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Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns: Final Score 2-0 as Pride Drop Second Straight

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3 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (5-7-6, 21 points) dropped their second consecutive game, falling to the Portland Thorns (8-3-7, 31 points) 2-0 at Exploria Stadium. Yazmeen Ryan opened the scoring in the 31st minute and Hina Sugita doubled the visitors’ lead in the 65th minute.

This was the second time that these two teams met during the 2022 NWSL season. The first meeting was a dominant 6-0 win by Portland at Providence Park. While the Pride weren’t beaten as badly in this one, it was just as dominant of a performance by the Thorns.

The first half was almost all Portland as the Pride didn’t even get a shot off until the 36th minute. They were much more competitive in the second half, but the best chances were still created by the visitors.

Pride Interim Head Coach Seb Hines made three changes to the team that lost 2-1 to OL Reign two weeks ago. Erin McLeod was in concussion protocol, giving backup Anna Moorhouse the opportunity to start for the first time since the NWSL Challenge Cup. Toni Pressley re-entered the lineup for Carrie Lawrence and Mikayla Cluff took the place of Viviana Villacorta, who had season-ending ankle surgery after sustaining an injury against OL Reign.

The back four in front of Moorhouse for this game was Celia, Megan Montefusco, Pressley, and Kylie Strom. Jordyn Listro and Meggie Dougherty Howard were in the defensive midfield behind Cluff, Erika Tymrak, and Kerry Abello, with Julie Doyle up top.

The first chance of the game was in the fourth minute when Natalia Kuikka sent a long ball for Sophia Smith. However, Montefusco played it well and was able to knock it out of play. The ensuing corner by Sam Coffey found the head of Morgan Weaver but the header was wide.

The second chance of the game came in the 11th minute when Kuikka sent a cross in from the left, again looking for Smith. The U.S. international appeared to have a chance at goal but Montefusco did well again to step in front and knock it out of play. The corner by Ryan was turned on goal by Kelli Hubly but was over the crossbar.

In the 18th minute, Portland had its third chance of the game off of a Pride turnover. Attempting to work the ball out of the back, a poor pass by Listro for Cluff resulted in the latter tipping the ball to Sugita. The turnover allowed Sugita space to shoot from the top of the box but it was right to Moorhouse.

The first multiple-shot attack of the game came in the 24th minute. A shot by Smith from the left side of the box was blocked away by Moorhouse but the Thorns maintained possession. Smith received the ball back and made a nice turn to beat her defender and get into the box. But the ball got a bit too far from her and Pressley cleared it out of play for a corner kick. The ensuing corner by Coffey was caught by Moorhouse.

After dominating the possession and chances, the Thorns finally broke through in the 31st minute. It started in the back when Becky Sauerbrunn played Meghan Klingenberg to the left. She found Weaver making a run towards the corner and the forward quickly sent the ball into the box. Ryan was there to get on the end of the cross and put it past Moorhouse for the game’s opening goal.

The Pride finally got their first chance at goal in the 36th minute. A hard challenge by Ryan on Strom gave the Pride a free kick outside the top left corner of the box. Dougherty Howard sent the cross in for Cluff, who turned and shot, but a defender got a foot to it and Portland cleared.

The Pride got their best chance of the first half in the 40th minute when Olivia Moultrie fouled Tymrak just outside of the box. Pressley stepped up to the ball, looking to smash it towards goal, but the free kick was off the wall and out for a corner kick.

The ensuing corner by Tymrak found the head of Cluff near the top of the six-yard box. The young midfielder attempted to send the ball inside the far post but it went just wide for a Thorns goal kick.

A minute later, Dougherty Howard sent Abello down the left side of the field. Hubly stepped up to defend, but Abello played it around her, beating Hubly with her speed. It looked like Abello would have a good shot on goal, but the defender recovered, knocking her off balance. As a result, the shot was wide of the near post.

“It’s hot here. It gets humid,” Hines said about the team getting better chances at the end of the first half. “It’s a difficult environment to play in. And that’s where we’ve ended games — first halves and second halves — better because we adapted to the environment. We’ve pushed the players extremely hard and fitness levels and, you know, we just need to get that reward at the end of the day.”

The first 45 minutes were dominated by the visitors. Portland led the first half in possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (10-4), shots on target (5-0), corners (3-1), crosses (8-2), and passing accuracy (87.1%-74.5%).

“The last few games we’ve started a little bit flat, you know, been timid,” Cluff said about the first half. “I don’t know if that’s because of who we know we’re playing. It’s a better opponent than the last games before that.”

The second half started similarly to how most of the first half went. In the 47th minute, a Smith shot was blocked out of play by Pressley for a corner. It didn’t result in a shot, but the Pride were unable to clear. Courtney Petersen, who came on for Erika Tymrak at the half, won the ball and tried to play it across the field but sent it directly to a Thorns player.

The Thorns continued to maintain possession and had a great chance to double their lead in the 49th minute. Quick passing allowed Klingenberg to find Ryan near the penalty spot. The first-half goal scorer fired with no defenders near her but hit it well high of the target.

In the first half, the Pride weren’t able to get a shot off until the 36th minute. However, they got off to a better attacking start in the second 45 minutes. In the 52nd minute, Petersen drew two defenders near the end line and found Dougherty Howard at the top corner of the box. The midfielder attempted to curl the ball inside the far post but missed wide.

Two minutes later, an aggressive takedown of Strom by Kuikka gave the Pride a free kick. Dougherty Howard sent the ball into the box where it landed at the foot of Listro. She quickly fired towards goal but her shot was blocked, allowing Portland to clear.

The visitors had another good chance to double their lead in the 57th minute when Kuikka sent a long ball towards the back post. Weaver was charging in but the ball tailed toward the goal line. Moorhouse did well to tip the ball away or it either would have snuck just inside the far post or would’ve been met by Weaver. Instead, it was a corner kick.

Portland doubled its lead in the 65th minute after picking up possession by taking it from Dougherty Howard near midfield. Moultrie carried the ball inside the box but was turned back away from goal. Instead of looking for her own shot, she played it back to Sugita outside of the box. Since no Pride defenders stepped up, Sugita decided to have a go at goal. The shot didn’t initially look very dangerous, but Moorhouse didn’t seem to see it until the last second and it went off the inside of the far post and in to increase the Portland lead to 2-0.

“I thought it was going wide,” Moorhouse said about conceding the goal. “I got my bearings just a little bit off. But, to be fair, she put it in off the post so it was right in the corner. So I’m going to have to come up with something special to even keep that out.”

Portland had a great chance for a third from the team’s leading goal scorer in the 74th minute. The Thorns had a transition opportunity and Weaver found Smith in the box with no defenders around her. Moorhouse decided to stay on her line instead of coming out to cut down her angle, but Smith’s shot was well over the goal.

As time wound down, the Pride created some chances, trying to get back into the game. This included a long-distance shot by Cluff, a free kick into the box by substitute Thais Reiss, and a header towards goal by Montefusco off a corner. But none of these chances were on target and Portland went home with a 2-0 win.

In the end, Portland led the Pride in every meaningful statistical category. The Thorns had more possession (60.6%-39.4%), shots (19-10), shots on target (8-1), corners (7-6), crosses (16-13), and passing accuracy (86.8%-75.1%).

“A tough one. Portland are a top team,” Hines said about the performance. “They’re obviously high on the table. It’s another good test for us and a good test to see where we’re at in terms of our progression. And, you know, I felt like we were a little bit off today, a little bit off of our passing. There was moments where we won the ball. We didn’t really threaten them behind. We’re all showing to feet, which encouraged their press even more. And, you know, we didn’t do our principles to the fullest.”

“I think what Seb said in the huddle after the game, we just need to keep going as a team and being together,” Moorhouse added. “We’ve just played two tough teams and we’ve done in most parts well against them. I think we need to stick to our principles a little bit more against the tough teams and keep playing our game and not give them too much respect to come here especially and play that game. So we need to disrupt the bigger teams a little bit more from their own game.”

Prior to the OL Reign game two weeks ago, two of the last three games were against teams currently out of a playoff spot. Facing better teams, they’ve now lost two in a row. The next two games are against teams out of the playoffs so the Pride have an opportunity to claim points.

The loss keeps the Pride in eighth in the NWSL standings with just four games remaining in the season. They’ll look to break their current losing streak next Friday night when they take on Racing Louisville in Kentucky.

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Announce 2026 NWSL Schedule

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

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4 days ago

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January 15, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

The National Women’s Soccer League schedule was announced this morning, telling us who, where, and when the Orlando Pride will play this year. The 2026 season will once again feature a balanced schedule with all teams playing the other 15 teams once at home and once on the road. The addition of Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC will see each team play 30 games, making it the longest regular season in league history.

The Pride will begin the season at home, facing the Seattle Reign on March 15. This season begins with a two-game homestand, ending with the club’s first-ever match against the Summit and the return of Ally Watt. The first road game will occur on March 25 when the Pride face Chicago Stars FC in Evanston, IL.

The Pride’s home schedule will end on Oct. 25 when they face NJ/NY Gotham FC. They’ll then travel west to face Seattle on Decision Day in the return game on Nov. 1, concluding the team’s 11th season in existence.

Orlando’s games this year are well distributed among the league’s various broadcast partners. The Pride will play nine times on Victory+ — the league’s new free streaming partner. Additionally, they’ll play six times on Prime Video, five times on Ion, twice on CBS Sports Network, once on ESPN, and once on ESPN2. The remaining games will be available on NWSL+.

Should the Pride qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive year, the quarterfinals will take play Nov. 6-8, followed by the semifinals on Nov. 14-15. The championship game will take place on Nov. 21 at a location yet to be determined.

The longest homestand this year is two games and will occur three times. As previously mentioned, the Pride begin with a pair of home games against Seattle and Denver on March 15 and March 20, respectively. They’ll host the Washington Spirit and North Carolina Courage on May 2 and May 8, respectively; the Kansas City Current and Boston on July 10 and July 15, respectively; and Utah Royals FC and the Houston Dash on Aug. 29 and Sept. 6, respectively.

The longest road trip this year is a three-game swing in May. Orlando will face Boston at Gillette Stadium on May 12, Denver on May 16, and San Diego Wave FC on May 24.

The league will take a month-long break during June as the country hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Pride’s final game before the break is on May 29 at home against Bay FC and they will return to action on July 3 against Angel City FC in Los Angeles.

The busiest months of the season will be May and July, when the Pride will play six times in each month. They’ll play four times in March, August, and September, three times in October, twice in April, and once in November.

Here’s a month-by-month breakdown of the regular season:

  • March — 4
  • April — 2
  • May — 6
  • June — 0
  • July — 6
  • August — 4
  • September — 4
  • October — 3
  • November — 1

The most common day the Pride will play this year will be Friday (11 times), the same as last year. They’ll play nine games on Sunday, seven on Saturday, two on Wednesday, and one rare Tuesday match.

Here’s the Pride’s breakdown by day for the regular season:

  • Monday — 0
  • Tuesday — 1
  • Wednesday — 2
  • Thursday — 0
  • Friday — 11
  • Saturday — 7
  • Sunday — 9

For fans that follow Orlando City and the Pride, the teams will play on the same day five times. However, two of the days won’t see the games overlap. On May 2, the Pride hosts the Spirit at 4 p.m. and the Lions face Inter Miami away at 7 p.m. On Sept. 19, the Pride host the Portland Thorns at 4 p.m while City plays at the New England Revolution at 7:30 p.m. 

The teams’ games will overlap on three occasions, but they never start at the same time. On May 16, Orlando City hosts Atlanta United at 7:30 p.m. before the Pride play in Denver at 8:45 p.m. On Aug. 15, Orlando City hosts FC Cincinnati at 7:30 p.m. and the Pride play in Portland at 8:45 p.m. On Aug. 29, the Pride host the Royals at 7 p.m. and Orlando City faces Minnesota United FC away at 8:30 p.m.

2026 Orlando Pride Schedule (All Times Eastern)

  • Sunday, March 15 — vs. Seattle Reign FC, 4 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, March 20 — vs. Denver Summit FC, 8 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Wednesday, March 25 — at Chicago Stars FC 8 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Sunday, March 29 — at NJ/NY Gotham FC, 7 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, April 3 — vs. Angel City FC, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Friday, April 24 — at Racing Louisville FC, 5:30 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Saturday, May 2 — vs. Washington Spirit, 4 p.m. (ION)
  • Friday, May 8 — vs. North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Tuesday, May 12 — at Boston Legacy FC, 8 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Saturday, May 16 — at Denver Summit FC, 8:45 p.m. (ION)
  • Sunday, May 24 — at San Diego Wave FC, 7 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, May 29 — vs. Bay FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
  • Friday, July 3 — at Angel City FC, 10 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Friday, July 10 — vs. Kansas City Current, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Wednesday, July 15 — vs. Boston Legacy FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
  • Saturday, July 18 — at Utah Royals FC, 8:45 p.m. (ION)
  • Friday, July 24 — vs. Chicago Stars FC, 8 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, July 31 — at North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Saturday, Aug. 8 — vs. Racing Louisville FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
  • Saturday, Aug. 15 — at Portland Thorns, 8:45 p.m. (ION)
  • Sunday, Aug. 23 — at Washington Spirit, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
  • Saturday, Aug. 29 — vs. Utah Royals FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
  • Sunday, Sept. 6 — vs. Houston Dash, 7 p.m. (Victory+)
  • Friday, Sept. 11 — at Kansas City Current, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Saturday, Sept. 19 — vs. Portland Thorns, 4 p.m. (ION)
  • Sunday, Sept. 27 — at Bay FC, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
  • Friday, Oct. 2 — vs. San Diego Wave FC, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
  • Sunday, Oct. 18 — at Houston Dash, 1 p.m. (CBSSN)
  • Sunday, Oct. 25 — vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 3 p.m. (CBSSN)
  • Sunday, Nov. 1 — at Seattle Reign FC, 5 p.m. (TBD)
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How the Orlando Pride Can Return to the Mountaintop

What needs to happen for the Pride to win hardware in 2026?

Published

4 days ago

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January 15, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

A fall-off after winning the double in 2024 was probably inevitable, yet the Orlando Pride still managed to come within minutes of playing in a second straight NWSL championship match. Many of the pieces are still there, and there are resources to get more. However, there have been some big changes in personnel on and off the pitch.

What needs to happen for the Pride to challenge for another double in 2026?

Reinvigorate the Attack

The return of Barbra Banda is the balm to soothe the worries of Orlando Pride fans. Even when the Pride struggled before she was injured, Banda scored plenty of goals. The biggest problem is she was left on an island as the team tried lobbing the ball up the field to her, hoping she’d do it all herself. Jacquie Ovalle didn’t take the NWSL by storm as we hoped, but it sometimes takes time for a player to adjust to a new league and club. If they had been able to work together, it’s likely the Orlando attack wouldn’t have faltered. Ovalle’s ability to deliver the ball into the box, combined with Banda’s ability to put the ball in the net, is a dangerous combo.

Of course, the Pride will need more than the two of them if the club is to win some trophies in 2026. I made this point several times last season, but Marta needs to find her form from 2024. With Banda and Ovalle in the attack, it should allow Marta the freedom she needs to be creative without having to carry the offense. Additionally, the Pride need other attackers to also find their 2024 form. I’m looking at Julie Doyle and Summer Yates in particular.

Fill the Roster

Haley Carter didn’t leave the cupboard bare when she departed for the wicked Washington Spirit. As such, Seb Hines and new Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Caitlin Carducci don’t have too much to do. But, the transfer of Emily Sams did create a need at center back. Fortunately, the Orlando Pride received $650,000 in intraleague transfer funds for Sams. That kind of cash can go a long way to filling the gaps in the roster.

With Kylie Nadaner on maternity leave and Rafaelle seemingly always on the verge of injury, finding a replacement for Sams is a priority. Some might point to Zara Chavoshi, but unless she levels up quickly, Carducci will need to look elsewhere. Offensively, as important as Banda is, adding another striker is necessary for quality depth. The departures of Ally Watt and Prisca Chilufya mean there’s a spot for an even better backup striker. I’m also not opposed to a quality left back.

Find the Grit

In 2024, the entire Pride team was personally offended if the opposition scored a goal. The level of defending up and down the pitch was a big factor in breaking records and winning hardware. The players need to pick up the chip and put it back on their metaphorical shoulders. I somewhat addressed this with the need to replace Sams, but there’s more to it than that. The Pride wore teams down over the course of a match, meaning it wasn’t necessary to score tons of goals. Of course, it’s not just the back line that needs to be better, but the entire team. Fortunately, Hines knows a thing or two about defenses. The Pride still have Marta to motivate them, and that — while not everything — is not a small advantage.

Those are the things I will be looking for in 2026. Let me know your thoughts or ideas in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando Pride Name Caitlin Carducci Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager

Caitlin Carducci leaves the Kansas City Current to become the Pride’s new vice president of soccer operations and general manager.

Published

6 days ago

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January 13, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride have found their replacement for Haley Carter, naming former Kansas City Current general manager Caitlin Carducci as the club’s new vice president of soccer operations and general manager. Carducci arrives in Orlando after helping assemble the Current squad that broke some of the Pride’s league records set in 2024, moving from the 2025 NWSL Shield winners to the 2024 NWSL Shield Winners.

“Caitlin is a proven leader whose experience across every level of women’s soccer and history of building championship-caliber rosters set her apart,” Orlando Pride Owner and Chairman Mark Wilf said in a club press release. “She emerged as the clear choice in our search with her deep expertise, strong reputation, and a vision that aligns with our culture. Caitlin is the ideal person to elevate the strong foundation we have established and position the Pride for sustained success.”

The Pride used Bloom Sports Partners to assist in the club’s search for Carter’s replacement. Carter left behind a team that won the double in 2024, capturing both the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship, and came tantalizingly close to a second straight appearance in the NWSL final last season. Carducci, who helped architect the team that won another trophy in 2024 — the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup — now inherits the club Carter left behind on Nov. 18 of last year to take a job with the Washington Spirit.

“I’m incredibly honored and excited to take on this role and help elevate the strong foundation that the club’s players, staff, and supporters have already created,” Carducci said in the club’s release. “The chance to work with the Wilf family, whose leadership and investment reflect their commitment to a world-class organization, along with a championship-level roster and technical staff, made this an easy decision. I’m eager to begin this next chapter, strengthen the inclusive and ambitious culture that defines this club, and help push the Pride toward new heights.”

Carducci spent the last three seasons with Kansas City, serving multiple roles, most recently as the Current’s general manager. She joined Kansas City in 2023 as director of soccer operations, becoming interim general manager in May of 2024. Carducci became the club’s GM later that season. Her key accomplishments include bringing in the final piece of the Current’s puzzle — Brazilian international goalkeeper Lorena, who broke Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse’s short-lived NWSL single-season record for shutouts. Carducci also acquired Ally Sentnor during the 2025 season from the Utah Royals. She was also instrumental in the Current re-signing star players Debinha, Temwa Chawinga, Michelle Cooper, and Lo’eau Labonta.

That Current team set new league single-season records for most wins (21), points (65), and shutouts (16), and won the NWSL Shield faster than any previous winner in NWSL history.

During her playing days, Carducci played at Ashland University. The Central Ohio native later served as an assistant coach at Ohio Northern University while completing her law degree.

Like Carter, Carducci has a varied background and numerous skillsets that will serve her well in her new position. She served as a compliance officer at Xavier University and as manager of member programs for U.S. Soccer, overseeing professional player registration and FIFA compliance and acting as the primary point of contact for organization members, including state associations and professional leagues. She returned to U.S. Soccer in 2022, where she became vice president of member programs and stakeholder engagement.

What It Means for Orlando

In the short term, hiring a general manager should help fill out a roster that came close to a second consecutive NWSL final, despite being without star striker Barbra Banda for the final weeks of the season and all of the postseason. That roster needs immediate help at center back after Emily Sams recently requested and received a trade to Angel City. There aren’t a lot of holes in the Pride roster, but the center back group needs help and more production and depth are needed in the attack.

Overall, this seems on the surface to be an addition that mirrors the Pride bringing Carter to Orlando in 2023. She brings a variety of experiences that will help the club in multiple ways. From her law degree to her compliance background to evaluating talent and luring those players to non-marquee market teams, Carducci seems to check all the boxes. It’s easy to understand how the club arrived at this decision. Ultimately, how Carducci’s tenure in Orlando goes will depend on what the club does on the field and how well it develops talent.

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