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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. OL Reign: Final Score 1-0 as the Pride Win Their Second Straight

Messiah Bright’s 16th-minute header was the difference as the Pride beat OL Reign at Exploria Stadium.

Published

3 years ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride (6-8-1, 19 points) won their second straight game, beating OL Reign (7-5-3, 24 points) 1-0 at Exploria Stadium tonight. Messiah Bright’s 16th-minute header from a perfect Julie Doyle cross was the difference in the contest.

It was just Orlando’s second win ever against OL Reign in the all-time series (2-6-7).

The Pride came out with the same 4-3-3 starting lineup from last weekend’s 3-0 win over the Washington Spirit. The back line in front of Anna Moorhouse was the usual of Kylie Strom, Emily Madril, Megan Montefusco, and Haley McCutcheon. Kerry Abello, Viviana Villacorta, and Mikayla Cluff were in the midfield behind a front line of Doyle, Bright, and Erika Tymrak.

The Reign were missing nine players in this game, which was noticeable as the Pride dominated the entire 90 minutes. The visitors had a brief attack right after kickoff, but they didn’t challenge Moorhouse and the Pride controlled the rest of the game. Even when the Pride brought on defensive substitutions late in an attempt to see the game out, the Reign couldn’t create opportunities in the final third.

OL Reign kicked off and quickly created the first chance of the game. Bethany Balcer and Elyse Bennett used some quick passing to create a shot for the latter, but Moorhouse got down to block it wide and out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was headed out by Sam Hiatt for a goal kick, ending the early threat.

The Pride got their first chance shortly after on the other end, when former Pride center back Phoebe McClernon attempted to shield the ball from Doyle. But she was the last to touch it, giving the Pride a corner kick. The ensuing kick ended up with McCutcheon, but her shot was blocked out of play by Olivia Athens. She had a second chance from a second Villacorta corner kick, but this one went high and wide left.

The Pride nearly took the lead in the fourth minute with an own goal. Reign goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce came out to collect the corner, but Ryanne Brown got to it first. The collision sent the ball back towards goal, where it bounced off the post, allowing the visitors to clear it.

Tymrak had a chance to open the scoring in the 14th minute when Abello found her on the left side of the box. The veteran midfielder attempted to beat Tullis-Joyce from a tough angle, but the Reign goalkeeper did well to get down and make the stop.

In the 16th minute, the Pride did take the lead from a fantastic individual effort by Doyle. The attacker received the ball on the left and beat Brown one-on-one, before sending a beautiful ball to the top of the six-yard-box. Bright beat Lauren Barnes to the spot and powered her header past Tullis-Joyce to give the Pride an early 1-0 lead.

“I really was just trying to make sure that I stayed within the frame of the goal and just making sure I was in areas to put myself in a position and my team in a position to get the finish. And it worked out really perfectly,” Bright said about her goal. “The buildup was perfect coming from each individual, so I was just happy to get on the frame with it.”

“You see Julie’s intent to take the fullback on and Messiah times her run perfect and it’s some bullet header. It’s brilliant. I love headed goals,” Hines added. “So, I was excited for her and, you know, it’s great for Messiah to get that other goal because she’s deserved it. All the work ethic and what she puts into the game. The harsh reality as a forward, you’re always gonna get judged on goals. So now you’ve seen her put herself in good positions to score goals and the execution was perfect.”

Already down a goal, things got worse for the visitors in the 20th minute when Jess Fishlock went down away from the ball. The midfielder received treatment on the field for a few minutes before coming off for Nikki Stanton.

The Reign were unable to clear the ball in the 28th minute, creating another opportunity for the Pride. Bright got to the ball before Stanton, knocking it back to Abello. The midfielder was far from goal, but attempted an ambitious shot anyway. It was difficult to tell if it was on target, but Tullis-Joyce palmed it away to be sure.

Bright had a chance for a brace in the 34th minute when Tymrak sent her behind Hiatt. The striker dribbled deep into the box and got a shot off, but Tullis-Joyce came out to cut down the angle, blocking it out of play.

Abello created a chance in the 39th minute when she cut inside to beat McClernon and sent a low shot towards goal. Unfortunately, the ball rolled just wide of the far post. Tymrak was making a back-post run, but couldn’t get there in time to redirect the ball on target and the Reign survived the scare.

In the 44th minute, McCutcheon played a long ball for Tymrak who just stayed onside. The midfielder played it across for Bright, but it was a little too far for a one-touch shot. The rookie forward did well to hold the ball up, shielding and eventually turning Brown to get off a shot. But it was right to Tullis-Joyce, who made the stop.

Both teams put one shot on target in stoppage time. McClernon found Bennett in the box for the first, but her header was right to Moorhouse. On the other end, McCutcheon found Bright, but she couldn’t get much on the header and Tullis-Joyce made an easy stop.

The Reign had more possession in the first 45 minutes (52.6%-47.4%), but the Pride had more shots (12-3), shots on target (6-2), corners (6-2), and crosses (12-7). The visitors had two shots during their first attack, but didn’t find another shot until first-half stoppage time and the Pride took a 1-0 lead into the break.

The Pride got the first shot of the second half in the 50th minute when Abello sent an ill-advised shot towards goal from the left that went right into the arms of Tullis-Joyce. A better attempt came on the other end when Veronica Latsko sent a dangerous ball through the box. It went over the head of a ducking Bethany Balcer and just out of the reach of Olivia Van der Jagt and Olivia Athens, going harmlessly out of play.

In the 54th minute, Cluff and Tymrak used a nice give-and-go to beat Van der Jagt, opening up a shot for Cluff at the top of the box. The midfielder attempted to chip Tullis-Joyce, but sent the ball over the crossbar.

The Pride made their first change in the 62nd minute, as Ally Watt entered the game for Doyle. It was a like-for-like change, as Watt and Doyle are arguably the two fastest players on the team. Watt took over Doyle’s position and the Pride remained in the same formation.

Watt didn’t take long to make her presence felt. In the 64th minute, she took the ball from Van der Jagt after Cluff applied pressure. Carrying the ball to the top of the box, the speedster attempted to play Bright behind the defense, but the pass was a bit too far in front.

The Pride made their second change in the 67th minute, resulting in some shifting of positions but keeping the same formation. Celia came on and took over at right back, replacing defensive midfielder Abello. McCutcheon moved from right back into the defensive midfield.

In the 72nd minute, second-half substitute McKenzie Weinert was sent behind the Pride defense by fellow substitute Alyssa Malonson. Moorhouse came off her line to block the attempt, but it went to Balcer, whose shot was blocked by Celia. It didn’t matter anyway as the assistant’s flag went up for offside on the initial ball forward.

A scary moment occurred for the Pride in the 76th minute when Barnes sent Bennett into the Pride box with a long aerial ball. Moorhouse came out to collect it and Bennett slammed into the Pride’s starting goalkeeper. Moorhouse went down hard and had to receive attention from the Pride medical staff, but was able to continue. Meanwhile, Bennett was issued a yellow card for the challenge.

The Pride continued to look for a second goal to put the game away and Bright had multiple chances as the clock neared 90 minutes. In the 84th minute, Tymrak played the ball wide for Watt and the substitute sent a low cross into the box for the striker. Bright collected it and turned, but hit the ball well over the crossbar.

In the 86th minute, Bright made a great run into the box, using some slick moves to beat McClernon and Barnes. She created enough space for a shot, but hit the outside of the near post.

After Bright’s second miss, the Pride made their two final changes, looking to see out the three points. Defensive players Jordyn Listro and Brianna Martinez came into the game for attackers Bright and Tymrak.

Due to some extended stoppages where players required medical attention, the fourth official displayed nine minutes of injury time, a large number the Pride weren’t wanting to see. While the Reign won a pair of free kicks in the opposing half, they weren’t able to get any shots off and the Pride held on for the 1-0 win.

The Reign ended the game with more possession (51.3%-48.7%), but the Pride led the other statistical categories. The hosts had more shots (16-5), shots on target (7-2), corners (6-2), and crosses (15-12), and better passing accuracy (72.7%-67.3%).

“It was exciting. Especially when the fourth put nine minutes up at the end,” Hines said about the game. “But now listen, the players put a lot of work into that performance today and they got the reward for it. They started the game really fast. The front four put Seattle under pressure straight from kickoff, got an early goal, probably could have scored a couple more if the ball just dropped inside the frame of the goal, but you know they were brilliant from start to finish and that’s what it takes to win a game of football in this league.”

This is the second clean sheet for the Pride in as many games after keeping the Spirit scoreless last weekend. Also notable is that the Pride hung onto their lead late with nine minutes of added time. Seeing out games was something the team struggled with earlier this season, but they were able to see this one out to claim all three points.

“I think that was almost the best thing that could have happened to us because we’ve learned through experience and learned the hard way,” Montefusco said about conceding late goals earlier this season. “Not always the way you want to do it, but honestly, I look back and I’m thankful for it. Because you see it tonight. We’re so focused, we’re so tuned in and locked in those moments. The nerves are there and you just don’t want it to happen again. So you do anything you can to see the game out and the look on everyone’s face was just so motivated to finish out the game because we just wanted to end it and show the crowd and everyone here tonight that we deserve that win and we’re not going to let it slide.”

“Early on, we learned the hard way. It was obviously disappointing because we dropped points early on in the season,” Hines added. “You’ve seen the progression of the players have made, the team’s made since that moment. So now we’re holding the ball in the corner seeing it out. We have that determination to not concede and that’s brilliant, managing games much better.”

This was the last game before the Pride head into the World Cup break that lasts until late August. The next NWSL regular season game for the team will take place on Aug. 20 when they welcome the Chicago Red Stars to Exploria Stadium.

The Pride enter the break on a two-game winning streak with two clean sheets. It’s a great way to enter the extended time off, but Hines said that he has mixed feelings about the momentum heading into the down period.

“You can go two ways, right? Because, you know, you have good momentum, we’ve got six points the last two games, two clean sheets, four goals. You know, you want the next game to come around quickly, but I think the players deserve this time off now,” Hines said. “It’s important for them to reset the batteries and go again for the last push at the end of the season. Because you know there’s still a lot of points left on the table.”

The three points gained tonight don’t move the Pride far up the table, but it keeps them within touching distance of the sixth and final playoff spot. They’re currently on 19 points, tied with Racing Louisville for seventh in the league, and jumped the Houston Dash, who fell to the Red Stars tonight. They’re one point out of sixth place behind San Diego Wave FC, who play tomorrow.

While the Pride have over six weeks between league games, they’ll have four Challenge Cup games in that time. That stretch begins on July 23 when they welcome NJ/NY Gotham FC to Exploria Stadium.

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Opinion

In Praise of the Unity Kit

The Orlando Pride hit it out of the park on their newest secondary kit.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

February 27, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

When it comes to soccer jerseys, I can perhaps be unfairly critical. I like what I like, and in a time when new jerseys cost at least $100 if not closer to $150, I have to be seriously impressed by something in order to shell out that much money. While I’ve liked most of the jerseys that Orlando City and the Orlando Pride have put out over the years, I’ve never liked one enough to spend my own money to buy one, although I did receive a Heart and Sol jersey as a birthday present several years ago. The one exception has been the Sea Cow prematch top that the club put out in 2023, which I bought instantly and would have happily forked over one of my kidneys to acquire (as any sane person would).

I might very well be adding a new jersey to the closet soon though, because the Orlando Pride absolutely knocked it out of the park with the Unity Kit that they released on Thursday. I’m now going to shut up for a second and let you feast your eyes on this beauty.

That is just fantastic, and let’s talk about why. First of all, the base color is light purple, and while that isn’t traditionally in the Pride’s color palette as they favor a more royal purple shared by Orlando City, it is still purple. It’s also a light enough base color for the team to be able to use it as an away jersey without simply making the background color white. While I wouldn’t necessarily have an issue with a white base, that’s pretty common with away jerseys and the light purple is a good way to do something different while still providing a good contrast between it and an opponent’s dark home jersey.

If you were missing the Pride’s more traditional color of purple, fear not! The decision to use it on the collar and sleeves is a great one, as it gives the jersey a really nice splash of contrast in a shirt that could otherwise risk being washed out by all of the pastel tones that are present. The same color is also present in the badge, name, numbers, sponsors, and jock tag, and pops very well because its used so sparingly.

When viewed from a distance, the collars and sleeves provide a good outline for the kit, while the eye gets a general sense of intermingled pastel tones as the ribbons blend into each other well, and while no one color is definable, it isn’t an assault on the eyes either.

Closer up though, the ribbons are far more vibrant and detailed, and you notice that rather than simply being uniform colors for each one, they’re actually made up of several different colors that blend together and intertwine, and the effect is pulled off really well. For me, its a shirt that be appreciated both further away, and right in front of your face, and that isn’t always the easiest thing to do.

Suffice it to say, I’m a huge fan of how this thing looks. A lot of thought was clearly put into the design, and it was executed well. I want to talk about more than just the way it looks though.

We’re 10 years on from the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub that took the lives of 49 people, and the Pride and overarching ownership have a new way of honoring the victims and remembering a period of time that was so difficult for the city. The rainbow seats at Inter&Co Stadium have served the same purpose since the ground was opened back in 2017, but the Pride will be using the new jersey to honor both the victims and the way in which the city came together after the tragedy, while also putting their money where their mouth is.

The team’s decision to donate $20,000 from sales of the jersey to The Center Orlando and its Orlando United Resiliency Services (OURS) program is a very good touch on what was already a well-thought out kit. The program’s purpose is to provide advocacy, education, and support for the Orlando area’s LGBTQ+ community, and as someone who believes sports teams should be active and positive pillars in the community where they play, I couldn’t be happier to see this. It’s a decision that the team was under no obligation to make, but in choosing to go the extra mile, it proved that the club is more than just empty words and gestures when it comes to issues that hit close to home.

In short, the Unity Kit checks all the boxes for me, including ones I didn’t even know I had. It looks great from a distance, has thoughtful and well-executed details when seen up close, and represents something important while also actively honoring and helping to provide resources for a marginalized community. To everyone who was involved with the concept and execution of this jersey, I salute you. Consider it a job very well done.

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Unveil New ‘Unity Kit’ Ahead of 2026 Season

The Pride dropped their new secondary kits ahead of the 2026 season, paying tribute to the strength of the community shown after the Pulse nightclub tragedy.

Published

2 weeks ago

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February 26, 2026

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Image of Marta showing off the Pride's new Unity Kit.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

With their new secondary kits, the Orlando Pride paid tribute to the strength and spirit of the Orlando community in the wake of the horrific 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub. That senseless tragedy still resonates in the team’s home stadium with the 49 rainbow-colored seats that honor the victims. The ‘Unity Kit,’ which will serve as the secondary kit for the Pride through the 2027 NWSL season, features multicolored interlocking ribbons to symbolize the way Central Florida came together at that time, now 10 years past.

The Pride not only unveiled the new kits today, with a special launch event planned for tonight at The Final Whistle at Thornton Park Pub at 6 p.m., but the club also announced it will donate $20,000 from jersey sales to The Center Orlando, whose Orlando United Resiliency Services (OURS) program continues to provide crucial education, advocacy and support for the LGBT+ community and its allies.

“Orlando’s strength has always come from its people, and the Unity Kit reflects the love, resilience, and courage that define this city,” Orlando Pride/Orlando City Vice President of Community Impact & DEI and Orlando Soccer Foundation Executive Director Kaia Hyde said in a club press release. “In the days after the Pulse tragedy, our community adopted a simple but powerful message: ‘keep dancing.’ It became a reminder that even in the face of unimaginable loss, Orlando would choose optimism, unity and love. This jersey honors that spirit, and we’re proud that its launch will directly support The Center Orlando and the vital work they do for our community.”

The multicolored ribbons weave their way across the front of the new kit in pastels. The jersey’s jock tag features the universal symbol of peace: a dove, carrying an olive branch. The collar, sleeves, name and number on the back, and the front jersey sponsor logo and back bottom jersey sponsor logo feature the club’s standard purple, which pops on the light kits. Orlando Health continues as the kit sponsor, with Publix as the lower-back sponsor and the Heart of United Way returning as the sleeve sponsor.

The shorts and socks are a more subdued purple that makes the jersey stand out even more.

Fans can purchase the new kit online now at ShopOrlandoPride.com or in person at the jersey launch tonight. The launch party will include appearances by Pride players Julie Doyle, Oihane, and Hannah Anderson, Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines, and new Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Caitlin Carducci. Those who pick up their Unity jersey tonight in person can get a an Orlando United patch while supplies last. Fans can also participate in a silent disco dance party, and there will be prize giveaways. The new kit will be available at The Den starting on Friday.

You can check out the kit in all its glory in the gallery of images below:

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Orlando City

Orlando City, Orlando Pride Remain Hidden During Preseason

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride continue the odd policy of hiding information from fans as they prepare for the upcoming seasons.

Published

1 month ago

on

February 9, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

As preseason continues for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride, little is known about the progress the team is making in their preparations for the upcoming seasons. But it wasn’t always that way. The club used to be quite open about their preseason scrimmages. The social media accounts would provide lineups, substitutions, goals, and other game updates, allowing fans to follow along.

But there was more.

When the Wilf family took over ownership, they opened the doors to the club during preseason. In 2022, two games were open to season ticket members and both teams had a preseason game open to all fans and media.

The club continued providing an open preseason game for both teams in 2023, giving a chance to see the teams in action before the regular season started. However, less and less access has been provided to the outside world since then.

The 2024 season saw the open preseason games removed for both City and the Pride. The Lions had an FC Series game against Flamengo before camp began and a late game for Society XXI members. Last year, the Lions started with an FC Series game again, this time against Atletico Mineiro. They ended with a season ticket member game.

The club released very little information other than the FC Series contest. That leads us to this preseason, in which the club has been as tight-lipped as it has been since the Wilf family took charge of the club.

There has been even less information about the Pride. Since Seb Hines became the permanent head coach leading into the 2023 season, the club doesn’t even provide an official preseason schedule anymore.

While the club at one time provided updates on games and opened one to media and at least season ticket members, you’re lucky to even get a reference that the team still exists. The occasional photo is the only way fans know the team has even begun preseason.

The lack of availability during preseason is quite unique to American soccer. Other major American sports — the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL — allow fans and media to attend their preseason games. Soccer teams from other countries also sell tickets to preseason games and local fans often travel abroad, following the team.

Also, not all MLS teams are this quiet as they prepare for the season. On Sunday, for example, the LA Galaxy live streamed a scrimmage against the Chicago Fire.

Orlando City played Nashville SC in a scrimmage Saturday afternoon. The opposition provided lineups, substitutions, goals, and other updates throughout the contest. The only thing they didn’t offer was Orlando CIty goal scorers, something likely requested by the Lions.

But what advantage does Orlando City gain from this?

It could be argued that the club is working on tactics and doesn’t want to give anything away. But it hasn’t been like that in the past, and that argument doesn’t hold water when you see teams that routinely are more open about their preseasons making deep playoff runs.

Oscar Pareja made the most significant tactical change since arriving in Orlando during the 2024 preseason. He moved attacking midfielder Dagur Dan Thorhallsson to right back and put either David Brekalo or Wilder Cartagena at left back. The team played five in the back defensively and three in the back while in the attack. It was a significant change, but the club still provided information to fans.

In today’s sports world, fans have more access than ever before. Television networks and streaming services regularly give fans a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most popular sports teams in the world. These programs aren’t the teams or leagues showing gratitude to fans. They’ve realized that giving fans this glimpse makes them feel more connected to the teams they follow and builds a buzz heading into the season. As a result, they’re more likely to watch games on television or attend games in person.

Unfortunately, Orlando fans aren’t getting that connection anymore. The excitement for the start of preseason is nearly gone, because City and Pride fans know they’ll receive little, if any, information until the season begins.

The club will argue that it provides several experiences for all fans leading up to the regular season opener — from public jersey unveilings to drinks with coaches and players. But what would help build fan excitement about the upcoming season would be the ability to see the team in action and catch glimpses of new signings. Or at least to know how they’re progressing.

Whether the club’s habits revert to how they were just a couple of years ago remains to be seen. There’s definitely an appetite as The Mane Land and other outlets regularly field requests from fans looking for any possible information. But even those that cover the club regularly are kept at a distance.

For the time being, fans will have to be content with the occasional player signing, community event, and photo from a scrimmage the club may or may not admit is happening. And they’ll continue to count down until Orlando City’s first MLS game on Feb. 21 and the Orlando Pride’s first NWSL game on March 15.

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