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Orlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Lose On Final Play

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (0-2-0, 0 points) were dealt a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Angel City FC (1-1-0, 3 points) tonight in their home opener at Exploria Stadium. Former Pride forward Claire Emslie gave the visitors the lead with a first-half penalty before Messiah Bright equalized after the break. But Katie Johnson scored the winner with the last meaningful kick of the game, dooming the Pride to another tough loss.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes from the team that fell 4-0 to the Portland Thorns in the season opener. Erika Tymrak and Ally Watt joined the starting lineup, replacing Marta (hamstring) and Bright. The Pride lineup consisted of Anna Moorhouse in goal behind a back line of Kylie Strom, Caitlin Cosme, Emily Madril, and Haley McCutcheon. Mikayla Cluff and Kerry Abello were the defensive midfielders behind Adriana, Tymrak, and Julie Doyle, with Watt up top.

The Pride got off to the better start, using a high press to put the Angel City back line under pressure. They nearly got the first chance of the game just two minutes in when McCutcheon sent a low ball across the box, but nobody was there to get on the end of it.

A minute later, Tymrak dribbled across the top of the box and found some space to shoot. But her low shot was right at Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haracic, who easily collected it.

The visitors had their first chance in the seventh minute through a pair of corner kicks. Jun Endo took the first, but Savannah McCaskill’s shot was blocked out of play. The second corner by McCaskill found the head of Madison Hammond in the box, but her header went over the crossbar.

The Pride nearly had a chance in the ninth minute when Strom attempted to play Doyle into the box. Doyle raced Haracic to the 50-50 ball, but the Angel City goalkeeper was the first to it.

Watt won the ensuing ball out of the back from Dani Weatherholt and quickly took a shot from distance. But Haracic was up to the task, tipping it wide of the goal.

In the 18th minute, Alyssa Thompson found herself surrounded by Pride defenders, but got out of the trouble and fired from the top of the box. She was a little off balance on the shot, resulting in it going well over the target.

The Pride were forced into an early change in the 19th minute, when Paige Nielsen went in hard on Doyle. Nielsen didn’t get any of the ball and was booked for the challenge, which caused Doyle to receive medical attention. The Pride attacker attempted to get up, but shook her head when putting pressure on her left ankle. As she headed straight for the locker room, she was replaced by Bright.

In the 23rd minute, Strom attempted to cross the ball into the Angel City box from the left side. She sent the ball too close to the goal, but over the arms of Haracic and it bounced off the crossbar.

The Pride nearly converted in the 32nd minute when McCutcheon found Cluff on an overlapping run. Cluff sent a high cross into the box before reaching the end line with Strom running towards the back post. It likely would’ve reached the defender, but Haracic got her fingertips to the ball, tipping it over the leaping Strom.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 37th minute when Thompson got sent behind the Pride back line. Madril chased from behind, finally reaching her in the box. Moorhouse appeared to have her near post covered, but Madril slid in and Thompson went down. Referee Danielle Chesky didn’t hesitate to point to the spot and, after a VAR check, the visitors had a kick from the spot.

Former Pride attacker Emslie stepped up to take the kick. She sent Moorhouse the wrong way in the 39th minute, sliding it into the bottom right corner to give Angel City the lead for the second consecutive week.

The Pride almost found an equalizer four minutes into injury time when Cluff sent Adriana forward on the right. The Brazilian sent her shot beyond the outstretched arms of Haracic, but it bounced off the far post.

The rebound landed at the feet of Watt who, after a touch, took her own shot. She should’ve hit the target from the short distance, but couldn’t get around it and hit it wide, and Angel City went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

The first half was pretty even, with Angel City recording more possession (53.6%-46.4%), shots (6-5), duels won (28-26), and passing accuracy (76.5%-71.5%). The Pride had more crosses (10-5), but both teams had two shots on target and one corner kick.

The Pride got off to another strong start in the second half and only took six minutes to find the equalizer. Tymrak sent a low ball through for Bright, sending the rookie into the Angel City box. The 5-foot-9 forward held off two defenders to get an opportunity on goal and put her shot into the corner to tie the game at 1-1 in the 51st minute.

“ I think, just through the run of play, Erika played the through ball and at first I didn’t really see it,” Bright said about her goal. “But I think I saw it and I got enough time to where I could make contact to the ball and really just, you know, keep my body steady and just driving through. Doing what I do best, being strong on the ball, holding it, and eventually creating a path for myself. And I saw the keeper not really sit and I just toe-poked it pretty early.”

It was the first professional goal for the rookie, who was taken by the Pride with the first pick of the second round in the 2023 NWSL Draft out of TCU.

“I’m really, really pleased for Messiah to get a goal,” Hines said about the rookie. “She was a beast as well. And, you know, there’s moments where, because she’s too strong, the ref gives away a foul and it’s not a foul and she was a pest. She was hard to play against, and that’s what we need from her. We need her to be difficult to play against and her goal has justified her performance.”

Two minutes later, the Pride had the chance to take their first lead of the season. After forcing a turnover near midfield, Bright picked up the ball and found Watt to her left. She took a shot on goal with her first touch, but hit it well over the crossbar.

The hosts had another opportunity in the 59th minute and it was Bright creating the chance again. Playing the ball around Nielsen, Bright sent a low cross into the box for Adriana. However, it was just a bit too far in front of her, allowing Angel City to clear.

Watt had another shot in the 67th minute, one of her team-leading four on the night. Like her other three chances in the game, she was unable to put the shot on target, sending another one over the goal.

Angel City finally had a second-half chance in the 68th minute when substitute Simone Charley found Weatherholt near the penalty spot. She was aiming for the bottom left corner, but it was just wide of the post.

McCaskill had a chance to get the lead back for the visitors in the 70th minute, but Moorhouse made her best save of the game. The ball appeared to be on target, but the Pride shot-stopper tipped it over the crossbar.

As the game wound down, it opened up as both teams pushed for the go-ahead goal. In the 81st minute, Cosme fouled Charley near the top of the Pride box, giving the opposition a great chance. Emslie stepped up and went for goal, but just missed the target.

In the 86th minute, Angel City won its second penalty of the game, but this one was unfortunate for the Pride. A low cross across the box found Scarlett Camberos, but her touch was too strong. However, it went right to Weatherholt, who quickly shot. McCutcheon went down to block it and the shot hit her right elbow as she braced to hit the ground. Chesky pointed to the spot for the second time, giving Angel City a great chance for a late winner.

“I don’t like saying it but two weeks in a row the referees have been against us,” Hines said about the two penalty calls. “There needs to be a change in that and, you know, it’s frustrating for everyone that’s here that it keeps happening. And I don’t know what the solution is, but it just keeps happening and I don’t know whether it’s like they give the authority to the players who’ve been within the league or, you know, we’ve got to earn respect, but it should be a fair game and it hasn’t been fair the last two games.”

Once again, Emslie stepped up to take the spot kick. While the first attempt was into the corner, the second was a poor penalty, allowing Moorhouse to catch it and keeping the score tied.

As the game entered second-half stoppage time, both teams continued to press for a winner. Three minutes into added time, it looked like Angel City might have their third penalty of the night. McCaskill went down after entering the Pride box and Chesky immediately pointed to the spot. Fortunately, the assistant’s flag was raised for offside. Video review showed an Angel City coming back from an offside position after the pass and touching it.

Going the other way, the Pride had an opportunity five minutes into stoppage time when an Adriana corner kick found Summer Yates, who had replaced Tymrak in the 68th minute. The rookie’s first touch was a volley towards goal but was just wide of the right post.

With time winding down, Angel City pushed forward. Eight minutes into stoppage time, M.A. Vignola took a low shot, but Moorhouse was there for the stop. A minute later, it was Camberos’ chance, but her shot was deflected out for a corner kick.

After Adriana sent the first corner out of play, the visitors had one more opportunity. Emslie sent her attempt towards the top of the six and Moorhouse came out to punch it away. But Johnson, who was only on because Charley was injured in the 84th minute, got her head to it first, putting in for the game-winning goal.

The goal officially came in the 10th minute of stoppage time — the latest game-winning goal scored in an NWSL match.

Chesky blew her final whistle as soon as the Pride restarted. It was a different loss for the Pride in this one, but just as painful as their 4-0 defeat last weekend in Portland.

In the end, Angel City had more possession (56.7%-43.3%), shots (15-12), shots on target (6-3), corners (6-4), and accurate passes (74.6%-69.3%).

“Disappointed,” Hines used to describe his feelings about the game. “You want to win your games at home, and at minimum you want to take a point away. And to concede in the manner that we did right at the end is really frustrating and disappointing.”

“Obviously, we’re really disappointed with that result,” Tymrak said after the game. “I thought we controlled the game and we thought we had a lot of chances and that’s on us to finish on. But the positives are that we did possess the game and we did control the game and we had the chances but we have to be ruthless in front of goal and in both boxes. And to get scored on the last play of the game, it hurts but we’ve got to learn from it.”

After a strong preseason that saw the Pride go 5-0, they’ve dropped their first two games in difficult fashion. The first was a blowout in Portland and they lost the second on the final kick of the game. However, the Pride played much better tonight. They created enough opportunities to win but were unable to put those chances away.

Despite the tough start to the season, Hines says his young team will learn from the losses.

“It builds character,” Hines said “You have to build character in these moments and you know that our players will build character every moment that they go for. Every minute that you spend on the field is going to build them and be the players that we all believe in at the end of it.”

The Pride will take the field again on April 15 when they welcome NJ/NY Gotham FC to Exploria Stadium.

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Orlando Pride Depth Tested Early This Season

The Pride are being forced to test their newly acquired depth early in the 2025 NWSL season.

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24 hours ago

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May 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride started a full rebuild in 2022, which culminated in the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship in 2024. With the core of the team well set, Haley Carter and Seb Hines began work on building depth in the squad. Early this season, that work is being put to the test.

Just seven games into the 2025 NWSL season, the Pride have already suffered several key injuries. The first occurred in the NWSL regular season opener when midfielder Julie Doyle suffered a knee injury 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute. The following week, Rafaelle was replaced at halftime. Hines insisted it was precautionary, but the center back has yet to return.

Summer Yates, expected by many to replace Marta when the club captain retires, was injured on April 12 while assisting Barbara Banda’s game-winning goal in Seattle. The most recent injury occurred Saturday night when starting goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was kicked in the head by Mimi Alidou in the 47th minute, forcing her departure from the game.

The Pride did suffer a key injury last season when Rafaelle was injured during the Summer Olympics while representing Brazil. However, the solution was rather simple as Emily Sams moved to center back and Cori Dyke took over at right back. Despite being a rookie, Dyke was exceptional the remainder of the season, securing the starting right back spot through the NWSL Championship.

Neither Doyle nor Yates were starters at the beginning of the season. While Doyle has started many games for the Pride in her career, Hines has gone to Ally Watt and Angelina as the outside attacking midfielders. But with Angelina playing regularly for Brazil, Doyle and Yates were expected to play significant roles during the season.

Fortunately, the Pride were well prepared for this situation. They signed Zambian internationals Prisca Chilufya and Grace Chanda, who have filled those roles so far this season. Both are more than capable of starting for the Pride and filling the gaps left by Angelina and Watt when necessary.

Rafaelle is a more significant injury for the Pride. Her replacement in the lineup was a simple decision. Sams is a natural center back and started most of the 2024 games alongside Kylie Nadaner. The duo was arguably the best center back pairing in the league last season, resulting in Sams being awarded NWSL Defender of the Year. The bigger issue was who would be behind the starters.

Dyke and starting left back Kerry Abello both played games at center back last season. It wasn’t a completely foreign position for them as they’d spent time there in college. However, moving your starting right back or left back to the central defender position is less than ideal. Preferably, you would have a player able to come off the bench and replace Sams and Nadaner when needed.

Hines showed his preference Saturday night when Nadaner was given the night off. Rookie Zara Chavoshi had played minimal minutes this season, taking part in only two games. However, the Pride boss decided to throw the 22-year-old into the fire, giving her the first start of her professional career. Making the decision more questionable was sending her into arguably the league’s most hostile atmosphere at a venue where the Pride have only claimed points once.

Despite the tough circumstances, the rookie defender did very well, holding her own. It was a valuable experience for the young center back, who will likely be called upon again as the season continues.

“Giving Zara the first opportunity to start the game in a hostile environment and get tested in certain situations, I thought she did very well for her first NWSL start,” Hines said of his rookie center back after the game.

The final injury occurred during the game Saturday night when Moorhouse suffered an injury. The shot stopper has been the Pride’s number one since Erin McLeod left the club following the 2022 NWSL season. There was only one choice as her replacement, the team’s backup goalkeeper the past two seasons. While it was McKinley Crone’s first appearance in an NWSL game, it wasn’t her first appearance for the team.

The Maitland, FL native originally joined the club in 2023 as a preseason non-roster invitee. She was signed as a National Team Replacement Player later that season, but didn’t make any appearances. The club signed Finnish goalkeeper Sofia Manner prior to the 2024 campaign, putting Crone’s future with the club into question. But Crone beat out her Finnish teammate to earn the backup spot behind Moorhouse.

Crone made her professional debut last season during the NWSL X Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup against the North Carolina Courage. The game ended 1-1, with the Pride losing 5-4 on penalties. It was the last appearance by Crone, as Manner and Moorhouse started the other two Summer Cup games. Saturday night may not have been her first professional appearance, but it was unquestionably her most significant.

The 26-year-old goalkeeper wasn’t forced to do much, saving the only shot she faced. Despite the lack of action, it was good for the Pride to get their backup some meaningful minutes in case Moorhouse is called into international duty or is unable to return next week.

“Mac’s been waiting a long time for that opportunity,” Hines said. “It’s in a way that we didn’t want it to happen. Obviously, you never want to see a player get injured. But Mac’s been patient waiting for this opportunity and I thought she did well when she came on.”

So far, the Pride have passed the test. While they’re not on a record-breaking unbeaten run like last year, they sit tied with the Kansas City Current atop the NWSL standings. The two teams are tied in every way, with the same record, the same number of goals scored, and the same number of goals conceded.

The recent experiences of the Pride reserves should only help the team moving forward. Whether Hines wants to provide more rest for his starters before the playoffs, someone gets injured, or international callups result in missing players, the Pride coach must have more confidence now that he can plug in less experienced players and trust them to do the job. That will only benefit the Pride as they look to defend their crown as NWSL champions.

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Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Fail to Score at Providence Park

The Pride’s Portland problems popped up to punish the team once again.

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2 days ago

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May 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride (5-2-0, 15 points) continued to have difficulty when visiting Providence Park, losing 1-0 tonight to the Portland Thorns in Oregon. The home team took the early lead on Reyna Reyes’ 16th minute goal. The Pride were unable to generate any good chances on goal no matter who Pride Head Coach Seb Hines put on in the second half.

Hines made five changes to the team that won against Angel City. Oihane once again replaced Cori Dyke at right back, Zara Chavoshi got the start next to Emily Sams in place of Kylie Nadaner. Carson Pickett took over at left back, with Kerry Abello moving into the midfield. Ally Watt also returned to the starting lineup in place of Prisca Chilufya. The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was made up of Pickett, Chavoshi, Sams, and Oihane. Haley McCutcheon and Abello were the defensive midfielders behind Watt, Marta, and Ally Lemos with Banda up top.

Early in the match, the Pride tried the route one approach, sending long balls up to Banda. The first two times it worked well enough for Banda to get the ball cleanly, but she was unable to make anything from it. After that, the Pride continued to try this approach, but it was less successful.

Portland made things difficult for the Pride, pressing early and often. In the 16th minute it paid off for the home team. Pickett played a defensive ball out for a Thorns throw-in. Portland worked the ball across to Reyes. She moved the ball onto her left foot and put a very good shot inside the left post for what ended up being the game-winning goal.

The curl on that left foot 🙌Reyna Reyes with a special goal for @thornsfc.com!

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-05-04T01:18:37.428Z

The Pride did have some chances but nothing with any type of power behind it to beat McKenzie Arnold. The Pride looked flat through most of the first half, and the Thorns brought more energy. Orlando looked disjointed and disinterested.

In the 37th minute, Pride supporters got a big scare. Banda took the ball into the box, but then pulled up as if she had a noncontact injury. Play was eventually stopped for the trainers to check on her. Mercifully, Banda was not injured and was able to continue.

Things almost got much worse for the Pride in the 39th minute. Reilyn Turner took a through ball into the box, rounded Moorhouse and put the ball on frame. Fortunately, Chavoshi recovered and made a clutch goal-line save to keep the score at 1-0.

After 45 minutes of play, the Thorns had the advantage in shots (7-5) and shots on target (4-1). The Pride had the advantage in possession (53%-47%) and corners (3-0), but were not able to generate much of a threat.

Hines did not make any changes to start the second half despite the lack of scoring. The Thorns started quickly as Deyna Castellanos got on a long ball in the box. Luckily, her shot went wide. One minute later, Moorhouse was fouled. She took a shin to the head, and boot to her right hand. After several minutes she was subbed off for McKinley Crone.

The second half was much like the first. The Pride had difficulty breaking Portland’s lines. When they did, the chances did not threaten Arnold. A perfect example of this came in the 64th minute. Watt stripped the ball from a Portland player and fed it to Banda, who gave it back to Watt for the chance, but there was nothing on it.

In the 68th minute, Hines brought on Dyke, Angelina, and Viviana Villacorta for Oihane, Lemos, and Pickett. One minute later, Banda had a chance, but her near-post shot was saved by Arnold. On the other end, Crone saved a shot by Payton Linnehan in the 74th minute. In the 75th minute, Chilufya came on for Marta.

Hines made his final substitution in the 83rd minute, bringing on Grace Chanda for Watt. Between Moorhouse’s injury and various other fouls, there were 11 minutes of second-half stoppage time. Being up a goal against the defending champs, Portland players immediately headed for the corner whenever they got the ball.

Despite double digits to work with in stoppage time, the Pride failed to equalize and suffered their second loss of the season. At full time, the Pride had the advantage in possession (58%-42%), corner kicks (7-2), and passing accuracy (80%-75%). Portland had the advantage on shots (15-11), shots on target (7-4), and, most importantly, on the scoreboard.

“You have got to try and create the space. You have got to move, make unselfish runs and you have got to be proactive rather than reactive,” Hines said about the team’s lack of offense. “I felt today that Portland were one step ahead of us in their defensive structure. We didn’t create too many opportunities. They were well organized. You have got to find different ways, and we had different solutions during the run of game and changed different buildup shapes, but it wasn’t enough to get that equalizer.” 

Hines praise the play of Chavoshi and Crone in the match, with both players short on experience.

“I think they are the main positives out of the game,” Hines said. “Giving Zara [Chavoshi] the first opportunity to start the game in a hostile environment and get tested in certain situations, I thought she did very well for her first NWSL start. [McKinley Crone] has been waiting a long time for that opportunity. It is in a way that we didn’t want it to happen, obviously, you never want to see a player get injured. Mac has been patient waiting for this opportunity and I thought she did well when she came on.” 

Fortunately for the Pride, the Kansas City Current and the Washington Spirit also lost their matches, meaning the Pride remain tied for first with the Current. Sadly, this was a missed opportunity to put some daylight between those other top teams.

“My head is all over the place at the moment, honestly,” Crone said about getting on the pitch. “I don’t really (know) if I can pinpoint a singular emotion. I am really honored, especially being from Orlando, just to be able to represent the city. This is such a tough place to come in and play. I thought the team fought hard. Now at this point, it is about turning our focus to the next game. It is such a long season, and we have so many more games ahead of us, it is now about how can we respond to this result today.”

The Pride remain on the road next weekend for an away match against the North Carolina Courage at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC.

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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 look to claim their second-ever win in Portland as they take on the Thorns away from home.

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3 days ago

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May 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to your match preview as the Orlando Pride (5-1-0, 15 points) travel west to take on Portland Thorns FC (2-2-3, 9 points) at Providence Park in Portland, OR. This is the first two games these teams will play with the return game in Orlando scheduled for Oct. 10.

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

History

The Pride have struggled historically against the Thorns, with a record of 4-14-2 in 20 games (4-13-2 in league play and 0-1-0 in the playoffs). They’re 1-8-0 in Portland with the only win occurring in 2018.

The most recent meeting between the two teams came on Oct. 11, 2024 in Portland. The Pride secured the NWSL Shield the previous game, so several starters were given a break. It showed on the field as the Pride lost 2-0, ending a 23-game unbeaten run. Morgan Weaver gave hosts the lead in the 13th minute and Christine Sincalir doubled the advantage in the 55th minute.

The meeting prior to that loss came on 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 first game between the two teams in 2023 was on 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 69th-minute strike lifted the Pride to a 3-1 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. Orlando won 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 it wasn’t enough as 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 four minutes after the restart, lifting Portland to a 2-0 win. They met again in Orlando on May 11 and the visitors 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 the Thorns the lead just three minutes into 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 off three times in 2018, which featured the Pride’s lone win in Portland. 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 only 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 visitors 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 got off to a great start this season, winning their first four games. A 1-0 loss to the Washington Spirit on April 19 and a slow start against Angel City on April 25 was a little worrisome. But the Pride came back from a 2-0 deficit to score three goals in the final 20 minutes, defeating the California-based visitors 3-2.

Tonight, the Pride head back out on the road for the first time since they beat Seattle Reign FC 1-0 on April 12. It’s no surprise the team is led offensively by Banda. The Zambian netted a late brace in a 6-0 win over the Chicago Stars to start the season before failing to score in the following two games. However, she’s converted in two of the last three games, including a 76th-minute header in the most recent contest.

The team’s been very solid defensively this season, only conceding four goals. Two of those goals came in the most recent game against Angel City. They’re currently tied with the Kansas City Current on 14 goals scored and four conceded for a +10 goal differential.

Tonight, the Pride head to a stadium they’ve struggled in since the team’s inaugural season. They’ve only taken points once in nine games in Portland over the past 10 years. While many of those years the Thorns were near the top of the league and the Pride near the bottom, even last year the Pride couldn’t find a way to beat the Thorns.

One thing that should make the task a little easier is the Thorns’ absences. Sinclair retired following the 2024 season after over a decade in Portland. Sophia Wilson is also out for this game due to pregnancy. The U.S. international’s absence creates a tremendous challenge for the Portland attack.

The Thorns currently sit in sixth in the NWSL standings with nine points. However, they’re only three points behind the Spirit for third. A win at home tonight against the Pride would put them only three points back of second and possibly first, depending on how the Current do.

Portland’s led offensively this season by second-year professional Reilyn Turner with three of the team’s 10 goals. Rookie Jayden Perry sits second on the team with two goals and several players have one, including Olivia Moultrie, Jessie Fleming, and Deyna Castellanos.

The Thorns got the season off to a rocky start, losing 3-1 in Kansas City. But the back line quickly got it together, only conceding three goals in the next five games. That strong defensive effort went away on April 27 when the Thorns conceded three goals  for the second time this season in a 3-3 home draw with Racing Louisville FC.

“Historically, it hasn’t always been a great place for us to go play. But we’re a different team now,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “I think different contexts, different circumstances. We’re still early on in the season, so we are wanting to continue that momentum from last week. We showed great character to come back from two goals down. The players are in good spirits. It shows the collective as well, players coming off the bench and playing a role and influencing the game. So there’s a real togetherness here. It’s going to be a good environment. It’s always a nice place to go play with the fans, the opponent, everything that comes with it. So, yeah, we’re excited to get across there and play another game of football.”

There aren’t any changes to the Pride availability report for the second consecutive game. They’ll be without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), Aryssa Mahrt (knee), Julie Doyle (knee), Rafaelle (thigh), and Summer Yates (ankle).

The Thorns are without Daiane (knee), Caiya Hanks (hip), Marie Muller (knee), Nicole Payne (knee), Olivia Wade-Katoa (maternity leave), Morgan Weaver (knee), and Sophia Wilson (maternity leave).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Zara Chavoshi, Emily Sams, Oihane.

Midfielders: Carson Pickett, Haley McCutcheon, Ally Lemos, Ally Watt.

Forwards: Barbra Banda, Marta.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Cori Dyke, Brianna Martinez, Kylie Nadaner, Morgan Gautrat, Viviana Villacorta, Angelina, Grace Chanda, Prisca Chilufya.

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

Goalkeeper: Mackenzie Arnold.

Defenders: Reyna Reyes, Jayden Perry, Isabella Obaze, Sam Hiatt.

Defensive Midfielders: Sam Coffey, Hina Sugita.

Attacking Midfielders: Olivia Moultrie, Mimi Alidou, Reilyn Turner.

Forward: Deyna Castellanos.

Bench: Bella Bixby, Kaitlyn Torpey, Sophie Hirst, Jessie Fleming, Carissa Boeckman, Mallie McKenzie, Payton Linnehan, Pietra Tordin, Alexa Spaanstra.

Referees

REF: Nabil Bensalah.
AR1: Fernando Fierro.
AR2: Cameron Siler.
4TH: Dion Coxe-Trieger.
VAR: Anya Voigt.
AVAR: Kaili Terry.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Providence Park — Portland, OR.

TV: Ion.

Streaming: None.

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

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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