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Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Dominate But Fall in Chicago

The Pride dominated from the opening kickoff but couldn’t convert a single chance, falling to the Chicago Red Stars.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (3-5-1, 10 points) ended their four-game unbeaten run in a 1-0 loss to the Chicago Red Stars (2-6-1, 7 points) Saturday night at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL. Despite the Pride controlling the chances, Yuki Nagasato’s 22nd-minute goal was the difference as the Pride fell for the first time since April 23.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made one change to the starting lineup that beat the Washington Spirit 2-1 last weekend. Viviana Villacorta exited the lineup in favor of Erika Tymrak, who made her sixth start of the season. Tymrak moved into an attacking midfield role and Kerry Abello played alongside Mikayla Cluff in Villacorta’s place.

The back line in front of starting goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse remained the same with Kylie Strom, Emily Madril, Megan Montefusco, and Haley McCutcheon. Cluff and Abello were the defensive midfielders behind Abello, Marta, and Adriana with Messiah Bright up top.

The Pride dominated this game from start to finish. Chicago had an early chance and scored its goal, but created nothing beyond two shots. Meanwhile, the Pride kept the ball in the Chicago third for the majority of the game, creating chance after chance. In the end, the Pride should’ve won by multiple goals.

The first opportunity of the game came in the sixth minute when Ava Cook moved outside and found Bianca St-Georges making a diagonal run. The midfielder split Montefusco and Madril, receiving the ball in the box, but her shot was right at Moorhouse. It appeared as though she was offside, so it likely wouldn’t have counted anyway.

The Pride had their first chance of the game in the ninth minute. After receiving the ball from Abello, Bright played it back to McCutcheon and made a long run down the right. McCutcheon quickly played it forward for the sprinting striker. Bright made a long run, knocking it past Tatumn Milazzo and shielding Tierna Davidson before playing it across for Adriana. With a defender in front, Adriana dumped it off for the oncoming Abello, who shot right at Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.

A minute later, the Pride almost opened the scoring when Strom sent a dangerous ball into the six-yard box. Cook got back to defend the back post, heading the ball down but right in front of goal. It went off Arin Wright’s thigh and McCutcheon was able to poke the ball towards the Red Stars’ net, but Naeher was able to keep it out.

Bright took her first shot of the game in the 15th minute. Tymrak played the ball for the rookie, making a diagonal run towards the right sideline. After dribbling into the Chicago box and cutting inside to beat Davidson, Bright’s shot was blocked by Milazzo. The deflection rolled across the top of the six, but Adriana wasn’t close enough to redirect it on goal.

In the 16th minute, a poor St-Georges pass was intercepted by Tymrak, who immediately played Bright up field. The striker made another long run into the Chicago half, passing through Milazzo and Cari Roccaro for Abello making a run up field. Abello had plenty of space behind the Red Stars back line and shot, but it was right at Naeher.

The Pride almost had a great chance in the 20th minute when Marta found Strom to her left and the defender sent a low pass into the box. Adriana was making a run into the six behind Milazzo, but the center back was able to break up the play. If the ball had reached Adriana, the Brazilian would’ve had a free shot on goal.

The Red Stars got the game’s lone goal in the 22nd minute, after Abello fouled Sandra Starke near midfield. Wright took the free kick, sending it wide right for Casey Krueger. The defender cut back to lose Adriana and lifted the ball towards the far post where Nagasato got behind Montefusco, heading it past Moorhouse to give the Red Stars the surprising 1-0 lead.

“I think it came off of us giving the ball away and, you know, that happens and we need to deal with it,” McCutcheon said about the goal. “An uncontested ball in the box and then they just had numbers and we need to do better with our line and do better with marking up.”

The Pride tried to respond quickly after the restart. Abello entered the Red Stars box, but found resistance so she played it back for Strom. The left back quicky played it across for Abello, who fired from just outside of the box, but the low attempt curled well wide of the far post.

Bright had another chance in the 34th minute when Adriana and Tymrak blocked a St-Georges pass that went right to the big striker. The rookie turned Davidson, who slightly blocked the ball, and it went right to Naeher, who made her fourth save of the night.

Chicago had their first real threat after the goal in the 39th minute when Marta turned the ball over near midfield. St-Georges was sent to the end line by Julia Bianchi, but her cross attempt was into the hands of Moorhouse at the near post.

The Pride went the other way with Adriana attacking Krueger one on one. Tymrak sprinted into the box, receiving the ball from the Brazilian playmaker. The veteran midfielder had some space between the defenders and attempted a first-touch shot from near the penalty spot, but mishit it and the ball rolled harmlessly wide.

In the 41st minute, Tymrak took control of the ball after Bright won an aerial duel. Tymrak sent a great cross to the top of the six, where Adriana got her head to it between Milazzo and Krueger. Unfortunately, the Brazilian couldn’t get over the ball and it went over the target.

Despite entering halftime with a 1-0 lead, Chicago only had two chances, the game’s first shot by St-Georges and the goal by Nagasato. Meanwhile, the Pride created eight shots, putting four on target, and should’ve had more opportunities if not for some successful desperate defending by the hosts.

The Pride started the second half where they left off the first. Just seconds after the restart, Starke’s pass attempt was blocked by Motnefusco and chested down by Bright to Tymrak. The midfielder took a long-distance shot beyond the stretched arms of Naeher, but missed the far post.

In the 49th minute, the Pride nearly equalized when Milazzo mishit her clearance attempt, sending the ball towards her own end line, and Krueger helped the ball out of play for a Pride corner kick. Naeher reached out for Adriana’s set piece, but Cluff beat her to it, heading it off the crossbar. Marta attempted an acrobatic shot off the rebound, but Naeher reached back and tipped it off the line to maintain Chicago’s one-goal lead.

The save was Naeher’s 519th in NWSL play, passing former Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris for the most saves in league history.

In the 52nd minute, the Pride almost connected when Strom sent a dangerous ball to the top of the six-yard box. Bright and McCutcheon were both making runs behind the Red Stars back line, but the ball was a little too far in front of both players, going out for a goal kick.

A minute later, Marta sent a curling ball towards the back post, where Adriana beat Krueger. The Brazilians almost connected on the far side, but the ball was just out of the reach of Adriana, going out for another goal kick.

Marta found McCutcheon to her left in the 56th minute making an overlapping run. Cook slid in with an attempt to win the ball, but McCutcheon got past her and lifted the ball into the middle of the box. Tymrak was there, but the ball was just over her head.

The Pride hit the crossbar for the second time in the game in the 59th minute. After receiving the ball on the left from Abello, Adriana took a touch inside and shot before Krueger could get in front of her. The ball was over Naeher, but bounced off the woodwork.

The Red Stars got their first real possession of the second half in the 60th minute. The hosts passed the ball around, looking for their third shot of the game. But the Pride defended it well and Krueger eventually lost the ball to Adriana without Chicago getting a shot off.

The Pride made the first change in the 62nd minute, replacing Bright with Julie Doyle. It was Doyle’s first appearance since she went off in the 23rd minute with an ankle injury against Angel City FC on April 2.

“She’s an exciting player, she’s always active,” Hines said about Doyle. “We felt like it was the right time to bring her in chasing a goal. She’s always on the move, making defenders defend, and it’s nice to have another attacking option come off the bench.”

In the 65th minute, Cluff lifted the ball behind the Red Stars’ back line, where Doyle was calling for it. The striker was challenged by Milazzo, but still got a shot off. Naeher made a great stop with her right shin, but the flag went up for offside.

Cluff created another chance in the 66th minute when she lifted the ball into the box from the right. Adriana chested it down, but lost her balance, allowing Krueger to clear it. However, it went right to Abello just outside of the box. The midfielder used a quick change of pace to beat Krueger and create enough space for a shot, sending it right into the hands of Naeher.

Chicago tried to play the ball out of the back and the Pride continued to apply pressure, nearly creating a pair of opportunities in the 67th minute. After Marta blocked a ball forward, Tymrak and Doyle attempted a give-and-go, but they couldn’t connect the return pass. Quickly winning the ball back, Cluff and Marta attempted their own one-two in the box with the same result.

Controlling possession and chances but needing a goal, Hines made an attacking change in the 68th minute. After making a like-for-like change earlier in the half, forward Ally Watt came on for Tymrak.

Marta used a stepover in the 71st minute to create space from Cook, sending a dangerous ball into the box. Doyle and Watt were making runs towards goal, but the ball was a little too far in front again, going out of play for a goal kick.

The Red Stars felt they should’ve had a penalty in the 84th minute when Ella Stevens, who came on for Starke in the 74th minute, sent Cook into the Pride box. Marta defended her with a shoulder challenge and Cook went down, but referee Rebecca Pagan decided it wasn’t enough for a spot kick and awarded the Pride a goal kick.

The Pride made their final change in the 85th minute and it was another attacking one. This time rookie attacking midfielder Summer Yates replaced left back Strom.

“It shows that we were being more aggressive towards the end of the game trying to get ourselves back in it,” Hines said about the attacking changes. “We felt with the likes of Julie, Ally, Adri, Marta, Summer, we had an opportunity to get back in the game and ultimately win the game in the end.”

A Marta corner in the 86th minute looked to be heading in, but was palmed out of play by Naeher. Adriana took the corner from the other side, but Krueger came up with it and cleared. The Pride players raised their arms because they felt Krueger had handled the ball, but Pagan thought otherwise.

In the 89th minute, Yates made a good run to the top of the box and sent the ball out wide for Doyle. Reaching the ball just before it went out of play, the forward sent a cross into the box. Watt did well with her first touch, bringing it down and setting up a second-touch shot, but sent it just wide of the near post.

The final chance of the game came in the fourth minute of second-half injury time. Marta sent a cross into the box from the left that was headed out by Wright. Yates kept it in and her block went right to Doyle. The second-half substitute had room for a shot, but her first-touch attempt was off her shin and way off target.

At full-time, the Pride led in every offensive statistical category. They had more possession (54.5%-45.5%), shots (21-2), shots on target (6-2), corners (9-0), crosses (29-4), and passing accuracy (81.8%-76.6%). After their 22nd-minute goal, Chicago didn’t create a single chance, but held on for the 1-0 win.

“Disappointed with the result,” Hines said about the game. “You know, it was a great opportunity for us to keep that momentum going. Anytime you play a team like Chicago who are short of confidence, you have to not give them any hope and that’s what we did. We gave them hope by allowing them to score first. But, at the end of the day, you can’t dominate a game the way that we did and not come away with three points and that’s the disappointing thing. The game is built on goals and we didn’t take our opportunities.”

“We played some good football tonight,” McCutcheon added. “The second half, we had them on the back foot the entire half. Even in the first half, there were some good moments, and so we just need to know what we’re capable of and continue to push in training. Continue to reach higher levels as a group, individually, collectively.”

The story of this game is the Pride not putting away their chances. They hit the crossbar twice and had multiple opportunities that missed the target. That’s in addition to the eight shots on frame and excellent goalkeeping by Naeher that kept the Red Stars in front.

“It’s frustrating, of course, because we’re not just talking about half chances, we’re talking about clinical opportunities,” Hines said after the game. “There was some really good deliveries in the box, some opportunities from distance, and I think Naeher probably had the game of her season so far.”

Hines has said several times this year that each game is a learning experience, especially with a young team like the Pride. The recent four-game unbeaten run has shown that they can compete with the top teams in the NWSL, but they need to put away the teams at the bottom of the standings.

“If we want to be a top team competing in the playoffs, we have to win games like this,” Hines said. “So it’s a reminder that we can’t take the foot off the gas. We can’t take anyone for granted. Whether it’s Washington at home in front of our fans or coming away to Chicago sitting bottom of the table. Every game is a tough game in this league. So it’s a reminder that we have to keep going, have to keep fighting and challenging.”

The Pride will finish off their two-game road trip next Saturday night when they take on the Houston Dash in Texas. Then they’ll return home to face the league-leading Portland Thorns at Exploria Stadium on June 11.

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Final Score 1-0 as the Pride Hold On After Banda’s Goal

The Pride earn their second straight clean sheet with a hard-fought away win against Bay FC.

Published

4 days ago

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June 14, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride (8-3-1, 25 points) scored in the second half and then held on for dear life in the final moments tonight to claim their third straight victory with a 1-0 win over Bay FC (4-5-3, 15 points) at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA. Barbra Banda’s 58th-minute goal was the difference as the Pride claimed their fifth clean sheet of the season.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made five changes from the team that beat the Houston Dash with a last-second goal on June 7. Cori Dyke, Angelina, Summer Yates, Marta, and Banda all entered the lineup for Oihane, Ally Lemos, Morgan Gautrat, Kerry Abello, and Julie Doyle.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Dyke, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, and Carson Pickett. Haley McCutcheon and Angelina were in the defensive midfield behind Yates, Marta, and Ally Watt with Banda up top.

Similar to the 1-0 win over Houston, the first half was one to forget. Both teams looked sloppy, turning the ball over time and time again. However, the Pride came out attacking in the second half, putting the hosts on their heels. Once Banda gave her team the lead, the Pride couldn’t keep possession and had to withstand attack after attack with Bay FC nearly scoring on multiple occasions. But they kept the ball out of the net to take home all three points.

Both teams won early corner kicks, but it wasn’t until the 10th minute when the game’s first clear chance occurred. Caprice Dydasco played Karlie Lema down the right and the midfielder sent a cross in for Asisat Oshoala. Nadaner got a piece of the pass, but it went directly to Taylor Huff. The forward had a chear shot on goal with Moorhouse coming up with a big save.

The Pride’s first shot came in the 15th minute when Dyke sent a cross into the box. There was a group of players in the area, but Banda rose above them all to get her head to it. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get enough contact on the attempt, sending it wide.

Yates beat Lema in the 30th minute and the Bay FC midfielder pulled her back, earning the first booking of the game. The set piece was a give-and-go between Pickett and Angelina that sent Pickett down the left. It looked like the defender would cross the ball, but she played it back to Yates instead. The shot was bobbled by Bay FC goalkeeper Emmie Allen before her defenders cleared it.

Bay FC nearly had a chance in the 34th minute when Watt’s clearance was blocked. It went straight to Oshoala, who played it to Huff, who was making a run into the box. However, Dyke did well to shield the striker, and Moorhouse came out to cover the ball.

Marta played a ball forward a minute later that was won by Banda. The striker shielded Hubly enough to get a shot off, but Emmie Allen pushed it over the crossbar.

McCutcheon played the ball forward for Banda in the 42nd minute, but Abby Dahlkemper won it back for Bay FC. As Banda fell to the ground, the hosts broke the other way. Receiving the ball on the left from Huff, Racheal Kundananji dribbled into the Pride box. She was looking for space to shoot, but Nadaner stuck her foot in to win it back.

Once the ball was cleared, the referee stopped play as both Banda and Kundananji were down. However, they eventually got up and were able to continue.

A collision on a free ball allowed Angelina to take possession in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. The Brazilian made a long run up the field before playing the ball to Marta in the center. The Pride captain dribbled to the left before sending a ball into the six-yard box that Allen stepped up to collect.

That was the last decent first-half chance for either team as the game reached the break scoreless. The Pride finished the first half with the advantage in possession (63%-37%), shots (4-2), shots on target (3-1), crosses (12-4), corner kicks (4-1), and passing accuracy (85%-74%). But it was a disappointing first 45 minutes for both teams as the game went into halftime scoreless.

The Pride got the second half off to an attacking start, creating the first chance in the 47th minute. Nadaner sent a long ball forward that Banda tapped around Dahlkemper and got to first. The Zambian attacker cut inside to lose her defender as Dydasco came flying in. Seeing the approaching support, Banda took a quick shot that sailed wide.

Yates beat Kiki Pickett in the 50th minute and was pulled back, earning a free kick in the opposing third. The short set piece was sent into the box by Carson Pickett, but it was headed away. However, it only went to Dyke just outside the box, whose shot was blocked.

The hosts nearly took the lead in the 57th minute when Hannah Bebar won a corner kick. The rookie’s set piece was off Pickett to the top of the box, where Dydasco was running on. It was a terrific strike by Dydasco that hit the crossbar.

Bay FC kept possession of the ball, which eventually ended up with Kundananji. However, the striker sent her shot wide, ending the attack.

The Pride didn’t take long to respond. Yates was fouled near midfield seconds after the Kundananji miss and Pickett immediately sent the ball forward for Banda before Bay FC was ready. The striker cut inside to create some space and fired. The shot took a deflection off the heel of a sliding Hubly, tucking inside the far post to give the Pride the 1-0 lead on Banda’s eighth goal of the season.

In the 60th minute, Banda was sent long by Dyke. She did well to shield Hubly before sending a dangerous ball into the box. Marta was making a run but couldn’t quite get on the end of it and the ball went all the way through.

Kundananji made a great run down the field in the 63rd minute, shielding Sams to get a shot off in the Pride box. It was on target, but Moorhouse did well to tip it over the top.

The ensuing corner kick was headed to the far side where Dydasco collected the ball. The defender used a nice touch to beat Banda and send a dangerous cross to the far post. Hubly got her head to it but sent the attempt over the crossbar.

After a flurry of action, Hines made his first changes in the 66h minute, sending Oihane and Doyle on for Pickett and Marta. The Pride boss used his third sub and second window to replace Watt with Lemos in the 73rd minute.

In the 74th minute, Penelope Hocking played the ball off Oihane, winning her team a corner kick. The service into the box found the head of Kundananji, but the striker’s header was right at Moorhouse. A minute later, Kundananji tried to create a shot, but Sams knocked it off her foot. Unfortunately, it went straight to Hocking, whose shot was straight to Moorhouse.

In the 77th minute, Rachel Hill made a good run down the right and sent a dangerous ball into the middle, where Kundananji was waiting. It likely would’ve been an equalizer, but Sams came flying in to knock it away.

Dorian Bailey sent a cross to the back post in the 77th minute that Dyke sent out for a corner kick. Moorhouse stepped up to collect the set piece but dropped it after making contact with Dyke. It fell right to Hocking, who fired on goal, but Nadaner cleared it off the goal line. The clearance went to Kundananji, who sent her shot off target.

Alyssa Malonson sent a dangerous ball into the box in the 79th minute with Kundananji making a run. Fortunately, the cross was off line. Dydasco found Conti at the top of the box in the 81st minute. The second-half substitute’s shot was on target, but Moorhouse tipped it over the top.

The ensuing corner kick went out to Conti near the top of the Pride box and she was immediately fouled by Banda. Conti took the set piece herself but sent it over the crossbar.

Hines made his final two changes in the 88th minute as Prisca Chilufya and Abello came on for Banda and Yates. Like the earlier substitutions, they were defensive minded as the Pride clung to their 1-0 lead.

“We made our substitutions. We were strategic with our substitutions,” Hines said about his changes. “And, you know, towards the end, we weren’t as threatening. But, the game gives you what it gives you.”

Hocking received a long ball at the far post in the 90th minute. She found Kundananji near the penalty spot and, with her back to goal, Kundananji laid it off for Conti. The second-year player shot, but Nadaner stepped up to block the attempt.

Lemos turned the ball over in her own third in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Conti played it to the top left corner of the box for Bebar, who volleyed it centrally for Bailey. A second consecutive volley was meant to go towards goal but went well wide instead.

Kundananji lifted the ball into the box in the eighth minute of stoppage time and Lemos guided it out for another Bay FC corner kick. The short corner went to Bebar, who sent Dydasco into the box. The defender laid it back for Conti, but Abello stepped in front to intercept.

The final chance for Bay FC came in the ninth minute of stoppage time, when Bailey played the ball back for an oncoming Hill. The forward’s first touch was a shot that went over the crossbar.

That was the final chance, and the Pride withstood a barrage of attacks from the hosts to hang on for the 1-0 win.

“It’s a great feeling after the game. And after that whistle blows, all that hard work and the determination to keep that ball out has paid off,” Moorhouse said about hanging on at the end. “Doesn’t particularly feel good in the moment when you’re throwing bodies on the line and having to concentrate like that, but this team, that’s what we do. And that’s how we get the job done.”

At full time, the Pride had more possession (53%-47%) and had most of the chances until their 58th-minute goal. But they put everyone behind the ball as the clock kept ticking and struggled to maintain possession whenever they won the ball back. As a result, Bay FC had the final advantage in shots (20-7), shots on target (6-4), crosses (21-16), corner kicks (7-5), and passing accuracy (79%-75%).

“Again, I sound like a broken record. I thought first half, we played some really good football without really threatening,” Hines said. “They got their goal. You know, they made it difficult for us to find any sort of success in their attacking third. And so, yeah, second half, it was a quick free kick, Barbra does extremely well to get a shot off, and we’re 1-0 up. And then we showed our character towards the end, throwing our bodies on the line, making sure that we don’t concede. And when we take the lead in games, we become very difficult to play against. And so, I was really proud of the players, their effort, their commitment, everything that they’ve put into it to get the three points. And after that, we move on to next week with good momentum.”

“It was a tough game towards the end,” Moorhouse added. “I thought we got back to kind of how we defended last season. You know, with everything, with grit, whole team effort. And, yeah, Barbra scored the goal and it’s a great feeling.”

The clean sheet is the Pride’s fifth of the season, tied for the league lead with the Kansas City Current and NJ/NY Gotham FC. It’s also their second straight 1-0 victory after beating the Dash by the same score.

“We kind of came away from being ourselves, being hard to beat, hard to score against. And so I think looking at the most recent results, 1-0 victories, clean sheets, it’s more us when we look at those results and we keep clean sheets,” Hines said. “And again, it takes everyone to achieve that goal. So really proud of them. Really proud with the back line and the midfielders and forwards to really solidify that clean sheet today. And hopefully we can get another one next week.”

“We’ve had a lot of rotation. We’ve got a long season to cope with this year, but everyone coming in, like we’ve been saying, has been doing a great job,” Moorhouse added. “And, yeah, it’s finally starting to click defensively. We’re all on the same page, and we’re getting the rewards for it.”

After an impressive start to the season, the Pride failed to win in three straight and four out of five games. But they’ve rebounded well with three straight wins.

The recent run of form has the Pride currently in second place in the standings, just two points behind the Current. However, the Current have a game in hand and take on Racing Louisville Saturday night.

As for the Pride, they’ll finish up the first half of the season on June 20 when they face Racing Louisville in Kentucky before the more than a month-long summer break for the Euros.

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

The Pride look to make it three wins in a row as they travel to the west coast to face Bay FC.

Published

5 days ago

on

June 13, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (7-3-1, 22) head back out on the road to face Bay FC (4-4-3, 15 points). This is the first of two times the teams will face off with the return game in Orlando scheduled for Sept. 13.

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

History

Bay FC is one of two expansion teams that entered the NWSL for the 2024 season. The teams met twice last year, with the first coming on Sept. 20. It looked like the game might be headed for a scoreless draw until Barbra Banda got her head on the end of a Carson Pickett cross, redirecting it past Katelyn Rowland to give the Pride the 1-0 win.

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

Overview

After a strong start to the 2025 campaign, the Pride lost three of five games, including a three-game winless streak. But they’ve bounced back strong with back-to-back wins.

The current streak started on May 23 in Utah when Banda netted the first hat trick in Pride history in a 3-1 win. They returned home to face the Houston Dash Saturday night and weren’t threatening in the first 45 minutes. But the Pride came out flying in the second half. It looked like it wouldn’t be enough to gain all three points until Cori Dyke scored the game-winning goal with the last touch of the ball.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made several changes to the starting lineup since many players had gone away to represent their countries during the international break. The two most notable absences were Banda and Marta, but both came on in the second half, helping the Pride claim all three points.

It was another stellar defensive performance as the Pride earned their fourth clean sheet in the first 11 games. The 3-2 win over Angel City on April 25 remains the only time the Pride have conceded multiple goals this season.

Tonight, the Pride face a Bay FC team that’s barely clinging onto the eighth and final playoff spot. The San Jose, CA-based club has been stronger defensively than offensively this season, scoring 13 goals (ninth in the league) and conceding 14 (fifth in the league).

Bay FC has conceded two goals on four occasions this season, only giving up three or more goals once. That came on May 11 when they lost 4-1 to the league-leading Kansas City Current. Meanwhile, Bay has matched the Pride this year with four clean sheets.

Bay FC is coming off a good win over the always dangerous Portland Thorns. While the game was in San Jose, it wasn’t a long trip for the Thorns like the Pride made this week.

Asisat Oshoala led Bay FC with eight goals last year and Racheal Kundananji was second with five. But this season the duo only have a goal between them. It’s Penelope Hocking leading the team with three goals after netting just four last season. She’s followed by Kiki Pickett, Karlie Lema, and Caroline Conti as the only players with multiple goals on the year.

While the attack might not concern the Pride too much tonight, the Bay FC back line will be hard to break down. They’ve shown themselves to be stingy this season and will do everything they can to maintain Banda, Marta, and the rest of the Pride attack.

“I think with every game that we’ve been playing, it’s been a challenge,” Hines said about tonight’s game. “The teams have come with a game plan, and I think that’s to negate our attacking positions as much as they can. Reduce the space that we can exploit and being defensively disciplined. And I expect nothing different against Bay. I think that’s probably one thing they’ve learned from last year is being more defensively solid, being hard to beat, and then look to transition with the likes of Racheal Kundananji.”

There’s no change to the Pride availability list this week. The team is still without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), and Rafaelle (thigh). Bay FC is without Jordan Brewster (lower leg), Emily Menges (excused absence), Princess (excused absence), and Jordan Silkowitz (illness).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Cori Dyke, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Carson Pickett.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Angelina.

Midfielders: Summer Yates, Marta, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Prisca Chilufya, Viviana Villacorta, Julie Doyle, Oihane, Kerry Abello, Ally Lemos, Zara Chavoshi.

Bay FC (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Emmie Allen.

Defenders: Alyssa Malonson, Kelli Hubly, Abby Dahlkemper, Caprice Dydasco.

Midfielders: Kiki Pickett, Hannah Beber, Karlie Lema, Asisat Oshoala.

Forwards: Taylor Huff, Racheal Kundananji.

Bench: Melissa Lowder, Tess Boade, Jamie Shepherd, Caroline Conti, Joelle Anderson, Dorian Bailey, Rachel Hill, Maddie Moreau, Penelope Hocking.

Referees

REF: Muhammad Hassan.
AR1: Melissa Beck.
AR2: Zeno Cho.
4TH: Kevin Lewis.
VAR: Elton Garcia.
AVAR: Tom Felice.

How to Watch

Match Time: 10 p.m.

Venue: PayPal Park — San Jose, CA.

TV: None.

Streaming: Prime Video.

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

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride at Bay FC: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Pride need to do to secure a victory against Bay FC on the road?

Published

6 days ago

on

June 12, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride head to California to take on Bay FC Friday night. The Pride are coming off a win, thanks to a last-second winner from Cori Dyke at home. Unfortunately, I won’t be in San Jose to lend whatever small bit of mojo I have to the outcome, so it’s going to be all on the players (as if it isn’t always that way, of course). With that being the case, what do the Pride need to do to take all three points from Bay FC at PayPal Park?

A Quicker Start

In the last match against the Houston Dash, Seb Hines rested the players returning from international duty to start the match. As such, the stout Dash defense was able to keep the Pride off the scoreboard in the first half. Even after the normal starters returned in the second half, it took until the very last kick of the match to secure the win. Let’s not repeat that this time.

Whenever a club plays in a different time zone, it can mess with the sense of normalcy you want on a match day. That is especially true when going all the way across the country. The beginning of the match will feel like the same time the match would normally be ending at Inter&Co. As such, I want to see the normal starters jump on Bay FC very early. Get the early lead — perhaps multiple goals — and see out the match with whichever players Hines may want.

Open it Up

Except for Barbra Banda’s hat trick against the Utah Royals, the Pride attack has been lacking some bite for over a month. The club has generated plenty of chances, but the finishing has been less than stellar. Orlando needs to turn the scoring faucet back on and pour on some goals.

The final bit of quality needs to be better from everyone in the attack. In the last five matches, the Pride have scored four goals on 70 shots, with 30 on target (43%). That means the Pride have scored on 6% of shots taken and only 13% of their shots on target. For a team with Marta and Banda, that isn’t good enough.

This may be my recency bias, but one area the team can change to improve its chances is to not take short corners. As I said on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast, I lost count of the missed opportunities due to short corners against the Dash. Just put the ball into the box and sometimes weird things happen. It is much more likely that the ball goes in the net than is sent on a counter by the opposition. There are chances for a handball resulting in a penalty, a foul resulting in a penalty, or an own goal being scored. Just get the ball in the darn box!

Lock It Down

I know that the Pride secured yet another clean sheet against the Dash, but it was partially down to luck. Anna Moorhouse was fortunate that the ball that went through her hands went out of bounds and that the Dash were offside when she got caught in no-woman’s land on a ball over the top. That can’t happen. The difference between a team that wins championships and one that doesn’t comes down to limiting mistakes and a bit of luck. Only one of those two can be controlled.

I want to see the lock-down defense we saw in 2024. I think Emily Sams is maintaining her level of play and Oihane has been an improvement — albeit a small one — at right back. Kylie Nadaner has struggled a bit this year after a phenomenal 2024 season. I think she can step it back up, but she needs to do so sooner rather than later. Left back has had a rotating cast, with Kerry Abello, Carson Pickett, and even Dyke seeing time at the position.

Bay FC has spread the goals out over several players, with Penelope Hocking leading the way with three. That being said, the California side has plenty of players who can score, including Zambian National Team forward Racheal Kundananji. We know all too well how dangerous Zambian strikers can be. Moorhouse and the back line must tighten things up. No mistakes on the road.

That’s what I’ll be looking for late Friday night. Where do you think the game will be won or lost? Let us know in the comments section.

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