Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 2-0 as Pride Beat Kansas City Current in Open Preseason Game

Published

3 years ago

February 23, 2023

The Orlando Pride opened Exploria Stadium up to fans for the first time in 2023 for the team’s annual open preseason game. Julie Doyle opened the scoring for the hosts inside the first minute and Ally Watt doubled the lead in the second half, lifting their team to a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Current. Orlando improved to 2-0-0 in the 2023 preseason with both wins coming by the same score against NWSL competition.

Seb Hines’ lineup included Anna Moorhouse in goal in front of Haley McCutcheon, Megan Montefusco, Emily Madril, and Kylie Strom. Jordyn Listro, Nicole Baxter, Mikayla Cluff, and Erika Tymrak made up the midfield, with Doyle and Messiah Bright up top.

The Pride had almost everyone available tonight off the bench, with unlimited substitutions. Marta wasn’t with the team tonight after playing for Brazil in the SheBelieves Cup. Adriana was on the bench despite playing in all three games for Brazil, but didn’t make an appearance.

The Pride got off to the best possible start in this preseason friendly. About 30 seconds into the game, Bright picked the ball up around midfield and sprinted towards the Kansas City box. Doyle and Cluff were making runs in and Bright played it across. Doyle beat Current goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz to the ball, putting it past her to give the Pride a 1-0 lead. Doyle now has a goal in each appearance this preseason as she challenges for a starting spot in the regular season.

The collision resulted in Doyle staying down after scoring. She received some attention from the Pride medical staff, but got up and was able to continue.

Bright nearly had a chance for herself in the third minute when she was sent behind the Current defense. However, her first touch was too heavy, and Kansas City was able to clear the danger.

After Bright’s opportunity, Kansas City started to create its own chances. The Pride were unable to find possession beyond the halfway line, usually giving the ball up before reaching the opposition’s side of the field.

The Current’s first chance of the game came in the fourth minute when a good run down the right created an opportunity, but the Pride were able to clear it out of play. The ensuing corner kick was to the back post but headed right to Moorhouse, who caught it.

The Current had another chance in the ninth minute when Mimmi Larsson created space inside the box for a shot. Moorhouse did well to get low and knock it away with her foot, maintaining the Pride’s one-goal lead.

Kansas City nearly had a chance in the 21st minute when Larsson was played through the Pride back line. But it was too far for the Swede and Moorhouse was able to collect it. That was the last play of the game for Silkowitz as Cassie Miller came on in a first-half goalkeeping change.

The 27th minute saw the Pride get their first solid chance since the first minute of the game. Doyle found space on the left to get a cross into the box. It reached Bright, but her first-touch shot was blocked. The deflection went to Cluff, who sent the second shot right at Miller.

Bright had another chance in the 39th minute when Baxter blocked a pass near midfield. Bright ended up with the ball and headed towards the Current goal. Nearing the six-yard box, Bright took a shot, but it was knocked wide by the foot of Miller for a Pride corner kick.

The NWSL was testing VAR in this game and the first opportunity came in the 41st minute. Larsson took down Tymrak just outside of the Kansas City box. The forward was booked for the foul, and referee Elvis Osmanovic went to his ear as the check ensued. However, they determined the foul was outside of the box with Osmanovic going to the monitor.

Kansas City had one more opportunity at goal in injury time, but the shot was right at Moorhouse, who had no trouble with it. At halftime, Doyle’s first-minute goal was the difference as the Pride took a 1-0 lead into the break.

The Pride made two changes at halftime, as Carly Nelson replaced Moorhouse and Thais Reiss, who is a non-roster invitee this preseason, replaced Baxter.

The Current got off to the better second-half start, creating a pair of chances inside the first two minutes. However, both were right at Nelson, who had no trouble with them.

The first second-half opportunity for the Pride came in the 48th minute when Bright was sent over the top. She attempted a cross, but it was blocked out of play for a corner. The short corner went to Strom, who popped it up and into the arms of the Current goalkeeper, ending the threat.

The Pride had an opportunity with a free kick in the 58th minute when Tymrak was taken out about 25 yards away from goal. Reiss stepped up to take the kick and went for goal, but sent the shot wide of the target.

The Pride made a triple substitution in the 61st minute, bringing on Ally Watt, Maliah Morris, and Summer Yates. Watt was on the team last year, Morris is a trialist, and Yates was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NWSL Draft. The three replaced Bright, Tymrak, and Listro.

It didn’t take long for two of the substitutes to make an impact as they combined in the 63rd minute for the Pride’s second goal. Yates played a lovely ball through for Watt, who shielded her defender and put it in, giving the Pride a 2-0 lead.

“As a forward you need to take the opportunities that come to you,” Watt said about her goal. “So I really tried to focus and just pass the ball into the back of the net. And Summer did an amazing job playing the ball in transition. I think the rookies have been doing amazing. They have been really just meshing well into our culture that we’re building this year and we love all of them. Summer is honestly one of my favorites.”

Many predicted that Yates would be a first-round selection in the 2023 NWSL Draft. However, she slipped all the way to the fourth round, where the Pride picked her. Her quality showed in the half hour she was on the field, showing that Pride might have acquired the steal of the draft.

“She’s a technical footballer and she likes to get in good areas. She wants to turn and she wants to assist players, and what you saw today is what she’s done from the very start,” Hines said about Yates. “We just keep letting her know that she’s doing the right things. And it’s not always going to pay off. It’s not always going to come off every single time but just that positive reinforcement goes a long way for a young player like Summer. And she was brilliant today. She was tremendous.”

The Pride had a chance for a third in the 65th minute when Watt made a good run into the box. She took the ball to the end line, but it was cleared out for a corner. Doyle sent the ensuing corner to the back post, where it met the head of Reiss. However, the Brazilian sent the driving header over the crossbar.

It appeared as though the Current had gotten one back in the 69th minute when a good buildup provided a cross from the left. The strong cross was met head-on by an attacker (the Current players didn’t wear numbers, making identification difficult), who put it past Nelson, but the flag was up. Osmanovic went to his ear for the second time in the game, but the check revealed it was the correct decision, keeping the score 2-0.

The Pride made four more changes in the 80th minute during the second-half hydration break. Konya Plummer, Tori Hansen, Caitlin Cosme, and Channing Foster replaced Montefusco, Madril, Doyle, and McCutcheon. The final two changes for the Pride came in the 86th minute, as UCF alum Kristen Scott and goalkeeper McKinley Crone came on for Strom and Nelson.

It didn’t take Crone long to see her first action, as a short free kick in the 88th minute resulted in a cross into the box. The attacker did well to get her first touch on goal, but it was right into the arms of Crone, who made her first save of the night.

Watt created an opportunity for the Pride to extend their lead to three goals when she tried to beat the Current goalkeeper to her near post. However, the ball was tipped wide of the post for a Pride corner kick. The Pride decided to keep the ball in the corner instead of trying to find a third goal and held on for the 2-0 win.

“Obviously pleased with the result,” Hines said after the game. “Anytime you score two goals and keep a clean sheet, you’re going to be happy and I think the biggest thing for me was making sure everyone played a part. So that’s why we wanted to make sure that we played every single player. Everyone got minutes on the field in front of the fans. We’re building something here and it’s great to get the results in the annual event as well. So, really pleased with how the night went.”

“I think KC’s a really good opponent. And I think every game we just try to take steps forward. That’s our goal, and just keep the progression going,” Madril said after the game. “So I think comparing today’s game to last game, I think we did take steps in the right direction. And I think, you know, got a clean sheet, which is good and two quality goals. So I think we just keep taking steps in the right direction and keep building on what we’re doing in training.”

One of the bright spots was — no pun intended — Bright, especially early in the game. She got the assist on the first goal and created multiple opportunities and nearly scored on two occasions from her forward position. Her size and speed created problems for the Kansas City back line — something that Hines mentioned after the game.

“With Messiah, she brings a pace, a power. She’s a threat in multiple aspects of the game. She’s good with her back to goal, which can link players underneath, but also that fear factor of threatening behind,” Hines said. “Speed is a really good attribute to have. Being an ex-defender, it’s not always nice to defend against either. So with Messiah and Ally Watt, who also is lightning quick, we’ve got more of a threat behind.”

The Pride have three more games this preseason before their season opener. They’ll take on UCF Tuesday, Florida State next Saturday, and wrap up the preseason slate against the Washington Spirit on March 17. The Pride will begin the 2023 NWSL season away to the Portland Thorns on March 26.

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Sign Jamaican International Forward Solai Washington

The Pride add attacking depth by signing former Florida State forward Solai Washington.

Published

2 hours ago

January 19, 2026

Michael Citro

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has signed Jamaican international forward Solai Washington. The former Florida State Seminole through the 2027 season with a mutual option for the 2028 season.

“Solai is a player we’ve had an eye on for a while during her two years in college,” Orlando Pride head coach Seb Hines said in a club press release. “Her composure on the ball, her ability to break lines, and the maturity she showed at Florida State make her a fantastic fit for what we’re building here. She brings energy, versatility, and a real competitive edge, which is what we look for in players. We’re excited to have her here in Orlando and to see the impact she can make in our environment both on and off the field.”

The 20-year-old attacker from Atlanta made 35 appearances in her two years in Tallahassee, scoring eight goals and adding four assists while helping the Seminoles win the 2025 NCAA national championship and the 2024 ACC tournament. Washington was a member of the 2024 ACC All-Freshmen Team, the 2024 All-ACC Academic Team, and was named to TopDrawerSoccer’s postseason Top 100 Freshman list (at No. 42).

On the international stage, Washington has already represented Jamaica at the senior level on the biggest stage, making three appearances with the Reggae Girlz at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, debuting in a scoreless draw with France.

What It Means for Orlando

The Pride’s need for depth in the attacking positions is well documented, and Washington is a young player with a ton of upside in an area of need. From that perspective alone, this is a signing that makes sense. While it would be nice for the club to sign some proven NWSL-level scorers to provide depth for Barbra Banda, Marta, and Jacquie Ovalle, it’s always good to develop young talent. Since the abolition of the NWSL Draft, teams must work harder to secure the services of players like Washington.

It will require some time to know whether Orlando’s faith in Washington will be rewarded, and she wasn’t the most prolific scorer at FSU, but it says something about a player that they can get minutes at age 17 in a World Cup. It will be up to Hines and his staff to develop Washington, who will have no shortage of great mentors as teammates.

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.

Published

4 days ago

January 15, 2026

Sean Rollins

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)

Orlando Pride

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

January 15, 2026

David Rohe

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!