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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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3 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 vs. Bay FC: Final Score 3-1 as Banda Brace Leads Pride to Victory

Barbra Banda bags a brace and an assist but goes down injured late in the victory.

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3 days ago

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May 29, 2026

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Image of Barbra Banda celebrating her goal against Bay FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

After dropping two games to expansion teams and stealing a win in San Diego, the Orlando Pride looked to enter the summer break on a good note. The Pride (5-5-2, 17 points) had never lost to Bay FC (3-6-2, 11 points) and used a second-half burst to maintain that winning record and won 3-1 at Inter&Co Stadium.

Barbra Banda opened the scoring in the fourth minute and followed it up in the 51st minute with her second. She added an assist to Cori Dyke in the 55th minute to close out the Pride scoring. Caroline Conti scored the lone Bay FC goal at the seven-minute mark.

“No better gift than a 3-1 victory at home in front of our fans,” Pride Head Coach (and birthday boy) Seb Hines said after the game. “It feels good that we’re ending this period on a high. I think it’s the first time this season we’ve got back-to-back victories.”

The Pride made one change in the lineup, giving Kerry Abello her first start of the season over Julie Doyle. Anna Moorhouse started in goal with Abello, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Oihane on defense. Haley McCutcheon and Ally Lemos played midfield in front of them with Mace, Luana, and Nicole Payne attacking from the midfield. Banda and her leading-leading nine goals played alone up top.

After an hour weather delay, the Pride went with the in-vogue start these days by kicking the ball straight out of bounds deep on the start and pressing high. It led to an opening three minutes of play in which the Pride kept the pressure up and forced the ball to stay on the Bay FC side. In the fourth minute, Luana headed a ball towards the center which Banda controlled, bodied Bay FC’s Joelle Anderson off the ball, and slotted the opening goal with her left foot.

Bay FC fought right back in the seventh minute as the visitors didn’t have to fight through the press off their kickoff. Claire Hutton crossed the ball into the box, Abello deflected it wide but there was no Pride defender there and it fell to Caroline Conti. Abello tried to fight all the way over but Conti was able to put it past Moorhouse before any help arrived.

The entire back line got pulled to the right on the play and Mace could not get back to help out wide.

“Hailie Mace came into NWSL as a winger. She’s got some tendencies that fit a winger profile. We knew Bay FC had a high back line. How do we get behind that back line? Having someone to support Barbra and not just Nicole but add in another player who can get into the attack,” Hines said regarding the switch.

In the 16th minute, Rachael Kundananji beat Oihane and crossed the ball to Hannah Bebar, who headed it into the net, but Cristiana Girelli was in an offside position threatening the goal, so the assistant referee ruled that it put Moorhouse off enough to interfere with the play.

The teams settled down a bit and traded possession until the 27th minute when Oihane centered the ball to Payne, who scuffed the shot high. One minute later, Luana sent a through ball for Banda to run onto and she went down in the box in a collision with Brooklyn Courtnall. It was fairly evident, however, that Banda got her leg into Courtnall’s to either try to control the ball or draw a foul, and the referee, Jaclyn Metz, saw it the same way.

In the 33rd minute, Oihane was subbed out for Hannah Anderson. Oihane had been laboring a little and may have picked up a knock somewhere.

The Pride couldn’t re-establish the high press so they turned into a lot of possession by Bay FC. Any attack by the Pride ended in a turnover off a bad pass or ill-conceived long shots as Orlando’s attackers were impatient in building play. Turnover after turnover plagued the Pride for the remainder of the half as they did not threaten at all until the 45th minute, when Banda took on Maddie Moreau and Kundananji, shook them both loose, and then crossed the ball into an empty area at the back post with no one to finish.

It was a fitting final piece of sound and fury, signifying nothing, as the half wrapped without any plays of interest. The Pride weren’t able to lead any of the statistics, tying Bay FC in shots (4-4), while Bay FC led in shots on target (3-1), possession (53%-47%), and passing accuracy (85%-83%). Neither team was able to force a corner in the first half.

To start the second half, Hines subbed in Summer Yates for Abello, which pushed Mace back to the back line. In the 48th minute, Kundananji got behind when Anderson got caught out and was sizing up a one-on-one with Moorhouse. Dyke hustled back and blocked the shot.

“We started the game super strong, super intense, but I think we fell off towards the end of that first half,” Dyke said. “We got a little too stretched between the lines and weren’t getting enough pressure on the ball and we talked about that at halftime. We needed to stay more compact and then pick our moments to go.”

Go they did. Three minutes later, Yates sent a through ball angled behind Banda which allowed her to run onto the ball unopposed. She beat goalkeeper Emmie Allen, who came out of the box aggressively to defend, and then passed the ball into the net in the 51st minute.

Four minutes later, Banda pressured Allen, forcing the goalkeeper into a clearance out of play. On the ensuing throw-in, Banda held off Bebar in the box, spun, and crossed the ball to Dyke, who put the ball in off the crossbar. The ability of the Pride to retain possession and work the ball in against a lesser opponent opened up the scoring and turned the game on its head.

Bay FC didn’t have a lot to do over the next stretch of time and Taylor Huff went down with an injury in the 61st minute, prompting a change as she was subbed out for Karlie Lema. Dorian Bailey came on for Joelle Anderson in the same stoppage but at the 62nd minute.

The teams went back and forth for a bit until the Pride drew a corner in the 71st minute. It deflected off a Bay FC defender and fell to Rafaelle at the far post, who headed it just wide. Three minutes later, Jacquie Ovalle and Zara Chavoshi wrapped up the Pride substitutions by coming in for Payne and Mace. Bay FC also took the stoppage in the 74th minute to sub two players in, bringing on Keria Barry and Onyeka Gamero for Kundananji and Girelli.

Unfortunately, in the 81st minute, Banda was dribbling down the left side when she pulled up lame and went to the ground off the pitch. She stayed there until tended to and was obviously upset. We’ll have to wait for any injury news on her. Bay FC made its final substitution in the ensuing stoppage in the 82nd minute, bringing on Kelli Hubly for Conti.

The injury to Banda left the Pride playing with only 10 players for the remaining 15 minutes (including added time) due to using up all three substitution windows. They stayed fairly solid in defense and played a lot of keep-away ball to see out the victory while playing short.

“A great way to finish this part of the season with a win at home. I think we were consistent today and we took the chances we created,” Luana said. “We’ve been having highs and lows in this part of the season but we bounced back in these two wins and it brought us a lot of confidence.”

Orlando City was ahead in the only stat that matters, goals, but trailed in every other major stat. Bay FC finished ahead in shots (14-8), shots on target (5-4), possession (54%-46%), passing accuracy (85%-84%), and corners (4-1).

The Orlando Pride now will be off until early July for the NWSL World Cup break. The next match is scheduled for July 3 in Los Angeles against Angel City FC.

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

The Pride return home to face Bay FC in their final game before the FIFA World Cup break.

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3 days ago

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May 29, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride (4-5-2, 14 points) return home from a three-game road trip to take on Bay FC (3-5-2, 11 points). This is the first of two meetings between the two teams with the return game scheduled for Sept. 27 in San Jose.

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 have met four times, with the Pride holding a 3-0-1 record and a 1-0-1 mark at home in the series.

The most recent meeting took place on Sept. 13, 2025, in Orlando. The visitors took the lead just before halftime when Racheal Kundananji headed in a long pass by Caprice Dydasco. The Pride equalized in the second half, when Ally Watt headed a Jacquie Ovalle cross past Jordan Silkowitz to claim a 1-1 draw.

On June 13 of last year in San Jose, CA, Bay FC led almost every statistical category, but the Pride defense held strong until Barbra Banda scored shortly after halftime. The Pride withstood attack after attack, coming away with a hard-fought 1-0 win.

The teams met twice in 2024, with the first-ever game between the clubs occurring on May 11. 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.

The teams met for the second time on Sept. 20, 2024. It looked like the game might be headed for a scoreless draw until 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.

Overview

The Pride return home tonight after a difficult road trip that saw the team fall 2-1 to Boston Legacy FC and 3-1 to Denver Summit FC. Having already lost to both expansion teams, they headed west to face San Diego Wave FC, a team near the top of the standings. But Nicole Payne’s first professional goal lifted Orlando to a 1-0 win.

Despite not scoring in two of the last three games, Banda still leads the league with nine goals in 10 games this season. She has a two-goal lead on Ashley Sanchez, who is second in the league. Haley McCutcheon is the only other Pride player with multiple goals, scoring twice in the same game. Ovalle, Marta, and Hannah Anderson have the team’s other three goals. The assists have been spread out much more evenly with Ovalle, McCutcheon, and Rafaelle all sharing the team lead with two.

The clean sheet against San Diego was big for the back line as the team has conceded too many goals recently. Dating back to their 3-2 loss to Racing Louisville FC on April 24, the Pride have conceded multiple goals in four of the last six games. The only other game in which they didn’t concede at least twice was a 1-0 win over the North Carolina Courage on May 8, their last home game.

Tonight is the Pride’s last game before the league breaks for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After the game, they won’t play again until July 3 and won’t play at home until July 10. That makes getting a quality result tonight essential for momentum going through the remainder of the season.

If you’re looking for a team to win against, Bay FC is one of the most likely candidates. The Bay -area side sits 13th in the NWSL on 11 points, just four points ahead of Louisville for last place. Tonight’s visitors are currently on a four-game winless run (0-2-2) and a two-game losing streak. Their last win was a 1-0 victory against San Diego on May 3. The club’s most recent games are a 2-0 loss to Portland Thorns FC on May 20 and a 1-0 loss to Chicago Stars FC on May 24.

Bay FC has struggled this year on both ends of the field. Its eight goals are second fewest in the league and Bay is one of three teams with single-digit goals this year. Meanwhile, the team’s 14 goals conceded are sixth in the league. The California side has been better defensively overall than the Pride, who have conceded 16 goals, but worse offensively, as the Pride have scored 15 goals so far this year.

Bay FC has been led in the attack by Alex Pfeiffer and Dorian Bailey with two goals each. Kundananji, Taylor Huff, Keira Barry, and Joelle Anderson have one apiece. Pfeiffer also leads the team in assists with two, tied with Cristina Girelli. Huff and Sydney Collins are the only other players with assists this season.

It should help the Pride tonight that Bay FC will be missing two key players. Silkowitz and starting center back Aldana Cometti were sent off against Chicago Sunday, meaning they’ll miss tonight’s game.

However, the Pride have their own key absences. In addition to injuries that have accumulated this season, Angelina was handed an additional game’s suspension after being sent off on May 16 for pulling Delanie Sheehan’s hair.

“We’re looking forward to it. Looking forward to being back home,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “It’s been a long road trip. Excited to get in front of our own fans. Want to create that atmosphere, make it hostile for Bay FC. We know it’s a quick turnaround for both teams as well, so we want to make sure that we start off on the front foot, build on what we achieved last Sunday in San Diego, and finish this part of the season on a high.”

The Pride will be without Angelina (suspension), Cosette Morche (ankle), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Solai Washington (knee). Marta (thigh) and Ovalle (thigh) are listed as questionable. Bay FC will be without Cornetti (suspension), Abby Dahlkemper (maternity leave), Anouk Denton (lower leg), Dydasco (maternity leave), Heather Gilchrist (knee), Alyssa Malonson (knee), Emily Menges (maternity leave), Pfeiffer (knee), and Silkowitz (suspension).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Oihane, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, Hailie Mace.

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon.

Attacking Midfielders: Kerry Abello, Luana, Nicole Payne.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Zara Chavoshi, Hannah Anderson, Julie Doyle, Marta, Jacquie Ovalle, Summer Yates, Seven Castain, Simone Jackson.

Bay FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Emmie Allen.

Defenders: Sydney Collins, Joelle Anderson, Brooklyn Courtnall, Maddie Moreau.

Defensive Midfielders: Hannah Bebar, Claire Hutton.

Attacking Midfielders: Racheal Kundananji, Caroline Conti, Taylor Huff.

Forward: Cristiana Girelli.

Bench: Camryn Miller, Kelli Hubly, Jamie Shepherd, Dorian Bailey, Karlie Lema, Onyeka Gamero, Tess Boade, Keira Barry.

Referees

REF: Jaclyn Metz.
AR1: Art Arustamyan.
AR2: Adam Cook.
4TH: Edson Carvajal.
VAR: Anya Voigt.
AVAR: Katarzyna Wasiak.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: NWSL+.

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 vs. Bay FC: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Pride need to do to earn all three points against Bay FC?

Published

4 days ago

on

May 28, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride welcome Bay FC to Inter&Co Stadium this Friday night for the last match before the World Cup break. This is an opportunity to get a win over a team lower in the table and move up in the standings. What must the Pride do to earn all three points against Bay FC this weekend?

Keep the Chip

I have been asking all season on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for the Pride to play with the chip on their shoulder that they had when they won the double in 2024. We saw that against the San Diego Wave. My hope is that the players have now remembered what that feels like and will execute with the same level of intensity going forward.

The task is potentially a little easier against Bay FC, as the California-based side has scored less than half the number of goals that the Wave have this season. Of course, that is the trap. The Pride cannot slack off against Bay FC. Having Rafaelle anchoring the defense is a big help, and moving Hailie Mace out to right back has proven effective. In 2024, this team hated — with a capital “H” — conceding goals. They took it personally. That is the passion I want again. The chip on the shoulder.

Overwhelm and Outscore

As I mentioned above, Bay FC is not a prolific scoring team. Friday’s visitors have also given up 14 goals this season. That’s not the best or the worst in the league, but they haven’t faced Barbra Banda yet. The Orlando Pride don’t have any trouble creating chances, but they have had trouble getting anyone other than Banda to finish them this season. Banda leads the league in goals, and she has an opportunity to maintain or extend that lead against Bay FC.

What will truly make the difference for the Pride against Bay FC is if any of the other players can contribute a goal. We saw the space that Banda can provide her teammates when Nicole Payne scored her first goal against San Diego. Now I want other players to take advantage of that space to provide some goals for the Pride.

More Luana

Luana got her first start since coming back to the squad cancer-free. I think we’ve forgotten that she was a starter on the 2024 squad before her Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis. She was a starter on a team that won the double. Now she is back and she is a leader and an inspiration for her fellow players.

Given Marta’s limited minutes, having Luana out there as a stabilizing presence is important. Obviously, she brings a different skill set than Marta but still a critical one. Much like the defense, the midfield was better last match, and I feel she was a big part of that.

That is what I will be looking for on Friday night. The Pride can head into the World Cup break on a high with a victory. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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