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Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Final Score 1-1 as Pride Claim Point in Final Challenge Cup Game

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4 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (0-4-2, 2 points) held off a furious second half attack by NJ/NY Gotham FC (1-2-3, 6 points) to claim a 1-1 draw in their final 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup game. It’s the team’s second point of the tournament and ends a four-game losing streak.

Pride Head Coach Amanda Cromwell made several changes to the team from its 4-2 loss to the North Carolina Courage last week. Kaylie Collins made her Pride debut in goal after Anna Moorhouse started the last three games, and Kerry Abello got her first start for the team. Additionally, Gunny Jonsdottir and Angharad James returned to the starting lineup after the former started from the bench against the Courage and the latter was away on international duty.

After Gotham sent the opening kickoff long to Collins, the Pride dominated possession early. However, it was the hosts that got the early chances on goal. Kristie Mewis took the first shot from 35 yards out and Ifeoma Onumonu created a second chance in the eighth minute. But both attempts were at Collins for her first two professional saves.

A scary situation occurred in the fourth minute when Jonsdottir went down injured after a collision. The Pride have already lost Marta for the season and Sydney Leroux and Erin McLeod suffered injuries during the Challenge Cup. Fortunately, Jonsdottir was able to recover and return.

As Jonsdottir ran back onto the field in the 10th minute, the Pride prepared to take their first corner of the game. James’ corner found the head of Jonsdottir inside the six-yard box and the midfielder put it past Ashlyn Harris for the game’s first goal. It was the first time the Pride had led in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup.

“It was a great ball from Ang,” Jonsdottir said about the goal. “All I had to do was just redirect it. So credit to her.” 

The Pride scored four goals in this year’s Challenge Cup with all coming in the first 15 minutes of a half. However, the team continued pressuring Gotham throughout the half, even if it didn’t result in more goals.

In the 15th minute, James found Leah Pruitt in the box. In her second straight start, Pruitt tried to get her head to the ball, but it was a little too high. Four minutes later, Pruitt sent a ball into the box for Jonsdottir. Unfortunately, the ball was just behind her and Gotham was able to clear.

In the 25th minute, Toni Pressley attempted a half volley from the top of the box that was deflected out of play for a Pride corner kick. That was the first of four consecutive corner kicks for the Pride as they kept the pressure on in the Gotham third of the field.

The Pride’s inability to finish those opportunities nearly cost them five minutes later. In the 32nd minute, the defense was unable to successfully clear the ball, resulting in a scramble in the box. Eventually, Onumonu got her foot to it but sent the ball wide of the right post.

Gotham had a shout for a penalty in the 39th minute when Celia made contact with Paige Monaghan in the box. The Gotham attacker threw her arms into the air as the referee waved his finger back and forth, indicating that there was nothing in the tackle.

Monaghan took out her frustration about the call on the other end by taking down Abello. However, this decision gave the Pride a golden opportunity with a free kick near the top of the Gotham box. Three potential takers were standing over the ball, with Pressley eventually taking the free kick. She took a strong shot but it was well high of the target, causing no trouble for Harris.

After being denied a penalty six minutes earlier, Gotham got their spot kick in the 45th minute. Onumonu carried the ball into the box along the end line and Pressley picked her up during the run. As the two got tangled, Onumonu went down and the referee pointed to the spot.

It was the fifth time that Pressley has conceded a penalty since joining the Pride in 2016. The second most number of penalties conceded in Pride history is Ali Krieger’s two.

Mewis stepped up to the ball and, after a few deep breaths, directed the penalty kick toward the left corner. Collins guessed the right direction, but the shot was just beyond her reach, evening the game at 1-1.

Four minutes into first half injury time, Gotham nearly took the lead. Onumonu turned Pressley near the top of the box and fired toward the far corner. The ball got beyond Collins’ outstretched arm, but skipped just past the post, allowing the Pride to reach halftime tied.

“It’s hard that we concede a goal right before half,” Jonsdottir said after the game. “But that’s the game. We had to keep our focus and we could have gotten one. It still could have gone either way.”

The game was quite even in the first 45 minutes. Gotham had a slight lead in possession (50.6%-49.4%) and both teams had eight shots. However, the Pride had more corners (7-1), crosses (19-7), duels won (21-19), and tackles won (6-4). Gotham had more shots on target (3-1), passes (191-172), and better passing accuracy (73.3%-69.2%).

“I was really confident heading into halftime,” Cromwell said after the game. “And there’s times we’ve come out and been good in the second half when we’ve had a poor first half.”

While the game was pretty even in the first half, the second 45 minutes was all Gotham. The attack by the hosts started early and they maintained the pressure throughout the final period of play.

The two most dangerous players for Gotham were Kumi Yokoyama and Monaghan. In the 50th minute, Yokoyama sent a dangerous ball across the box, but it was just beyond the reach of both Onumonu and Monaghan.

Five minutes later, it was Monaghan who sent a cross into the box. The ball was a bit too high for Onumonu, but the striker was able to get the top of her head on it and redirect it to the top of the box. The ball went straight to a waiting Yokoyama, who half-volleyed it toward goal. It appeared to be blocked by Jonsdottir on the way out of play but the referee issued a goal kick.

In the 60th minute, Yokoyama had another chance closer to goal. Her shot from the right wasn’t hit well and headed toward the center of the box. While Gotham players were awaiting its arrival, Collins responded quickly, coming out to collect it.

In the 64th minute, Abello shielded Caprice Dydasco to the left of goal. She attempted to send the ball past Harris, but the former Pride captain made herself big and blocked the shot with her left foot.

A minute later, the Pride’s rookie goalkeeper showed that she was equal to the task. McCall Zerboni sent Onumonu between Megan Montefusco and Pressley, giving the Nigerian international a breakaway on goal. While Abello used the wrong foot to shoot, the more experienced Omumonu attempted to curl it around Collins. But the rookie did well to come off her line to make the stop.

Gotham came inches away from taking the lead again in the 78th minute. Catching the Pride defenders too far up field, Mewis sent a long ball to Monaghan who got behind the defense. Before Pressley could catch up, Monaghan took a hard shot from the left of goal. The ball beat Collins but slammed off the crossbar.

The strength of the shot allowed it to reach Nahomi Kawasumi on the other side. The hosts immediately worked the ball around, looking for another chance. Less than a minute after hitting the post, quick passing by Gotham resulted in a Monaghan cross into the six. Mewis beat the defenders to the ball and redirected it on goal, but Collins made a great reaction save, blocking it away.

While Gotham got most of the chances, the Pride did have some periods of play in the second half. In the 81st minute, Courtney Petersen sent Kylie Strom into the box. The substitute found Abi Kim, but her shot was right at Harris.

Two minutes later, Darian Jenkins attempted to lose Dydasco and free up some space to shoot on goal. The defender did well to stay with her and, when Jenkins finally did shoot, Dydasco was in place to block it.

As time wound down, the Pride were fiercely defending, trying to claim their second point of the Challenge Cup. Meanwhile, Gotham was full of confidence and kept up the attacking pressure.

In the 87th minute, Monaghan found Cam Tucker streaking behind the Pride back line. The substitute’s first touch was a shot from the top of the box, but it sailed well high of the goal. A minute later, it was Tucker looking to connect with a teammate. She sent a cross into the box, but Pressley was there to clear it away for a corner kick.

The final good chance for Gotham came in the 90th minute. Mewis found Monaghan darting behind the Pride defense and Monaghan sent a cross toward Onumonu. But Pressley stepped in front and cleared it away.

Unfortunately, the ball fell right to Mewis who continued her run after the initial pass. The U.S. international took the ball to the right, cutting down her angle, but found some space between two defenders. The ball got past Collins but skipped wide of the far post, allowing the Pride to see out a difficult draw.

In the end, Gotham ended up dominating possession (56.1%-43.9%). However, the other statistical categories showed the game to be quite close. Gotham led in shots (16-14), total passes (484-368), and passing accuracy (76.7%-66.8%), but the Pride had more corners (8-4) and both teams put four shots on target.

“It was a tale of two halves,” Cromwell said about the game. “And that happens in our game sometimes. And that’s what you have to do, get a second to really get the momentum. Take the wind out of their sails a little bit.”

“Some of these players haven’t played a full 90 and they’ve been kind of coming off the bench as reserves,” Cromwell added. “So we knew there was gonna be some tired legs in the second half.”

The big difference in the game was the fact that Gotham was unable to get most of its shots on frame. After putting three of eight shots on target in the first half, the hosts only put one of nine shots on target in the second half.

The fact that the Pride only gave up one goal in this game is a positive heading into the regular season. After strong defensive performances in the first three games, the team had given up four goals in each of the last two contests.

“It was definitely a rough second half,” Jonsdottir said. “They were pretty much down our throat most of the second half but our back line and everyone on the field gave everything to jump in front of every shot, to block crosses, do everything we could to keep it from going into the net. And we succeeded. I think that’s a win for us. Conceding four in the last two games, I think the team can be really proud. We gave everything to not concede more.”

After a tough preseason tournament, the teams will now look ahead to the more important regular season. With the Challenge Cup now behind them, both teams will fly to Orlando and meet again next Sunday at Exploria Stadium.

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

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

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3 days ago

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May 29, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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3 days ago

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May 29, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

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

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

History

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

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

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

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

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

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

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

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon.

Attacking Midfielders: Kerry Abello, Luana, Nicole Payne.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

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

Bay FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Emmie Allen.

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

Defensive Midfielders: Hannah Bebar, Claire Hutton.

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

Forward: Cristiana Girelli.

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

Referees

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

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: NWSL+.

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

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Three Keys to Victory

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

Published

4 days ago

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May 28, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

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

Keep the Chip

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

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

Overwhelm and Outscore

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

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

More Luana

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

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

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

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