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Orlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Claim First Win of 2022

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4 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (1-1-0, 3 points) held onto a 1-0 lead for 87 minutes to beat Angel City FC (1-1-0, 3 points) for the team’s first win of 2022. Sydney Leroux scored the game’s lone goal in the third minute, giving Amanda Cromwell her first NWSL win as head coach and ending the club’s 12-game winless streak in all competitions.

Cromwell made two changes to the team from last week’s 3-0 loss to NJ/NY Gotham FC. Carrie Lawrence re-entered the starting lineup in place of Angharad James, who suffered an ankle injury against Gotham. Additionally, Leroux got her first start since March 30 against Gotham FC in the Challenge Cup. She took the place of rookie Kerry Abello who played well in Leroux’s absence.

The team also had a significant change by moving starting center back Megan Montefusco into the midfield. Lawrence, who played outside back during the Challenge Cup, joined Toni Pressley as a center back.

“Amanda texted me and was just like, ‘Can you do it?’ Montefusco said about the change. “And I just said without a doubt and I know that she believes in me in every way and that belief gives me confidence. So I was excited to do it and it was a fun night.”

The Pride have been good in the first 15 minutes of games this season and got off to their best start in this one. In the third minute, Gunny Jonsdottir sent a low cross into the Angel City box. Goalkeeper DiDi Haracic mishandled the ball, allowing Leroux to get a chance at goal. While it appeared to be a tap-in, Angel City defender Morgan Reid got a piece of it before it went in, knocking it over the line.

“Last week was an eye opener for us,” Leroux said about the three late first half goals scored by Gotham FC last weekend. “Obviously, having three goals scored against us in the first 45 is a really big hill to climb so we wanted to come out very strong. And that’s exactly what we did.”

Despite Reid getting the last touch, the official scorer gave the goal to Leroux, as the shot was headed in even without hitting the defender. It was the third-fastest goal in Pride history — the team scored a pair of second-minute goals in 2018. It was also the fifth time that the Pride have scored within five minutes of the start of the game.

Angel City got its first chance of the game three minutes later. A Cari Roccaro header found Tyler Lussi inside the box. The midfielder attempted a first-touch flick, trying to beat Erin McLeod to her far post. However, the ball was just off target and the Pride survived a potential equalizer.

Leroux had her second chance of the game in the 16th minute. A dangerous run into the box saw her sprint past two Angel City defenders. It appeared as though she’d get a shot off, but she took too long, allowing Vanessa Gilles to come across and knock the ball out of play.

The ensuing corner went all the way across the box to Leroux at the back post. She quickly played a nice ball in for striker Leah Pruitt. Unfortunately, the header went just wide and the Pride missed their second great opportunity to double their lead.

Leroux nearly doubled the lead herself in the 20th minute. A good run by Darian Jenkins on the right saw the midfielder send a low ball through the legs of the defender to Leroux near the penalty spot. Having lost her defender, Leroux had an open chance on goal but sent the shot high.

It appeared as though the Pride had paid for their missed chances in the 27th minute. Savannah McCaskill’s flicked header sent Christen Press behind the Pride defense and the forward beat McLeod to the far post. However, the flag was up as Press was deemed to be just offside.

Back the other way, a turnover on the Angel City side of the field in the 40th minute resulted in a Pride break. Jenkins took control of the ball and darted up the right as two teammates ran alongside, waiting for a ball through. But Jenkins held onto it too long, allowing Roccaro to get back and win the ball off the Pride midfielder.

A minute later, Jun Endo sent Press through on goal. After being judged offside the first time, Press was onside this time. Toni Pressley attempted a slide tackle but Press evaded the challenge, creating a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper. McLeod was up to the challenge on the second attempt, closing down the attacker and making a huge save.

The final chance of the half was for Angel City and was a good one. The hosts’ corner kick went back to Endo who sent a quick pass to Lussi. The midfielder sent a high ball toward the back post where Gilles beat three Pride defenders to the ball. Fortunately, the header went high and the Pride were able to make it to the half with a 1-0 lead.

The Pride dominated the first half hour but the final 15 minutes were all Angel City. At the break, the Pride had more possession (53.6%-46.4%), shots (6-3), corners (6-2), crosses (16-6), and passes (168-152). However, the Pride only put one of their six shots on target, which is why it remained a one-goal game.

After controlling most of the first half, the Pride just tried to hold onto the lead in the second 45 minutes. As a result, Angel City had more possession and more chances in the second half. The first chance for the hosts came just two minutes into the half when Endo set up Press at the top of the box. The forward took a shot on goal but it was wide left of the target.

They had a second opportunity 10 minutes later when Press took another shot from distance. McLeod initially looked as though she would catch the rolling ball but it appeared to take a weird hop just before reaching her and bounced off the goalkeeper’s shoulder. However, it hit her hard enough that the Pride were able to clear it away.

A minute later, it was Lussi taking a shot from distance. While Angel City was taking multiple shots on target, all were long enough that they didn’t cause much trouble. The third shot of the half was right at McLeod and the Canadian easily collected it.

While Angel City had most of the second-half chances, the Pride did have some opportunities to double their lead. The first came in the 66th minute through Leroux. Pruitt found the midfielder to her left and Leroux beat former Pride player Jasmyne Spencer to get a shot on goal. Leroux tried to hit it above the hand of Haracic and beat the goalkeeper, but the ball glanced off the top of the crossbar and went out of play.

Five minutes later, poor play by the hosts gave Leroux another chance. After Haracic rolled the ball out for McCaskill, the usually dependable midfielder immediately lost it to Cluff. The rookie found Leroux entering the box, but Gilles came in to make another good block.

It looked like Angel City might finally convert in the 76th minute when Press sent a ball toward the far post between two Pride defenders. The U.S. international had McCaskill at the back post, but the ball was just a bit too high, going over her head and out of play.

The hosts had another great opportunity in the 90th minute when a quick one-two between Endo and McCaskill allowed the former to send a low cross to the near post. Endo’s ball found the foot of Lussi who redirected it on target, but McLeod made an excellent reaction save to keep the Pride’s 1-0 lead.

Angel City continued to pressure the Pride as the clock continued through injury time. The hosts had a late claim of handball in the box by Leroux but replays showed that it never hit the arm or hand of a defender. They eventually were able to clear and hold on for the 1-0 win.

While the Pride led most statistical categories at the half, Angel City’s second-half dominance resulted in the game being very even. The teams both had 10 shots and possession was 51.3% to 48.7% for the Pride. The Pride had more corners (8-6) and crosses (23-15). However, the Pride only put one shot on target while Angel City put four on frame.

“First win feels great,” Cromwell said after the game. “Starting the game like we did, scoring early, keeping the pressure on, almost getting another one, and creating corner kicks and just being dangerous in the attack. I thought our midfield played great with new players in there. With Megan playing as a six and Mikayla and Gunny in there. Their ball winning and their work rate was tremendous. Carrie played a new position at center back, the whole back line. Erin, I can talk about Syd, Darian, and Leah. Everyone had such an important role and they stepped up in a big way.”

“I think it was extremely important for us to come back and show what we’re capable of. And I think we showed that today,” Leroux added. “It was a tough 90 minutes and everyone came to play today. So I’m very happy for the team and I think we deserve that.”

“Amanda said at the end of the game we fought and we fought together. And the key word was together,” Montefusco also said about the game. “This team has it in them. And we always have. It’s just a matter of putting the pieces together. And tonight we showed that we could do that.”

With the team scoring three minutes into the game and missing several chances throughout the first 30 minutes, the final hour was primarily spent defending. Everyone tracking back into the box allowed the team to hold on for 87 minutes and claim the season’s first win.

“I think that’s a big reason why we won,” Leroux said about the defensive effort. “I mean, we track back..I think I was playing center back for the last 10 minutes but we’ll do whatever we need to do to put our team in the best position to win.”

“We knew we needed everyone and we needed everyone in the box fighting until the very last minute,” Montefusco said about the team defense. “We looked at the stats from when we were conceding in the last games and it happened to be the first five minutes or the last five minutes of a half. And we knew that going into this game, so we were constantly checking in with each other and making sure that everyone was fighting and everyone was getting back.”

The win is the first for Cromwell in her first season as an NWSL head coach. It also breaks a 12-game Orlando winless streak that dates back to Sept. 11, 2021, when the Pride beat Racing Louisville 3-1 at Exploria Stadium.

With their first win under their belts, the Pride will return to Exploria Stadium next weekend when they face the Kansas City Current.

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Orlando Pride Loan Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City through January 2027

The English international returns to her home country through January of 2027, leaving Cosette Morché, Cara Martin, and McKinley Crone as Orlando’s goalkeeper options.

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2 days ago

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September 3, 2026

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Image of Anna Moorhouse meeting with fans after a game.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has loaned goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City of England’s Women’s Super League through January 2027. This move comes in the wake of a series of poor performances and glaring mistakes in 2026 that led to her benching two games ago in favor of Cosette Morché.

Moorhouse follows goalkeeping coach Paul Crichton out the door after the latter was let go on Monday when the Pride parted ways with former head coach Seb Hines, although with a year left on her contract, she could return following the loan to Man City. The press release did not mention anything about a purchase option.

“Anna has been an invaluable part of our club, and when the opportunity arose for her to return home to England and compete in the Women’s Super League, we worked closely with her to make it happen,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Caitlin Carducci said in a club press release. “We are fortunate to have tremendous quality and depth within our goalkeeping group, and this loan provides Anna with an opportunity to continue playing meaningful minutes at a high level while being closer to home and family.”

The 31-year-old native of Oldham, England, originally signed a two-year deal with the Pride through the 2023 season on Jan. 31, 2022, after spending two years with French D1 Feminine club Bordeaux. She signed an extension on Oct. 5, 2023, keeping her in Orlando through the 2025 campaign. In June of last year, Moorhouse signed a new deal to remain with the Pride through the 2027 season.

Moorhouse made her competitive Pride debut on March 30 at home against NJ/NY Gotham FC — a 1-0 loss for Orlando in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. She made her NWSL regular-season debut with the Pride on Sept. 9 in a 2-0 home loss to the Portland Thorns and got another start in the Pride’s next game Sept. 16 at Louisville — another 2-0 loss. The Pride were 0-2-0 with Moorhouse in net in the 2022 regular season but scored no goals for the English goalkeeper. Moorhouse made just the two appearances in the regular season (both starts) and made nine saves, backing up Erin McLeod. She allowed four goals for a 2.00 goals-against average in 180 minutes played, facing 28 shots (13 on target). She finished the year with a 69.2% save success rate and a 84.2% passing rate.

In 2023, Moorhouse became Orlando’s starter after McLeod left the team, starting 19 of the Pride’s 22 regular-season games and playing 1,623 minutes while posting a 9-9-1 record as a starter. She stopped 72 of 94 shots faced (76.6%), conceding 22 goals and keeping seven clean sheets.

Showing improvement in her second season as the Pride’s No. 1, Moorhouse started all 26 of Orlando’s games in 2024, playing 2,340 minutes, facing 107 shots, making 87 saves (81%), and conceding 20 goals. She set an NWSL record with 13 shutouts, taking over the club career record along the way. The Pride went 18-2-6 that season and claimed the NWSL Shield. Moorhouse also started all three of the team’s playoff matches, going 3-0-0 in 270 minutes while facing 12 shots on target and stopping nine of them (75%). Of the three postseason goals she conceded, one was a penalty. She kept a clean sheet in Orlando’s 1-0 NWSL Championship victory over the Washington Spirit, helping her team win its second trophy.

As with many of her teammates, Moorhouse did not play as well during the 2025 season, but she was still solid between the sticks. She appeared in 25 games (all starts) and amassed a record of 11-8-7 in her NWSL starts last season, playing a team-high 2,211 minutes, allowing 26 goals, and making 72 saves for a 74% save percentage to go along with a 1.06 goals-against average. She went 1-1-0 in the Pride’s two playoff games, allowing one goal on nine shots on target (89% save percentage).

She started 20 NWSL matches in 2026, recording 58 saves and earning six shutouts.

What It Means for Orlando

Moorhouse’s shot stopping has been mostly great during her time with the Pride. However, the knock on the English international is the momentary lapses she has. Those might concede a preventable goal, get her sent off, or present the opposition with a penalty kick. All goalkeepers are prone to the occasional howler, but throughout her Pride career, Moorhouse seemed to have more than most. Some of the most egregious include her own goal at Louisville late in the 2024 season that ultimately helped knock Orlando out of the postseason, a third-minute red card at OL Reign in 2023 — the fastest red card from the start of a game in NWSL history — and a series of bloopers over her head and into the net in 2026 when she’s been caught off her line.

The problems with Orlando’s defense in 2026 don’t start or end with Moorhouse. Playing behind a leaky back line can affect a goalkeeper. The simple fact is that her play was exacerbating a problematic area for the club. The Pride struggle to defend as a unit — in part because of a lack of pace at various positions — and aren’t good defending set pieces. That puts a lot of pressure on the goalkeeper to make up for those lapses. Moorhouse did not seem to respond well to the additional pressure this season, making numerous mistakes that cost goals and, at times, results.

Moorhouse’s play had not been at a high enough level for a long time before Hines eventually replaced her with Morché when the Pride took on the Spirit in Washington on Aug. 23. Morché kept a clean sheet and Orlando won 1-0 to snap a three-game losing streak. Orlando started Morché again on Saturday against the Utah Royals, and although it was a 2-1 Pride loss, goalkeeping was not the team’s biggest problem that night. With Morché showing herself capable of facing NWSL competition, Moorhouse became expendable, and with her wanting to compete for more minutes with England’s national team, getting regular minutes elsewhere likely became a priority pretty quickly.

Whether Moorhouse returns to Orlando after the loan or the club finds somewhere to transfer in the off-season remains to be seen. Perhaps she can regain her form while with Manchester City, which would benefit Orlando either with her returning as a more confident goalkeeper or with the club getting something for her in the transfer market.

Behind Morché, the Pride still have Cara Martin, who recently got her contract extended through at least 2028, and McKinley Crone, who is under contract until the end of the 2026 season and recently returned from a loan spell with Fort Lauderdale FC. Additionally, Kat Asman is under contract with the Pride through the rest of 2026 as well. Asman is currently on loan with Denver Summit FC for the remainder of the year after a successful 2025 loan spell with Lexington SC, with which she won the USL Super League double with the Players’ Shield and the league championship. She also won the league’s Golden Glove Award.

Orlando will finish the 2026 season with both Morché and Martin under contract for next season (or beyond, in Martin’s case), and could opt to re-sign one or both of Crone and/or Asman. The Pride may also try to find a new No. 1 as a number of expiring contracts will allow the team some flexibility in the market.

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Seb Hines Out as Orlando Pride Head Coach

After a dismal season filled with injuries and a roster that either cannot or will not perform, the Orlando Pride part ways with Seb Hines.

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5 days ago

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August 31, 2026

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Image of Seb Hines speaking to his Orlando Pride players.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

In the wake of the Orlando Pride’s fourth loss in five games and a 2026 season that is quickly slipping away, the club announced today that it has parted ways with head coach Seb Hines and goalkeeper coach Paul Crichton. In the interim, Assistant Coach Yolanda Thomas will handle head coaching duties.

This move comes with the Pride mired in 12th place in the 16-team NWSL at 8-12-2 and five points below the playoff line. It also takes place less than two years since Hines was named 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year and just two years and 24 days since the Pride gave Hines a new contract through this season with an option for 2027 on Aug. 7, 2024.

“We want to express our gratitude to Seb for the dedication, leadership, and professionalism he brought to the club during his time with us,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations & General Manager Caitlin Carducci said in a club press release. “He will always have a special place in our history for helping lead the Pride to levels it had never reached before. However, as we look toward the club’s long-term vision and future objectives, we believe that this is the appropriate time for a leadership change. We are grateful for all that Seb has contributed and wish him nothing but success in the next chapter of his career.”

Hines, 38, is easily the most successful coach in the club’s history, having signed on as an assistant coach with the Pride in May of 2020 — a few years after the end of his professional playing career. He took over as interim head coach in June of 2022 when then-coach Amanda Cromwell and assistant Sam Greene were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into potential violations of the league’s policy to prevent and eliminate workplace discrimination, harassment, and bullying. The NWSL concluded that Cromwell and Greene were in violation of that policy and terminated their contracts in October 2022, leaving the future of the team’s coaching position in limbo.

Hines had led the Pride to a seven-game unbeaten run during his stewardship as the investigation went on, but the team also finished that year with a six-game winless skid to quickly drop out of playoff contention. Some felt at the time Cromwell’s contract was terminated that Hines had done enough to win the job, while his 3-7-5 record wasn’t exactly a mandate to hand him the position, nor was the club-record 6-0 loss his team suffered at Portland in his second match in charge.

However, Hines did land the gig. The Pride named him the full-time head coach on Nov. 11, 2022, at the same time the club parted ways with general manager Ian Fleming. Hines led the Pride to the cusp of its first playoff appearance since 2017 during his first full year in charge in 2023. The Pride finished in a three-way tie for fifth on 31 points but fell short of the final playoff spot by losing the goal-difference tiebreaker on the last matchday of the season, when Angel City throttled Portland 5-1 on Decision Day. The Pride beat the Houston Dash by just a 1-0 scoreline that day to get jumped. Orlando had more wins than either fifth-place Angel City or sixth-place Gotham FC (the eventual NWSL Championship winners), but goal difference was the first tiebreaker. It was a heartbreaking end, especially considering an own goal that goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse punched into her own net in the penultimate match against Louisville City turned what could have been a road draw into a road loss.

The Pride set numerous NWSL records under Hines in 2024 and won their first-ever postseason matches on the way to winning the club’s first two trophies — the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship. Hines led Orlando to a record of 18-2-6, finishing third in the league in goals scored (46) and tying for first in fewest goals conceded (20). That year’s team set five league records, including most points in a season (60), most wins in a season (18), longest winning streak (8), longest shutout streak (554 minutes), and longest single-season unbeaten run (23 games). The Pride also tied the league record for clean sheets in a season (13). In all, the Pride went 24 NWSL matches without a loss under Hines from the end of 2023 through deep into 2024, when he rotated several players during a road trip to Portland after clinching the NWSL Shield.

Hines led the Pride to a fourth-place finish in the 2025 regular season, earning the team a second consecutive playoff appearance for the first time in club history. The Pride went 11-8-7 in 2025 and reached the NWSL semifinals, losing a late heartbreaker to Gotham FC deep in stoppage time.

The former Orlando City center back leaves the Pride with a career coaching record of 32-38-15 in the regular season (3-7-5 as interim head coach and 29-31-10 as full-time head coach) and 4-1 in the postseason.

“Seb leaves an undeniable legacy with the Pride,” Orlando Pride Owner & Chairman Mark Wilf said in the club’s press release. “His commitment to our players, his staff, and this club helped deliver some of the most important moments in our history. Beyond the results, he helped establish a culture that elevated expectations for what this organization could achieve. We are thankful for everything Seb has contributed and wish him and his family the very best moving forward.”

Thomas joined the Pride as an assistant coach on March 3, 2023. Prior to joining the Orlando staff, Thomas served as sporting director, head coach, and director of coaching with Tulsa Soccer Club and Fortuna Tulsa of the WPSL. She led Tulsa to Franchise of the Year honors in 2019 and 2021 and was named 2019 WPSL Red River Conference Coach of the Year. Over four seasons, Thomas guided Fortuna Tulsa — now known as Tulsa SC — to two conference championships, and appearances in the National Final Four, Regional Championship, and National Elite Eight.  

She previously served as an assistant coach in the college ranks at Oklahoma State University and the University of Tulsa, before becoming head coach at Roger State University.  

She has recently served as the U-23 United States Women’s National Team head coach during two camps in 2025.

Thomas takes over a team that has not scored more than one goal in a match since July 10 and has beaten two of the league’s best teams since NWSL play restarted following the World Cup break but has lost to everyone else. The Pride have been shut out four times in the 10 games since the league restarted.

What It Means for Orlando

While Hines must shoulder his share of the responsibility for the team’s lack of grit and slow development of younger players, it seems clear that his highest highs of 2024 featured a significant number of players elevating their play far beyond anything they’ve shown since. Players such as Summer Yates and Angelina haven’t been anywhere close to their 2024 levels.

Is that coaching or something else? Perhaps the 2024 double-winning season was simply the perfect storm of players buying in; a more talented roster that featured Adriana, Emily Sams, Ally Watt, and a not-yet-gone-on-maternity-leave Kylie Nadaner; the team playing for Luana during her battle with cancer; and the team pushing hard at the end for Marta (who somehow turned back the clock and played as she did in her prime). But the drop-off in quality across the board from returning players on that team and this year is unmistakable, and some players who were fine as bench/role players in 2024 have been asked to log more minutes since, and they haven’t been up to the task.

There is nothing Hines could do about the parade of injury absences the 2026 Pride have endured, and to his credit, he never used it as an excuse. There is also (probably) little Hines could have done about the level of talent he was given on this year’s team. Sams was “replaced” by Hailie Mace and/or Hannah Anderson, depending on how you look at it, but neither player was ever going to provide anything close to what the former NWSL Defender of the Year did during her stay in Orlando. Watt was ostensibly replaced by Nicole Payne, who is also fast but not nearly as polished.

Rafaelle’s fitness issues have been numerous during her Pride career, and this season, her presence has been as big a liability as her absence. Kerry Abello has likewise not been able to get/stay available for selection in 2026. Marta, who has not produced much of her usual magic this year, has had limited availability all season after falling off significantly in form in 2025.

Additionally, Orlando’s commitment to getting younger didn’t work as well as the club had hoped. None of the younger players have panned out (though Solai Washington has shown promising signs), and some of those players have been shipped out on loan to gain experience.

Under Haley Carter, players who were nearing the ends of their deals were locked down early if they were deemed important to the club’s future. Yet this season, we’ve seen only Seven Castain and Cara Martin get extensions thus far, despite the Pride having a number of players either out of contract entirely or coming up on option years at the end of the season.

With all due respect to Castain and Martin, they did not seem like priority signings, considering playing time, but that may be where Hines held different opinions of his players than Carducci. One also wonders whether the reluctance to change goalkeepers amidst Anna Moorhouse’s major struggles in 2026 was a directive from above or solely Hines’ opinion that Moorhouse gave the club the best chance to win and that she would regain her form.

The Pride will now move on, and a new coach isn’t going to be able to find much more success than Hines did — certainly not more than he had in 2024 — without building a team that can adequately defend, win battles in the midfield, and string accurate passes together long enough to work the ball forward to Barbra Banda and Jacquie Ovalle. And better supporting attackers for those two expensive signings must be found as well. Ovalle has not been nearly good enough to justify her pricetag, although the glimpses of what she could provide the club appear from time to time.

There is still time for Orlando to make the playoffs, although the task will be difficult. Thomas is well regarded as a coach and is ready for a head coaching position. This will be her opportunity to see if she can get this Pride roster to elevate its level down the stretch.

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Orlando Pride vs. Utah Royals FC: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Blow Halftime Lead

Barbra Banda put the Pride ahead at halftime but the Royals took advantage of a sluggish Orlando defense to come from behind.

Published

7 days ago

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August 29, 2026

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Image of Jacquie Ovalle with the ball against Utah.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

The Orlando Pride took a 1-0 lead into halftime on Barbra Banda’s strike, but the Utah Royals took control in the second half, taking advantage of a slow and struggling Orlando back line to come from behind and win 2-1 at Inter.co Stadium tonight.

It was another disappointing performance by the Pride (8-12-2, 26 points), who slipped to 12th place in the NWSL, while the Royals (12-7-3, 39 points), who had been inconsistent in recent weeks, vaulted to second in the league table.

“I thought first half we were all right. We created some good opportunities, took the lead,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said after the match. “Going to the second half, we felt we needed to put a little bit more pressure on the ball, not allow Utah to get too much territory, and you know we were half a step off, and they were able to carve us open and get that goal. I’m disappointed to sit here and say there’s another defeat at home in front of our own fans.”

Hines deployed his typical 4-2-3-1 formation with goalkeeper Cosette Morché behind a back line made up of Hailie Mace, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Oihane . Ally Lemos and Haley McCutcheon served as the defensive midfielders, with Summer Yates, Jacquie Ovalle, and Angelina taking up the attacking midfield roles and Banda up top.

Orlando came out the stronger side early, spending long stretches of possession in Utah’s half. Kate Del Fava was shown an early yellow card in the fourth minute for impeding Banda, the first sign of the physical match that would follow.

A ball over the top played Banda in behind in the ninth minute and fired a shot on target, but the play was called back for offside. She broke forward again moments later on a promising run, only to be fouled just outside the box by Tatumn Milazzo, who was shown a yellow card of her own in the 10th minute. Ovalle sent the resulting free kick into Utah’s defensive wall, ending the threat.

Utah began to find its footing in the middle stretch of the first half. Miyabi Moriya fired over the bar in the 14th minute after the visitors won a corner, and Cece Delzer got in behind after a giveaway by Lemos on a ball over the top two minutes later, squaring for Kiana Palacios, whose effort went wide right. Del Fava sailed an effort over the bar in the 18th minute off another Utah corner, and Mina Tanaka headed wide in the 22nd minute after meeting Del Fava’s long ball into the box. Two minutes later, Cloé Lacasse’s corner was cleared away before the ball came back to Tanaka, who saw Oihane block her follow-up effort.

Orlando began to funnel much of its attacking play down the right side as the half wore on, though Utah continued to threaten as well. McCutcheon produced a point-blank block to deny Tanaka in the 28th minute, although the play was called for offside in the buildup. Orlando answered a minute later down the same flank, with Banda charging into the box and squaring a cross beyond Mandy McGlynn, but McCutcheon’s effort on the end of it went just wide, with the offside flag coming up once again.

Cards began to pile up as the half continued. Ovalle was shown a yellow card in the 32nd minute for fouling Moriya, who was trying to work her way past her about 24 yards from goal. Nuria Rábano took the resulting free kick, sailing it wide right in the 33rd minute. Angelina picked up a caution in the 35th minute, pulling back Delzer to snuff out a Utah break. The foul was unnecessary, as there were several Pride players behind the ball.

The visitors worked the ball down the left from Tanaka to Lacasse to Madison Hammond, whose shot in the 40th minute was straight at Morché. Delzer tested Morché again a minute later, but she came up with another save to keep the game scoreless.

Orlando broke the deadlock in the 44th minute. The Pride won the ball back in midfield, and Yates slid a through ball in behind for Banda. The Zambian international drove into the box, with McGlynn coming out to meet her. The Utah goalkeeper deflected the ball but it hit Banda and spilled out in front of the striker, allowing her to calmly slot it into an empty net to make it 1-0.

“It’s definitely been up and down for me. I feel like coming in, kind of getting some starts and then dealing with some injuries, have kind of just made the season a little bit of a roller coaster for me,” Yates said. “Being able to start tonight was awesome, and being able to assist Barbra is something we work on in training a lot, so it was nice to go out and see that shine on the field.”

Utah earned a corner in stoppage time that Lacasse sent right to Morché, who saved it easily. The Pride took their 1-0 lead into the half following two minutes of stoppage time.

The Royals led every category in the first half: possession (60%-40%), shots (9-3), shots on target (2-1), passing accuracy (85%-76%), and corners (5-0).

Utah drew level just five minutes into the second half. Palacios blazed past the slower Rafaelle and sent in a cross from the right that found Lacasse, who had similarly blown past Oihane. Lacasse tapped it past Morché to tie the match at 1-1.

Rábano was whistled for a foul in the 51st minute, and the ensuing minute brought a flurry of chances at both ends. Del Fava blocked Ovalle’s effort, and Utah countered immediately. Ana Tejada shot, but Morché punched it out of play for a corner. Lacasse played the set piece short, but it came to nothing.

Tejada tried to test Morché again in the 56th minute off a set piece Oihane conceded, but her effort missed the target. Lacasse forced a save out of the goalkeeper in the 57th minute with a shot from outside the box. She was off target three minutes later as well, firing over the crossbar after another spell of Utah possession just outside Orlando’s box.

McCutcheon fired into the side netting in the 63rd minute, but the wayward effort was about all Orlando could muster as the Pride’s play grew increasingly flat.

Utah made a double substitution in the 64th minute, bringing on Paige Cronin for Moriya and Dayana Pierre-Louis for Hammond. Hines countered a minute later with a triple substitution of his own, sending on Zara Chavoshi for Rafaelle in a concussion substitution, Nicole Payne for Yates, and Luana for Lemos.

The changes did little to slow Utah down. Lacasse worked the ball well inside the box down the left in the 69th minute. Oihane was trying to defend it but failed her tackle attempt and fell down, leaving Lacasse free to square it to the top of the box for Cronin — on the field for only four minutes — who fired a shot past Morché that the goalkeeper couldn’t keep out to put the visitors in front, 2-1.

Gabi Nunes replaced Angelina in the 75th minute as Orlando added an attacker, searching for an equalizer.

Banda won a corner in the 78th minute with a shot that deflected off a Utah defender, and Ovalle’s ensuing delivery started a scramble in the box. McGlynn punched the initial ball away, and Milazzo blocked Banda’s follow-up effort. The loose ball fell to Payne, whose shot was also blocked and cleared. McGlynn was eventually able to collect the recycle attempt to end the sequence.

Tejada’s foul earned her a yellow card in the 81st minute, conceding a free kick. Luana delivered the set piece into the box, but it didn’t trouble McGlynn, who collected it easily.

Hines made his fifth and final substitution in the 85th minute, sending on Hannah Anderson for Hailie Mace.

Orlando’s buildup play was never quite good enough to break down the Utah defense as the minutes ticked down, and the Royals read what the Pride were trying to do well enough to control the game and run the clock.

Utah nearly extended its lead in the 91st minute. Chavoshi mishit a clearance, and with Lacasse set up to fire on the loose ball, Oihane fouled from behind. The referee pointed to the spot, but a video review showed Lacasse handled the ball prior to the foul and the penalty was overturned.

Banda fired a desperate effort from distance in the seventh added minute that deflected off a Utah player and out for a corner. Ovalle’s ensuing delivery sailed over everyone in the box in the 98th minute, and Orlando recovered the loose ball, but the passage didn’t produce a shot. A minute later, Orlando worked another ball into the box that Banda met with a header on target, but McGlynn was there again to make the save.

That was the final look at goal as the Pride dropped their fourth game out of the last five.

Utah led in every statistical category after a dominant second half, finishing with the advantage in possession (60%-40%), shots (18-9), shots on target (6-2), passing accuracy (83%-69%), and corners (7-2).

“This game was really frustrating for us because we do feel like, you know, we were up 1-0 in the first half and then give up two and lose the game in the second,” Lemos said. “I think we’re just really excited and really eager to go improve ourselves and show that, you know, we’re here to make a run for playoffs and it’s still possible.”

Next up, the Pride stay home to host the Houston Dash on Sunday, Sept. 6.

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