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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.

Published

3 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. Boston Legacy FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride look to build on their home win against North Carolina against Boston Legacy FC tonight in a midweek contest.

Published

6 hours ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride (3-3-2, 11 points) take on Boston Legacy FC (1-5-2, 5 points) in Foxborough, MA. This is the first of two games between the teams this year, with the return game in Orlando scheduled for July 15.

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

History

Since this is the first year in the existence of Boston Legacy FC and the first time the two clubs will meet in 2026, there’s no history between the teams. However, Boston’s roster does include forward Amanda Allen, who played for the Pride from 2023 to 2025. Additionally, the Pride will be familiar with several of the opposing players as they have extensive experience in the league.

Overview

This has been an up-and-down season for the Pride so far. It began with a disappointing start as they fell 2-1 to Seattle Reign FC and drew 1-1 with Denver Summit FC. They bounced back from the homestand with an impressive 3-0 win over the Chicago Stars, a scoreless draw with defending NWSL champion NJ/NY Gotham FC, and a 2-1 win over Angel City FC.

Unfortunately, those highs didn’t last long. Orlando fell 3-2 to Racing Louisville FC and 4-2 to the Washington Spirit, before defeating the North Carolina Courage 1-0 Friday night.

The Pride have been carried offensively by striker Barbra Banda, who has eight goals and has scored the team’s five most recent goals. All five have come in the last three games. The team has only played two games in which other players have scored. Jacquie Ovalle and Hannah Anderson converted against Chicago and Haley McCutcheon had a surprising brace against Angel City.

The team got off to a good start defensively, conceding just four goals in the first five games, including two clean sheets. But the Pride were torn apart by Louisville and Washington, giving up seven goals in those two games.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines responded by making adjustments to the back line Friday night. While it was the same back four, Cori Dyke moved from left back to center back, Oihane moved from right back to left back, and Hailie Mace moved from center back to her natural right back position. The changes resulted in the team’s first clean sheet in five games.

They’ll look to build on their most recent result tonight against a team that sits at the bottom of the NWSL standings. Through five games, Boston has just one win, a 3-2 victory over fellow newcomers Denver at home. However, they sandwiched that win with a 2-2 draw against the Courage and a 1-1 draw with Gotham away from home on Saturday.

With only seven goals this season, there hasn’t been much of a threat from this new team. Aissata Traore and Alba Cano lead the way with two goals each, while Bianca St-Georges, Sammy Smith, and Nichelle Prince have one goal each. Prince also has a team-leading two assists.

Defensively, Boston is led by league veteran goalkeeper Casey Murphy, who spent the last five seasons with the Courage and has made her way into the U.S. National Team setup. The team has seen several defensive units and formations since the start of the season as it looks to find the best lineup.

Tonight’s hosts face a tough challenge as they welcome the league-leading goal scorer in Banda. Meanwhile, the Pride will undoubtedly see this game as an opportunity to create some momentum as the schedule creeps closer to the FIFA World Cup break.

“I think it is going to be a tough game. I think any game in this league is tough, regardless of where the standings are,” Hines said ahead of tonight’s game. “Boston are in good form right now. I think they are unbeaten in three games, so we are looking to build on our performance this last week against North Carolina. Hopefully, get three points away from home and start that journey on our away form as well. Always expect a tough match. They have some tough players as well, and we have to put our best game forward.”

The Pride will take the field tonight without Kerry Abello (hip), Zara Chavoshi (lower leg), Cosette Morche (ankle), Jacquie Ovalle (thigh), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Solai Washington (knee). Boston will be without Kaka (ankle) and Fauzia Najjemba (thigh), while Nicki Hernandez (thigh) is listed as questionable.

Projected Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Oihane, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, Hailie Mace.

Defensive Midfielders: Angelina, Ally Lemos.

Attacking Midfielders: Summer Yates, Haley McCutcheon, Marta.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Boston Legacy FC (3-1-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Casey Murphy.

Defenders: Lois Araujo, Bianca St-Georges, Emerson Elgin.

Defensive Midfielder: Annie Karich.

Attacking Midfielders: Sammy Smith, Josefine Hasbo, Alba Cano, Nichelle Prince.

Forwards: Amanda Gutierres, Barbara Olivierei.

Referees

REF: Katja Koroleva.
AR1: Sharon Gingrich.
AR2: Kristin Patterson.
4TH: Jeremy Scheer.
VAR: Brad Jensen.
AVAR: Matthew Seem.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Gillette Stadium — Foxborough, MA.

TV: None.

Streaming: Victory+.

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 vs. North Carolina Courage: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Win on Banda’s Late Goal

North Carolina hadn’t allowed a goal in the second half all season until Banda’s breakthrough.

Published

4 days ago

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May 8, 2026

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Image of Barbra Banda celebrating her winning goal against the Courage.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

A sloppy first 85 minutes finally gave way to a moment of brilliance from Barbra Banda as she worked her way free for the one and only goal to get the Orlando Pride (3-3-2, 11 points) back to their winning ways. Banda’s eighth of the season led to a 1-0 Pride win over the North Carolina Courage (2-3-3, 9 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride are still waking up from the international break, having lost the last two to Racing Louisville, a team well below them in the standings, and the Washington Spirit at home. Banda has scored five goals in the last three games, leading the NWSL in goals, but she’s the only one scoring.

“We’ve met as units. We watch film, we go over things,” Pride forward Simone Jackson said in preparation for this game. “We’re talking to each other. We’re working on shifting faster and covering splits and making change for this North Carolina game and making sure that our press is matching their style of play.”

Head Coach Seb Hines put the same lineup on the field as the previous game against the Spirit, with Anna Moorhouse in goal. The only changes were in where the players started. Cori Dyke moved from left back to right center back, with Oihane and Rafaelle to her left and Hailie Mace at right back. Additionally, Haley McCutcheon dropped into central midfield with Ally Lemos, while Angelina joined Summer Yates and Solai Washington in the attacking midfield with Banda up top.

“We felt we had conceded seven goals in two games and we needed to make a shift in the back line,” Hines said after the game. “Cori Dyke has played center back for me and Hailie Mace is a new player to the club and just finding a bit more comfort with her playing right back. We just felt we needed to shift a bit — not change the personnel but shift the personnel.”

The Pride opened the match with a free kick from 40 yards out that Lemos sent straight to Courage goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan. North Carolina was able to get to the end line four minutes later but the cross went straight to Moorhouse. At the eight-minute mark, Angelina intercepted a long ball and headed it to Yates at the top of the box, whose first touch failed her and snuffed out the counter.

Banda got her elbow up high in the 10th minute and caught Natalia Staude in the chin. That prompted a delay as the video assistant referee evaluated it for a red card offense but eventually play resumed without incident. Banda then showed her immense talents three minutes later, outracing and outmuscling center backs, Staude and Uno Shiragaki for 40 yards, but the double team eventually won out.

Moorhouse and Lemos collided defending a free kick at the 18-minute mark, which caused Lemos to take a moment to gather herself. Yates picked up a yellow card in the 21st minute for sliding under Riley Jackson and catching her with her studs in the fallout of a foul she herself had drawn on the play. Washington slipped by Jackson with a great move in the 25th but the play ended up with a corner that turned into nothing.

As a light rain (that eventually turned into a full-on downpour) settled in with 18 minutes to play in the half, the Pride definitely had shown more promise on offense but no real threats. It was a good start for a team that had fallen behind early previously but more precision was going to be needed on the offensive side. Washington worked herself free in the box but, again, the shot went wide.

The first real threat from the Courage came in the 31st minute as Manaka Matsukubo got on the end of a deflected corner and pushed it just wide of the far post. Yates went to the ground a minute later after she took a shot to the ribcage by Lauryn Thompson.

Whether it was the rain picking up or a tactical adjustment, the game flowed to where North Carolina started owning possession but without any real threats. The Pride couldn’t get out of their own end until the 40th minute when a pass from Lemos to Banda at the top of the box allowed her to open up enough space to rocket a shot just wide of the near post.

Thompson tried to chip a cross towards the Pride goal but ended up skying it into the stands in the 43rd minute. With five minutes added to the first half for the various video reviews and injuries, The Courage kept Orlando bottled up in their own defensive end. Trying to escape, Oihane overhit a touch and kicked the legs out of Thompson, picking up a yellow card in the third minute of added time. A shot by McCutcheon a minute later deflected off Banda just wide.

To wrap up the half, Lemos picked up a yellow card in the fifth minute of added time for tripping Matsukubo. North Carolina’s ensuing free kick went long and ended the half just as the rain let up.

It wasn’t a great half of soccer by either team, highlighted by minimal threats and mostly defined by turnovers. The Pride trailed possession (58%-42%), crosses (7-5) and passing accuracy (83%-76%) but led on shots (4-3). Both teams had two corners and neither put a shot on goal.

The Pride came out with energy in the second half trying to change that. Just 30 seconds in, Washington crossed it to Banda at the penalty spot but she scuffed the volley. One minute later, Banda held off Shiragaki to open up a shot but put it just over the bar.

“Honestly, to be switched on from the beginning,” Angelina said when asked about the halftime message. “We know that in past games we got scored on pretty early coming back from the half. That was a big goal for us to come and be disciplined.”

Dani Weatherholt elbowed Washington to the ground in the 50th minute, picking up the Courage’s first yellow card. Matsukubo unleashed a 40-yard through ball to Thompson at the 53-minute mark, freeing Thompson for a shot wide.

Hines decided to try to bring some precision to the attack in the 55th minute, bringing in Marta for Yates and Seven Castain for Washington. It didn’t lead to anything immediately and, in the 60th, Shinomi Koyama got free at the top of the box and put it just over the bar.

However, just seconds later, Banda held off her defender at midfield and dribbled to the middle, laying it off to Marta in the box, who worked herself free for the first shot on target for either team. Sheridan kept it out with a huge save. The ensuing corner by Lemos rattled off the near post, leading to nothing. Lemos was subbed off a minute later in the 64th, with Julie Doyle taking her place.

Marta’s influence on the game started to become even more apparent with a slick left-footed inside-of-the-boot pass that curled perfectly to Banda, but she dribbled in too deep and didn’t get a shot off, losing the ball to Sheridan while trying to round the keeper. Ryan Williams put a shot over the bar 90 seconds later off a block.

Marta rifled a corner in the 69th minute that Sheridan parried right to McCutcheon, who fired it just wide. The Courage then made their first substitutes, bringing in Chioma Okafor for Thompson and Ally Schlegel for Evelyn Ijeh. Ijeh is listed as the forward for the Courage, yet this is the first mention she got in this writeup.

There was a lot of back-and-forth play over the next few minutes until Sanchez pushed a shot just past the far post in the 76th minute. North Carolina then brought in Carly Wickenheiser for Jackson in the 77th minute.

Marta shook herself loose in the 81st and thought she had a corner off a Sheridan tip but it was judged as a missed shot. Angelina went down in the ensuing Courage possession and was subbed off for Luana at the 84th-minute mark. The Courage made a substitution in the 85th, bringing in Ivy Younce for Sanchez.

In the 87th, the Pride broke the scoreless deadlock. Rafaelle intercepted a long pass and fired it over the top to Banda, who was kept onside by Staude. Banda worked her way into the box on the left. The Zambian international sent a curling shot around Sheridan and inside the right post, finally converting and giving the Pride the lead they had been knocking on for a while. Banda had been wasteful all game, but a striker just needs one. The Courage had not surrendered a second-half goal all season but they hadn’t played Banda yet either.

Banda went down in the ensuing celebration and then again five minutes later after a tough shoulder-to-shoulder challenge. She was able to return and, 60 seconds later, held off three defenders while transitioning the ball all the way down the field. She looked winded at this point, but the Pride had used all their subs.

Rafaelle picked up a yellow card in the seventh minute of added time for an over-the-top challenge. That produced the last meaningful action of the half as the Pride wrapped up the win.

The Pride ended up with roughly the same amount of possession as in the first half, finishing behind the Courage (56%-44%). They trailed in shots (12-9) but led in shots on target (2-1). The Courage led in crosses (13-8), but the Pride had one more corner (5-4). Passing accuracy picked up for the Pride in the second half, but they still ended up trailing (82.4%-79.6%).

The Pride now head out on a long road trip. They’ll head to Boston for a game against the Legacy on Tuesday, fly to Denver for a Saturday game against the Summit. Orlando will then get an eight-day break before going to San Diego to play the Wave.

“Sometimes road trips are nice, because you get to bond as a team,” Moorhouse said. “You’re with your teammates 24/7, so you get to bond a bit and hopefully this win will now snowball.”

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Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride look to end their two-game losing streak as they welcome the North Carolina Courage to Inter&Co Stadium.

Published

4 days ago

on

May 8, 2026

By

Image of Rafaelle playing the ball.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride (2-3-2, 8 points) look to bounce back from a tough loss as they welcome the North Carolina Courage (2-2-3, 9 points) to Inter&Co Stadium (8 p.m., Prime Video). This is the first of two meetings between the two teams this season, with the return game in Cary, NC scheduled for July 31.

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

History

The Pride and Courage have played 28 times since the Western New York Flash moved to North Carolina and became the Courage in 2017. The Pride are 6-11-3 in the all-time series in NWSL play and 6-14-8 in all competitions (0-0-2 in the Fall Series, 0-3-2 in the NWSL Challenge Cup, and 0-0-1 in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.). Orlando is 3-6-0 at home in league play and 3-7-2 in home matches against the Courage in all competitions.

The most recent meeting between the two teams took place Sept. 19, 2025. The game appeared to be headed towards a scoreless draw until the end of normal time, when Shinomi Koyama converted to give the Courage the 1-0 win.

Prior to that game, the teams met on May 10 in Cary, NC. Feli Rauch scored in the first half to give the hosts the lead and it looked like they would hold on for all three points. But Prisca Chilufya’s equalizer in second-half stoppage time saw the game end in a 1-1 draw.

The first meeting in 2024 was held on May 1 in Orlando. Barbra Banda set up Ally Watt for the opener in the first half, and Watt repaid the favor just over 10 minutes later, as the Pride went up 2-0. Julie Doyle added a goal just before halftime, giving the Pride a commanding lead. Emily Sams’ own goal was the only scoring for the Courage, and Banda’s second of the night gave the Pride a 4-1 win.

On June 15, the Pride were the better team with more possession, shots, and shots on target, but the game ended in a scoreless draw. While they were disappointed with the result, the Pride were the first team to take points in North Carolina in 2024. On July 20 in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup in North Carolina, Manaka Matsukubo gave the hosts the lead just before halftime before Celia equalized late for the Pride. The game went into penalties and the Courage won the shootout 5-4. 

The first game between the Pride and Courage in 2023 took place April 19 in Orlando. The Pride took the lead after halftime when Summer Yates set up Watt for the opening goal, but Denise O’Sullivan equalized deep in second-half injury time, resulting in a 1-1 draw. On June 17 in North Carolina, it was all Courage. Kerolin and Meredith Speck gave the hosts a 2-0 lead before a Haley McCutcheon own goal made it 3-0 to North Carolina.

The Pride didn’t show up for the July 29 Challenge Cup contest in North Carolina, getting demolished by the Courage. Brittany Ratcliffe and Malia Berkely gave the hosts a 2-0 halftime lead before Frankie Tagliaferri made it three, and a late brace by Haley Hopkins completed the 5-0 beating. The Pride finally got a win over the Courage in 2023 on Sept. 17 at home. Watt scored inside the first minute. After assisting on the first goal, Adriana doubled the lead before halftime. Matsukubo got one back for the visitors, but it wasn’t enough and the Pride won 2-1.

The first meeting in 2022 came on May 18 in North Carolina. Sydney Leroux scored early and Mikayla Cluff doubled the lead with her first professional goal. A late goal by Brianna Pinto got the Courage back within one, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride took the2-1 win. On Sept. 21, 2022, at Exploria Stadium, Debinha scored early, assisted Tess Boade in first-half injury time to double the lead, and later added another goal, dooming the Pride to a 3-0 defeat.

The Pride and Courage were placed in the same division for the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup, so the teams played twice before the regular season started. The first game took place March 26 in North Carolina. Merritt Mathias converted a penalty after Gunny Jonsdottir was called for a handball in the box, lifting the hosts to a 1-0 win. The return match in the tournament took place on April 16 in Orlando. The Courage scored three goals in the first nine minutes. Darian Jenkins netted a brace to make it 3-2, but a late Debinha goal put the game away and North Carolina won 4-2.

The teams played three times during the 2021 NWSL season. On May 22 in North Carolina, goals by Leroux and Alex Morgan gave the Pride a 2-0 lead late into the game. Jessica McDonald scored late to pull one back but the Pride held on for a 2-1 win. On July 4 in Orlando, Debinha and Havana Solaun goals helped the Courage take home a 2-0 win. The final game was played July 31 in North Carolina. Leroux opened the scoring but Ratcliffe equalized moments later and the teams drew 1-1.

The two teams were also matched up in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup but they only played once in that tournament. Neither team was able to find the back of the net in a scoreless draw.

Similar to the Challenge Cup, the teams were in the same group of the 2020 Fall Series, meeting twice. The first took place Sept. 19 in North Carolina and ended in a scoreless draw. The second was held on Oct. 17 at Exploria Stadium. Led by a Debinha brace, the Courage went up 3-0. But the Pride came back with goals by Marisa Viggiano, Kristen Edmonds, and Ally Haran for an exciting 3-3 draw.

The Pride and Courage played three times during the 2019 season. The first game was on April 17 in North Carolina. The Courage took a 1-0 lead into halftime but scored four times in the second half to win 5-0. They played a second time on June 1 in Orlando. Again, it was a dominant performance by the Courage as the Pride fell 3-0. The final meeting that year was another thrashing by North Carolina as the Pride fell 6-1.

The teams also met three times in 2018. On May 23 in Orlando, goals by Alanna Kennedy and Rachel Hill saw the Pride come back from a 3-1 deficit. But McDonald scored a winner in the 90th minute and the Courage won 4-3. The Pride went down by three goals in the final two games that season, but were unable to come back and fell 3-0 in both contests.

The 2017 season saw the teams meet for the first time. The Courage took the first game 3-1 on April 29 in North Carolina. They played a second time two weeks later in Orlando when the Pride took the 3-1 win. The final meeting in 2017 came in the final game of the season on Sept. 30. Kennedy netted a late winner, leading the Pride to a 3-2 win.

Overview

The Pride went into the three-week international break on a four-game point streak, recording a pair of wins and a pair of draws. However, they’ve had two poor results since then, a 3-2 loss to Racing Louisville on the road and a 4-2 loss to the Washington Spirit at home.

The most recent game got off to a terrible start as Sofia Cantore scored twice in the first five and a half minutes to give the Spirit a 2-0 lead. It looked worse when Ally Lemos had her penalty saved by Sandy MacIver. But Banda scored twice before the break to even the game at 2-2.

Unfortunately, Claudia Martinez and Trinity Rodman scored in the second half, lifting the visitors to a two-goal win and handing the Pride their second consecutive loss. The losses put the Pride in 12th place in the league standings, but just one point behind eighth.

With Kerry Abello and Kylie Nadaner out, the Pride’s back line has consisted of Cori Dyke, Rafaelle, Hailie Mace, and Oihane. Together with starting goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, the defensive unit has conceded seven goals in the last two games. But that’s not the only reason they’ve struggled the last two weeks.

Finishing has been another problem for the Pride. The only player able to convert has been Banda, who has scored four goals in the two most recent games. As previously mentioned, that included a Lemos penalty saved against the Spirit.

Tonight, the Pride face a foe in a similar position, as the Courage also sit on nine points. They’ve played three games since the break. They returned from the international break with a 1-0 win over the Houston Dash before drawing Boston Legacy 2-2 and losing to the Kansas City Current 2-1.

The Courage are tied for the sixth-most goals conceded through their first seven games. That’s despite adding Canadian international goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, who joined from San Diego Wave FC, where she was one of the league’s top shot stoppers.

The back line in front of Sheridan has been consistent recently, consisting of Dani Weatherholt, Maycee Bell, Uno Shiragaki, and Ryan Williams. However, Bell missed the team’s loss against Kansas City with a lower body injury.

Offensively, the Courage are led by U.S. international Ashley Sanchez, who has five goals. Matsukubo is second on the team with two goals and Weatherholt has the remaining one.

Williams leads the Courage with three assists so far this season, followed by Carly Wickenheiser, Matsukubo, Payton Linnehan, and Shinomi Koyama with one each.

“I think in any game in this league, it’s always going to be a tough matchup. I think they’re looking to bounce back from a defeat this past weekend. Similarly, we are as well,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said leading into tonight’s game. “We want to get our home form going again. Looking back at the Washington game, we’re very disappointed in the goals we conceded. We created some of our own as well and we have to capitalize on those moments. But there’s been a big emphasis on getting back to who we are as a team and not conceding sloppy goals.”

The Pride will play tonight without Kerry Abello (hip), Hannah Anderson (illness), Zara Chavoshi (lower leg), Cosette Morche (ankle), Jacquie Ovalle (thigh), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), and Viviana Villacorta (knee). The Courage are without Maycee Bell (knee), Payton Crawford (knee), Natalie Jacobs (ankle), Feli Rauch (suspension), and Olivia Wingate (knee).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Oihane, Raelle, Cori Dyke, Hailie Mace.

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Ally Lemos.

Attacking Midfielders: Solai Washington, Angelina, Summer Yates.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Nicole Payne, Reagan Raabe, Luana, Seven Castain, Julie Doyle, Simone Jackson, Marta

North Carolina Courage (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Kailen Sheridan.

Defenders: Dani Weatherholt, Natalia Staude, Uno Shiragaki, Ryan Williams.

Midfielders: Manaka Matsukubo, Shinomi Koyama, Riley Jackson.

Forwards: Ashley Sanchez, Evelyn Ijeh, Lauryn Thompson.

Bench: Molly Pritchard, Sydney Schmidt, Cameron Brooks, Ivy Younce, Carly Wickenheiser, Ally Schlegel, Hannah Betfort, Cortnee Vine, Chioma Okafor.

Referees

REF: Lauren Aldrich.
AR1: Zeno Cho.
AR2: Seun Yinka-Kehinde.
4TH: Elvis Osmanovic.
VAR: Anya Voigt.
AVAR: Kaili Terry.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

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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