Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Final Score 3-1 as Pride Fall Again in Challenge Cup Play
Two second-half goals doom the Pride as they fall at home to Gotham FC despite leading early.
The Orlando Pride (0-2-1, 1 point) fell for the second time in the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup, losing 3-1 to NJ/NY Gotham FC (2-0-1, 7 points). Megan Montefusco gave the Pride an early lead, but a 35th-minute penalty conversion by Jenna Nighswonger sent the game into halftime at 1-1. Two goals in three minutes by McCall Zerboni and Yazmeen Ryan sealed the game for Gotham as the Pride couldn’t find a way back.
The Pride started this game without starting fullbacks Kylie Strom and Haley McCutcheon, both of whom were either ill or injured. They were also without Marta and Adriana, who are at the FIFA Women’s World Cup with Brazil. The only other change made by Seb Hines to the usual starting lineup was replacing starting striker Messiah Bright with Ally Watt.
The back line in front of Anna Moorhouse consisted of Celia, Emily Madril, Montefusco, and Brianna Martinez. Vivana Villacorta, Mikayla Cluff, and Jordyn Listro were in the midfield and Erika Tymrak, Julie Doyle, and Watt made up the attacking line.
With Marta away on international duty, Tymrak was given the armband for the first time as a member of the Pride. It was a big moment for the veteran who grew up on the west side of the state and went to the University of Florida.
“It means a lot,” Tymrak said after the game. “Especially, you know, retiring, coming out of retirement, and being able to wear the captain’s band in my home state means a ton to me.”
It was a game of two halves, with the Pride being the better team in the first 45 minutes and Gotham controlling the second. Coming into this game last in the division, the Pride knew they needed something out of this game and they got off to a great start. But the late first-half penalty seemed to take the wind out of the team’s sails. Within the first 15 minutes of the second half, the Pride were down two goals and there didn’t appear to be a way back. Even with attacking changes, Gotham created the better opportunities and comfortably took all three points.
The Pride had the first attack of the game in the second minute. Martinez sent a long ball down the left for Watt and Gotham center back Ellie Jean got to it first. However, her touch was towards her own goal line, allowing Watt to gain possession in the box. Unfortunately, the forward had few options and a tight angle, sending the shot into the arms of Gotham goalkeeper Mandy Haught.
In the ninth minute, Martinez sent another good ball down the left for Watt. This time, the Pride forward got to it first and was fouled by Jean. Tymrak stepped up to take the set piece, sending it towards the near post where it met the head of Montefusco. The center back beat former Pride defender Ali Krieger to the ball and sent it to the far post to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.
“We’ve been working on set pieces a lot and it’s a good area to capitalize on the game,” Tymrak said about the goal. “So we have really strong players in the air and I just tried to kind of whip it in as hard as I can knowing that if someone gets a head on it, it’ll be in. And Meg did a great job hitting the near post and I’m stoked that she scored that.”
The Pride had another chance in the 17th minute when Doyle laid the ball back for Cluff at the top of the box. The midfielder attempted to curl her shot towards goal, but it was deflected by Mandy Freeman just over the crossbar.
Gotham got its first attempt of the game in the 19th minute when Nighswonger received the ball at the top of the box from Midge Purce and dribbled around Listro before taking a low shot. It was a soft effort that didn’t challenge Moorhouse, who easily collected it.
In the 28th minute, a turnover by Nealy Martin enabled Cluff to play Watt forward. Cluff made a run into the box and received the ball back, forcing Haught into a save. But the flag went up for offside on the initial ball to Watt.
Gotham nearly had a chance in the 31st minute when Purce played a great ball into the box for Katie Stengel, who split the Pride center backs. Fortunately, it was a bit too far in front of the forward and she couldn’t connect.
The visitors found their equalizer in the 36th minute from the penalty spot. Purce used some quick footwork to beat Martinez into the box and the left back slid in, taking down the attacker. Referee Shawn Tehini didn’t hesitate to point to the spot, awarding Gotham a penalty.
Purce initially stepped up to the spot, but handed it to Nighswonger when things settled down. The center back took the spot kick well, sending Moorhouse the wrong way and putting it into the corner to even the game at 1-1.
In the 43rd minute, Tymrak made a good run through the midfield and sent Watt behind the Gotham defense. In a play similar to earlier in the half, Watt shot from inside the box. Haught did well to get down and knock the ball wide with her right hand, but the assistant’s flag went up again for offside on Watt.
The Pride nearly conceded another penalty in first-half injury time when Purce took Martinez one-on-one. Martinez got a touch to the ball, but Purce regained possession and beat the left back down the end line into the box. Martinez fouled the attacker as she entered the 18, but Tehini determined that the contact occurred outside of the area.
Martinez was booked for the challenge and Nighswonger took the free kick next to the end line. It was into the mixer, but Moorhouse did well to punch it away and the Pride cleared.
At halftime, Gotham had slightly more possession (50.9%-49.1%) and better passing accuracy (80.9%-72.5%), but the Pride had more shots (5-4), corners (3-0), and crosses (5-4). Both teams put two shots on target and got one past the opposing goalkeeper.
“I think it was disappointing in the first half,” Listro said after the game. “Obviously we came out pretty strong and put them under pressure and got that early goal and, honestly, we needed to capitalize on other ones and just stay tight defensively and not turn off.”
“You never want to concede goals, but especially going into the halftime. Message was keep doing what you’re doing,” Hines said about his halftime speech. “You know, you’ve done well so far in the game. Put a lot of good pressure on, lot of turnovers, created some opportunities. We need to stay onside was one of the messages and recognize the moments where we can get closer to Gotham.”
The Pride nearly had a pair of chances in the early minutes of the second half, but couldn’t stay onside. In the 47th minute, Krieger fouled Watt, giving the Pride a free kick from about 30 yards out. Tymrak sent the ball into the box for Watt, whose touch found Doyle and the forward tapped it in. But Watt started her run a little early and was offside on the initial ball.
In the 52nd minute, Madril played a great ball forward for Martinez, sending her behind the Gotham defense. The left back was taken down inside the box by Freeman, but Martinez was offside.
Gotham took their first lead of the game in the 55th minute. Nighswonger found Zerboni near the Pride box, where the midfielder had been left open by Villacorta. The former Gotham captain attempted an ambitious shot from distance, sending a rocket past Moorhouse and in to give the visitors a 2-1 lead. Moorhouse was closer to the side where Zerboni shot and still didn’t react quickly enough to stop it.
A couple of minutes later, Gotham struck again. A give-and-go between Ryan and Zerboni allowed Ryan to split Cluff and Madril. The midfielder caught Moorhouse leaning to her right and sent inside the goalkeeper’s left post, increasing the Gotham lead to 3-1.
“We always talk about the big five and that’s five minutes after a goal is scored or five minutes after halftime and I don’t think that we were mentally prepared enough for those five minutes,” Listro said about conceding the two early second-half goals. “Because those were crucial moments in the game that we should have locked in and stayed focused.”
Gotham continued pushing in an attempt to extend its lead. In the 59th minute, Ryan took a shot from the top of the box that was blocked by Madril. The visitors retained possession and found Stengel for another shot, but this one was blocked by Martinez and into the arms of Moorhouse.
Following those opportunities, Hines made his first change of the game. Looking for some offense, Bright came on for Celia and Listro replaced the Spaniard at right back.
Gotham came close to scoring a fourth in the 64th minute when Cluff blocked Purce’s cross attempt out for a corner. Nighswonger took the set piece and nearly found the head of Zerboni, entering the six-yard box, but Bright headed it away.
That was the last action of the game for Zerboni after a goal and an assist, as she was replaced by Maitane Lopez. At the same time, Allie Long entered the game for Stengel.
The Pride made two additional changes in the 71st minute, bringing on Amanda Allen and Summer Yates for Watt and Tymrak.
It looked like the Pride had a chance in the 75th minute, when Listro sent Yates behind the Gotham defense. She initially had a breakaway, but Jean caught up and Yates’ shot was wide. The miss didn’t matter because Yates was offside.
In the 77th minute, Doyle played Bright into the Gotham box. A good first touch got her behind Krieger, but the center back did well to catch up and block Bright’s shot out for a Pride corner kick.
The ensuing set piece was punched by Haught and ended up with Allen, but her cross was cleared out by Lopez for another corner. This one found the head of Listro charging towards the back post, but it was a weak header and easily cleared.
Gotham had a good chance in the 83rd minute when Lopez sent Purce into the Pride box and the attacker found Cyera Hintzen near the top of the six-yard box. Fortunately, Hintzen didn’t fully connect with the ball, sending it wide.
In the 88th minute, the Pride appeared to have their best chance of the second half when Listro beat Nighswonger to a free ball and sent Yates behind the Gotham back line. The substitute dribbled around Haught and shot, but missed wide. After the miss, the flag went up for offside, negating the attempt.
A minute into injury time, the Pride created the game’s last chance through some quick passing between Montefusco, Cluff, and Doyle, with the final pass sending Bright through. Kristen Edmonds, who came on for Freeman in the 79th minute, caught up to the striker. She had Allen open in the middle of the box, but didn’t spot her soon enough and the eventual pass was blocked out of play.
Gotham led the full-time statistics with more possession (51.2%-48.8%), shots (14-8), and shots on target (6-2), and better passing accuracy (75%-70.8%). The Pride had more crosses (14-12) and corners (7-3), but they didn’t result in enough chances to get anything out of the game.
“Performance wasn’t good enough,” Hines said about the game. “We know we had a good start, but then it’s seeing it out throughout the whole game and, you know, Gotham took their goals well. Two goals from outside the box, but I think we will have to look at ourselves and we know that we can do much better.”
“Soccer is always a game of two halves. No two halves ever look the same,” Tymrak added. “I thought the first half we came out really strong. We kept the ball. We were sharp. We pressed them. We were organized. We were threatening. And I think there’s a point where we kind of let our foot off the gas a little bit. And then in the second half, I feel like we were just defending a lot and just couldn’t really catch that rhythm unfortunately.”
A big impact on the game was the Pride being unable to hold their runs. Watt and Yates were sent behind the Gotham defense multiple times in this game and it might’ve been a different story had they held a half-second more.
“We scored a really good goal. Great ball from Erika and a great header from Meg from a set piece. And, you know, we had a couple of more moments where we got in behind their back line and been offside. And them moments can change if we stay onside. You can score goals and then you’ve got all that momentum by scoring goals, and then, obviously, it’s offside and then you give them an opportunity to get back into the game.”
The loss sees the Pride remain in last in the East Division with only one point from their first three games. They’re now six points behind Gotham and seven points behind the North Carolina Courage, needing to finish in at least second to reach the semifinals.
Due to their two postponements against Gotham earlier this year, the Pride have played just half of their six Challenge Cup games. They still have to play each of the three teams in their division, but two of those three games are away from home.
The Pride will look to climb up the Challenge Cup standings next Saturday night when they face the Courage in North Carolina.
Orlando Pride
An Early Look at Orlando Pride’s Contract Decisions
Let’s look ahead to roster decisions that Caitlin Carducci and the Pride will need to make either at or before the end of the 2026 NWSL season.
Now that the monthlong NWSL break is upon us, we’ve got a little time to take a breath and look ahead. As we did with Orlando City a week ago, let’s look forward at the roster decisions Caitlin Carducci and the Orlando Pride will have coming up at season’s end. Unlike the MLS side, we don’t have the luxury of the salaries for the players, but we still know which contracts will expire and which ones will have contract options available to exercise at the end of 2026.
Kerry Abello — Defender/Midfielder
Abello arrived via the 2021 NWSL Draft, in which the Pride selected her in the third round (No. 24 overall), but she opted to return to Penn State for one more year of eligibility. Orlando signed Abello in January of 2022 through the 2023 season. The Pride ripped up that deal in February of 2023, signing Abello to a new contract through 2024 with an option for 2025. Abello then signed another new deal in March of 2024 that runs through the end of this year.
Just 26, Abello is an intriguing player still in her prime years who has shown flashes of being a top-notch starter. However, she still has defensive lapses in games, turns the ball over far too frequently in others, provides little in terms of goal-scoring contributions (three goals, five assists in all competitions since the start of 2022), and hasn’t settled into the kind of consistency you’d hope for in a veteran player who has been in the league since 2022.
She started the 2026 season on the injured list but started to see game action just before the break, including her first start of the 2026 season. The versatile defender/midfielder can play a variety of positions in both the defense and the attack and is only two years removed from MLS Bext XI Second Team honors, when she played primarily left back for the double-winning Pride. That makes her worth keeping around, even if it’s as a depth player on a strong, deep team.
Angelina — Midfielder
The Brazilian international signed a three-year deal on Dec. 13, 2023, running through the end of 2026. That’s set to expire later this year, so there is some work to do in keeping the midfielder around. So far this season, Angelina has registered one assist. Over her three-year NWSL career with the Pride, the Brazilian has scored two goals (both in 2024) and added four assists in the regular season, contributing sparingly from her often deep-lying position. She has also been a solid, if unspectacular, set-piece taker.
Angelina was one of the best players on the Pride in 2024. Like many others, her game took a step back in 2025 (no goals, one assist), and she hasn’t been her best self yet in 2026 yet either. The recent hair-pulling incident that cost her a red card and an additional game suspension was a costly mistake that veteran leaders shouldn’t make. Still, when she’s on her game, Angelina is one of the best deep-lying midfielders in the NWSL. She can unlock a defense with a single through ball or long ball, as she did in the 2024 NWSL Championship, when she set up Barbra Banda’s game-winning goal. Angelina is a good player who the Pride will likely want to bring back, as long as the cost isn’t too high.
Kat Asman — Goalkeeper
Another player signed through 2026 but not beyond, Asman has spent a good chunk of her time with the Pride while on loan with Lexington FC in the USL Super League since signing with Orlando on Dec. 11, 2024. Asman has been a good goalkeeper in that league, winning the 2025-2026 USL Super League Golden Glove award. It seems unlikely the Pride will prioritize signing Asman, although she’s played well in competitive action and may have shown more than McKinley Crone and Cosette Morche have combined.
Seven Castain — Forward
Castain signed a one-year deal through the end of 2026 back on Jan. 16. The TCU product has shown flashes of promise in her first year with Orlando, but she has also looked overmatched and not ready for the NWSL at times as well. She seems to have fallen down the depth chart as other young players emerge and other Pride players have come off the injury list. It’s unclear if the club thinks highly enough of Castain at this point to re-sign her, but she still has time in 2026 to make an impact and give Carducci something to think about.
McKinley Crone — Goalkeeper
Orlando’s current backup to Anna Moorhouse will see her deal expire at the end of the season as well. Crone signed a short-term deal in late September of 2023 through the end of that season and earned a new contract. She signed through the 2024 season on March 11, 2024, and must have impressed everyone, because the club signed her through 2026 just six months later in a new deal announced on Sept. 6, 2024.
It remains to be seen who will emerge as the primary backup when Morche returns from injury. Crone has looked good in her infrequent matches, but has primarily been used outside of NWSL competition since her arrival.

Julie Doyle — Midfielder/Forward
Doyle was Orlando’s third selection in the first round (No. 11 overall) in the 2022 NWSL Draft. The Santa Clara product signed her first pro contract on Jan. 27, 2022, through that season with an option year for 2023, which the club exercised in November following her rookie season. Doyle then signed a new two-year contract through the 2024 season on May 8, 2023. The Pride signed her to another new contract on Oct. 1, 2024, a two-year deal through the 2026 season, meaning she’s out of contract at the end of this year.
During her time in Orlando, Doyle has been a decent bench option and spot starter, but she hasn’t exactly broken out and has struggled to get into the starting lineup at times. Given her position, one might reasonably expect a former first-round pick to contribute more offensively, but Doyle has never exceeded two goals in league play in any season despite getting herself into some good scoring positions. Now 27, Doyle has shown the Pride who she is over the course of the last four-and-a-half seasons. It will be interesting if she’s shown enough to stick around on another new contract.
Luana — Midfielder
The first player we’ll discuss who has a contract option year after 2026 is the Brazilian international midfielder, who has battled back from a scary Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis during her first year with the Pride in 2024. Luana signed with Orlando on Dec. 14, 2023, but played only a few games before showing up on the availability report as an excused absence. The Pride announced on April 29, 2024, that the Brazilian would miss the rest of the season to undergo treatment. She battled her illness while her teammates won the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship, inspired largely by her courage. Luana beat the disease, but it took a while to come back. She returned to the pitch in the second half of 2025 and did enough to earn herself a new contract, which she signed on Nov. 13, 2025. Her contract runs through this season but there is a mutual option year on the deal for 2027.
Luana has looked fantastic at times, and it’s easy to forget that she started the 2024 campaign as a starter for a team that went on to shatter club and league records en route to winning the double. She scored her first goal with the Pride in Orlando’s 2-0 home playoff win over the Seattle Reign on Nov. 7, 2025 (actually, it was her first goal contribution of any kind with Orlando). She was a big part of the buildup for the Pride’s winning goal at San Diego on May 24, although she did not get an assist because a defender touched the ball. Luana finally notched her first NWSL assist in the Pride’s most recent match — the 3-1 win on May 29, which sent the team into the break on a two-game winning streak. If her trajectory continues, it’s not hard to imagine her returning as a regular starter when all players are available, and she could once again play for the Brazilian Women’s National Team. On the other hand, at 33 years of age, time is not on her side in terms of her remaining career.
Marta — Midfielder/Forward
Look, at some point Marta has to retire, right? The 40-year-old legend has earned the right to go out on her own terms, but the two-year contract she signed on Jan. 9, 2025, seems likely to be her last. That contract concludes after this season, and this could be the Pride’s most important off-season decision.
Marta turned back the clock in 2024, playing at one of the highest levels of her illustrious career. That was an encouraging sign, and even though it would have been a storybook ending to a glorious career for the Brazilian icon to exit the world stage as a player after winning the double, Pride fans understandably celebrated her announcement that she signed a new contract with Orlando.
Her performances fell off in 2025 — something that plagued the entire team — but her availability in 2026 has been an even bigger issue. The Marta problem is that despite her age and lack of availability, she’s still hard to replace, because even in limited minutes, she’s performing better and helping the team win and retain possession more than most of her teammates and better than most potential replacements could do in her place. The goal production has tailed off, however, and that’s having an impact in the standings, because if Marta isn’t producing, the Pride have little offense outside of Banda (though Jacquie Ovalle’s return from injury should help).
The Pride would likely offer Marta a new one-year contract if she wants to keep playing. Few could blame them, and it’s hard to fault an athlete who loves the game so much that they don’t mind the diminishing returns they bring to their club as they extend their career. However, Orlando is in a transition phase, and using Marta’s salary elsewhere could help the club get younger, faster, and more threatening. Ultimately, this may be more Marta’s decision than Orlando’s, because the club will want Marta to end her career in purple. And while it seems the bell is tolling on a legendary career, it would surprise almost no one if she has another surge left in her.
Cara Martin — Goalkeeper
Pride fans could be forgiven for thinking Martin is an AI construct, because when have we seen proof of life? (OK, she’s made the substitutes’ bench a few times. Allegedly.) Martin signed Jan. 16 along with Castain and Nicole Payne. The former Big East Goalkeeper of the Year with Georgetown has not appeared for Orlando and her bio isn’t in the team’s game notes. Martin’s contract is up at the end of the season, and with Orlando collecting backup goalkeepers to work with the team in training and wait in line behind Moorhouse, the question is whether she’ll do enough to remain in the Pride’s stable of backup netminders.

Kylie Nadaner — Defender
The club’s vice captain has been away on what has seemed more like eternity leave than maternity leave. Nadaner had her baby in May, and the long process of getting back into playing shape lies ahead. Meanwhile, she’s in the final season of a three-year deal she signed on Dec. 7, 2023. Nadaner began her time in Orlando as a struggling left back who worked her way into becoming one of the team’s most dependable center backs.
Nadaner will be 35 early next season as her birthday is in March. While it’s difficult for players to return to playing shape after giving birth to a brand-new human, doing it in your mid-30s is even tougher, though it’s doable. Whether Nadaner is offered a new contract may depend on her ability to get back on the field in the second half of 2026 and show she can still perform.
Oihane – Defender
The Spanish fullback is in the last guaranteed season of a two-year deal she signed on Feb. 14, 2025. However, that contract includes a 2027 option year. Oihane has looked strong at times, although some minor knocks here and there have disrupted her continuity. She’s been one of the team’s better crossers in open play, posting three assists in just under a year and a half with Orlando.
The problem for Oihane is she’s in the Pride’s deepest position group. Cori Dyke, Hailie Mace, Haley McCutcheon, Nicole Payne, and Reagan Raabe can all play right back. Oihane has also filled in at left back, but there is coverage there, too. We may not know until the postseason roster decisions whether the Spanish international will remain in the club’s plans.
Nicole Payne — Defender/Winger
A former Portland Thorns and (briefly) Paris Saint-Germain player, Payne signed a one-year contract with the Pride on Jan. 16 that expires after the season. She showed off her pace playing right back in her first appearance with Orlando, but she’s since seen time at right wing, scoring a big goal in a solid outing at San Diego in the final week before the break. She didn’t back up that performance well five days later against Bay FC, but you can see there’s talent, speed, and potential scoring punch from the USC product.
Whether Payne is brought back is likely still up in the air, but there has been some promise, and her potential has not been questioned. Staying healthy has been a challenge for Payne. If she can stay fit, she would at least make a good depth option if she can turn in consistent performances like the one she had against the Wave.
Reagan Raabe — Forward/Defender
Raabe arrived as a non-roster invitee in preseason camp and earned a short-term contract on March 5. She’s made a couple of appearances off the bench in different positions but hasn’t been able to show a lot in her limited action. Will it be enough for the 24-year-old Nebraska product to earn a fulltime contract? We’ll find out soon.
Viviana Villacorta — Midfielder
The Orlando Pride had high hopes for Villacorta after drafting her at No. 9 overall in the first round of the 2021 NWSL Draft. And while she’s shown flashes of the potential she had coming out of UCLA throughout her time in Orlando, injuries have plagued her career and have completely derailed multiple seasons. Even in 2026, Villacorta has been on the club’s availability list, most recently with a knee injury. She’s done enough to hang around and earn three different contracts with the Pride, who exercised her 2026 option on June 30, 2025, meaning she’ll be out of contract again at the end of the year.
Whether the club still values Villacorta as a good depth option or is ready to turn the page on the 27-year-old — or whether Villacorta even wants to continue her career — is a decision we’ll have to wait to find out.
Summer Yates — Midfielder
Yates was a highly regarded prospect out of the University of Washington who somehow fell to Orlando in the fourth round (No. 39 overall) in the 2023 NWSL Draft. She quickly earned a rookie contract on March 7, 2023, through 2024 with an option year for 2025. She played so well during the club’s 2024 run to the double that she earned a new contract on July 11, 2024, through 2025 with an option year for 2026. Unfortunately, Yates followed many other Pride players in regressing in 2025, but Orlando and Yates had already mutually exercised her 2026 option year in October of 2024. That means she’s out of contract after this season, like so many others.
The 25-year-old native of Pasco, Washington, is just entering her prime years, but her play since the start of 2025 has not shown many signs of the improvements we saw in 2024. Former general manager Haley Carter touted her off-season work on our podcast prior to the club’s 2024 double-winning campaign. Since then, Yates has not scored a league goal and has tallied only two assists in the regular season, although she notably notched a hat trick in a 5-0 win at Chorrillo FC in Panama a year ago. Her most recent game against Bay FC saw Yates thread the needle to set up Banda’s second goal of the night, which turned out to be the game-winner.
Yates does so many things well, but putting together consistent performances has been a struggle since the start of 2025. Some of that has been related to playing through some minor knocks. Every dribble into a blind alley or misplaced pass in the attacking third seems worthwhile when Yates sticks a gorgeous through ball into Banda’s path, but a return to her 2024 form, in which she scored five NWSL goals, would be her best path to a lucrative new deal with the Pride.
The Pride roster provides a lot of flexibility for Carducci. There are as many as 14 expiring contracts either, outright or with an option decision, and the competition for new deals will be stiff. Carducci can spend the rest of the 2026 season evaluating the squad, looking at the areas she wants to improve, and making informed choices about which players to re-sign and which to let go.
That, of course, is a double-edged sword, because letting things go too long can result in players becoming free agents and leaving for free. In the past, the Pride under Carter liked to lock players down before their deals expired. This year, we may yet see some signings before season’s end, but Carducci has the opportunity to overhaul the roster. At the very least, the bottom of the roster can (and should) be churned a bit.
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!
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