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Orlando Pride vs. OL Reign: Final Score 2-1 as Late Megan Rapinoe Goal Halts Pride’s Unbeaten Run

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4 years ago

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A second-half, injury-time goal saw OL Reign (7-4-6, 27 points) defeat the Orlando Pride (5-6-6, 21 points) 2-1 at Exploria Stadium, putting an end to Orlando’s seven-match unbeaten run. The Pride took the lead in the 37th minute when Meggie Dougherty Howard took advantage of a mistake in the back, but second-half goals by Bethany Balcer and Megan Rapinoe lifted the visitors to the win.

Pride Interim Head Coach Seb Hines only made one change to the team that beat San Diego Wave FC 1-0 and NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-1 last weekend. Toni Pressley was unavailable for selection due to being in COVID protocol and was replaced by Carrie Lawrence. As a result, the back four in front of Erin McLeod was Celia, Megan Montefusco, Lawrence, and Kylie Strom. Dougherty Howard and Jordyn Listro were the defensive midfielders behind Erika Tymrak, Viviana Villacorta, and Kerry Abello, with Julie Doyle starting up top.

OL Reign dominated this game from the start. The Pride were unable to get the ball out of the back, repeatedly turning the ball over in their own end. It was 37 minutes before the Pride got their first real chance of the game. However, they stayed in the game because of some blocked shots by Lawrence and Montefusco, as well as the Reign only putting five of their 15 shots on target.

Rose Lavelle got a shot off for the game’s first chance in the fifth minute and Rapinoe took one in the sixth minute, but both were blocked away. They had another chance in the 11th minute when Celia conceded a corner. Rapinoe sent it to the near post but Alana Cook flicked it over the crossbar.

In the 13th minute, a Pride turnover gave Lavelle the opportunity to fire on goal from the top of the box. The ball beat McLeod but was off the crossbar, the closest chance of the opening minutes.

Two minutes later, Jess Fishlock sent a cross into the box that found the foot of Jordyn Huitema near the six-yard box. The forward volleyed the ball towards goal but it was right at McLeod, who made the catch.

In the 21st minute, Villacorta reached out for a ball near the sideline and appeared to roll onto her left ankle. The midfielder went down and required treatment. She tested her ankle on the sideline while the Pride played with 10, but ultimately wasn’t able to continue and was replaced by Mikayla Cluff.

“I’m not sure. Hopefully, fingers crossed, it’s nothing too serious,” Hines said about Villacorta’s injury. “We have to remember that this is her first season back from an ACL. So the way that she’s progressed and she’s been such an important part of our success.”

In the 34th minute, Strom tripped up Huitema as she attempted to beat her about 30 yards from goal. The ensuing free kick was taken by Rapinoe, who sent a bending ball into the box. The ball skipped past several players on its way through, without anyone being able to get a touch on it.

After 36 minutes of play, the game had been dominated by OL Reign. The visitors led in every statistic, recording seven shots and 13 crosses. Conversely, the Pride hadn’t created any chances, recording no shots, corner kicks, or crosses. But somehow they managed to score first.

In the 37th minute, the visitors attempted to play the ball out of the back. The Pride were pressing Sam Hiatt but she played the ball right to Dougherty Howard. The midfielder took a long shot at goal — the team’s first of the game — which deflected off Cook and went past Phallon Tullis-Joyce to give the Pride a very unexpected 1-0 lead.

The visitors nearly equalized a minute into first-half injury time. An OL Reign cross was tipped by the sliding foot of Lawrence and met the head of Balcer at the back post. However, McLeod showed quick reflexes to get to the ball before it got past her and pushed it away.

At halftime, OL Reign had more shots (8-2), shots on goal (3-1), corners (1-0), crosses (14-0) and passing accuracy (84.8%-77.4%). The Pride had slightly more possession (50.1%-49.9%) but were absolutely dominated in the first 45 minutes. However, the mistake by OL Reign allowed the hosts to go into the locker room with a one-goal lead.

“I thought we started the game slow and scared,” Hines said about the first half. “That was our message at halftime was do what we’ve been doing well to get to this point.”

“I think the first half, the last 20 minutes we dominated and we stuck to our principles and we were calm,” Tymrak said about the team’s mindset at halftime. “We were urgent going forward, were confident in how we wanted to play, and at halftime we said we have to keep that going and we play like that. We have this game.”

OL Reign started the second half as they’d played in the first. In the 53rd minute, Fishlock sent a ball towards the back post that was directed for Balcer. However, it was a little too far for the forward and Strom was able to see it out of play.

Following the chance for OL Reign, the Pride made their first second-half substitution. As he’s done in previous games, Hines took off Doyle minutes into the start of the half and brought on Ally Watt. It was Watt’s second appearance for her new team and her first in front of her new hometown fans.

In the 56th minute, the visitors found the equalizer. It started on a headed clearance by Lawrence that didn’t go very far. Tymrak was immediately on Rapinoe, who had collected the ball, but Rapinoe flicked it over Tymrak’s head, creating enough room for a cross. The ball landed on the head of Balcer who was charging into the six-yard box. McLeod got a hand on it but it wasn’t enough and it went into the bottom corner of the goal to even the game at 1-1.

The Reign nearly scored a second just a minute later when a quick throw-in by Rapinoe allowed Huitema to send in a cross at the end line. The cross reached Lavelle right in front of goal but she put it over the crossbar.

The Pride got their first second-half chance in the 67th minute, when Tymrak sent the ball forward for Watt, one of the league’s fastest players. Watt beat the Reign defenders to the ball and was able to get a shot off, but it was over the crossbar.

Following the Pride’s chance, the Reign went back on the attack. Fishlock found Rapinoe overlapping on the left in the 69th minute, allowing the latter to get off a cross. It was just out of reach for McLeod and glanced off the crossbar but none of her teammates were there to get on the end of it.

The Pride nearly had a second chance of the half in the 70th minute when Tymrak sent a low ball into the box. It was behind Dougherty Howard, but the first-half goal scorer managed to flick it on with her heel. Unfortunately, Tullis-Joyce got to it before any Pride attackers could.

Lavelle sent a ball towards the back post in the 73rd minute to set up another opportunity. Sofia Huerta beat her defender to the ball, allowing a chance with McLeod closer to the near post. However, it was a poor attempt and instead of redirecting it on goal, she hit it out of play for a goal kick.

Hines made two more subs in the 76th minute — one offensive and one defensive. On the attacking side, Gunny Jonsdottir came on for Abello. Defensively, Haley Hanson came on for her second appearance for the Pride, replacing Celia.

With time winding down, the visitors continued to push for a winner. In the 90th minute, Fishlock received a short clearance just outside the box. She quickly fired towards goal but hit it wide.

Two minutes into second-half stoppage time, the Reign got their second goal. Huerta sent a great ball towards the back post where Rapinoe was making a run. The forward slid in, getting her foot to the ball and knocking it in to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

“We knew they were good at whipping balls in the box, and they definitely executed on that,” Montefusco said about the second Reign goal. “So we have to give it to them.”

The Pride got one more chance a minute later through Tymrak. The midfielder took a shot from the top of the box that appeared to be heading just inside the post but Tullis-Joyce was able to make her way across the goal and catch it. That was the last action of the game.

In the end, the Pride had more possession (51.9%-48.1%), but OL Reign had more shots (15-8), shots on goal (5-3), crosses (25-6), and more accurate passes (81.2%-78.5%). Additionally, both teams had two corner kicks.

“I felt the second half was better,” Hines said after the game. “It’s a sucker punch at the end because I felt like we were starting to get momentum and we looked like the team that was going to get the winning goal. But, you know, football’s a cruel game at times. And it’s a learning moment for all of us.”

“It’s tough. I’m not gonna lie,” Montefusco said after the game. “You know, I thought our team has been building something really special. Obviously, you can see that out in the field. We put everything out there. It’s just really defeating to go down at the very end like that.”

The Pride will now have two weeks to reflect on this defeat before returning to action on Sept. 9 when they welcome the Portland Thorns to Exploria Stadium.

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Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns FC: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Fall on Late Goal

The Pride conceded a second-half stoppage time goal to lose their third consecutive game.

Published

5 hours ago

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August 16, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

The Orlando Pride (7-11-2, 23 points) lost their third consecutive game Saturday night, falling 2-1 to Portland Thorns FC (10-6-4, 34 points) at Providence Park in Portland, OR. Deyna Castellanos gave the hosts the lead in the 58th minute before Jacquie Ovalle equalized in the 63rd minute. But a second-half, stoppage-time goal by Caiya Hanks doomed the Pride to another defeat.

Seb Hines made four changes to the team that fell 3-1 to Racing Louisville FC on Aug. 8. Oihane, Haley McCutcheon, Solai Washington, and Barbra Banda re-entered the lineup, replacing Zara Chavoshi, Angelina, Nicole Payne, and Simone Jackson.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Hailie Mace, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Oihane. Ally Lemos and McCutcheon were the defensive midfielders behind Ovalle, Washington, and Julie Doyle with Banda up top.

This was a game of two halves. The Pride were the better team in the first 45 minutes and the Thorns dominated the second period of play. However, while the Pride were unable to convert on nine first-half shots, some poor goalkeeping and lackadaisical defending allowed Portland to claim all three points.

The Pride had a great opportunity to take the early lead in the third minute when Ovalle played the ball back for Mace and the left back sent a long ball over the top for Banda. The striker got behind the Portland back line and was in on goal but her first touch was a shot wide.

In the fifth minute, Nina Nijstad fouled Ovalle near the Thorns box, giving the Pride a second opportunity. Lemos lifted the ball into the box and Banda outjumped her defenders to redirect it on target. But the header was right into goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold’s arms.

Doyle made a strong run into the Portland third of the field in the 10th minute before finding Ovalle near the top of the box. The midfielder’s first touch was a shot on target, but — similar to the Banda chance — was right at Arnold.

Mace played Washington down the left in the 14th minute and the young attacker found Doyle making a run to the top of the six-yard box. Doyle attempted to redirect the ball on target with her first touch, sending the ball over the crossbar. Doyle had another chance in the 16th minute near the top of the Portland box. The attacker took a long-distance shot that again sailed over the target.

The Thorns finally created their first shot of the game in the 18th minute. Pietra Tordin made a strong run into the Pride third and cut inside to create space between two defenders. The attacker fired from outside the box and Moorhouse felt it was worthy of a dive. However, the ball curved wide of the far post.

Washington played Banda to the top of the Thorns box in the 23rd minute. The striker dribbled across the middle as she attempted to find space for a shot. It looked like she’d have a clear attempt, but Isabella Obaze made a last-ditch slide to deflect the ball wide. The Pride weren’t able to create anything from the ensuing corner kick, ending the attack.

McCutcheon fouled Castellanos in the Pride third of the field in the 29th minute, providing an opportunity for the attacker. Castellanos went for goal and was able to make the ball dip, but it wasn’t quick enough as the shot was over the top of the goal.

Washington forced Arnold into a good save in the 32nd minute. The play began when some quick passing gave Banda possession at the top of the Thorns box. The striker laid the ball off for Lemos, who sent it forward and to the left for Washignton. The attacker brought the ball down nicely and fired on target, but Arnold pushed the ball wide of her near post.

Oihane sent a low cross into the box for Banda in the 37th minute, but the striker got the ball caught in her feet. Four defenders quickly converged, forcing the ball to the top of the box. Both Lemos and Ovalle approached, attempting to shoot from outside of the area. Lemos was the one to take the shot, sending her attempt out of the reach of the diving Arnold but wide of the goal.

While possession was split in the first 45 minutes, the Pride created most of the chances. They ended the first half with more shots (9-2), shots on target (3-0), and corner kicks (6-0). However, a good save by Arnold — and some shots directly at her — kept the game scoreless.

The first chance of the second half was for the Thorns after Doyle fouled M.A. Vignola, earning a yellow card. Castellanos played the set piece to Marie Muller, whose shot from 35 yards out was over the target. Vignola then made a strong run past Washington and Doyle before sending a low cross into the box. Lemos blocked it, but Portland kept possession. Castellanos’ ball into the box found Muller, who took an off-balance shot that Rafaelle blocked. She had a second attempt but couldn’t get much on it, sending the ball wide.

Jessie Fleming carried the ball into the Pride third in the 58th minute, finding Tordin at the top of the box. McCutcheon defended her well, forcing her to play it wide for Castellanos. The attacker sent the ball towards the far post, lifting it over Moorhouse — who was off her line — to give the Thorns the 1-0 lead. Moorhouse seemed to have a shot at tipping it over at the last minute, but she never attempted a jump, continuing a trend of poor goals conceded by the Pride in 2026.

The Thorns had all the momentum in the game and attempted to use it to double their advantage. Castellanos dribbled into the Pride third of the field in the 60th minute before finding Sophia Wilson to her right. Portland’s leading goal scorer settled the ball and put it on target, but Moorhouse was there to block it away.

The Pride quickly went the other way, looking for an equalizer. McCutcheon played Ovalle over the midfield stripe and continued her run into the Portland box. In the meantime, Ovalle played the ball to Doyle on the right, and the midfielder sent a cross to the top of the six-yard box. McCutcheon got her head on the ball, but put it straight into the ground. It caused little concern for Arnold, who easily fell on the attempt.

Mace intercepted a poor pass in the 62nd minute and found Ovalle entering the Portland third of the field. Ovalle’s pass into the box was touched on by Banda behind Doyle. Banda followed the ball and took possession but lost it to Vignola, who was able to clear the danger.

The Pride regained possession, resulting in the equalizing goal. Lemos played it forward for Banda and the striker shielded her defender, allowing Doyle to take possession. Doyle played it wide for Oihane, who sent a lovely cross to the top of the six-yard box. As Arnold came off her line, the ball bounced off her, a defender, and Ovalle, rolling over the line to even the game at 1-1 in the 63rd minute.

“Jules gave me a great ball. I had a lot of time to think about it,” Oihane said. “I saw Jacquie going in and I just crossed it and it went in. So, that’s a good idea and we need to keep going and doing those things.”

Hines made his first two substitutions of the game in the 65th minute. Angelina and Summer Yates entered the contest, replacing Banda and Doyle.

“We would’ve liked for her to have played the whole game,” Hines said about Banda. “But we have to take the recommendations from the medical staff. It’s incredibly difficult becuase she’s such a high impact for us.”

The Pride head coach made his third change in the 76th minute, replacing Oihane with Chavoshi.

In the 77th minute, Ovalle attempted a back heel pass to Yates that Fleming intercepted. Tordin battled with the Pride defenders, resulting in the ball popping out to Fleming. With time and space to shoot, Fleming sent her shot just wide of a diving Moorhouse and the post.

Tordin won a battle with Mace for the ball in the 86th minute, playing the ball through a falling Rafaelle and into the Pride box. Wilson took possession and had plenty of time and space for a shot as Moorhouse came off her line to cut the angle down. The Pride goalkeeper did well to block the shot with her legs and fall on the rebound to keep the game even.

Hines made his fourth substitution in the 89th minute, replacing Rafaelle with Zoe Matthews.

The fourth official showed eight minutes of stoppage time, giving both teams an opportunity to find a winning goal. In the foruth minute, Vignola fouled Yates near the right sideline in the Portland third of the field. Lemos’ set piece found Matthews just inside the box. The new signing tried to head it on target, but she was unable to get over it, allowing Arnold to make the easy catch.

In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Portland found the winner. The Pride were unable to clear the ball out of their half, allowing Vignola to take possession on the left. The defender played the ball centrally for second-half substitute Hanks, who dribbled to the top of the box before curling the ball around Moorhouse and inside the far post.

Hines made an attacking change in the eighth minute of stoppage time, replacing Mace with Gabi Nunes. It was a Pride debut for Nunes, who joined the team on Aug. 4.

“We would’ve liked to enter (Nunes) in different circumstances,” Hines said. “She hasn’t trained with the team too much since she came in here. We’ve got to make sure we’re doing the right things, taking the recommendations from the medical staff.”

It was a desperate attempt to get something from the game. Unfortunately, the Pride were unable to create any more opportunities and lost a tough one away from home.

At full time, the Thorns had slightly more possession (51%-49%) and better passing accuracy (79%-77%). The Pride ended the game with more shots (12-10), shots on target (6-4), and corner kicks (6-0). But poor finishing and two long-distance conversions saw the Pride lose their third-straight game.

“I thought we were terrific in the first half. I thought we came to Providence Park with loads of intent. Put them under pressure. Didn’t create any clear-cut opportunities, but we had a lot of good momentum,” Hines said. “The first-half was terrific, and have to give the players the compliments because they were aggressive, they put Portland under immense pressure. And second half was fairly balanced. Obviously, they created some opportunities. So, disappointed with the first goal. Can we get a little more pressure? it’s a great strike from that distance. And then we get ourselves back in the game and stuff happens. It’s just not going our way with some of the calls, bounce of the ball, those kind of things. I’ve got to say, everyone is absolutely devastated. We put all the hard work into today’s performance and you hate to lose in that manner. You hate to lose, but to lose in that manner that we did is devastating.”

“Obviously, disappointed with the result. But I think we had a good game,” Oihane added. “We just needed to focus on the small details and score on the opportunities that we have.”

The Pride continue their string of poor results since returning from the FIFA World Cup break. They’ve now lost six of their last eight games, seeing them tumble from the top half of the playoff spots to 11th place. The teams around them all have games in hand, including the Houston Dash, who have played two fewer games and are only three points back. That means the Pride could fall even further in the standings.

The Pride will continue this tough road trip when they face the Washington Spirit on Aug 23.

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

The Pride head west for the daunting task of facing the Portland Thorns in Oregon.

Published

1 day ago

on

August 15, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (7-10-2, 23 points) travel west to take on Portland Thorns FC (9-6-4, 31 points) at Providence Park (8:45 p.m., ION). This is the first of two meetings between the two teams with the return game scheduled for Sept. 19 in Orlando.

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

History

The Pride have struggled historically against the Thorns, with a record of 5-15-2 in 22 games (5-14-2 in league play and 0-1-0 in the playoffs). Orlando is just 1-9-0 in Portland, with the only win coming in 2018.

The most recent meeting between the two teams came on Oct. 10, 2025, in Orlando. In second-half stoppage time, Mallie McKenzie redirected in a Marta corner kick for an own goal, lifting the Pride to a 1-0 win.  The previous game took place May 3 of last year in Oregon. The difference was a nice goal by Reyna Reyes, who made a turn to create space and put her shot past Anna Moorhouse to give the Thorns the 1-0 win.

The first game in 2024 took place May 24 in Orlando. It was the Barbra Banda show as the Pride striker scored two goals 10 minutes apart, giving her team a 2-0 halftime lead. Izzy D’Aquila got one back for the visitors, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride won 2-1.

The Pride secured the NWSL Shield the game before the Oct. 11, 2024 match between these teams, so several starters were given a break. It showed on the field as the Pride lost 2-0, ending a league-record 23-game unbeaten run. Morgan Weaver gave hosts the lead early and Christine Sincalir doubled the advantage in the second half.

The first game between the two teams in 2023 took place March 26 at Providence Park. Weaver opened the scoring early and Sophia Smith doubled the advantage a few minutes later. Hina Sugita made it three, and Michele Vasconcelos wrapped up the scoring as the Thorns won 4-0. On June 11, 2023, in Orlando, Smith gave the visitors the lead, but the Pride took over after that. Adriana scored a brace and Messiah Bright’s strike sealed a 3-1 Pride win. 

The teams met twice in 2022, with the first coming on Sept. 9 at Exploria Stadium. Yazmeen Ryan gave the visitors the lead and Sugita doubled the advantage as the Thorns won 2-0. That was the second meeting of the season after the teams met on June 19 in Portland. In Seb Hines’ second game as interim head coach, the Thorns smashed the Pride, 6-0.

The teams met earlier in the year during the 2021 season, playing on May 26 in Orlando. The Pride won for only the second time against Portland since the team’s inception — 2-1, with goals from Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux. The second meeting that year came on July 18 in Portland, and the home team won again. Smith gave the hosts the lead and Marissa Everett doubled the advantage. Marisa Viggiano got one back in second-half stoppage time, but the Thorns won, 2-1. They met a third time on Aug. 14. The Pride took an early lead when Courtney Petersen found Jodie Taylor for the opening goal. But Simone Charley equalized and the teams drew 1-1.

The Pride and Thorns didn’t play in 2020 after the season was canceled due to the global pandemic, and they weren’t in the same group for the NWSL Fall Series. As a result, the most recent meeting prior to 2021 was in 2019.

The teams opened the 2019 season against each other in Orlando, but the Thorns got the better of the clash. The game was decided on either side of halftime as Caitlin Foord scored just before the break and Tobin Heath scored minutes after the restart, lifting Portland to a 2-0 win. They met again in Orlando on May 11 and the Thorns won again. Toni Pressley gave the Pride an early lead, but it was all Portland after that. Dagny Brynjarsdottir equalized, Andressinha gave Portland the lead, and Foord finished it off.

The final meeting between the two in 2019 was a goal fest in Portland and another Thorns win. Hayley Raso gave Portland the lead early in the game and Midge Purce’s goal made it look like it would be a dominant performance by the hosts. But Marta got one back to make it 2-1. Sinclair made it 3-1, followed by a Thorns own goal by Emily Menges. It looked like the Pride would get a rare point through Erin Greening’s 90th-minute goal, but Tyler Lussi scored in second-half injury time, dooming the Pride to another loss in Oregon.

The teams faced each other three times in 2018, which featured the Pride’s lone win in Portland to date. The Thorns won the first game, 2-1 on April 15. But on May 12, goals by Morgan and Christine Nairn gave the Pride a 2-0 lead. Sinclair got one back for the hosts, but the Pride held on for their only result at Providence Park. The third meeting went back to usual, with the Thorns winning 2-0 through Lindsey Horan and Raso.

The teams started the 2017 season against each other in Portland with the Thorns winning 2-0. They met again in the penultimate game of the season in Orlando, ending in a scoreless draw. The most important game between the two teams was the Pride’s first playoff appearance. Unfortunately, it was all Portland, as the Thorns beat the Pride 4-1.

The first meeting of 2016 was the Pride’s first-ever game. Steph Catley gave the expansion Pride a surprising lead, but Brynjarsdottir equalized and Horan won it for Portland. They met again on June 26 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. Two second-half goals by Brynjarsdottir and Horan lifted the Thorns to another 2-1 win.

Overview

The Pride are in the middle of a rough stretch that dates back to end of the FIFA World Cup break. The team has lost five of its last seven games, dropping Orlando to 11th in the NWSL standings and out of the playoff places.

The biggest problem has been in the attack, where the Pride have only scored five goals in seven games and three of those came in a 3-0 victory over the Kansas City Current. However, the team has struggled defensively in the last two games, falling 5-0 to the North Carolina Courage and 3-1 to Racing Louisville FC.

A major reason for the lack of goals is the absence of Banda, who left for international duty at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Despite slowly returning from an injury and departing to play for Zambia, her 12 goals still lead the league, one ahead of North Carolina’s Ashley Sanchez.

Louisville appeared to be the right team to end their bad streak as Racing sits in 15th place and the game was in Orlando. But the Pride were outplayed once again and now head to one of the most difficult places to play in the NWSL.

The Thorns are currently fifth in the league table with 31 points and are undefeated at home (5-0-3). Their 32 goals scored ties them with the Coruage for the league lead. They’ve not been quite as good defensively, conceding 28 goals, which ranks 12th in the 16-team league.

The team’s defensive struggles have been on full display over the past two games. After a 5-1 loss to the Utah Royals on Aug. 2, the Thorns defeated Boston Legacy FC 4-3 on Sunday afternoon.

The Thorns are unsurpingly led in the attack by U.S. international Sophia Wilson. In her return from maternity leave, the striker has scored nine goals. Pietra Tordin leads the team in goal contributions with seven goals and eight assists. The other players with multiple goals for Portland this season are Reilyn Turner and Olivia Moultrie with five goals each.

The recent defensive problems can be attributed to substantial changes to the back line. While Mackenzie Arnold has remained in goal, the back line in front of her has changed each of the last three games.

Regardless of the Thorns’ current form, this will be a tough game for the Pride. They’ve only won once in their history at Providence Park, including the lone playoff meeting against tonight’s opponent.

“It’s always a tough environment to go play. Obviously the fans really get behind the team,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “We need to bounce back from two disappointing results. It hasn’t been good enough, and it gives us a week to really prepare for this game and change things around.”

The Pride will play tonight without Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), Hannah Anderson (lower leg), Marta (head), and Kerry Abello (thigh). The Thorns will be without Bella Bixby (knee), Julie Dufour (knee), Valerin Loboa (excused absence), Olivia Moultrie (knee), and Reilyn Turner (knee).

Projected Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Cori Dyke, Rafaelle, Zara Chavoshi, Oihane.

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Angelina.

Attacking Midfielders: Jacquie Ovalle, Haley McCutcheon, Solai Washington.

Forward: Julie Doyle.

Portland Thorns FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Mackenzie Arnold.

Defenders: M.A. Vignola, Sam Hiatt, Jayden Perry, Reyna Reyes.

Defensive Midfielders: Jessie Fleming, Nina Nijstad.

Attacking Midfielders: Pietra Tordin, Deyna Castellanos, Marie Muller.

Forward: Sophia Wilson.

Referees

REF: Brad Jensen.
AR1: Katarzyna Wasiak.
AR2: Sarah Gaddes.
4TH: Justin St Pierre.
VAR: Danielle Chesky.
AVAR: Seun Yinka-Kehinde.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8:45 p.m.

Venue: Providence Park — Portland, OR.

TV: None.

Streaming: Ion.

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

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Barbra Banda Continues to Make Offers Scoreboard Can’t Refuse

Barbra Banda’s scoring prowess in 2026 and a comparison of her performance against others in 2026-only competitions.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 14, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

We do not spend a lot of time writing about mafia movies here at The Mane Land, and I will not in this article either. But I am going to borrow Michael Corleone’s famous line from The Godfather Part III — “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in” — and paraphrase it to be “just when I thought I was out (of Barbra Banda topics), she pulled me back in.”

Sadly, she pulled me in via a four-goal, one-assist performance for Zambia, not the Pride. It was another reminder of Banda’s all around talent. It’s that talent that the Pride sorely missed while she was playing for her country in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). Stathead’s database lists out only eight instances in the last 10 years of a women’s player having at least five goal contributions in a single international tournament game, and Banda’s name is now on that list among legends like Sam Kerr and Alex Morgan.

Funnily enough, three of those eight players have ties to Orlando, as former Pride player Emily van Egmond joined Banda and Morgan on that list thanks to her four-goal, four-assist performance against Indonesia (the final score was 18-0, yikes) in the 2021 Women’s Asian Cup.

Zambia was eliminated after the group stage in this summer’s WAFCON, but in those three games Banda scored five goals, added one assist, and drew a penalty that was converted by one of her teammates. She has missed three Pride games while away, during which Orlando as a full team scored…two goals. For all intents and purposes, Banda contributed to seven goals in three games for Zambia, and the Pride have scored a total of five goals in their last seven games. As anyone who follows the Pride is well aware, Banda is the straw that stirs the drink here in Orlando.

Even after missing those games in July, Banda remains the NWSL’s leading goal scorer with 12, and even though Zambia was eliminated in the group stage, she is still the WAFCON’s leading goal scorer with five. That is a combined 17 goals scored for Banda, and with one assist in each competition, she has a total of 19 goal contributions thus far in 2026.

I looked at every top women’s competition that has taken place exclusively in 2026, and Banda’s 17 goals ranks third overall. Among Opta’s top ranked women’s leagues, many play fall-to-spring and are therefore excluded, but I included games from all of the following competitions (Opta’s global league rank is included in parentheses for the domestic leagues):

  • Africa Cup of Nations (international tournament)
  • Asian Cup (international tournament)
  • UEFA World Cup Qualifying (international torunament)
  • UEFA Champions League (club tournament)
  • USA: National Womens Soccer League (1)
  • Sweden: Damallsvenskan (8)
  • Brazil: Feminino A1 (9)
  • Mexico: Liga MX Femenil (13)
  • Norway: Toppserien (14)
  • Canada: Northern Super League (15)

There certainly are more domestic leagues that play spring-to-fall seasons, but the resources put towards tracking women’s soccer statistics remain far behind the men for sites that track player stats, so with help from fbref.com, FotMob, and Sofascore I pulled together as many as I could find that took place exclusively in 2026.

As mentioned earlier, Banda’s total of 17 goals ranks third overall, trailing only Diana Ordóñez from Tigres (25) and Eugénie Le Sommer (19) from Toluca, both from Liga MX Femenil in Mexico. Sadly, assist data was not available anywhere for that league, so for both of those women and everyone else from that league their goals scored are also their total goal contributions.

Banda’s 17 goals were scored in more than 300 fewer minutes than those other two players, however, so while Ordóñez still beats her on goals scored per 90 minutes, Le Sommer does not.

An obvious issue with ranking raw totals of any metric in soccer is that players rarely play the same number of games and minutes, and this is especially true with how I set this analysis up by blending tournaments with domestic leagues. Therefore, the fairest way to compare is standardizing goals (on the x-axis) and goal contributions (on the y-axis) on per-90-minute basis, which leads to the chart below for players with at least four goal contributions across all of the listed competitions:

A graph showing players' goals (on the x-axis) and goal contributions (on the y-axis) on per-90-minute basis.

Four Pride players made the list, three you are likely familiar with (Banda, Haley McCutcheon, and Jacquie Ovalle) with and one (Sanne Lekven) who the Pride just acquired on Wednesday. Lekven’s stats are from her time with Aalesunds FK in Norway’s Toppsieren, where she was off to a good start with five goals in only 759 minutes, for a goals-per-90-minutes value of 0.59, which is 71st among those on the chart above.

Banda’s goals per 90 of 1.11 ranks tied for 11th, and her goal contributions per 90 of 1.24 ranks 27th, but many of those ahead of her racked up their stats in lesser competitions (the two outliers on the chart — Kiko Seiki and Riko Ueki — both play for Japan and won their three group stage games in the Asian Cup by a combined score of 22-0). Banda ranks in fourth place in both metrics in the NWSL (Opta’s top-ranked league among all domestic women’s leagues), and hopefully hits the ground running at that same high level when she returns to action.

Perhaps she can match her four goals in a game for Zambia with a similar game for Orlando. I support this idea.

The Pride are desperate for offense, and hopefully the combination of Banda’s return and the recent acquisitions of Lekven and Gabi Nunes can turn the season around. Banda is undoubtedly a boss, and we will see shortly if she and her consiglieri can whack a few teams in the final portion of the season and leave them swimming with the non-playoff fishes.

Vamos Orlando!

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