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.
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.
Orlando Pride
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.
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.
Orlando Pride
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.
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!
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Three Keys to Victory
What do the Pride need to do to earn all three points against Bay FC?
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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