The Orlando Pride’s 2026 season has been defined by two very different stories.

One side of the team has spent much of the year trying to rediscover what made it a championship-winning group. The other has been searching for the consistency needed to support that foundation. 

Early in the season, the biggest questions surrounding the Pride centered on the team’s defense. The unit that helped win the club’s first NWSL championship did not immediately look like the same dominant group. Goals were conceded more frequently, defensive mistakes were more costly, and they appeared to be searching for the organization and stability that became a defining part of their recent success. 

But Head Coach Seb Hines eventually found the adjustment that helped the back line regain its identity.

By moving Hailie Mace from center back to her natural right back position and shifting Cori Dyke into a center back role, Hines created a defensive structure that gave the Pride more balance. It was clear that Dyke is more comfortable in that center back position, while Mace had much better performances on the right side.

And the results were almost immediately noticeable.

In the five games before the shift, the Pride conceded multiple goals four times. Since that change, the team has only conceded two goals once — a 2-0 loss to Angel City FC on July 3.

But that move wasn’t the only one that’s made a difference.

Left back Kerry Abello has been out injured for much of the year and Mace has found herself on the shelf as well. That forced Dyke back to an outside back role and injuries to Brazilian center back Rafaelle have resulted in the pairing of Hannah Anderson and Zara Chavoshi. Even with backups forced into starting roles, the back line has been excellent in recent games.

Since returning from the break, the Pride have only conceded four goals in four games, including a clean sheet against the Kansas City Current and back-to-back 1-0 defeats to Boston Legacy FC and the Utah Royals. They’ve lost three of their last four games, but it’s not the fault of the defensive unit.

The losses come down to the lack of consistency in the attack.

The Pride have one of the most dangerous forwards in the world in Barbra Banda. The Zambian striker has been everything the Pride hoped for when the club made her one of the biggest signings in NWSL history, and she currently leads the league in goals scored.

But even Banda’s impact has come with some challenges.

The star has been working her way back into full match fitness from a thigh injury, and Hines has been carefully managing her minutes. That’s meant the Pride have not always had their most dangerous weapon available for a full 90 minutes.

The loss in Utah Saturday night was the first time Banda started since the World Cup break and the 62 minutes she played were her most in game during that stretch.

Getting Banda back to full fitness will be a major factor for the Pride moving forward, but they’ll also have to prepare for a stretch without her. Banda will soon be leaving for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, creating another challenge for an attack that has already struggled to find consistency.

That makes the need for secondary scoring options even more important.

Banda has done more than enough to carry her share of the responsbiity. The forward currently leads the NWSL with 12 goals, but the rest of the roster has combined for just nine goals this season. The next-highest scorers on the team are Haley McCutcheon, Marta, and Anderson, who have each found the back of the net twice.

Those numbers highlight just how much the Pride have relied on Banda for goals.

That type of dependence is difficult for any team to sustain. Even the best forwards in the world will eventually face opponents who adjust their defensive approach and focus more resources on limiting their impact. Other players have to step up and create goals from different areas of the field.

The Pride have already shown they can win games without dominating offensively. The defense has kept them competitive. Even when they’ve failed to score, they’ve remained within striking distance.

Saturday night was a perfect example. The Pride were outshot 13-3 and didn’t put a single attempt on goal. However, they only trailed 1-0 in the final minutes, so one quality strike or a fortunate bounce of the ball would’ve been enough to claim a valuable point.

That’s both a strength and a frustration for this team.

The defense has given the Pride a chance in nearly every game. It recovered from early-season struggles, adjusted through injuries, and returned to being one of the most reliable units in the league. But without consistent offensive production, those strong defensive performances have not always translated into results.

The Pride don’t have to become an offensive powerhouse overnight. They already have a world-class goal scorer and a defensive foundation capable of competing with any team in the league.

They just need more players to share the responsibility.

That’s been a defining characteristic of Hines’ teams in Orlando. The Pride have been built around a dominant defensive identity, but they’ve also found goals when they needed them — often from unlikely sources.

Even last season, when Banda suffered a season-ending injury, the Pride continued to find ways to create important moments and collect valuable points. The defense gave them a foundation, but the attack provided enough to turn close games into results.

This season, those moments have been harder to find.

The encouraging sign is that the Pride have already solved one major problem. The defense has rediscovered its identity despite injuries, lineup changes, and a difficult start to the year. Now they need the attack to do the same.

If the Pride can pair their improved defensive form with more consistent offensive production, they will once again have the formula that made them one of the NWSL’s best teams.

The defense has found its identity. Now the offense needs to find its rhythm.

The Orlando Pride (6-8-2, 20 points) fell 1-0 tonight to the Utah Royals (8-4-3, 27 points) at America First Field in Sandy, UT. Narumi Miura’s 36th-minute goal was the difference as the Pride lost their second straight and third in four games.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made four changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Boston Legacy FC on Wednesday. Luana, Nicole Payne, Seven Castain, and Barbra Banda entered the starting lineup, replacing Ally Lemos, Solai Washington, Jacquie Ovalle, and Marta.

“The league is unforgiving at times and that’s why you need a roster to supplement some of the fatigue with other players,” Hines said about the changes. “Make sure they’re rested and ready to go. We have to be careful with certain players. Obviously, players coming back from injury and managing their minutes, but also fatigue. And we don’t need any more injuries within the current squad.”

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse included Oihane, Hannah Anderson, Zara Chavoshi, and Cori Dyke. Angelina and Haley McCutcheon were in the defensive midfield behind Castain, Luana, and Payne with Banda up top.

This was a tough watch for Pride fans as the Royals dominated every facet of the game. The Pride didn’t record a shot until the 52nd minute and, even worse, didn’t come close to a chance at goal. The fact they only lost by one is an achievement as the Royals should’ve won by multiple goals. But some poor finishing and a header off the post allowed the Pride to keep it close.

Utah created the first shot of the game in the 14th minute when Ana Tejada played a ball forward that Cece Delzer tapped to Mina Tanaka. The midfielder driblbed across the box to find space and unleashed a shot that Moorhouse tipped over the crossbar.

The ensuing corner kick was deflected, landing at Kiana Palacios’ foot. The Mexican international turned to shoot, sending her attempt off target.

Palacios received a ball at the top of the Pride box in the 23rd minute before cutting and slipping. But she was able to get the ball to Miyabi Moriya, who laid it off for Tejada. The Spanish international sent her attempt over the crossbar, creating little concern for Moorhouse.

The 36th minute saw a seemingly innocuous situation turn into the game’s opening goal. Tejada sent a long ball forward for Cloe Lacasse, whose shot was blocked. It fell to Moriya, who tried to shoot but stumbled over the ball. Instead, she played it central to Tejada, who continued the ball to Miyabi. The midfielder dribbled outside as she was defended by Angelina before lifting a cross into the box. However, it sailed over the Moorhouse’s head and inside the far post to give the hosts the 1-0 lead.

Miura sent Delzer down the right in the 42nd minute. As the attacker reached the end line, she attempted a cross that Chavoshi blocked out of play. Chavoshi then headed the corner kick out to Miyabi, waiting just outside the box. The Japanese international’s second touch was a shot that sailed over the target.

The final chance of the half came in the second minute of stoppage time when Moriya sent Delzer down the right. The midfieder spotted Tejada making a run to the top of the box, allowing the attacker to take a first-touch shot. However, the shot went off Palacios and wide of the goal.

After 45 minutes, Utah had the advantage in possession (59%-41%), shots (7-0), shots on target (2-0), corner kicks (4-2), and passing accuracy (78%-62%). It was a dominant half that had the Pride down a goal and needing a major lift.

Hines made three changes at halftime. Kerry Abello, Washington, and Lemos came into the game for Castain, Luana, and Oihane.

The Royals started the second half on the attacking foot, taking their first shot less than a minute after the restart. Tejada played Tanaka into the Pride third of the field, and Tanaka tried to chip the ball over Moorhouse. However, she sent the attempt wide of the target.

The Pride finally created their first shot of the game in the 52nd minute when they won a corner kick. The set piece was cleared away where Lemos took possession. She played it centrally for Abello. Since nobody stepped up to the defender, she attempted a shot through a group of players that was blocked.

In the 54th minute, Payne sent a cross into the box for Banda. The striker tried to turn the ball on goal, but Kate Del Fava was there to block it. The ball went right back to Banda, who laid it off for Abello. But her shot was also blocked. With her back facing the goal, Banda turned and shot into Del Fava, allowing Utah to clear.

A Tanaka cross in the 59th minute went right to Anderson, but the center back’s clearance only went to the top of the box. Chavoshi blocked Tejada’s first-touch shot and Lacasse’s follow-up attempt as well.

Hines made his fourth change of the night in the 61st minute, replacing Banda with Ovalle. The substitution was due to a minutes restriction on Banda, who continues to increase her minutes as she returns from a thigh injury.

Dyke cleared a loose ball in the Pride third of the field over the end in the 65th minute as Lacasse chased it down. Tatumn Milazzo shook free of Lemos on the ensuing corner kick and sent her free header off the far post. It bounced off Delzer’s shoulder, allowing Ovalle to clear the danger.

Hines made his final change in the 74th minute as Julie Doyle came on for Payne.

The Pride should’ve had a good attempt at goal in the 84th minute when Angelina drew a foul and quickly played the ball to Abello. The defender sent it forward for Washington down the left with Doyle and Ovalle making runs. Washington sent the ball into the box, but her cross sailed over the crossbar. It was especially irritating to Ovalle, who had a step on her defender at the top of the six-yard box.

At full time, Utah had the advantage in possession (57%-43%), shots (13-3), shots on target (3-0), corner kicks (6-5), and passing accuracy (77%-65%). Frankly, the Pride are fortunate they didn’t lose by more as the post saved them from a two-goal loss.

“Tough one. Tough defeat,” Hines said. “I thought the game was quite even. The goal is just one of those that, it’s a cross that goes into the corner and they take the lead. The players gave absolutely everything. It’s always tough, big turnaround from Wednesday night to come in here. The travel. We’ve always said we’re not going to look for excuses. We always look at what’s in front of us and try our best and I think the players tried their best tonight, but it wasn’t quite enough today.”

The Pride continue to struggle since returning from the FIFA World Cup break. They’ve now lost three of their first four games since the restart, with the only win being a surprising 3-0 victory over the Kansas City Current at home.

While the Pride are in a slump, it hasn’t been the defensive unit’s fault. Orlando has only conceded four goals in the last four games and has a clean sheet in that span. The last two losses have been narrow 1-0 defeats.

“Defensively, I thought we did everything in our power to try to stop clear-cut opportunities,” Hines said. “We knew that Utah would use the space in behind and try to exploit that, use their goalkeeper. So we were patient within that. Structurally we were okay. We allowed certain players to have the ball.”

The main problem for the Pride has been finding goals. They’ve only scored in one of their last four games. It’s a problem that appeared tonight and is why they weren’t able to get anything from the game.

“We weren’t quite threatening enough in transition,” Hines said. “Would’ve like to have seen some better opportunities to go to goal, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort. The ball just ran out of play or we mishit it.”

This loss sees the Pride out of the playoff spots, landing in ninth with 20 points from 16 games. While they sit just one point behind the North Carolina Courage for eighth and two behind Angel City FC for seventh, they’ve now played two more games than all of the teams around them. Denver Summit FC is just one point back, Bay FC is two back, and Seattle Reign FC is three back, with each holding two games in hand.

The Pride will look to achieve a positive result on Friday when they welcome Chicago Stars FC to Inter&Co Stadium.

Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (6-7-2, 20 points) head back out on the road to face Utah Royals FC (7-4-3, 24 points). This is the first of two meetings between the two teams with the return game in Orlando scheduled for Aug. 29.

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

History

The original Utah Royals first played in 2018 and 2019 before the team was purchased and relocated to Kansas City. The new owners of Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake bought an expansion side, so 2024 was the first season the two teams met since 2019, although this is an all-new side. After going 1-3-2 against the old Royals, the Pride are 4-0-1 against the current iteration of the club, with all games coming in the NWSL regular season. Orlando is 2-0-0 in Utah.

The last time the Pride met the Royals was on Aug. 3, 2025 in Orlando. The visitors led early through Mina Tanaka off an assist from Kaleigh Riehl. But Simone Jackson set up Prisca Chilufya for the 72nd minute equalizer, ensuring the Pride came away with a 1-1 draw. On May 23 in Utah. It was the Barbra Banda show, as the striker became the first Pride player to score a hat trick, doing so in just 38 minutes. Brecken Mozingo scored the only goal for the hosts early in the game, getting behind the back line. But a scoreless second half resulted in a 3-1 win for the Pride.

The first game between the two since this new version of the Royals began NWSL play took place on April 12, 2024 in Sandy, UT. Marta started on the bench and came on for Adriana in the second half. It didn’t take long for the Pride captain to make an impact, netting the game’s lone goal six minutes after entering the match, as Orlando left the Beehive State with a 1-0 victory.

On June 21, 2024 in Orlando, it was a dominant performance from start to finish as the Pride roared to a 6-0 win. Banda started the scoring, and Summer Yates made it 2-0 just before halftime. The Pride took off in the second half with goals by Banda and Ally Watt, along with a Marta brace.

Overview

The start to the second half of the NWSL season has gone about the same for the Pride as the whole year — up and down. They started with a 2-0 loss to Angel City FC, in a game where the Pride defended for nearly the entire 90 minutes. They followed that with a 3-0 win against a red-hot Kansas City Current team, playing possibly their best half of the season in the second 45 minutes. Then, Wednesday night, they fell to expansion side Boston Legacy FC, this time losing 1-0.

If the trend continues, it might bode well for the Pride tonight. They’ve tended to play up or down to their competition. While both Angel City and Boston sit behind the Pride in the standings, the Royals are above them. Given Utah’s current position in fifth place, the Pride seem destined to have a quality performance tonight.

In order to beat the Royals tonight, the Pride will likely need production from Banda. The striker leads the league in goals with 12 and has been the primary source of goals for the team this season.

They’ll also need a strong performance from the back line, but the players that will make up that group is much more of a question. The Pride’s defensive unit has been better since Rafaelle and Cori Dyke have made up the center back partnership. However, Rafaelle was out Wednesday night and Dyke had to move to the left back position, making the center back pairing Zara Chavoshi and Hannah Anderson.

Tonight’s opponent has seen success on both sides of the field this season. They’ve scored 21 goals so far, good enough to tie them for third most in the league. Defensively, they’ve only conceded 16 goals this season, fifth-least in the NWSL.

The Royals are led in the attack by Cloe Lacasse with five goals. She’s followed by Tanaka with four. Lara Prasnikar, Kiana Palacios, Tatumn Milazzo, and Cece Delzer have two goals each this year. Lacasse and Tanaka also lead the team in assists, though it’s the other way around. Tanaka leads the team with four assists and Lacasse has three. Palacios and Delzer follow with two assists apiece so far this season.

As you can see, keeping Tanaka and Lacasse from creating problems for the Pride’s back line will be crucial in keeping the Royals off the scoresheet.

Despite being a relatively new team, the Royals have plenty of veteran leadership in the back, which has been crucial in their defensive success. Mandy McGlynn is the starting goalkeeper in front of a center back pairing that has consisted of Kate Del Fava, Tatumn Milazzo, and Riehl. The three right in front of the goal has made Utah a difficult team to score against.

The Pride will play tonight without Hailie Mace (thigh), Marta (excused absence), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Summer Yates (ankle). Utah will be without DeAira Jackson (concussion), Alex Loera (knee), and KK Ream (knee).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Cori Dyke, Hannah Anderson, Zara Chavoshi, Oihane.

Defensive Midfielders: Angelina, Haley McCutcheon.

Attacking Midfielders: Nicole Payne, Luana, Seven Castain.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: Cosette Morche, Zoe Matthews, Jacquie Ovalle, Simone Jackson, Ally Lemos, Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Julie Doyle, Solai Washington.

Utah Royals FC (4-2-1-3)

Goalkeeper: Mandy McGlynn.

Defenders: Nuria Rabano, Tatumn Milazzo, Kate Del Fava, Miyabi Moriya.

Defensive Midfielders: Narumi Miura, Ana Tejada.

Attacking Midfielders: Mina Tanaka.

Forward: Cloe Lacasse, Kiana Palacios, Cece Delzer.

Bench: Paige Cronin, Kameron Simmonds, Lara Prasnikar, Brecken Mozingo, Courtney Brown, Kaleigh Riehl, Mia Justus, Alexa Spaanstra, Madison Hammond.

Referees

REF: Servando Berna.
AR1: Matthew Schwartz.
AR2: Fernando Fierro.
4TH: Brad Jensen.
VAR: Shawn Tehini.
AVAR: Kevin Huet.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8:45 p.m.

Venue: America First Field — Sandy, UT.

TV: Ion.

Streaming: None.

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

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!