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Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Final Score 3-2 as Pride Win Third Straight

Despite a second-half goalkeeper error and a red card, the Pride held on to beat the Washington Spirit away from home.

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (3-0-3, 12 points) won their third consecutive game and second away from home with a hard-fought 3-2 win over the Washington Spirit (4-2-0, 12 points) at Audi Field. Angelina, Barbra Banda, and Summer Yates scored for the Pride while the Spirit goals came from Ouleye Sarr and an Anna Moorhouse gaffe that was credited to Ashley Hatch.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines had a weakened team for this game with Marta and Adriana both out injured. However, Rafaelle returned to the starting lineup and Banda got her first start for the team. The inclusion of Rafaelle saw Abello move to her natural attacking position and Kylie Strom back to her usual left back position.

The back line in front of Moorhouse was Strom, Rafaelle, Emily Sams, and Bri Martinez. Angelina and Haley McCutcheon were in the defensive midfield behind an attacking midfield of Julie Doyle, Yates, and Abello with Banda up top.

Washington dominated the first 20 minutes of the game and it appeared as though it would be a long night for the Pride. But Orlando held much more possession after Angelina’s goal and looked much more threatening in the attack. Up 3-1, a Moorhouse mistake got the Spirit back into the game and they struggled to hold onto a 3-2 lead when Martinez was sent off for a second yellow. But they withstood the constant attack by the opposition in second-half stoppage time, taking home all three points.

The hosts had the first decent attack in the second minute when Trinity Rodman received the ball from Sarr and carried it towards the end line. However, Martinez did well to keep up and knocked the ball out for a corner kick. Andi Sullivan’s ensuing set piece didn’t amount to anything and the Pride were able to clear.

In the ninth minute, Paige Metayer was sent down the right by Rodman. Cutting inside to beat Sams, Metayer passed it over for Sarr, but the striker slipped while attempting to shoot and sent the ball directly to Moorhouse.

Rodman was again involved in a chance for the Spirit in the 16th minute. However, this time it was an individual effort. Receiving the ball on the left, the midfielder cut inside for some space and fired a shot between two defenders from the top corner of the box. It was an ambitious attempt, but the attacker struck it well and forced Moorhouse into a diving stop.

The Pride had their first decent chance in the 19th minute when Angelina lifted the ball into the Spirit box looking for Doyle, who was making a run. Unfortunately, the cross was too close to Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury, who easily collected it.

The Spirit dominated the first 20 minutes, but the visitors scored first against the run of play in the 22nd minute. It started on the right when Yates won the ball from Hal Hershfelt. The midfielder sent it down the right, where Banda beat her defender, retrieving the ball before it reached the end line. The Zambian international quickly sent a cross toward the penalty spot where Angelina was darting in. The Brazilian met the ball just as it hit the ground, striking it beyond the reach of Kingsbury and into the corner to give the Pride the 1-0 lead.

“It was a good play because I made an effort to make that play,” Banda said about her assist.
“And I think definitely my teammates were aware that maybe I ought to put a cross, which definitely I did and it was so amazing.”

“It’s a great ball from Barbara to Ang,” Hines added. “And it was a great finish.”

The Spirit immediately went forward after the restart, looking to take back control of the game. Sarr got a shot off in traffic, but it was blocked. The rebound went right to Sullivan and the defensive midfielder fired from long distance, sending it well over the target.

Rodman had been quiet after the Pride goal, but made a good run in the 36th minute that included a give-and-go with Croix Bethune. Rodman sent a cross for Bethune that was intercepted by Angelina. However, Hershfelt took possession and shot from outside of the box, sending the ball wide.

In the 38th minute, chaos in the Spirit box nearly resulted in a second goal for the Pride. It started when Annaig Butel beat Banda to the ball and knocked it out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was just over the fingers of Kingsbury and landed at Abello with her back to goal. Unfortunately, she didn’t have room to turn, dropping it to McCutcheon at the top of the box instead. McCutcheon’s shot was blocked by Hershfelt, but Yates sent the ball back into the box and, after bouncing around some more, ended up with Banda, who got a shot off. However, her attempt was just over the crossbar.

Shortly after the Pride narrowly missed out on doubling their lead, Washington found its equalizer. Sams lost the ball near midfield to Bethune, who quickly played it forward for Sarr. Rafaelle slid in an attempt to intercept the pass, but missed and Sarr was in on goal. Moorhouse looked indecisive about coming out, enabling Sarr to chip the goalkeeper and even the game at 1-1.

A minute later, the Spirit had a chance to take the lead when Rodman sent Bethune behind the Pride defense on the right. The midfielder opened up her body in an attempt to curl the ball inside the far post, but it was too close to Moorhouse, who was able to catch the attempt.

In the 43rd minute, Sullivan sent the ball forward for Sarr, who was defended by McCutcheon. Entering the box, McCutcheon attempted a tackle that resulted in Sarr going to the ground as she sent the ball across the goal mouth. After a check by the video assistant referee, Rebecca Pagan went to the monitor to check for a potential penalty, but determined the play was offside.

That was the final chance for either team as the game went into halftime even at 1-1. After 45 minutes of play, Washington had more possession (56%-44%), shots (7-5), and shots on target (5-4), and better passing accuracy (79%-76%). The Pride had more crosses (5-4), and both teams took one corner kick.

“First half, it was real quiet and we kind of let the crowd take over. But in the locker room we were like, we’ve got to talk, we’ve got to demand more of each other,” Doyle said about the mood at halftime. “We’ve got to throw in some tackles. I think we’re just, including myself, being way too soft first half.”

It didn’t take long for the Pride to strike in the second half. In the 49th minute, Martinez sent a cross into the box that went just over the head of Yates. Abello recovered the ball on the far side and attempted a cross, but Gabby Carle blocked it out of play.

The ensuing corner kick by Yates was to the near post where it found Doyle. The midfielder flicked it on for Banda who headed the ball in for her first NWSL goal and gave the Pride a 2-1 lead.

“Actually, I didn’t expect it,” Banda said about her goal. “But I think it went according to the plan from training because I think I took the position I was told to pick and I definitely picked that spot and I put the ball in the back of the net.”

“It’s something we’ve been working on in practice and it was working,” Doyle said about the play designed on the training field. “Summer said she meant to play me the ball near post. She saw that I was wide open and I know I just got to flick it in into the squad and I was just so happy for Barbara to finish that because that wasn’t an easy finish and she made it look easy.”

Yates nearly had a goal of her own in the 53rd minute when Angelina sent a dangerous cross into the box. The second-year midfielder made a great run through three defenders, but the cross was too close to Kingsbury, who grabbed it.

A minute later, the Pride had an even better chance when they won a penalty. It started when a poor clearance was won by Yates in the box. Her first touch was controlled by Banda, who took a dribble to beat Butel. The center back attempted a clumsy challenge, taking the forward down. Pagan didn’t hesitate to point to the spot, giving the Pride an excellent chance to take a two-goal lead.

Angelina initially held the ball near penalty spot, but handed it off to Yates to take the kick. Despite her youth, Yates was very confident, sending Kingsbury the wrong way and putting a strong shot into the left corner to give her team a commanding 3-1 lead.

Up two goals, Hines made his first change of the game in the 64th minute. After another excellent performance, Yates was replaced by forward Ally Watt.

In the 65th minute, the Spirit got one back, though not really through their own efforts. Hatch, a regular starter that came on at halftime, sent a long, looping shot towards the far post. It was an easy play for Moorhouse and the goalkeeper should’ve caught the ball. But it went right through her hands and into the far side of the goal, cutting the deficit in half.

Rodman had a chance to equalize in the 68th minute when she received the ball on the right from Casey Krueger. The attacker dribbled inside against McCutcheon, who didn’t close her down, and got a shot off. However, Sams did well to come over and block the shot over the goal.

In the 74th minute, Doyle found Banda on the left. The forward beat substitute Anna Heilferty and sent a cross across the mouth of the goal, but nobody in orange was there to get on the end of it. Watt initially won possession and lost it to Krueger. However, she quickly won it back and played it to Doyle, who immediately laid it off for Banda. The striker sent another ball towards goal but right to Kingsbury.

Hines made two more changes in the 81st minute and they were defensive ones. Defenders Carrie Lawrence and Cori Dyke replaced midfielders Angelina and Doyle. It was Dyke’s professional debut and Lawrence’s first appearance since tearing her ACL prior to the 2023 NWSL season.

“Carrie’s one of the longest serving players here and it’s a big moment for her,” Hines said after the game. “I know she’s gone through a lot all of last year missing out, watching the team go out there and perform, and just biding her time, being patient. And we felt today was the right moment for her to come on and make a difference. And it’s a big moment for her. We’re super proud of her and it takes a lot of dedication to put yourself in that position. So yeah, we’re pleased with her and also there’s Cori Dyke getting her debut as well, because I know she’s been patiently waiting for a moment and her opportunity.”

As the clock ticked past 90 minutes, a Pride corner kick was cleared out. Rodman sprinted out on the break, chased down by Martinez. The defender grabbed at her and Rodman went down. Since Martinez was playing on a yellow, Pagan took her time to consider her decision, but eventually pulled out the card. The second booking for Martinez meant the Pride were down to 10 players for the 11 minutes of stoppage time.

Hines made his final change in the sixth minute of stoppage time. It was a defensive move as left back Celia came into the game, replacing Abello.

The Spirit nearly found an equalizer in the seventh minute, when Hatch hit the crossbar on the half valley. The ball bounced to Metayer, who beat Sams to it, but her header was over the goal.

In the 10th minute of stoppage time, a ball into the box was flicked on by the head of Sullivan. Rodman got her head onto it and put it on goal, but couldn’t get much on the attempt, enabling Moorhouse to make the easy stop.

It was a long time to hold onto a one-goal lead with 10 players and they almost conceded an equalizer, but the final whistle gave the Pride a 3-2 win.

“I trust them. They’ve been through enough scenarios like that,” Hines said about holding onto the one-goal lead with 10 players. “It’s a mentality. You have to embrace it. You have to take the bull by its horns, it’s coming. You know that Washington are a direct team, they’re gonna push numbers forward. They’re going to be very physical and I thought for some periods of the game, we stood up to that challenge. Certainly at the end with 10 players and your backs are against the wall and you’re having to deal with the directness and putting your body on the line and I felt the players did a terrific job in handling that.  We obviously rode our luck as well with them hitting the crossbar, but you need a little bit of luck at times as well.”

At full time, Washington had more possession (59%-41%), shots (16-9), and shots on target (11-7), and better passing accuracy (80%-69%). The Pride ended the game with more corner kicks (4-3) and crosses (16-9).

“More relief than anything,” Hines said about the result. “If we dissect the game, I thought we started, although we took the lead, I thought we started slow. We didn’t really start ourselves. We were very lethargic. I thought Washington started on the front foot, putting us under real pressure.

“I think the disappointing part from our side is that we gifted them two goals today. In this league, you can’t give teams goals because they’ll punish you. And so it’s a good reminder that we have to keep our standards high. Stick to who we are, stick to our identity. And I’m super proud of the players to not only see the game out 3-2, but with 10 players also. It shows another side to our game. So I’m super proud of them and their efforts and everything that they put into the game today.”

The Pride have now won three consecutive games, including two on the road, and are still unbeaten through the first six games this season. They’re one of three unbeaten teams (pending the Kansas City Current’s outcome) in the NWSL, along with the Current and Racing Louisville FC. It’s the team’s longest unbeaten run and winning streak since 2022.

This is the first of three games in 10 days for the Pride. They’ll return home on Wednesday night as they host the North Carolina Courage.

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Orlando Pride Depth Tested Early This Season

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

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1 day ago

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May 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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3 days ago

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May 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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3 days ago

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May 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

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

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

History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

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

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

Forwards: Barbra Banda, Marta.

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

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

Goalkeeper: Mackenzie Arnold.

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

Defensive Midfielders: Sam Coffey, Hina Sugita.

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

Forward: Deyna Castellanos.

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

Referees

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

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Providence Park — Portland, OR.

TV: Ion.

Streaming: None.

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

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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