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Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville FC: Final Score 3-2 as Pride Blow Two-Goal Lead in Kentucky

The Pride took a 2-0 first-half lead, but blew the advantage, handing the hosts a penalty and a late winner on an own goal.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (9-11-1, 28 points) blew an early 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to Racing Louisville FC (5-6-9, 27 points) tonight at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, KY. Marta gave the Pride an early lead from the penalty spot and Kerry Abello doubled the advantage four minutes later. Nadia Nadim got a goal back for Louisville with a penalty just before halftime and Kirsten Davis equalized in the 70th. An Anna Moorhouse own goal in the 74th minute was the difference as the Pride’s playoff chances took a hit.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made three changes to the team that beat Angel City FC 1-0 on Monday night. Celia, Abello, and Messiah Bright entered the starting lineup for Mikayla Cluff, Julie Doyle, and Ally Watt, all of whom came off the bench.

The back line in front of Moorhouse was Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, Emily Madril, and Celia. Haley McCutcheon moved into the defensive midfield with Jordyn Listro behind Abello, Adriana, and Marta. Bright started the game as the lone striker.

The Pride got off to a great start, scoring two goals inside the first 25 minutes. They looked to be cruising to a crucial three points and a six-point road trip before a late first-half penalty by Louisville cut the lead in half. They attempted to defend the second half as they did in Los Angeles, but conceded two goals in four minutes. That was the difference as the Pride had little energy at the end of the game.

Celia gave the Pride their first chance in the eighth minute when she sent a low, curling ball towards the back post. Abello was making a run and beat Lauren Milliet to the pass, but couldn’t make good contact with it and the ball went out for a goal kick.

In the 12th minute, Marta dribbled into the Louisville box before cutting back, looking to pass to Adriana. Taylor Aylmer reached in to tap it away, but took out Marta’s plant leg instead. Referee Kevin Broadley allowed play to continue while Marta threw her arms in the air, incredulous that a penalty wasn’t called.

However, when the ball went out of play, video assistant referee Shawn Tehini had Broadley take another look at the play. After the review, Broadley decided that there had been a clear and obvious error, pointing to the spot.

Marta stepped up to take the penalty and didn’t make any mistakes. Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund was hesitant to commit to a side and Marta did well to put the ball into the bottom corner, giving the Pride an early 1-0 lead.

Unlike Monday night, when the Pride were on their heels after the goal, they continued pushing for a second in this one. In the 21st minute, Rafaelle won the ball from Nadim and Marta found Abello. The midfielder dribbled into the box, used a cut to beat Julia Lester, and sent a shot into the roof of the net, giving the Pride a 2-0 lead. It was her first professional goal.

Three minutes later, the Pride had a chance for a third when Bright sent a cross towards the near post from the right. Lund was in a good position, but the ball got past her and went across the face of the goal. Unfortunately, no Pride players were making back-post runs, so the ball went harmlessly out of play.

The hosts got their first chance of the game in the 25th minute when Pickett’s cross was blocked out of play by Celia. The ensuing corner kick was headed out by McCutcheon, but only to Pickett, who shot. It was difficult to tell whether it took a deflection as the ball went wide, but Broadley pointed to the corner.

The second corner was cleared by Celia and Louisville maintained possession. Paige Monaghan sent a cross into the box that was flicked on by the head of Nadim for Thembi Kgatlana near the back post. The South African attacker shot to the far side of the goal, but sent it wide.

During the play, the back of Nadim’s head hit Madril, and the center back came up holding her eye. After being checked by the Pride’s medical staff, Madril went to the sideline for further treatment. As a result, the Pride played with just 10 players on the field for several minutes.

Louisville took advantage of having an extra player, building momentum and creating multiple chances while Madril was off the field. In the 31st minute, Kgatlana spun near midfield to beat her defender and sent Nadim through. The forward got behind McCutcheon, who moved back with Madril off the field, but McCutcheon was able to get back in time to block the shot.

In the 37th minute, Lester sent a cross to the top of the Pride box. It was behind Kgatana, but the attacker attempted an ambitious bicycle kick that was off target.

With Madril back on the field, the Pride were able to return to the attack. In the 38th minute, Marta made a run through the midfield and found an open Adriana. The Brazilian shot from long distance, forcing Lund to block the ball away.

In the 40th minute, Abello had a chance for her second goal when Strom received the ball from Marta on the left and sent a cross into the box. Adriana initially looked like she would try to turn, but let it go for the open Abello behind her. The midfielder’s first touch was a shot that went well over the target.

Louisville nearly had a chance to get one back in the 41st minute when Abello gave the ball away to Monaghan. The midfielder sent a pass into the box for Nadim, who was defended by Madril. The Pride defender put her shoulder into Nadim, providing enough time for Moorhouse to come off her line and collect it.

The hosts got one of the two goals back in the 44th minute and it was from the spot. Milliet sent a long ball that was well taken by Elli Pikkujamsa, who quickly turned and sent Savannah DeMelo into the Pride box. DeMelo had gotten by Bright, who desperately tried to get back in front of her. But DeMelo pulled up and Bright ran into the back of her.

It was an easy call for Broadley to point to the spot, awarding Louisville a penalty. Nadim sent Moorhouse the wrong way, and put the attempt into the corner to make it a 2-1 game just before halftime.

“That was a really tough one,” Rafaelle said about conceding late in the first half. “I feel like if we had got into the second half two up, we could kill the game.”

“You never want to concede at that time,” Hines added. “We talk about the big five moments and that’s a big five moment. But we do concede.”

The injury to Madril earlier in the half resulted in the fourth official showing seven minutes of first-half stoppage time. Five minutes in, Hines made his first change of the game. Adriana was listed as questionable coming into the game with a knee issue and was replaced by Watt.

“We planned just to see how she would feel and how would she look and you could see that she wasn’t the same player that she was in previous games,” Hines said about taking off his playmaker. “So we made a decision to take her out. Yeah, we could’ve waited until halftime but, you know, when you see a player and they’re struggling the way that Adri was, you know, there’s no point waiting until halftime. We just made a decision at that time.”

The last touch of the half was the only chance for either team in stoppage time. Kgatlana carried the ball inside near the top of the box and passed it across for Pikkujamsa. The midfielder shot on goal from distance, but right into the arms of Moorhouse.

Louisville had more first-half possession (50.2%-49.8%) and shots (9-5), but the Pride put just as many on target (3). The hosts also had more corners (4-0) and crosses (18-4), with the Pride passing more accurately (79.9%-78.4%). Most importantly, the Pride converted two early goals to lead 2-1 at the break.

“The message has been consistent. We have to keep battling. We keep fighting,” Hines said about his halftime talk. “They’re going to throw more numbers into the attack. They obviously need to win this game, as do we, and we’ve got to stand up to that challenge of defending and concentrating and being together. Like I said, that’s been a theme throughout the season.”

The Pride had the first chance of the second half in the 50th minute. Milliet received the ball on the right side from Lund in her own third and was immediately pressured by Listro. The defensive midfielder won the ball back for the Pride and sent Abello through. Bright was open in the middle of the box, forcing Lester to make a choice. The center back stayed closer to Bright, allowing Abello to shoot. Her attempt was on target, but she tried to go near post when there was much more room on the other side, and Lund covered her post and caught it.

Abello created another chance in the 53rd minute after receiving the ball from Strom. The midfielder beat Milliet and dribbled into the box with an eye for goal. Abello kept the ball close to her, turning Lester, and shooting, but Aylmer did well to get back and block the attempt.

Louisville had a chance for an equalizer in the 63rd minute when McCutcheon was called for a foul on DeMelo. It didn’t look like there was much contact, but Broadley gave the hosts a free kick just outside of the box. Before the set piece, Hines made his second change, replacing Bright with Cluff.

DeMelo took the free kick and sent a curling ball towards the near post. The shot was on target and it looked like Moorhouse would catch it, but the English goalkeeper couldn’t keep hold of it. Fortunately, Celia was the first to the ball, clearing it away.

Louisville found their equalizer in the 70th minute. Rafaelle sent a long cross-field pass with nobody running onto it, allowing Pickett to take over. The left back sent her own long ball down the left for Kgatlana, who quickly played it into the box. The cross narrowly got beyond the sliding Madril and reached Davis, who got behind Rafaelle. The second-half substitute tapped the ball past Moorhouse to even the game at 2-2.

Two minutes later, it looked like Louisville might take the lead. It was Kgatlana finding Davis again from the left. The attacker got behind the Pride defense, but Moorhouse made the stop. It wouldn’t have counted anyway because Davis was offside.

In the 74th minute, Milliet’s attempted cross was blocked out by Rafaelle for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was into the box and Moorhouse jumped to punch it away, although it looked to be a comfortable opportunity to catch it. Challenged by Aylmer, the Pride goalkeeper mishit the ball into her own net and Louisville completed their comeback, taking a 3-2 lead.

“I think all they had in the second half was their transitions and we were not ready,” Rafaelle said about conceding the two second-half goals. “They were taking goal kicks fast and throw-ins fast and we’re not really set for that. But I think also because after a long trip from LA and everything we’ve been through this week, I think we kind of just sat back and waited for them. But we should get the ball and try to score another goal.”

Rafaelle attempted to pull the Pride back even in the 77th minute, making a long run to the top of the Louisville box. Instead of playing it to an attacking teammate, the center back took the shot herself, sending it right to Lund.

After that attempt, Hines made his final three changes of the game. Doyle, Brianna Martinez, and Mariana Larroquette entered the game for Marta, Celia, and Listro.

The Pride nearly found an equalizer in the 80th minute when a corner kick landed at the foot of Cluff and she played it back to Martinez. The substitute lifted the ball to Doyle between two defenders and the attacker attempted to guide it to the back post. She had Lund beaten, but the ball went just beyond the target.

The Pride were unhappy to see 11 minutes of second-half stoppage time in Los Angeles Monday night, but they were pleased with the 10 minutes added to this one. In the fifth minute, Strom was fouled by DeMelo about 25 yards from goal, giving the Pride a great chance. Larroquette’s free kick was headed out to Madril, but the center back’s shot was well off target.

The Pride ran out of gas in the final minutes and were unable to create any good chances down the stretch. After leading 2-0 late in the first half, they fell 3-2 in a devastating loss away from home.

At full time, Louisville had more possession (50.3%-49.7%) and shots (12-11), while both teams put five shots on target. The hosts also had more corners (6-3) and crosses (27-16), and the Pride passed more accurately (76.8%-75.1%).

“Good start, you know, 2-0 up away from home. I think we were pretty comfortable and then we just looked at the goals there and it’s our own doing. Individual errors allowed Louisville to win the game,” Hines said about the performance. “It’s something we haven’t seen recently. We’ve been really good and I hate to make excuses, but with the travel and injuries and so on, that played a part in the game. I can never fault the players’ efforts. They were brilliant. They battled all the way to the final whistle and that’s been a theme throughout the season. We’ve always gotten the results at the end of it, but today’s disappointing considering where we were at the start of the game.”

The Pride were 7-0-0 when scoring first this season heading into this game and Louisville had never come back from a two-goal deficit in their three-year history. Making this result more maddening, OL Reign and the Washington Spirit played to a scoreless draw. Three points in this game would’ve seen the Pride jump both in the standings, securely in a playoff spot. Instead, they fall a point behind the Reign and two points behind the Spirit heading into decision day next weekend.

After playing two games in four days, the Pride will have more than a week off before they host the Houston Dash next Sunday. They’re still well within reach of a playoff spot, but now they’ll need a win and some help to qualify.

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Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Final Score 1-0 as the Pride Hold On After Banda’s Goal

The Pride earn their second straight clean sheet with a hard-fought away win against Bay FC.

Published

4 days ago

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June 14, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride (8-3-1, 25 points) scored in the second half and then held on for dear life in the final moments tonight to claim their third straight victory with a 1-0 win over Bay FC (4-5-3, 15 points) at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA. Barbra Banda’s 58th-minute goal was the difference as the Pride claimed their fifth clean sheet of the season.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made five changes from the team that beat the Houston Dash with a last-second goal on June 7. Cori Dyke, Angelina, Summer Yates, Marta, and Banda all entered the lineup for Oihane, Ally Lemos, Morgan Gautrat, Kerry Abello, and Julie Doyle.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Dyke, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, and Carson Pickett. Haley McCutcheon and Angelina were in the defensive midfield behind Yates, Marta, and Ally Watt with Banda up top.

Similar to the 1-0 win over Houston, the first half was one to forget. Both teams looked sloppy, turning the ball over time and time again. However, the Pride came out attacking in the second half, putting the hosts on their heels. Once Banda gave her team the lead, the Pride couldn’t keep possession and had to withstand attack after attack with Bay FC nearly scoring on multiple occasions. But they kept the ball out of the net to take home all three points.

Both teams won early corner kicks, but it wasn’t until the 10th minute when the game’s first clear chance occurred. Caprice Dydasco played Karlie Lema down the right and the midfielder sent a cross in for Asisat Oshoala. Nadaner got a piece of the pass, but it went directly to Taylor Huff. The forward had a chear shot on goal with Moorhouse coming up with a big save.

The Pride’s first shot came in the 15th minute when Dyke sent a cross into the box. There was a group of players in the area, but Banda rose above them all to get her head to it. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get enough contact on the attempt, sending it wide.

Yates beat Lema in the 30th minute and the Bay FC midfielder pulled her back, earning the first booking of the game. The set piece was a give-and-go between Pickett and Angelina that sent Pickett down the left. It looked like the defender would cross the ball, but she played it back to Yates instead. The shot was bobbled by Bay FC goalkeeper Emmie Allen before her defenders cleared it.

Bay FC nearly had a chance in the 34th minute when Watt’s clearance was blocked. It went straight to Oshoala, who played it to Huff, who was making a run into the box. However, Dyke did well to shield the striker, and Moorhouse came out to cover the ball.

Marta played a ball forward a minute later that was won by Banda. The striker shielded Hubly enough to get a shot off, but Emmie Allen pushed it over the crossbar.

McCutcheon played the ball forward for Banda in the 42nd minute, but Abby Dahlkemper won it back for Bay FC. As Banda fell to the ground, the hosts broke the other way. Receiving the ball on the left from Huff, Racheal Kundananji dribbled into the Pride box. She was looking for space to shoot, but Nadaner stuck her foot in to win it back.

Once the ball was cleared, the referee stopped play as both Banda and Kundananji were down. However, they eventually got up and were able to continue.

A collision on a free ball allowed Angelina to take possession in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. The Brazilian made a long run up the field before playing the ball to Marta in the center. The Pride captain dribbled to the left before sending a ball into the six-yard box that Allen stepped up to collect.

That was the last decent first-half chance for either team as the game reached the break scoreless. The Pride finished the first half with the advantage in possession (63%-37%), shots (4-2), shots on target (3-1), crosses (12-4), corner kicks (4-1), and passing accuracy (85%-74%). But it was a disappointing first 45 minutes for both teams as the game went into halftime scoreless.

The Pride got the second half off to an attacking start, creating the first chance in the 47th minute. Nadaner sent a long ball forward that Banda tapped around Dahlkemper and got to first. The Zambian attacker cut inside to lose her defender as Dydasco came flying in. Seeing the approaching support, Banda took a quick shot that sailed wide.

Yates beat Kiki Pickett in the 50th minute and was pulled back, earning a free kick in the opposing third. The short set piece was sent into the box by Carson Pickett, but it was headed away. However, it only went to Dyke just outside the box, whose shot was blocked.

The hosts nearly took the lead in the 57th minute when Hannah Bebar won a corner kick. The rookie’s set piece was off Pickett to the top of the box, where Dydasco was running on. It was a terrific strike by Dydasco that hit the crossbar.

Bay FC kept possession of the ball, which eventually ended up with Kundananji. However, the striker sent her shot wide, ending the attack.

The Pride didn’t take long to respond. Yates was fouled near midfield seconds after the Kundananji miss and Pickett immediately sent the ball forward for Banda before Bay FC was ready. The striker cut inside to create some space and fired. The shot took a deflection off the heel of a sliding Hubly, tucking inside the far post to give the Pride the 1-0 lead on Banda’s eighth goal of the season.

In the 60th minute, Banda was sent long by Dyke. She did well to shield Hubly before sending a dangerous ball into the box. Marta was making a run but couldn’t quite get on the end of it and the ball went all the way through.

Kundananji made a great run down the field in the 63rd minute, shielding Sams to get a shot off in the Pride box. It was on target, but Moorhouse did well to tip it over the top.

The ensuing corner kick was headed to the far side where Dydasco collected the ball. The defender used a nice touch to beat Banda and send a dangerous cross to the far post. Hubly got her head to it but sent the attempt over the crossbar.

After a flurry of action, Hines made his first changes in the 66h minute, sending Oihane and Doyle on for Pickett and Marta. The Pride boss used his third sub and second window to replace Watt with Lemos in the 73rd minute.

In the 74th minute, Penelope Hocking played the ball off Oihane, winning her team a corner kick. The service into the box found the head of Kundananji, but the striker’s header was right at Moorhouse. A minute later, Kundananji tried to create a shot, but Sams knocked it off her foot. Unfortunately, it went straight to Hocking, whose shot was straight to Moorhouse.

In the 77th minute, Rachel Hill made a good run down the right and sent a dangerous ball into the middle, where Kundananji was waiting. It likely would’ve been an equalizer, but Sams came flying in to knock it away.

Dorian Bailey sent a cross to the back post in the 77th minute that Dyke sent out for a corner kick. Moorhouse stepped up to collect the set piece but dropped it after making contact with Dyke. It fell right to Hocking, who fired on goal, but Nadaner cleared it off the goal line. The clearance went to Kundananji, who sent her shot off target.

Alyssa Malonson sent a dangerous ball into the box in the 79th minute with Kundananji making a run. Fortunately, the cross was off line. Dydasco found Conti at the top of the box in the 81st minute. The second-half substitute’s shot was on target, but Moorhouse tipped it over the top.

The ensuing corner kick went out to Conti near the top of the Pride box and she was immediately fouled by Banda. Conti took the set piece herself but sent it over the crossbar.

Hines made his final two changes in the 88th minute as Prisca Chilufya and Abello came on for Banda and Yates. Like the earlier substitutions, they were defensive minded as the Pride clung to their 1-0 lead.

“We made our substitutions. We were strategic with our substitutions,” Hines said about his changes. “And, you know, towards the end, we weren’t as threatening. But, the game gives you what it gives you.”

Hocking received a long ball at the far post in the 90th minute. She found Kundananji near the penalty spot and, with her back to goal, Kundananji laid it off for Conti. The second-year player shot, but Nadaner stepped up to block the attempt.

Lemos turned the ball over in her own third in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Conti played it to the top left corner of the box for Bebar, who volleyed it centrally for Bailey. A second consecutive volley was meant to go towards goal but went well wide instead.

Kundananji lifted the ball into the box in the eighth minute of stoppage time and Lemos guided it out for another Bay FC corner kick. The short corner went to Bebar, who sent Dydasco into the box. The defender laid it back for Conti, but Abello stepped in front to intercept.

The final chance for Bay FC came in the ninth minute of stoppage time, when Bailey played the ball back for an oncoming Hill. The forward’s first touch was a shot that went over the crossbar.

That was the final chance, and the Pride withstood a barrage of attacks from the hosts to hang on for the 1-0 win.

“It’s a great feeling after the game. And after that whistle blows, all that hard work and the determination to keep that ball out has paid off,” Moorhouse said about hanging on at the end. “Doesn’t particularly feel good in the moment when you’re throwing bodies on the line and having to concentrate like that, but this team, that’s what we do. And that’s how we get the job done.”

At full time, the Pride had more possession (53%-47%) and had most of the chances until their 58th-minute goal. But they put everyone behind the ball as the clock kept ticking and struggled to maintain possession whenever they won the ball back. As a result, Bay FC had the final advantage in shots (20-7), shots on target (6-4), crosses (21-16), corner kicks (7-5), and passing accuracy (79%-75%).

“Again, I sound like a broken record. I thought first half, we played some really good football without really threatening,” Hines said. “They got their goal. You know, they made it difficult for us to find any sort of success in their attacking third. And so, yeah, second half, it was a quick free kick, Barbra does extremely well to get a shot off, and we’re 1-0 up. And then we showed our character towards the end, throwing our bodies on the line, making sure that we don’t concede. And when we take the lead in games, we become very difficult to play against. And so, I was really proud of the players, their effort, their commitment, everything that they’ve put into it to get the three points. And after that, we move on to next week with good momentum.”

“It was a tough game towards the end,” Moorhouse added. “I thought we got back to kind of how we defended last season. You know, with everything, with grit, whole team effort. And, yeah, Barbra scored the goal and it’s a great feeling.”

The clean sheet is the Pride’s fifth of the season, tied for the league lead with the Kansas City Current and NJ/NY Gotham FC. It’s also their second straight 1-0 victory after beating the Dash by the same score.

“We kind of came away from being ourselves, being hard to beat, hard to score against. And so I think looking at the most recent results, 1-0 victories, clean sheets, it’s more us when we look at those results and we keep clean sheets,” Hines said. “And again, it takes everyone to achieve that goal. So really proud of them. Really proud with the back line and the midfielders and forwards to really solidify that clean sheet today. And hopefully we can get another one next week.”

“We’ve had a lot of rotation. We’ve got a long season to cope with this year, but everyone coming in, like we’ve been saying, has been doing a great job,” Moorhouse added. “And, yeah, it’s finally starting to click defensively. We’re all on the same page, and we’re getting the rewards for it.”

After an impressive start to the season, the Pride failed to win in three straight and four out of five games. But they’ve rebounded well with three straight wins.

The recent run of form has the Pride currently in second place in the standings, just two points behind the Current. However, the Current have a game in hand and take on Racing Louisville Saturday night.

As for the Pride, they’ll finish up the first half of the season on June 20 when they face Racing Louisville in Kentucky before the more than a month-long summer break for the Euros.

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

The Pride look to make it three wins in a row as they travel to the west coast to face Bay FC.

Published

5 days ago

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June 13, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (7-3-1, 22) head back out on the road to face Bay FC (4-4-3, 15 points). This is the first of two times the teams will face off with the return game in Orlando scheduled for Sept. 13.

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 met twice last year, with the first coming on Sept. 20. It looked like the game might be headed for a scoreless draw until Barbra 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.

The first-ever game between these two teams occurred on May 11, 2024. 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.

Overview

After a strong start to the 2025 campaign, the Pride lost three of five games, including a three-game winless streak. But they’ve bounced back strong with back-to-back wins.

The current streak started on May 23 in Utah when Banda netted the first hat trick in Pride history in a 3-1 win. They returned home to face the Houston Dash Saturday night and weren’t threatening in the first 45 minutes. But the Pride came out flying in the second half. It looked like it wouldn’t be enough to gain all three points until Cori Dyke scored the game-winning goal with the last touch of the ball.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made several changes to the starting lineup since many players had gone away to represent their countries during the international break. The two most notable absences were Banda and Marta, but both came on in the second half, helping the Pride claim all three points.

It was another stellar defensive performance as the Pride earned their fourth clean sheet in the first 11 games. The 3-2 win over Angel City on April 25 remains the only time the Pride have conceded multiple goals this season.

Tonight, the Pride face a Bay FC team that’s barely clinging onto the eighth and final playoff spot. The San Jose, CA-based club has been stronger defensively than offensively this season, scoring 13 goals (ninth in the league) and conceding 14 (fifth in the league).

Bay FC has conceded two goals on four occasions this season, only giving up three or more goals once. That came on May 11 when they lost 4-1 to the league-leading Kansas City Current. Meanwhile, Bay has matched the Pride this year with four clean sheets.

Bay FC is coming off a good win over the always dangerous Portland Thorns. While the game was in San Jose, it wasn’t a long trip for the Thorns like the Pride made this week.

Asisat Oshoala led Bay FC with eight goals last year and Racheal Kundananji was second with five. But this season the duo only have a goal between them. It’s Penelope Hocking leading the team with three goals after netting just four last season. She’s followed by Kiki Pickett, Karlie Lema, and Caroline Conti as the only players with multiple goals on the year.

While the attack might not concern the Pride too much tonight, the Bay FC back line will be hard to break down. They’ve shown themselves to be stingy this season and will do everything they can to maintain Banda, Marta, and the rest of the Pride attack.

“I think with every game that we’ve been playing, it’s been a challenge,” Hines said about tonight’s game. “The teams have come with a game plan, and I think that’s to negate our attacking positions as much as they can. Reduce the space that we can exploit and being defensively disciplined. And I expect nothing different against Bay. I think that’s probably one thing they’ve learned from last year is being more defensively solid, being hard to beat, and then look to transition with the likes of Racheal Kundananji.”

There’s no change to the Pride availability list this week. The team is still without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), and Rafaelle (thigh). Bay FC is without Jordan Brewster (lower leg), Emily Menges (excused absence), Princess (excused absence), and Jordan Silkowitz (illness).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Cori Dyke, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Carson Pickett.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Angelina.

Midfielders: Summer Yates, Marta, Ally Watt.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

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

Bay FC (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Emmie Allen.

Defenders: Alyssa Malonson, Kelli Hubly, Abby Dahlkemper, Caprice Dydasco.

Midfielders: Kiki Pickett, Hannah Beber, Karlie Lema, Asisat Oshoala.

Forwards: Taylor Huff, Racheal Kundananji.

Bench: Melissa Lowder, Tess Boade, Jamie Shepherd, Caroline Conti, Joelle Anderson, Dorian Bailey, Rachel Hill, Maddie Moreau, Penelope Hocking.

Referees

REF: Muhammad Hassan.
AR1: Melissa Beck.
AR2: Zeno Cho.
4TH: Kevin Lewis.
VAR: Elton Garcia.
AVAR: Tom Felice.

How to Watch

Match Time: 10 p.m.

Venue: PayPal Park — San Jose, CA.

TV: None.

Streaming: Prime Video.

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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Orlando Pride at Bay FC: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Pride need to do to secure a victory against Bay FC on the road?

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6 days ago

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June 12, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride head to California to take on Bay FC Friday night. The Pride are coming off a win, thanks to a last-second winner from Cori Dyke at home. Unfortunately, I won’t be in San Jose to lend whatever small bit of mojo I have to the outcome, so it’s going to be all on the players (as if it isn’t always that way, of course). With that being the case, what do the Pride need to do to take all three points from Bay FC at PayPal Park?

A Quicker Start

In the last match against the Houston Dash, Seb Hines rested the players returning from international duty to start the match. As such, the stout Dash defense was able to keep the Pride off the scoreboard in the first half. Even after the normal starters returned in the second half, it took until the very last kick of the match to secure the win. Let’s not repeat that this time.

Whenever a club plays in a different time zone, it can mess with the sense of normalcy you want on a match day. That is especially true when going all the way across the country. The beginning of the match will feel like the same time the match would normally be ending at Inter&Co. As such, I want to see the normal starters jump on Bay FC very early. Get the early lead — perhaps multiple goals — and see out the match with whichever players Hines may want.

Open it Up

Except for Barbra Banda’s hat trick against the Utah Royals, the Pride attack has been lacking some bite for over a month. The club has generated plenty of chances, but the finishing has been less than stellar. Orlando needs to turn the scoring faucet back on and pour on some goals.

The final bit of quality needs to be better from everyone in the attack. In the last five matches, the Pride have scored four goals on 70 shots, with 30 on target (43%). That means the Pride have scored on 6% of shots taken and only 13% of their shots on target. For a team with Marta and Banda, that isn’t good enough.

This may be my recency bias, but one area the team can change to improve its chances is to not take short corners. As I said on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast, I lost count of the missed opportunities due to short corners against the Dash. Just put the ball into the box and sometimes weird things happen. It is much more likely that the ball goes in the net than is sent on a counter by the opposition. There are chances for a handball resulting in a penalty, a foul resulting in a penalty, or an own goal being scored. Just get the ball in the darn box!

Lock It Down

I know that the Pride secured yet another clean sheet against the Dash, but it was partially down to luck. Anna Moorhouse was fortunate that the ball that went through her hands went out of bounds and that the Dash were offside when she got caught in no-woman’s land on a ball over the top. That can’t happen. The difference between a team that wins championships and one that doesn’t comes down to limiting mistakes and a bit of luck. Only one of those two can be controlled.

I want to see the lock-down defense we saw in 2024. I think Emily Sams is maintaining her level of play and Oihane has been an improvement — albeit a small one — at right back. Kylie Nadaner has struggled a bit this year after a phenomenal 2024 season. I think she can step it back up, but she needs to do so sooner rather than later. Left back has had a rotating cast, with Kerry Abello, Carson Pickett, and even Dyke seeing time at the position.

Bay FC has spread the goals out over several players, with Penelope Hocking leading the way with three. That being said, the California side has plenty of players who can score, including Zambian National Team forward Racheal Kundananji. We know all too well how dangerous Zambian strikers can be. Moorhouse and the back line must tighten things up. No mistakes on the road.

That’s what I’ll be looking for late Friday night. Where do you think the game will be won or lost? Let us know in the comments section.

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