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Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Fall to Spirit On Late Goal

The Pride dominated the Spirit but conceded a second-half, stoppage-time goal to lose to the Washington Spirit.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (0-4-1, 1 point) devastatingly fell to the Washington Spirit (3-3-0, 10 points) 1-0 tonight at Exploria Stadium. The Pride dominated the game and came close to scoring on multiple occasions, especially in the second half, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Mariana Speckmaier’s wonder goal deep into second-half stoppage time was the difference as the Pride remain on one point in the NWSL Challenge Cup.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines went with mostly a reserve lineup for this game, giving players without much playing time during league games a chance in a competitive environment. Regular starting goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse started behind a back line of Kylie Strom, Emily Madril, Caitlin Cosme, and Brianna Martinez. Kerry Abello, Jordyn Listro, and Mikayla Cluff were in the midfield behind a front line of Julie Doyle, Ally Watt, and Summer Yates.

The result of this game doesn’t reflect the performance of the teams as the Pride dominated the entire contest. They held more possession and generated significantly more chances than the Spirit. The difference in the game was a late let-off and the Spirit took advantage of one of their few opportunities. But the Pride would’ve won this game running away had they similarly taken advantage of their chances throughout the game.

The Pride started this game on the attack and created the first chance in the second minute. Lena Silano fouled Martinez outside of the Spirit box and Abello sent the ball into the mixer. The ball was headed out, but Yates controlled it with her chest and took the game’s first shot. Unfortunately, she didn’t get much on it, sending it well wide of the target.

The first decent chance for the Spirit came in the 14th minute when a corner kick was missed by Moorhouse. Jordan Thompson ended up with the ball and shot, but it was blocked off the line by Cosme. The Pride quickly went the other way with Doyle finding Watt at the top of the box. The striker fired on goal, but it was right at Spirit goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart.

A minute later, the Pride had another opportunity from a throw in. After she initially had trouble finding a teammate, Strom found Doyle in some space. The attacker’s first touch was to Yates at the top of the box. The rookie turned nicely to create a shot and forced Barnhart to dive and block it away.

In the 20th minute, Strom blocked a cross attempt out of play, giving the Spirit a corner kick. It ended up with Amber Brooks well outside of the box, and the defensive midfielder took a shot at goal that was blocked out of play. The ensuing set piece found the head of Thompson at the back post, but her attempt was wide.

As the game neared the half-hour mark, the Pride created some more opportunities. In the 26th minute, Yates was sent into the box by Martinez. The attacker held the ball up and, with a defender on her back, laid it off for Cluff outside of the box. Cluff quickly took a long-distance shot at goal, but sent it well off target. Martinez tried to find Watt in the box four minutes later, but placed the ball too close to Barnhart.

The Pride had a chance to open the scoring again in the 45th minute when Doyle found Abello on the left. The midfielder sent a cross in for Watt at the near post, but the striker couldn’t get on the end of it. Instead, it got behind her to Sam Staab who headed it out of play.

The Pride soon had another opportunity when Abello’s shot from outside of the box was blocked wide. The ensuing corner kick by Abello somehow got past Barnhart and over multiple defenders to find Martinez at the back post. Martinez got her head to the ball, but sent it wide.

A minute later, the Pride won the ball near midfield and started a counter attack. Martinez played Watt down the right, who apparently just stayed onside. The striker sent a low cross into the box for Doyle, but she mishit the ball, allowing the Spirit to clear.

The final chance of the half came with the final touch. Strom attempted to clear a cross into the box, but didn’t control it well and the ball fell to the dangerous Ashley Hatch. Fortunately, the striker couldn’t get over the ball, sending it over the goal.

Despite several lineup changes, the Pride were unquestionably the better team in the first half. They had more possession (53.2%-46.8%), shots (12-4), shots on target (2-0), corners (5-4), and crosses (12-9), as well as better passing accuracy (78.9%-68.5%). But they weren’t clinical enough in front of goal and the game reached halftime scoreless.

Hines made one halftime change up top, replacing Watt with Messiah Bright. It didn’t take the substitute long to get involved as she powered through her defender to find Cluff at the top of the box. The midfielder took the first shot of the second half, but sent it over the goal.

In the 47th minute, a clearance attempt by the Spirit went off the head of Abello and deflected to Doyle. The forward did well to control the ball, get past Dorian Bailey, and send a shot towards the near post. However, Barnhart got down to make the save.

Two minutes later, Doyle found Bright well outside of the box. She was given space by the Spirit defense due to her distance from goal, but took a shot anyway. It looked to be heading in, but Barnhart made a diving stop, just getting her fingertips to the ball.

The Spirit finally got their first chance of the second half in the 55th minute when a corner was headed away by Madril, but only to Brooks. Her first touch was forward for Hatch, who quickly played it back for Brooks to take a long-distance shot. However, Cosme got in front of the attempt and the Pride were able to clear.

The Pride were forced into their second change of the game in the 56th minute when Paige Metayer and Strom went for a ball in the Spirit box. Metayer jumped backwards for the header while Strom went forwards, resulting in Metayer slamming into Strom’s face. The left back was down for several minutes while the Pride medical team attended to her and was eventually replaced by Haley McCutcheon.

The Pride came inches from opening the scoring in the 60th minute when Metayer conceded a corner kick. Yates’ set piece found the head of Bright in the box. Barnhart dove to tip the ball wide, but it went off the post and across the face of goal. Listro rushed forward to tap it in, but Bailey got there first, clearing it off the line.

In the 67th minute, Doyle took Brooks one-on-one, creating enough space for a shot. She attempted to get over the ball, but sent it just over the crossbar as she fell. That was the last action for Doyle, as she and Cluff were replaced by Viviana Villacorta and Erika Tymrak.

The Pride nearly had a breakaway in the 71st minute when Yates sent Bright through near midfield. It appeared that Bright was offside and the assistant’s flag immediately went up. Bright continued her run and was challenged by the defender, failing to get a shot off.

Hines made one final change in the 78th minute during the second-half hydration break. Maliah Morris came on to make her third professional appearance, replacing Yates in her second professional start.

As time wound down, the Pride pressed to find a winning goal. In the 87th minute, Morris missed the target with her first attempt. Seconds later, Cosme took an off-balance shot that was blocked, allowing Washington to clear.

Seven minutes into stoppage time, Tymrak tried to play Bright through, but some miscommunication resulted in the pass going the opposite way of the run. The pass went all the way back to Barnhart, who sent it down field where Speckmaier and Cosme collided. The Spirit’s second-half substitute won the ball off the center back as she laid on the ground and fired from a very long distance, beating Moorhouse to give the Spirit a shocking 1-0 lead.

“I think that moment was really unfortunate tonight,” Abello said about the goal. “You know, I mean, arguably a foul. The girl hits a banger, you know, and that’s soccer sometimes.”

“I think there was a moment where we lacked a bit of concentration,” Hines added. “And they capitalized on that. Ninety-plus minutes and we’ve conceded again. So, you know, we have to learn from that. We have to not concede in pivotal moments of the game.”

This was the sixth time that the Pride have conceded a second-half, stoppage-time goal this season and the fourth time it changed the result. However, they hadn’t conceded one of those goals since May 10 in a 4-2 loss to the Spirit at Audi Field.

The Pride almost got an equalizer in the 10th minute of stoppage time when a 50-50 challenge ended with Martinez getting the ball far from goal. The defender took an ambitious shot that sailed over the outstretched arm of Barnhart, but slammed off the crossbar. That was the last chance as the Spirit stole three points on the road.

The Pride led every statistical category except the final score. They had more possession (56.4%-43.6%), shots (25-7), shots on target (7-2), corners (11-5), and crosses (26-14), and better passing accuracy (75.3%-66.5%).

“I think we did have a reaction after last week. Obviously last week wasn’t good enough. And today, I felt there was only one team who wanted to win,” Hines said. “You know, we started the game very aggressive, pressing, getting a lot of regains high up the field. We decided to make some changes, obviously, with a game against Gotham coming up and a lot of players took their opportunity today. And overall, I’m really proud of them. I’m really proud of what they did. And obviously it’s a cruel game. You don’t always get what you deserve. And you know, that’s life at times and that’s football. So we move on. But yeah, I’m happy with the performance and not the result.”

“I think after the result last week against North Carolina, I think we really came out, we fought hard, and we definitely were the better team out there tonight,” Madril added. “Just, unfortunately, we didn’t get the result and just score on our opportunities. But I think we definitely got back to how we’re used to playing.”

The biggest problem for the Pride in this game was the lack of finishing. They had far more opportunities than the Spirit and should’ve had a mult-goal lead heading into second-half stoppage time. But they were unable to convert and put themselves in a position to give up a goal at the end.

“I felt that there was goals on the table today,” Hines said after the game. “You know, we’ve walked away with no goals. So that’s an area that we need to improve on. We need to score goals when we’re so dominant in the game.”

Despite the loss, the Pride players and coaching staff seem happy with the performance overall. They were shelled by the North Carolina Courage in a 5-0 loss last weekend and Hines said he wanted to see a response from the team tonight. Even though they were unable to get a result, they were undoubtedly the better team.

“I said to the players that in the game, I’m proud of their performance,” Hines said about his postgame speech to the players. “You know, it’s never nice losing the way that we did against North Carolina and we looked for a reaction after that game and I’m hoping that the fans and the supporters saw a reaction and saw that there was only one team that wanted to win today. We were completely dominant in the match and that was my feedback to the players. You know, football’s a cruel game. You don’t always get what you deserve.”

“I think the overall message was just that we’re still really proud of our performance,” Abello added. “And we don’t put our heads down. I think it’s easy when you have a game like that to put your head down and to go negative, but our overall message to each other is just that we keep building on the positives from this game.”

The Pride will play their final Challenge Cup game of the year Wednesday night when they take on NJ/NY Gotham FC in New Jersey. Then they’ll have 11 days before they return to regular-season play.

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Orlando Pride Depth Tested Early This Season

The Pride are being forced to test their newly acquired depth early in the 2025 NWSL season.

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3 days ago

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May 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride started a full rebuild in 2022, which culminated in the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship in 2024. With the core of the team well set, Haley Carter and Seb Hines began work on building depth in the squad. Early this season, that work is being put to the test.

Just seven games into the 2025 NWSL season, the Pride have already suffered several key injuries. The first occurred in the NWSL regular season opener when midfielder Julie Doyle suffered a knee injury 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute. The following week, Rafaelle was replaced at halftime. Hines insisted it was precautionary, but the center back has yet to return.

Summer Yates, expected by many to replace Marta when the club captain retires, was injured on April 12 while assisting Barbara Banda’s game-winning goal in Seattle. The most recent injury occurred Saturday night when starting goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was kicked in the head by Mimi Alidou in the 47th minute, forcing her departure from the game.

The Pride did suffer a key injury last season when Rafaelle was injured during the Summer Olympics while representing Brazil. However, the solution was rather simple as Emily Sams moved to center back and Cori Dyke took over at right back. Despite being a rookie, Dyke was exceptional the remainder of the season, securing the starting right back spot through the NWSL Championship.

Neither Doyle nor Yates were starters at the beginning of the season. While Doyle has started many games for the Pride in her career, Hines has gone to Ally Watt and Angelina as the outside attacking midfielders. But with Angelina playing regularly for Brazil, Doyle and Yates were expected to play significant roles during the season.

Fortunately, the Pride were well prepared for this situation. They signed Zambian internationals Prisca Chilufya and Grace Chanda, who have filled those roles so far this season. Both are more than capable of starting for the Pride and filling the gaps left by Angelina and Watt when necessary.

Rafaelle is a more significant injury for the Pride. Her replacement in the lineup was a simple decision. Sams is a natural center back and started most of the 2024 games alongside Kylie Nadaner. The duo was arguably the best center back pairing in the league last season, resulting in Sams being awarded NWSL Defender of the Year. The bigger issue was who would be behind the starters.

Dyke and starting left back Kerry Abello both played games at center back last season. It wasn’t a completely foreign position for them as they’d spent time there in college. However, moving your starting right back or left back to the central defender position is less than ideal. Preferably, you would have a player able to come off the bench and replace Sams and Nadaner when needed.

Hines showed his preference Saturday night when Nadaner was given the night off. Rookie Zara Chavoshi had played minimal minutes this season, taking part in only two games. However, the Pride boss decided to throw the 22-year-old into the fire, giving her the first start of her professional career. Making the decision more questionable was sending her into arguably the league’s most hostile atmosphere at a venue where the Pride have only claimed points once.

Despite the tough circumstances, the rookie defender did very well, holding her own. It was a valuable experience for the young center back, who will likely be called upon again as the season continues.

“Giving Zara the first opportunity to start the game in a hostile environment and get tested in certain situations, I thought she did very well for her first NWSL start,” Hines said of his rookie center back after the game.

The final injury occurred during the game Saturday night when Moorhouse suffered an injury. The shot stopper has been the Pride’s number one since Erin McLeod left the club following the 2022 NWSL season. There was only one choice as her replacement, the team’s backup goalkeeper the past two seasons. While it was McKinley Crone’s first appearance in an NWSL game, it wasn’t her first appearance for the team.

The Maitland, FL native originally joined the club in 2023 as a preseason non-roster invitee. She was signed as a National Team Replacement Player later that season, but didn’t make any appearances. The club signed Finnish goalkeeper Sofia Manner prior to the 2024 campaign, putting Crone’s future with the club into question. But Crone beat out her Finnish teammate to earn the backup spot behind Moorhouse.

Crone made her professional debut last season during the NWSL X Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup against the North Carolina Courage. The game ended 1-1, with the Pride losing 5-4 on penalties. It was the last appearance by Crone, as Manner and Moorhouse started the other two Summer Cup games. Saturday night may not have been her first professional appearance, but it was unquestionably her most significant.

The 26-year-old goalkeeper wasn’t forced to do much, saving the only shot she faced. Despite the lack of action, it was good for the Pride to get their backup some meaningful minutes in case Moorhouse is called into international duty or is unable to return next week.

“Mac’s been waiting a long time for that opportunity,” Hines said. “It’s in a way that we didn’t want it to happen. Obviously, you never want to see a player get injured. But Mac’s been patient waiting for this opportunity and I thought she did well when she came on.”

So far, the Pride have passed the test. While they’re not on a record-breaking unbeaten run like last year, they sit tied with the Kansas City Current atop the NWSL standings. The two teams are tied in every way, with the same record, the same number of goals scored, and the same number of goals conceded.

The recent experiences of the Pride reserves should only help the team moving forward. Whether Hines wants to provide more rest for his starters before the playoffs, someone gets injured, or international callups result in missing players, the Pride coach must have more confidence now that he can plug in less experienced players and trust them to do the job. That will only benefit the Pride as they look to defend their crown as NWSL champions.

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Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Fail to Score at Providence Park

The Pride’s Portland problems popped up to punish the team once again.

Published

4 days ago

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May 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride (5-2-0, 15 points) continued to have difficulty when visiting Providence Park, losing 1-0 tonight to the Portland Thorns in Oregon. The home team took the early lead on Reyna Reyes’ 16th minute goal. The Pride were unable to generate any good chances on goal no matter who Pride Head Coach Seb Hines put on in the second half.

Hines made five changes to the team that won against Angel City. Oihane once again replaced Cori Dyke at right back, Zara Chavoshi got the start next to Emily Sams in place of Kylie Nadaner. Carson Pickett took over at left back, with Kerry Abello moving into the midfield. Ally Watt also returned to the starting lineup in place of Prisca Chilufya. The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was made up of Pickett, Chavoshi, Sams, and Oihane. Haley McCutcheon and Abello were the defensive midfielders behind Watt, Marta, and Ally Lemos with Banda up top.

Early in the match, the Pride tried the route one approach, sending long balls up to Banda. The first two times it worked well enough for Banda to get the ball cleanly, but she was unable to make anything from it. After that, the Pride continued to try this approach, but it was less successful.

Portland made things difficult for the Pride, pressing early and often. In the 16th minute it paid off for the home team. Pickett played a defensive ball out for a Thorns throw-in. Portland worked the ball across to Reyes. She moved the ball onto her left foot and put a very good shot inside the left post for what ended up being the game-winning goal.

The curl on that left foot 🙌Reyna Reyes with a special goal for @thornsfc.com!

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-05-04T01:18:37.428Z

The Pride did have some chances but nothing with any type of power behind it to beat McKenzie Arnold. The Pride looked flat through most of the first half, and the Thorns brought more energy. Orlando looked disjointed and disinterested.

In the 37th minute, Pride supporters got a big scare. Banda took the ball into the box, but then pulled up as if she had a noncontact injury. Play was eventually stopped for the trainers to check on her. Mercifully, Banda was not injured and was able to continue.

Things almost got much worse for the Pride in the 39th minute. Reilyn Turner took a through ball into the box, rounded Moorhouse and put the ball on frame. Fortunately, Chavoshi recovered and made a clutch goal-line save to keep the score at 1-0.

After 45 minutes of play, the Thorns had the advantage in shots (7-5) and shots on target (4-1). The Pride had the advantage in possession (53%-47%) and corners (3-0), but were not able to generate much of a threat.

Hines did not make any changes to start the second half despite the lack of scoring. The Thorns started quickly as Deyna Castellanos got on a long ball in the box. Luckily, her shot went wide. One minute later, Moorhouse was fouled. She took a shin to the head, and boot to her right hand. After several minutes she was subbed off for McKinley Crone.

The second half was much like the first. The Pride had difficulty breaking Portland’s lines. When they did, the chances did not threaten Arnold. A perfect example of this came in the 64th minute. Watt stripped the ball from a Portland player and fed it to Banda, who gave it back to Watt for the chance, but there was nothing on it.

In the 68th minute, Hines brought on Dyke, Angelina, and Viviana Villacorta for Oihane, Lemos, and Pickett. One minute later, Banda had a chance, but her near-post shot was saved by Arnold. On the other end, Crone saved a shot by Payton Linnehan in the 74th minute. In the 75th minute, Chilufya came on for Marta.

Hines made his final substitution in the 83rd minute, bringing on Grace Chanda for Watt. Between Moorhouse’s injury and various other fouls, there were 11 minutes of second-half stoppage time. Being up a goal against the defending champs, Portland players immediately headed for the corner whenever they got the ball.

Despite double digits to work with in stoppage time, the Pride failed to equalize and suffered their second loss of the season. At full time, the Pride had the advantage in possession (58%-42%), corner kicks (7-2), and passing accuracy (80%-75%). Portland had the advantage on shots (15-11), shots on target (7-4), and, most importantly, on the scoreboard.

“You have got to try and create the space. You have got to move, make unselfish runs and you have got to be proactive rather than reactive,” Hines said about the team’s lack of offense. “I felt today that Portland were one step ahead of us in their defensive structure. We didn’t create too many opportunities. They were well organized. You have got to find different ways, and we had different solutions during the run of game and changed different buildup shapes, but it wasn’t enough to get that equalizer.” 

Hines praise the play of Chavoshi and Crone in the match, with both players short on experience.

“I think they are the main positives out of the game,” Hines said. “Giving Zara [Chavoshi] the first opportunity to start the game in a hostile environment and get tested in certain situations, I thought she did very well for her first NWSL start. [McKinley Crone] has been waiting a long time for that opportunity. It is in a way that we didn’t want it to happen, obviously, you never want to see a player get injured. Mac has been patient waiting for this opportunity and I thought she did well when she came on.” 

Fortunately for the Pride, the Kansas City Current and the Washington Spirit also lost their matches, meaning the Pride remain tied for first with the Current. Sadly, this was a missed opportunity to put some daylight between those other top teams.

“My head is all over the place at the moment, honestly,” Crone said about getting on the pitch. “I don’t really (know) if I can pinpoint a singular emotion. I am really honored, especially being from Orlando, just to be able to represent the city. This is such a tough place to come in and play. I thought the team fought hard. Now at this point, it is about turning our focus to the next game. It is such a long season, and we have so many more games ahead of us, it is now about how can we respond to this result today.”

The Pride remain on the road next weekend for an away match against the North Carolina Courage at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC.

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

The Pride look to claim their second-ever win in Portland as they take on the Thorns away from home.

Published

5 days ago

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May 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to your match preview as the Orlando Pride (5-1-0, 15 points) travel west to take on Portland Thorns FC (2-2-3, 9 points) at Providence Park in Portland, OR. This is the first two games these teams will play with the return game in Orlando scheduled for Oct. 10.

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

History

The Pride have struggled historically against the Thorns, with a record of 4-14-2 in 20 games (4-13-2 in league play and 0-1-0 in the playoffs). They’re 1-8-0 in Portland with the only win occurring in 2018.

The most recent meeting between the two teams came on Oct. 11, 2024 in Portland. The Pride secured the NWSL Shield the previous game, so several starters were given a break. It showed on the field as the Pride lost 2-0, ending a 23-game unbeaten run. Morgan Weaver gave hosts the lead in the 13th minute and Christine Sincalir doubled the advantage in the 55th minute.

The meeting prior to that loss came on May 24 in Orlando. It was the Barbra Banda show as the Pride striker scored two goals 10 minutes apart, giving her team a 2-0 halftime lead. Izzy D’Aquila got one back for the visitors, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride won 2-1.

The first game between the two teams in 2023 was on March 26 at Providence Park. Weaver opened the scoring early and Sophia Smith doubled the advantage a few minutes later. Hina Sugita made it three, and Michele Vasconcelos wrapped up the scoring as the Thorns won 4-0. On June 11, 2023, in Orlando, Smith gave the visitors the lead, but the Pride took over after that. Adriana scored a brace and Messiah Bright’s 69th-minute strike lifted the Pride to a 3-1 win. 

The teams met twice in 2022, with the first coming on Sept. 9 at Exploria Stadium. Yazmeen Ryan gave the visitors the lead and Sugita doubled the advantage as the Thorns won 2-0. That was the second meeting of the season after the teams met on June 19 in Portland. In Seb Hines’ second game as interim head coach, the Thorns smashed the Pride, 6-0.

The teams met earlier in the year during the 2021 season, playing on May 26 in Orlando. The Pride won for only the second time against Portland since the team’s inception. Orlando won 2-1 with goals from Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux.

The second meeting that year came on July 18 in Portland, and the home team won again. Smith gave the hosts the lead and Marissa Everett doubled the advantage. Marisa Viggiano got one back in second-half stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough as the Thorns won, 2-1.

They met a third time on Aug. 14. The Pride took an early lead when Courtney Petersen found Jodie Taylor for the opening goal. But Simone Charley equalized and the teams drew 1-1.

The Pride and Thorns didn’t play in 2020 after the season was canceled due to the global pandemic and they weren’t in the same group for the NWSL Fall Series. As a result, the most recent meeting prior to 2021 was in 2019.

The teams opened the 2019 season against each other in Orlando, but the Thorns got the better of the clash. The game was decided on either side of halftime as Caitlin Foord scored just before the break and Tobin Heath scored four minutes after the restart, lifting Portland to a 2-0 win. They met again in Orlando on May 11 and the visitors won again. Toni Pressley gave the Pride an early lead, but it was all Portland after that. Dagny Brynjarsdottir equalized, Andressinha gave Portland the lead, and Foord finished it off.

The final meeting between the two in 2019 was a goal fest in Portland and another Thorns win. Hayley Raso gave the Thorns the lead just three minutes into the game and Midge Purce’s goal made it look like it would be a dominant performance by the hosts. But Marta got one back to make it 2-1. Sinclair made it 3-1, followed by a Thorns own goal by Emily Menges. It looked like the Pride would get a rare point through Erin Greening’s 90th-minute goal, but Tyler Lussi scored in second-half injury time, dooming the Pride to another loss in Oregon.

The teams faced off three times in 2018, which featured the Pride’s lone win in Portland. The Thorns won the first game, 2-1 on April 15. But on May 12, goals by Morgan and Christine Nairn gave the Pride a 2-0 lead. Sinclair got one back for the hosts, but the Pride held on for their only result at Providence Park. The third meeting went back to usual, with the Thorns winning 2-0 through Lindsey Horan and Raso.

The teams started the 2017 season against each other in Portland with the Thorns winning 2-0. They met again in the penultimate game of the season in Orlando, ending in a scoreless draw. The most important game between the two teams was the Pride’s only playoff appearance. Unfortunately, it was all Portland, as the Thorns beat the Pride 4-1.

The first meeting of 2016 was the Pride’s first-ever game. Steph Catley gave the visitors a surprising lead, but Brynjarsdottir equalized and Horan won it for Portland. They met again on June 26 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. Two second-half goals by Brynjarsdottir and Horan lifted the Thorns to another 2-1 win.

Overview

The Pride got off to a great start this season, winning their first four games. A 1-0 loss to the Washington Spirit on April 19 and a slow start against Angel City on April 25 was a little worrisome. But the Pride came back from a 2-0 deficit to score three goals in the final 20 minutes, defeating the California-based visitors 3-2.

Tonight, the Pride head back out on the road for the first time since they beat Seattle Reign FC 1-0 on April 12. It’s no surprise the team is led offensively by Banda. The Zambian netted a late brace in a 6-0 win over the Chicago Stars to start the season before failing to score in the following two games. However, she’s converted in two of the last three games, including a 76th-minute header in the most recent contest.

The team’s been very solid defensively this season, only conceding four goals. Two of those goals came in the most recent game against Angel City. They’re currently tied with the Kansas City Current on 14 goals scored and four conceded for a +10 goal differential.

Tonight, the Pride head to a stadium they’ve struggled in since the team’s inaugural season. They’ve only taken points once in nine games in Portland over the past 10 years. While many of those years the Thorns were near the top of the league and the Pride near the bottom, even last year the Pride couldn’t find a way to beat the Thorns.

One thing that should make the task a little easier is the Thorns’ absences. Sinclair retired following the 2024 season after over a decade in Portland. Sophia Wilson is also out for this game due to pregnancy. The U.S. international’s absence creates a tremendous challenge for the Portland attack.

The Thorns currently sit in sixth in the NWSL standings with nine points. However, they’re only three points behind the Spirit for third. A win at home tonight against the Pride would put them only three points back of second and possibly first, depending on how the Current do.

Portland’s led offensively this season by second-year professional Reilyn Turner with three of the team’s 10 goals. Rookie Jayden Perry sits second on the team with two goals and several players have one, including Olivia Moultrie, Jessie Fleming, and Deyna Castellanos.

The Thorns got the season off to a rocky start, losing 3-1 in Kansas City. But the back line quickly got it together, only conceding three goals in the next five games. That strong defensive effort went away on April 27 when the Thorns conceded three goals  for the second time this season in a 3-3 home draw with Racing Louisville FC.

“Historically, it hasn’t always been a great place for us to go play. But we’re a different team now,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “I think different contexts, different circumstances. We’re still early on in the season, so we are wanting to continue that momentum from last week. We showed great character to come back from two goals down. The players are in good spirits. It shows the collective as well, players coming off the bench and playing a role and influencing the game. So there’s a real togetherness here. It’s going to be a good environment. It’s always a nice place to go play with the fans, the opponent, everything that comes with it. So, yeah, we’re excited to get across there and play another game of football.”

There aren’t any changes to the Pride availability report for the second consecutive game. They’ll be without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), Aryssa Mahrt (knee), Julie Doyle (knee), Rafaelle (thigh), and Summer Yates (ankle).

The Thorns are without Daiane (knee), Caiya Hanks (hip), Marie Muller (knee), Nicole Payne (knee), Olivia Wade-Katoa (maternity leave), Morgan Weaver (knee), and Sophia Wilson (maternity leave).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Zara Chavoshi, Emily Sams, Oihane.

Midfielders: Carson Pickett, Haley McCutcheon, Ally Lemos, Ally Watt.

Forwards: Barbra Banda, Marta.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Cori Dyke, Brianna Martinez, Kylie Nadaner, Morgan Gautrat, Viviana Villacorta, Angelina, Grace Chanda, Prisca Chilufya.

Portland Thorns FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Mackenzie Arnold.

Defenders: Reyna Reyes, Jayden Perry, Isabella Obaze, Sam Hiatt.

Defensive Midfielders: Sam Coffey, Hina Sugita.

Attacking Midfielders: Olivia Moultrie, Mimi Alidou, Reilyn Turner.

Forward: Deyna Castellanos.

Bench: Bella Bixby, Kaitlyn Torpey, Sophie Hirst, Jessie Fleming, Carissa Boeckman, Mallie McKenzie, Payton Linnehan, Pietra Tordin, Alexa Spaanstra.

Referees

REF: Nabil Bensalah.
AR1: Fernando Fierro.
AR2: Cameron Siler.
4TH: Dion Coxe-Trieger.
VAR: Anya Voigt.
AVAR: Kaili Terry.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Providence Park — Portland, OR.

TV: Ion.

Streaming: None.

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

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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