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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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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 Sign Forward Simone Jackson Through 2028

The Orlando Pride have signed 22-year-old forward Simone Jackson through the 2028 NWSL season.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride announced the signing of forward Simone Jackson today. The 22-year-old’s deal is through the 2028 season.

“We are thrilled to welcome Simone Jackson to the Orlando Pride family through 2028. Her versatility, technical ability, and quickness immediately impressed our technical staff, but it’s her character and personality that truly make her a perfect fit for our culture,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Simone represents exactly the kind of player and person we want to invest in as we build the future of this club. Her signing reflects our commitment to bringing in talent that will help us compete at the highest level while embodying the values that make the Pride special.”

While Jackson is a new signing, the attacker isn’t new to the Pride. She was with the team during preseason, playing well enough to earn a spot on the roster.

“I’m incredibly excited and honored to join the Orlando Pride. From the moment I arrived, I felt the special culture this club has built and knew this was where I wanted to be,” Jackson said in a club press release. “The vision the coaching staff shared with me aligns perfectly with my goals as a player, and I can’t wait to contribute on the field and connect with our amazing fans. Orlando has such a rich soccer community, and I’m thrilled to call this city home for the next chapter of my career. I’m ready to put in the work every day to help bring championships to this club and make an impact both on and off the field.”

Prior to joining the Pride for preseason, Jackson spent four years at the University of Southern California. She played in 75 games for the Trojans, scoring 22 goals and adding 13 assists. Her best season was her senior year, where she accumulated 1,304 minutes and scored six goals, second most on the team.

The Redondo Beach, CA native was a member of the All-Big Ten third team in 2024, first-team All-Pac-12 in 2022, third-team All-Pac-12 in 2023 and 2021, and a Pac 12 All-Freshman Team honoree in 2021.

Internationally, Jackson represented the United States at multiple youth levels, including at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She scored her team’s lone goal in a 3-1 loss to Japan in that tournament. Jackson participated at every youth level for the U.S., starting at U-14.

What This Means For Orlando

Having successfully put a strong starting lineup together, Carter and Pride Head Coach Seb Hines now work on the team’s depth. And that’s where Jackson comes in. The forward will be behind starter Barbra Banda and Ally Watt on the depth chart. However, Banda could depart at times for international duty with Zambia, giving Jackson a spot on the bench.

At 22 years old, the young attacker has plenty of time to develop. She’ll be playing with seasoned professionals in the same position, providing valuable role models. Barring injuries, she probably won’t get much playing time this year but could be a key player for the Pride in the future.

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Orlando Pride vs. Utah Royals: Final Score 3-1 as Pride Win Behind Barbra Banda Hat Trick

A first-half Barbra Banda hat trick lifted the Pride to a much-needed road win over the Utah Royals.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (6-3-1, 19 points) rode Barbra Banda’s hat trick to a 3-1 win over the Utah Royals (1-7-2) tonight at America First Field in Sandy, UT. Banda gave the Pride the lead in the sixth minute and Brecken Mozingo equalized in the 14th minute, but Banda took over late in the first half, scoring two goals in two minutes to net the first hat trick in Pride history.

The win snapped Orlando’s three-game winless skid and marked the first time the Pride scored more than one goal since a 3-2 home win over Angel City on April 25.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the Kansas City Current last week. Kerry Abello and Marta, who had started every game until tonight, began the game on the bench. They were replaced in the lineup by Cori Dyke and Ally Watt.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Dyke, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, and Oihane. Angelina, Morgan Gautrat, Haley McCutcheon, and Carson Pickett were in the midfield, with Banda and Watt up top.

This was a game of two halves with the best chances coming in the first 45 minutes. It looked like it would be a high-scoring affair, but the game slowed down considerably in the second half. The Pride were unquestionably the better team throughout, causing problems for the Utah back line. In the end, it was a fair result, as the Pride come home with all three points.

The hosts nearly created the game’s first chance in the fifth minute when Janni Thomsen played Cece Kizer down the right. The veteran midfielder’s first touch was a low ball into the box for Mozingo, but Oihane got there first to clear it away.

A minute later, the Royals created the first shot on goal. Ally Sentnor tried to dribble through Nadaner, who got a touch on the ball but couldn’t win it. The ball went straight to Mozingo, who shot, but the attempt was right to Moorhouse at the near post.

The Pride immediately went the other way with Oihane finding Watt down the right . The attacker sprinted down field before playing it into the box where Banda was making a run. The striker’s first touch guided the ball inside the far post to give the Pride the early 1-0 lead.

“It was a quality goal,” Hines said about the opener. “A breakaway with Ally and she does a really good job of finding Barbra and it’s a quality finish from Barbra.”

The Pride had a great opportunity to double their lead in the 10th minute when Claudia Zornoza pulled down Angelina from behind near the top of the Utah box. Angelina stepped to the ball first before backing off and letting Pickett take the set piece. Oihane ran onto the ball and tried to flick it on goal, sending it just wide of the right post.

In the 13th minute, Pickett, Gautrat, and Angelina combined to send Banda into the final third. The low cross was right to Ana Tejada, but the defender got it caught in her feet. The ball slipped through to Watt behind her, and the attacker had two chances. However, Royals goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn made a pair of saves to keep her team in the game.

The Pride paid for the missed chance a minute later when the Royals equalized. Zornoza sent Mozingo into the Pride half of the field. Nadaner kept the play onside, and the attacker got behind the back line and in on goal. Moorhouse came out to cut down the angle, but the shot was past her and inside the far post to even the game at 1-1.

There was a stoppage while the video assistant referee examined the play to see if Mozingo was offside. However, Nadaner never stepped up with the rest of the back line, and the goal correctly stood.

Banda nearly had a second in the 20th minute when Sentnor knocked the ball off McCutcheon’s foot, but right to the Pride striker. However, Lauren Flynn made a last-ditch tackle, knocking the ball off of Banda’s foot to prevent a likely goal.

A minute later, Banda won a long punt by Moorhouse and got into the Royals’ box. Kate Del Fava did well to push her outside, and the striker’s shot was right to McGlynn.

Banda made a long run in the 26th minute, getting behind the Royals’ defense and into the box. McGlynn came off her line to challenge the striker and blocked the attempt. The rebound went to Watt with an empty net, but Nuria Rabano made a goal-saving block.

A bad turnover by Gautrat under pressure in the 28th minute nearly resulted in Utah taking the lead. Kizer took possession and found Mina Tanaka in the box. The Japanese international laid it back for Zornoza, who shot, sending her attempt over the goal.

Banda struck again in the 37th minute when Thomsen played a terrible pass back and the striker intercepted it. Flynn was on her back the whole time, but Banda dribbled around McGlynn and touched it in to make it 2-1.

A minute later, Banda made history. McCutcheon sent the striker down the left behind Del Fava. The defender caught up, but decided to block her pass into the middle rather than get to the goal side. Banda fired to McGlynn’s near post, slipping it between the post and the goalkeeper to give the Pride a 3-1 lead.

In the 224th Pride game in all competitions, it was the first hat trick in team history, the third in NWSL history to take place in the first half, and the first time an NWSL player has scored a road hat trick in the first half. 

“She’s a constant threat. It was three different types of goals, which is pleasing to see,” Hines said about Banda’s hat trick. “She’s been waiting patiently. She’s been hitting half chances, but no real clear-cut opportunities. And so I was really pleased for her. Obviously, it’s the first hat trick in Pride history. That’s been a long wait for that opportunity, but she took it really well.”

Banda also became the first African international to score a hat trick in the NWSL.

The Pride nearly had a chance in the third minute of first-half stoppage time when Pickett sent a beautiful ball into the box for Angelina. It was right there for the Brazilian, but she couldn’t control it.

After 45 minutes of action, the Pride had more possession (54%-46%), shots (10-7), shots on target (9-2), crosses (7-5), and corner kicks (2-1). They also had better passing accuracy (84%-82%) in the first half.

While the Pride were the more attacking team to start the first half, the Royals were on the front foot in the second. In the 48th minute, Mozingo found Zornoza near the top of the box. Sentnor made a diagonal run and Zornoza found her. However, the U.S. international sent her attempt well wide of the target.

The Royals created the second shot of the second half in the 63rd minute when Tanaka laid the ball off for Sentnor. Despite being far from goal, the striker fired. The shot was on target but into the arms of Moorhouse.

A minute later, Kizer dribbled into the right side of the box and took a shot from a tight angle. However, Moorhouse had her near post covered and the attempt didn’t cause her any trouble.

The next time the ball went out of play, Hines made his first two changes. Abello and Summer Yates came on for Oihane and Angelina.

Shortly after the substitution, the Pride created their first shot of the second half. A poor pass out of the back by McGlynn was intercepted by Yates. The midfielder played the ball to Banda on the right and the striker took a shot, but it didn’t cause much trouble for McGlynn.

McCutcheon had a great look in the 72nd minute, when Pickett sent Yates down the left. The second-half substitute played it into the six-yard box, where McCutcheon found herself all alone. However, she seemed surprised by the situation, sending the ball wide from very short distance.

In the 77th minute, Dyke found Yates in the box. The midfielder did well to turn Ana Tejada and fired on target. However, McGlynn did well to get a hand to it. Watt had position on Del Fava in front of an empty net near the left post, and the defender pushed the attacker over to win the ball. Pride players in the area wanted a penalty, but the referee disagreed.

The Pride won a free kick in the opposing third in the 78th minute when Watt was pushed over by Flynn. Pickett sent the set piece into the box and Lemos got her foot to it, but she sent the attempt wide.

The Royals nearly got one back in the 80th minute when Sentnor sent a low cross into the box from the left. Bianca St-Georges was behind her defender and right in front of the goal, but the pass was just behind her.

Play stopped in the 82nd minute as McCutcheon went down with an injury. The Pride medical staff came out to examine the defensive midfielder, eventually resulting in the team’s final change of the night. In the 84th minute, Viviana Villacorta came into the game for McCutcheon.

St-Georges had a chance in the 87th minute when a long ball bounced away from Abello. The Royals substitute turned and shot, but sent the attempt well wide of the target.

Tanaka received a pass forward in the 89th minute and fired from distance. However, Lemos got her foot in from behind, getting a piece of the ball and allowing Moorhouse to make the easy stop.

The Royals had a good chance to get one back in the fifth minute of stoppage time, when Madison Pogarch sent a dangerous ball to the back post. St-Georges was behind Abello and Moorhouse was trying to get over, but the ball went out of play.

That was the last chance as the Pride claimed a huge three points away from home.

At full time, the Pride had more possession (52%-48%), shots on target (11-5), crosses (12-10), and corner kicks (4-1). Utah had better passing accuracy (83%-82%) and more shot attempts (14-13).

“Priority was to come away with three points before we go into the international break,” Hines said. “I think in recent games we played well, but we haven’t really got the results. So, we wanted to make sure that we performed well and got the result. It’s great to come away from this game with three points and a nice 3-1 win.”

“Interesting match,” Banda added. “Coming back from the loss, we wanted to win this game, so we had to put all what it takes. We didn’t want to leave anything on the field, but to get the maximum three points.”

The win vaults Orlando back into second place, two points behind the first-place Current. However, the Current have yet to play this weekend. They’re also two points ahead of the San Diego Wave, who also have a game in hand.

Following the international break, the Pride have three games before the summer break, which will last over a month. Two of those three games are away from home, but they’re all winnable.

“We need to take that confidence going into these last three games before the summer break,” Hines said. “Obviously, we’re going into the international break, so players are representing their country. But when they come back, we need to carry on that momentum into the last three games going into the summer break.”


The Pride will have an extra week to soak in this win, as they don’t play next weekend. They’ll return to action on June 7 when they host the Houston Dash at Inter&Co Stadium.

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

The Pride look to return to their winning ways as they travel to face the struggling Utah Royals.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (5-3-1, 16 points) travel west to take on the Utah Royals (1-6-2, 5 points) in Sandy, UT. This is the first of two matchups between these teams with the return game in Orlando scheduled for Aug. 3.

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

History

The Royals first played in 2018 and 2019 before the team was purchased and relocated to Kansas City. The new owners of Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake bought an expansion side, so 2024 was the first season the two teams met since 2019, although this is an all-new side. The Pride are 3-3-2 against the Royals all-time, with all games coming in the NWSL regular season. Orlando is 2-0-0 against this current iteration of the Royals (1-0-0 on the road) and 2-1-1 all-time in the state of Utah.

The last time the Pride met the Royals was on June 21, 2024 in Orlando. It was a dominant performance from start to finish as the Pride roared to a 6-0 win. Barbra Banda started the scoring, and Summer Yates made it 2-0 just before halftime. The Pride took off in the second half with goals by Banda and Ally Watt, along with a Marta brace.

On April 12 in Sandy, UT. Marta started on the bench and came on for Adriana in the 62nd minute. It didn’t take long for the Pride captain to make an impact, netting the game’s lone goal six minutes later, as the visitors left the Beehive State with a 1-0 victory.

The 2019 season was the final one for the original Royals and the Pride faced this opponent three times that year. The first game between the teams was on April 27 in Orlando, and the difference was Christen Press, who netted the lone goal early in a 1-0 result. On May 25 in Utah, Amy Rodriguez opened the scoring from the penalty spot and Makenzy Doniak made it 2-0 late. The third meeting was on Aug. 17 in Orlando. Press gave the visitors the lead in the 60th minute and Rodriguez doubled the advantage late as the Royals won 2-0.

The 2018 campaign was the Royals’ inaugural season, and Orlando got the better of the newcomers, going unbeaten in three matches (1-0-2). In the 2018 season opener, Utah and the Pride played to a 1-1 draw in Orlando. The Royals scored on their first chance of the game. They had an excellent spell of early possession. Diana Matheson put in a cross and Gunny Jonsdottir — who later played for the Pride for two seasons in 2021 and 2022 — volleyed it into the back of the net. Marta tied things up from the spot later in the first half, and the game ended 1-1. 

About a month and a half later, the teams met again, playing to a 0-0 draw, this time in Rio Tinto Stadium. It was a relatively dull night with no goals and the majority of the action in the middle of the field. Both teams struggled on the attacking end. There were no shots on target in the first half and just three in the second.

While those first two matches ended in draws, the last meeting of 2018 finally saw a winner. On July 14, 2018, there was end-to-end action, and both teams saw chances in front of the net. Utah found an early goal from Rodriguez, and then Alex Morgan tied it up with a penalty kick just before halftime. In the second half, a good through ball from Ali Krieger found Kristen Edmonds one-on-one with Utah goalkeeper Abby Smith, who was caught out of position. Edmonds chipped the ball past Smith for the game-winner, and Orlando got its first-ever victory against the Royals, 2-1.

Overview

The Pride are coming off a tough stretch where they’ve lost two of their last three games 1-0, and only a last-minute equalizer in North Carolina kept it from being three straight losses. The most recent loss came a week ago tonight when the Pride hosted the Kansas City Current in a battle for first place. Temwa Chawinga’s 52nd-minute goal was the difference, sending the Pride down to third in the NWSL standings.

The problem for the Pride has been the attack. Other than scoring three goals in 20 minutes against Angel City FC in a 3-2 come-from-behind win, the Pride haven’t scored multiple goals in a game since March 29, when they defeated San Diego Wave FC 2-1.

Meanwhile, the Pride’s defense has been fantastic. That Angel City game is the only time the Pride have conceded multiple goals this year. Head Coach Seb Hines even gave starting center backs Kylie Nadaner and Emily Sams a break, replacing each of them with rookie Zara Chavoshi in successive games, but they only gave up one goal in those games combined. Unfortunately, the lack of offense resulted in only getting one point.

Banda got off to a great start this season, netting a brace in the opener. However, she’s only scored twice in the last eight games and hasn’t found the back of the net in the last three matches. Marta has had similar struggles, failing to score since the win over Angel City.

The Pride desperately need three points to get themselves back on track, and they face the perfect team tonight. The Royals were one of the worst teams in the league last year, finishing 11th of 14 teams. They aren’t any better this year so far, with just five points from nine games, good enough for 13th place.

As you might expect from a team with just one win, Utah has struggled offensively and defensively this year. Their seven goals are second fewest in the NWSL, and their 16 goals conceded are tied with Angel City for second most. The only team worse is the last-place Chicago Stars, who have scored five times and conceded 19 goals.

While the Royals have struggled defensively this year, they’re coming off their best game of the season, a 3-3 draw at the Washington Spirit. The sudden production ended a three-game goalless streak. We’ll see if that carries into tonight.

Nobody on the Royals has multiple goals or assists this year, understandable by their lack of scoring. But they’ll have their work cut out for them tonight when they face one of the league’s best defenses. The Pride’s seven goals conceded is tied with Seattle Reign FC for second, just one behind the Current.

The Pride started the season as the most prolific offense, scoring six times in the season opener. But, apart from the three-goal output against Angel City, they’ve cooled off considerably. Facing a team that has leaked goals all year, this could be the game the Pride need to get back to their scoring ways.

“I think they put up a good performance against a good Washington Spirit side. They should be happy walking away with a point,” Hines said about tonight’s opponent. “Obviously, they were close to three points as well, but I think before the game they probably would’ve taken that. So we can’t take them too lightly. We’re trying to bounce back from some disappointing results, not performances. And I think it’s a great opportunity for us to go there and come away with three points.”

The only change to the Pride availability report is the removal of Julie Doyle (knee). Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), and Rafaelle (thigh) remain out.

The Royals will be without Mikayla Cluff (concussion), Macey Fraser (knee), Olivia Griffiths (maternity leave), Cloe Lacasse (knee), Alex Loera (knee), Tatumn Milazzo (knee), Paige Monaghan (foot), and Kaleigh Riehl (lower leg).


Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Cori Dyke, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Oihane.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.

Attacking Midfielders: Carson Pickett, Angelina, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Julie Doyle, Prisca Chilufya, Summer Yates, Zara Chavoshi, Kerry Abello, Viviana Villacorta, Marta, Ally Lemos.

Utah Royals (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Mandy McGlynn.

Defenders: Nuria Rabano, Lauren Flynn, Kate Del Fava, Janni Thomsen.

Defensive Midfielders: Ana Tejada, Claudia Zornoza.

Midfielders: Brecken Mozingo, Mina Tanaka, Cece Kizer.

Forwards: Ally Sentnor.

Bench: Mia Justus, Ana Guzman, Madison Pogarch, Kherrington Ream, Dana Foederer, Imani Dorsey, Aisha Solorzano, Aria Nagai, Bianca St-Georges.

Referees

REF: JC Griggs.
AR1: Matthew Rodman.
AR2: Darren Bandy.
4TH: Rachel Swett.
VAR: Katherine McCormick.
AVAR: Brian Marshall.


How to Watch

Match Time: 9:30 p.m.

Venue: America First Field — Sandy, UT.

TV: None.

Streaming: FDSN App, NWSL+.

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


Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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