklin just outside the box. Marta stepped up to take the set piece, curling it around the post.

Banda netted her first of two goals in the 80th minute when Chilufya played her forward. Anderson got to it first, but misplayed the ball, allowing Banda to split her and Franklin. Malham tried to challenge the striker, but was no match. Banda opened up and took the attempt well, putting it past Naeher to make it 5-0.

Three minutes later, Hines made his final change of the game as Viviana Villacorta came into the game for Marta.

The best goal of the night came in the 87th minute and it was Banda again. She intercepted a weak pass from Malham to Franklin, giving herself a shot from distance. It was a rocket over the outstretched arm of Naeher to give the Pride a 6-0 lead.

The goal tied a club record that was set on June 24, 2024 when the Pride won 6-0 over the Utah Royals in the same stadium. Banda scored a brace in that game as well.

“I think that’s huge. I think scoring goals is usually the last thing to come as we’re going through preseason and finding ourselves in the first match. So to get a six right off the bat is really good to kind of get in a flow,” McCutcheon said about tying the club record. “That’s something that we’ve worked really hard all preseason doing. And so we want to just be more dynamic on all fronts. And obviously we did that, and you score six goals, it’s going to be tough to lose that game, so we’re feeling good about it.”

It looked like the Pride scored a club-record seventh goal in the second minute of second-half stoppage time when McCutcheon played the ball long for Chilufya. Banda made a diagonal run to the middle and her international teammate found her. Chilufya passed the ball in, but the flag went up because Banda was offside on the initial pass from McCutcheon.

That was the final attempt for either team as the Pride came away with a 6-0 win. The Pride dominated this game in every way, ending with more possession (63.6%-36.4%), shots (26-8), shots on target (8-2), crosses (23-3), and corner kicks (13-2). They also had better passing accuracy (88.6%-76.2%) in the 90 minutes.

“It’s a good start to the year, especially with the celebration at the start and the banners and the trophies being in front,” Hines said. “It was always worrying because, obviously, that’s in the past, and that was all that we achieved last year. And trying to flip that mindset to the task at hand. And obviously priority was winning the game tonight and getting off to a good start. And yeah, I thought we played some really good football. I thought we were defensively pretty solid. And yeah, to score six goals in NWSL is a massive achievement. So yeah, it’s been a really good day for all of us.”

In addition to tying the club record for most goals in a game, it’s the Pride’s first-ever season-opening win. Previously, they’d drawn three times and lost five times to open seasons. It’s the first time the Pride have won a home opener since 2016, when they defeated the Houston Dash in front of a club-record crowd of 23,403.

The Pride continue their recent domination over the Stars. They’re now 3-0-1 in their last four games, dating back to 2023. They’ve outscored Chicago 10-1 in the last two games, which includes the playoff game last year and tonight’s season opener.

The Pride will look beyond this celebratory night as they prepare for their first road game of 2025. They’ll travel north to face NJ/NY Gotham FC on March 23 in New Jersey.

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

The Pride kick off the 2025 NWSL regular season tonight at home against Chicago Stars FC.

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1 week ago

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March 14, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride open the 2025 NWSL regular season against Chicago Stars FC. This is the first of two times the teams will meet in the regular season.

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

History

The Pride and Red Stars have played every season since Orlando’s entrance into the NWSL except 2020. The teams have played 21 games, with the Pride going 7-12-2. The Pride have struggled against the Stars in Orlando with a record of 2-7-2, with one of those wins coming in the 2024 playoffs.

The Pride and then-Red Stars last met on Nov. 8, 2024 in the NWSL playoffs in Orlando. It was the Pride’s first-ever home playoff game and they dominated. Ally Watt set up a Haley McCutcheon goal in the 26th minute to give the hosts the lead, and Barbra Banda netted a brace on either side of halftime. Marta made it 4-0 with a penalty in the 57th minute, sealing the result. It would’ve been a clean sheet, but Anna Moorhouse cleared the ball off of Jameese Joseph and into her own net, ending the game with a 4-1 result.

The teams met in in Illinois in the last regular-season meeting on Sept. 8, 2024. Marta’s 37th-minute goal was the difference as the Pride came away with a 1-0 win. On March 29 in Orlando, the Pride took the lead early through a Taylor Malham own goal, but Mallory Swanson equalized in the 64th minute, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

The first meeting of 2023 was on May 27 in Illinois. Orlando dominated the entire 90 minutes, with Chicago only getting two chances on its home field. But the Pride struggled to hit the target, and Yuki Nagasato’s goal was the difference as the Pride fell 1-0.  The Aug. 20 matchup was the debut of Pride center back Rafaelle, and the Brazilian scored in the 15th minute to give Orlando the lead. The hosts continued their attack, resulting in four more goals. Messiah Bright scored a pair, new signing Mariana Larroquette scored her first Pride goal, and Mikayla Cluff capped off the night with a goal as the Pride won 5-0.

The first meeting of 2022 took place on May 22 in Orlando. Sarah Griffin gave the visitors the lead, and Bianca St. Georges and Swanson made it 3-0 Chicago. It appeared as though the Red Stars would run away with the game, but the final 10 minutes saw three goals and two penalties for an exciting finish. Sydney Leroux missed a penalty, but Amy Turner scored the Pride’s first goal late. Swanson converted her penalty moments later, and Leah Pruitt scored her first goal for the Pride a minute after that in a 4-2 Red Stars win. The second meeting of the 2022 season was on June 12 in Illinois. Swanson capitalized on an early Pride turnover and the Red Stars held on for the 1-0 win.

The teams met three times during the 2021 season, but didn’t play until Aug. 8 in Illinois. Jodie Taylor and Leroux scored for the Pride before halftime. The 2-0 win ended a six-game winless streak and was the first NWSL victory for interim head coach Becky Burleigh.

The second meeting was Oct. 13 in Bridgeview, a rescheduled game that was originally supposed to take place Oct. 2. Kealia Watt scored early and the Red Stars defended that lead for 84 minutes on their way to a 1-0 result. The teams met again Oct. 29, 2021, in Orlando in the final game of the regular season. The Red Stars controlled the game but the Pride held off the Chicago attack for 65 minutes, at which point Watt scored the lone goal in a 1-0 Chicago win.

The Pride and Red Stars didn’t play in the 2020 Fall Series, so the last meeting prior to 2021 came in 2019. The first game was June 30 at Exploria Stadium. Goals by Chioma Ubogagu and Marta were topped by a Sam Kerr hat trick as the Red Stars won 3-2. The second game was on Aug. 21 in Bridgeview. The Pride took a 2-0 lead with goals by Rachel Hill and Ubogagu. Tierna Davidson cut the lead in half for Chicago, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride won 2-1. 

The third meeting in 2021 came on Sept. 11 in Orlando. Casey Short stole the game for Chicago with the game’s lone goal five minutes into second-half injury time as the Red Stars won, 1-0.

The 2018 NWSL season saw the Pride and Red Stars meet three times. On May 2 in Bridgeview, Hill and Ubogagu scored in a 2-0 Pride win. They met in the same location May 26, with a Leroux brace and goals by Hill, Alex Morgan, and Dani Weatherholt leading to a 5-2 Pride win. The Red Stars were led by a Kerr brace in a 3-1 Chicago victory on Aug. 25 in Orlando in the third meeting of 2018.

The Pride and Red Stars met three times in 2017 — the first year that they played that many games against each other. A Christen Press goal on July 1 lifted Chicago to a 1-0 win. On July 22 in Bridgeview, a Press brace led her team to a 2-1 win. The final meeting came a week later in Orlando. Morgan and Sofia Huerta traded goals in a 1-1 draw.

The Red Stars won both meetings in 2016 by 1-0 final scores.

Overview

The Pride kicked off their 2025 campaign a week ago at home against the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup. Rafaelle scored on her return from injury in the 41st minute, but Leicy Santos equalized with a free kick dart in the 72nd minute. The game ended in a 1-1 draw and Washington took the trophy on penalties.

While the Pride didn’t get off to the start they wanted, tonight’s match counts in the standings. The night will kick off with the raising of the team’s 2024 NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship banners. Then, the Pride will look to start the new season with a bang and make it a memorable evening for the fans.

Rafaelle played 45 minutes Friday night in her first game since July 6, 2024. It’s likely she’ll start again tonight alongside Kylie Nadaner with Emily Sams on the right. However, it’s unclear whether the Brazilian is ready to go 90 minutes, and the team doesn’t want to rush her back too early.

The Stars will be missing their best player in Swanson, who has been missing since the start of preseason and remains out due to personal reasons. That will make the task of going up against the Pride’s vaunted back line that much more difficult.

The Pride will likely continue to go with Banda and Watt as the primary attackers in front of club captain Marta. They played together at the end of the 2024 regular season and in the postseason. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines seems to like Watt’s speed to create opportunities for Banda.

It will be interesting to see if we see Angelina in the attacking midfield again. She started there early last season, but found her spot in the defensive midfield. She moved back to her regular role after halftime last weekend when Julie Doyle came on for Rafaelle.

“I am so excited to start the season. It was a short off-season, but I think we are going to pick up right where we left off,” Nadaner said leading into tonight’s game. “Having the core group return along with some new faces is exciting and we are ready to go. We can’t wait to see those banners go up in the rafters before the match and then turn our attention to Chicago and hopefully come away with three points at home.”

There aren’t any surprises in the Pride injury report this week. They’re still without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), Carson Pickett (foot), Aryssa Mahrt (knee), and Oihane (pending visa);

Meanwhile, the Stars are without Jenna Bike (hamstring), Ava Cook (knee), Natalia Kuikka (knee), Maitane (calf), Leilanni Nesbeth (illness), Ludmila (suspension), and Swanson (excused absence).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.

Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Prisca Chilufya, Viviana Villacorta, Julie Doyle, Cori Dyke, Summer Yates, Ally Lemos, Brianna Martinez, Zara Chavoshi.

Chicago Stars FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Alyssa Naeher.

Defenders: Taylor Malham, Hannah Anderson, Bea Franklin, Camryn Biegalski.

Defensive Midfielders: Julia Grosso, Cari Roccaro.

Midfielders: Shea Groom, Ally Schlegel, Nadia Gomes. 

Forward: Jameese Joseph.

Bench: Catherine Barry, Chardonnay Curran, Justina Gaynor, Sarah Griffith, Manaka Hayashi, Micayla Johnson, Halle Mackiewicz, Sam Staab.

Referees

REF: Shawn Tehini.
AR1: Zach McWhorter.
AR2: Brian Marshall.
4TH: Richonne Clark.
VAR: Katja Koroleva.
AVAR: Rhett Hammil.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: Prime Video.

Twitter: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

Enjoy the match .Go Pride!

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