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Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Final Score 4-1 as Pride Win Their Fourth Straight

Goals by Ally Watt, Barbra Banda, and Julie Doyle saw the Pride beat the Courage for their fourth straight win.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (4-0-3, 15 points) won their fourth straight match and extended their unbeaten run to seven games (4-0-3) with a 4-1 win over the North Carolina Courage (4-3-0, 12 points). The hosts’ goals came from Ally Watt, Julie Doyle, and a Barbra Banda brace, while an Emily Sams own goal was the only score for the visitors.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made just one change to the starting lineup that beat the Washington Spirit 2-1 Friday night. Bri Martinez was suspended after receiving two yellow cards and was replaced by Watt. Hines changed from his usual 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-4-2 for this game with a back line of Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, and Sams in front of Anna Moorhouse. Doyle, Summer Yates, Haley McCutcheon, and Angelina were in the midfield, with Banda and Watt up top.

“We felt today going into the game that there might be an area that we can exploit with North Carolina,” Hines said about the formation change. “You know, they like to high press, be really aggressive in those positions. And so to have two outlets with both Ally and Barbara, it was a joy to watch.”

The game was put out of reach in the last 10 minutes of the first half. Banda and Watt were put together up top for the first time and looked spectacular. Their speed was too much for the opposition to handle, as they both had an impact on the first three goals.

“That was our first game playing together in the front two and, honestly, just learning to play with each other, like just learning from each other in training and just watching her tendencies, and we just had to be there for each other as much as we can,” Watt said about the new partnership with Banda. “I think that’s all we depend on. When one of us has the ball, we need to be forward and be an option for them. And either they’ll find us or they’ll be on the way to goal.”

While the team wasn’t as threatening offensively in the second half, North Carolina wasn’t able to create many chances. They held far more possession, but little of it was in dangerous spaces. As a result, the Pride remained in control throughout.

The Pride got the first chance of the game inside the first minute. Angelina played the ball forward for Yates, who attempted to lift it over the top for Banda. Kaleigh Kurtz got to the ball first, heading back out but only to Yates. The Pride’s leading goal scorer attempted a shot from just outside the box, but it was right to Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy, who blocked it away.

Less than a minute later, the Courage got their first chance of the game. A give-and-go between Ryan Williams and Tyler Lussi enabled the former to send a low cross into the box. It found Narumi Miura near the penalty spot, but the midfielder’s shot was wide.

Yates almost had another opportunity in the sixth minute when Banda made a good run to the end line and played the ball back for her teammate. Yates attempted to turn and shoot with Williams closing down, but the ball got caught under her feet and she was unable to turn it on goal.

In the eighth minute, Doyle sent a good ball down the right for Banda. The forward got behind the Courage defense and caught up to the ball before it went out of play. Her first touch was a pass back for Angelina entering the box, but it was just out of the Brazilian’s reach.

Banda had a chance for her second goal in as many games in the 17th minute when she was sent forward by Yates. The striker was in a foot race with Felicitas Rauch, winning the ball and entering the box. Malia Berkely caught up with Banda, forcing her to cut back, and Murphy came out to block the attempt. Banda won a corner kick, but the Pride couldn’t do anything with it and North Carolina evaded any further danger.

The Pride had another chance in the 22nd minute when Doyle sent a cross into the Courage box. Watt flicked the ball towards the far post, where Abello was making a run, but she couldn’t control it and the ball went out of play.

North Carolina quickly went the other way and created a shot. Ashley Sanchez tried to send the ball into the box, but it was blocked out. It ended up with Lussi, who fired from distance. The shot was beyond the reach of Moorhouse and bounced off the crossbar.

The Pride took the lead in the 29th minute on a fantastic counterattack. Banda intercepted the ball in her own third and sprinted forward. The Zambian was much faster than the opposing defenders and had an equally fast teammate in Watt running alongside. Banda sent a gorgeous ball forward as Watt got behind the North Carolina defense and placed it past Murphy to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.

“The one thing I know is if Barbra’s running towards the goal, you better be up there with her,” Watt said about the goal. “And she played a beautifully weighted ball to my right and so I had to put it on goal, put it on frame. So I just did that and, yeah, it was one of the probably easier goals I’ve scored. Barbra put an easy ball in.”

Despite being up a goal, the Pride remained on the attack. In the 33rd minute, Doyle dribbled towards the box and sent a low pass towards Watt between the penalty spot and the six-yard box. Unfortunately, it was intercepted before it could reach the forward.

The Pride doubled their lead in the 40th minute when Banda sent the ball out wide for Watt. The attacker beat Kurtz and sent a beautiful ball into the box. Banda, who continued her run after the original pass, only had to touch the ball past Murphy to give the Pride a commanding 2-0 lead.

“I just know I got the ball wide. That’s kind of part of our game plan. We just feel, hey, play it wide and we’ll be on the ball,” Watt said about her assist. “And I just trust that we have people in the box. We’ve been really focusing on that and we’ve just really been trying to focus on finally timing our runs down and then we got it. I kind of swooped it with my left foot knowing that Julie and Barbra would be there and it fell perfectly to Barbra and she executed it perfectly.”

In the second minute of first-half stoppage time, the Pride scored a third. It started in their own half when McCutcheon won the ball from Denise O’Sullivan. She sent it forward for Watt, who quickly play Banda behind the Courage defense. Cutting inside to beat Berkely, Banda shot on goal. However, Murphy was there to make the stop. The rebound bounced right to Doyle, who put it in to give the Pride a 3-0 lead at halftime.

After 45 minutes, the Courage had much more possession (67%-33%), but the Pride led every other significant statistical category. The hosts had more shots (8-3), shots on target (8-0), corners (1-0), and crosses (5-4), and better passing accuracy (86%-77%). The biggest surprise in the first half was the Pride, a team that has struggled to hit the frame, put all eight shots on target.

The Pride looked to extend their lead in the 49th minute when Banda made a run behind the Courage back line near midfield. Angelina lifted the ball forward to send Banda through, but she was offside.

In the 51st minute, Haley Hopkins and Sanchez worked together to play the ball across for Lussi. The attacker’s shot was blocked by Abello, but it went right back to her. This time, Lussi attempted to play the ball back across for Sanchez, but Angelina intercepted it and eliminated the threat.

A minute later, the visitors got a goal back. It started with a ball to the top of the box for Manaka Matsukubo. The forward laid it back to Williams, who quickly played it to Hopkins wide open on the far side. Sams moved over to defend and got in front of Hopkins’ shot. Unfortunately, the deflection went past Moorhouse and in, cutting the Pride lead to 3-1.

Watt was looking for her second goal in the 55th minute when she took Berkely one-on-one in the Courage box. After one last cut outside, Watt shot for the near post. Murphy did well to cover that part of the goal and blocked the attempt away.

The Pride put a fourth one in the net in the 61st minute when Yates’ shot was deflected over the goal by Kurtz. Yates took the first corner, sending it to the back post. Banda headed the ball back in front of goal, but it was knocked out for another corner kick. Yates’ second corner was, again, to the back post. Watt got her head to the ball and Doyle beat Murphy to it. The last touch was by Strom, knocking it in and seeming to give the Pride a 4-1 lead.

However, the video assistant referee checked the goal and determined that referee Natalie Simon needed to have another look. After viewing the monitor, Simon determined that Strom was offside.

Right after the call, Hines made his first change of the game as Carrie Lawrence came on for Doyle.

The Pride had another chance for a fourth in the 70th minute when Sams sent Banda down the right. The forward had Watt making a run into the box, but the pass was a bit too far in front.

In the 76th minute, Hines made two more changes. Amanda Allen and Cori Dyke came into the game for Yates and Abello.

Right after the substitutions, Lawrence threw the ball in to Banda. The forward turned Miura, dribbled towards the penalty spot, and put the ball past Murphy to give the Pride a 4-1 lead. It was Banda’s third goal in the last two games, in addition to her two assists. She became the first player in NWSL history to record five goal contributions in her first two starts.

A scary moment occurred in the 81st minute. As Banda closed down Berkely, who was looking to send the ball down field, Berkeley’s foot hit Banda’s right leg. The forward went down in pain as the Pride’s medical staff came out to examine her. That was the last action for Banda as she was replaced by Ally Lemos. At the same time, Mariana Larroquette came on for Watt.

In the 89th minute, the Pride lost another key player to injury when Angelina went down holding her right knee. It occurred during a battle with Riley Jackson. As the two fought for the ball, Angelina’s knee turned the wrong way and she went to the ground. The Pride medical staff attended to the midfield and ended up having to help her back to the locker room. Since the Pride had already used all of their substitutions, they had to finish the game with 10 players.

The fourth official showed 11 minutes of stoppage time, but the Courage struggled to create chances. In the seventh minute, Berkely laid the ball off for Rauch. It was well struck by the left back, but Moorhouse got down to make the stop. That was the last chance by either team as the Pride held on for a dominating 4-1 win.

At full time, the Courage had far more possession (66%-34%), but the Pride had the advantage in shots (14-7), shots on target (12-2), corner kicks (6-2), crosses (10-5), and passing accuracy (83.8%-67.9%).

“I’m really, really pleased with the attitude of the players coming in here after being on the road against Washington and then a quick turnaround for tonight’s game,” Hines said about the performance. “They started really, really well on the front foot, a level intent to put North Carolina under pressure, especially in transition. I thought we were really threatening in transition. And so to be up in the game in the first half was really pleasing.”

It might surprise some to see a 4-1 Pride win when the Courage held so much more possession and 599 passes to the Pride’s 302. Hines said they understood the type of team North Carolina is and were ready to handle being off the ball for much of the 90 minutes.

“There’s different ways to win a game of football. You know, there’s going to be games where we don’t have as much possession as we would like. You know, we have to respect the opponent. North Carolina are a brilliant team,” Hines said. “They like to possess, they get over 500 passes per game, they make it really difficult for you to get any sort of pressure on the ball, and so I thought we identified the moments when to be aggressive, when to win the ball and play that pass forwards, and yet still be threatening. There’s not always going to be games like that. There’s going to be games where we have to possess and ourselves we’re getting 500 passes and maybe more percentage of possession. But, at the end of the day, we scored four goals against a really good side and managed to win the game at the end.”

The Pride are now tied in second with the Spirit on 15 points, just one point behind the Kansas City Current. They’re one more win from evening the team’s all-time record for consecutive wins and two results from equaling the team record for number of games unbeaten.

They’ll look to continue their good form Sunday night when they welcome Racing Louisville FC to Orlando.

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Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns FC: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Fall on Late Goal

The Pride conceded a second-half stoppage time goal to lose their third consecutive game.

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4 hours ago

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August 16, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

The Orlando Pride (7-11-2, 23 points) lost their third consecutive game Saturday night, falling 2-1 to Portland Thorns FC (10-6-4, 34 points) at Providence Park in Portland, OR. Deyna Castellanos gave the hosts the lead in the 58th minute before Jacquie Ovalle equalized in the 63rd minute. But a second-half, stoppage-time goal by Caiya Hanks doomed the Pride to another defeat.

Seb Hines made four changes to the team that fell 3-1 to Racing Louisville FC on Aug. 8. Oihane, Haley McCutcheon, Solai Washington, and Barbra Banda re-entered the lineup, replacing Zara Chavoshi, Angelina, Nicole Payne, and Simone Jackson.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Hailie Mace, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Oihane. Ally Lemos and McCutcheon were the defensive midfielders behind Ovalle, Washington, and Julie Doyle with Banda up top.

This was a game of two halves. The Pride were the better team in the first 45 minutes and the Thorns dominated the second period of play. However, while the Pride were unable to convert on nine first-half shots, some poor goalkeeping and lackadaisical defending allowed Portland to claim all three points.

The Pride had a great opportunity to take the early lead in the third minute when Ovalle played the ball back for Mace and the left back sent a long ball over the top for Banda. The striker got behind the Portland back line and was in on goal but her first touch was a shot wide.

In the fifth minute, Nina Nijstad fouled Ovalle near the Thorns box, giving the Pride a second opportunity. Lemos lifted the ball into the box and Banda outjumped her defenders to redirect it on target. But the header was right into goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold’s arms.

Doyle made a strong run into the Portland third of the field in the 10th minute before finding Ovalle near the top of the box. The midfielder’s first touch was a shot on target, but — similar to the Banda chance — was right at Arnold.

Mace played Washington down the left in the 14th minute and the young attacker found Doyle making a run to the top of the six-yard box. Doyle attempted to redirect the ball on target with her first touch, sending the ball over the crossbar. Doyle had another chance in the 16th minute near the top of the Portland box. The attacker took a long-distance shot that again sailed over the target.

The Thorns finally created their first shot of the game in the 18th minute. Pietra Tordin made a strong run into the Pride third and cut inside to create space between two defenders. The attacker fired from outside the box and Moorhouse felt it was worthy of a dive. However, the ball curved wide of the far post.

Washington played Banda to the top of the Thorns box in the 23rd minute. The striker dribbled across the middle as she attempted to find space for a shot. It looked like she’d have a clear attempt, but Isabella Obaze made a last-ditch slide to deflect the ball wide. The Pride weren’t able to create anything from the ensuing corner kick, ending the attack.

McCutcheon fouled Castellanos in the Pride third of the field in the 29th minute, providing an opportunity for the attacker. Castellanos went for goal and was able to make the ball dip, but it wasn’t quick enough as the shot was over the top of the goal.

Washington forced Arnold into a good save in the 32nd minute. The play began when some quick passing gave Banda possession at the top of the Thorns box. The striker laid the ball off for Lemos, who sent it forward and to the left for Washignton. The attacker brought the ball down nicely and fired on target, but Arnold pushed the ball wide of her near post.

Oihane sent a low cross into the box for Banda in the 37th minute, but the striker got the ball caught in her feet. Four defenders quickly converged, forcing the ball to the top of the box. Both Lemos and Ovalle approached, attempting to shoot from outside of the area. Lemos was the one to take the shot, sending her attempt out of the reach of the diving Arnold but wide of the goal.

While possession was split in the first 45 minutes, the Pride created most of the chances. They ended the first half with more shots (9-2), shots on target (3-0), and corner kicks (6-0). However, a good save by Arnold — and some shots directly at her — kept the game scoreless.

The first chance of the second half was for the Thorns after Doyle fouled M.A. Vignola, earning a yellow card. Castellanos played the set piece to Marie Muller, whose shot from 35 yards out was over the target. Vignola then made a strong run past Washington and Doyle before sending a low cross into the box. Lemos blocked it, but Portland kept possession. Castellanos’ ball into the box found Muller, who took an off-balance shot that Rafaelle blocked. She had a second attempt but couldn’t get much on it, sending the ball wide.

Jessie Fleming carried the ball into the Pride third in the 58th minute, finding Tordin at the top of the box. McCutcheon defended her well, forcing her to play it wide for Castellanos. The attacker sent the ball towards the far post, lifting it over Moorhouse — who was off her line — to give the Thorns the 1-0 lead. Moorhouse seemed to have a shot at tipping it over at the last minute, but she never attempted a jump, continuing a trend of poor goals conceded by the Pride in 2026.

The Thorns had all the momentum in the game and attempted to use it to double their advantage. Castellanos dribbled into the Pride third of the field in the 60th minute before finding Sophia Wilson to her right. Portland’s leading goal scorer settled the ball and put it on target, but Moorhouse was there to block it away.

The Pride quickly went the other way, looking for an equalizer. McCutcheon played Ovalle over the midfield stripe and continued her run into the Portland box. In the meantime, Ovalle played the ball to Doyle on the right, and the midfielder sent a cross to the top of the six-yard box. McCutcheon got her head on the ball, but put it straight into the ground. It caused little concern for Arnold, who easily fell on the attempt.

Mace intercepted a poor pass in the 62nd minute and found Ovalle entering the Portland third of the field. Ovalle’s pass into the box was touched on by Banda behind Doyle. Banda followed the ball and took possession but lost it to Vignola, who was able to clear the danger.

The Pride regained possession, resulting in the equalizing goal. Lemos played it forward for Banda and the striker shielded her defender, allowing Doyle to take possession. Doyle played it wide for Oihane, who sent a lovely cross to the top of the six-yard box. As Arnold came off her line, the ball bounced off her, a defender, and Ovalle, rolling over the line to even the game at 1-1 in the 63rd minute.

“Jules gave me a great ball. I had a lot of time to think about it,” Oihane said. “I saw Jacquie going in and I just crossed it and it went in. So, that’s a good idea and we need to keep going and doing those things.”

Hines made his first two substitutions of the game in the 65th minute. Angelina and Summer Yates entered the contest, replacing Banda and Doyle.

“We would’ve liked for her to have played the whole game,” Hines said about Banda. “But we have to take the recommendations from the medical staff. It’s incredibly difficult becuase she’s such a high impact for us.”

The Pride head coach made his third change in the 76th minute, replacing Oihane with Chavoshi.

In the 77th minute, Ovalle attempted a back heel pass to Yates that Fleming intercepted. Tordin battled with the Pride defenders, resulting in the ball popping out to Fleming. With time and space to shoot, Fleming sent her shot just wide of a diving Moorhouse and the post.

Tordin won a battle with Mace for the ball in the 86th minute, playing the ball through a falling Rafaelle and into the Pride box. Wilson took possession and had plenty of time and space for a shot as Moorhouse came off her line to cut the angle down. The Pride goalkeeper did well to block the shot with her legs and fall on the rebound to keep the game even.

Hines made his fourth substitution in the 89th minute, replacing Rafaelle with Zoe Matthews.

The fourth official showed eight minutes of stoppage time, giving both teams an opportunity to find a winning goal. In the foruth minute, Vignola fouled Yates near the right sideline in the Portland third of the field. Lemos’ set piece found Matthews just inside the box. The new signing tried to head it on target, but she was unable to get over it, allowing Arnold to make the easy catch.

In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Portland found the winner. The Pride were unable to clear the ball out of their half, allowing Vignola to take possession on the left. The defender played the ball centrally for second-half substitute Hanks, who dribbled to the top of the box before curling the ball around Moorhouse and inside the far post.

Hines made an attacking change in the eighth minute of stoppage time, replacing Mace with Gabi Nunes. It was a Pride debut for Nunes, who joined the team on Aug. 4.

“We would’ve liked to enter (Nunes) in different circumstances,” Hines said. “She hasn’t trained with the team too much since she came in here. We’ve got to make sure we’re doing the right things, taking the recommendations from the medical staff.”

It was a desperate attempt to get something from the game. Unfortunately, the Pride were unable to create any more opportunities and lost a tough one away from home.

At full time, the Thorns had slightly more possession (51%-49%) and better passing accuracy (79%-77%). The Pride ended the game with more shots (12-10), shots on target (6-4), and corner kicks (6-0). But poor finishing and two long-distance conversions saw the Pride lose their third-straight game.

“I thought we were terrific in the first half. I thought we came to Providence Park with loads of intent. Put them under pressure. Didn’t create any clear-cut opportunities, but we had a lot of good momentum,” Hines said. “The first-half was terrific, and have to give the players the compliments because they were aggressive, they put Portland under immense pressure. And second half was fairly balanced. Obviously, they created some opportunities. So, disappointed with the first goal. Can we get a little more pressure? it’s a great strike from that distance. And then we get ourselves back in the game and stuff happens. It’s just not going our way with some of the calls, bounce of the ball, those kind of things. I’ve got to say, everyone is absolutely devastated. We put all the hard work into today’s performance and you hate to lose in that manner. You hate to lose, but to lose in that manner that we did is devastating.”

“Obviously, disappointed with the result. But I think we had a good game,” Oihane added. “We just needed to focus on the small details and score on the opportunities that we have.”

The Pride continue their string of poor results since returning from the FIFA World Cup break. They’ve now lost six of their last eight games, seeing them tumble from the top half of the playoff spots to 11th place. The teams around them all have games in hand, including the Houston Dash, who have played two fewer games and are only three points back. That means the Pride could fall even further in the standings.

The Pride will continue this tough road trip when they face the Washington Spirit on Aug 23.

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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 head west for the daunting task of facing the Portland Thorns in Oregon.

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1 day ago

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August 15, 2026

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (7-10-2, 23 points) travel west to take on Portland Thorns FC (9-6-4, 31 points) at Providence Park (8:45 p.m., ION). This is the first of two meetings between the two teams with the return game scheduled for Sept. 19 in Orlando.

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

History

The Pride have struggled historically against the Thorns, with a record of 5-15-2 in 22 games (5-14-2 in league play and 0-1-0 in the playoffs). Orlando is just 1-9-0 in Portland, with the only win coming in 2018.

The most recent meeting between the two teams came on Oct. 10, 2025, in Orlando. In second-half stoppage time, Mallie McKenzie redirected in a Marta corner kick for an own goal, lifting the Pride to a 1-0 win.  The previous game took place May 3 of last year in Oregon. The difference was a nice goal by Reyna Reyes, who made a turn to create space and put her shot past Anna Moorhouse to give the Thorns the 1-0 win.

The first game in 2024 took place 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 Pride secured the NWSL Shield the game before the Oct. 11, 2024 match between these teams, so several starters were given a break. It showed on the field as the Pride lost 2-0, ending a league-record 23-game unbeaten run. Morgan Weaver gave hosts the lead early and Christine Sincalir doubled the advantage in the second half.

The first game between the two teams in 2023 took place 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 strike sealed a 3-1 Pride 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 — 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 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 minutes after the restart, lifting Portland to a 2-0 win. They met again in Orlando on May 11 and the Thorns 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 Portland the lead early in 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 each other three times in 2018, which featured the Pride’s lone win in Portland to date. 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 first 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 expansion Pride 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 are in the middle of a rough stretch that dates back to end of the FIFA World Cup break. The team has lost five of its last seven games, dropping Orlando to 11th in the NWSL standings and out of the playoff places.

The biggest problem has been in the attack, where the Pride have only scored five goals in seven games and three of those came in a 3-0 victory over the Kansas City Current. However, the team has struggled defensively in the last two games, falling 5-0 to the North Carolina Courage and 3-1 to Racing Louisville FC.

A major reason for the lack of goals is the absence of Banda, who left for international duty at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Despite slowly returning from an injury and departing to play for Zambia, her 12 goals still lead the league, one ahead of North Carolina’s Ashley Sanchez.

Louisville appeared to be the right team to end their bad streak as Racing sits in 15th place and the game was in Orlando. But the Pride were outplayed once again and now head to one of the most difficult places to play in the NWSL.

The Thorns are currently fifth in the league table with 31 points and are undefeated at home (5-0-3). Their 32 goals scored ties them with the Coruage for the league lead. They’ve not been quite as good defensively, conceding 28 goals, which ranks 12th in the 16-team league.

The team’s defensive struggles have been on full display over the past two games. After a 5-1 loss to the Utah Royals on Aug. 2, the Thorns defeated Boston Legacy FC 4-3 on Sunday afternoon.

The Thorns are unsurpingly led in the attack by U.S. international Sophia Wilson. In her return from maternity leave, the striker has scored nine goals. Pietra Tordin leads the team in goal contributions with seven goals and eight assists. The other players with multiple goals for Portland this season are Reilyn Turner and Olivia Moultrie with five goals each.

The recent defensive problems can be attributed to substantial changes to the back line. While Mackenzie Arnold has remained in goal, the back line in front of her has changed each of the last three games.

Regardless of the Thorns’ current form, this will be a tough game for the Pride. They’ve only won once in their history at Providence Park, including the lone playoff meeting against tonight’s opponent.

“It’s always a tough environment to go play. Obviously the fans really get behind the team,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “We need to bounce back from two disappointing results. It hasn’t been good enough, and it gives us a week to really prepare for this game and change things around.”

The Pride will play tonight without Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), Hannah Anderson (lower leg), Marta (head), and Kerry Abello (thigh). The Thorns will be without Bella Bixby (knee), Julie Dufour (knee), Valerin Loboa (excused absence), Olivia Moultrie (knee), and Reilyn Turner (knee).

Projected Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Cori Dyke, Rafaelle, Zara Chavoshi, Oihane.

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Angelina.

Attacking Midfielders: Jacquie Ovalle, Haley McCutcheon, Solai Washington.

Forward: Julie Doyle.

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

Goalkeeper: Mackenzie Arnold.

Defenders: M.A. Vignola, Sam Hiatt, Jayden Perry, Reyna Reyes.

Defensive Midfielders: Jessie Fleming, Nina Nijstad.

Attacking Midfielders: Pietra Tordin, Deyna Castellanos, Marie Muller.

Forward: Sophia Wilson.

Referees

REF: Brad Jensen.
AR1: Katarzyna Wasiak.
AR2: Sarah Gaddes.
4TH: Justin St Pierre.
VAR: Danielle Chesky.
AVAR: Seun Yinka-Kehinde.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8:45 p.m.

Venue: Providence Park — Portland, OR.

TV: None.

Streaming: Ion.

Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter (@ORLPride) or Bluesky (@orlpride.com) feed.

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride

Barbra Banda Continues to Make Offers Scoreboard Can’t Refuse

Barbra Banda’s scoring prowess in 2026 and a comparison of her performance against others in 2026-only competitions.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 14, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

We do not spend a lot of time writing about mafia movies here at The Mane Land, and I will not in this article either. But I am going to borrow Michael Corleone’s famous line from The Godfather Part III — “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in” — and paraphrase it to be “just when I thought I was out (of Barbra Banda topics), she pulled me back in.”

Sadly, she pulled me in via a four-goal, one-assist performance for Zambia, not the Pride. It was another reminder of Banda’s all around talent. It’s that talent that the Pride sorely missed while she was playing for her country in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). Stathead’s database lists out only eight instances in the last 10 years of a women’s player having at least five goal contributions in a single international tournament game, and Banda’s name is now on that list among legends like Sam Kerr and Alex Morgan.

Funnily enough, three of those eight players have ties to Orlando, as former Pride player Emily van Egmond joined Banda and Morgan on that list thanks to her four-goal, four-assist performance against Indonesia (the final score was 18-0, yikes) in the 2021 Women’s Asian Cup.

Zambia was eliminated after the group stage in this summer’s WAFCON, but in those three games Banda scored five goals, added one assist, and drew a penalty that was converted by one of her teammates. She has missed three Pride games while away, during which Orlando as a full team scored…two goals. For all intents and purposes, Banda contributed to seven goals in three games for Zambia, and the Pride have scored a total of five goals in their last seven games. As anyone who follows the Pride is well aware, Banda is the straw that stirs the drink here in Orlando.

Even after missing those games in July, Banda remains the NWSL’s leading goal scorer with 12, and even though Zambia was eliminated in the group stage, she is still the WAFCON’s leading goal scorer with five. That is a combined 17 goals scored for Banda, and with one assist in each competition, she has a total of 19 goal contributions thus far in 2026.

I looked at every top women’s competition that has taken place exclusively in 2026, and Banda’s 17 goals ranks third overall. Among Opta’s top ranked women’s leagues, many play fall-to-spring and are therefore excluded, but I included games from all of the following competitions (Opta’s global league rank is included in parentheses for the domestic leagues):

  • Africa Cup of Nations (international tournament)
  • Asian Cup (international tournament)
  • UEFA World Cup Qualifying (international torunament)
  • UEFA Champions League (club tournament)
  • USA: National Womens Soccer League (1)
  • Sweden: Damallsvenskan (8)
  • Brazil: Feminino A1 (9)
  • Mexico: Liga MX Femenil (13)
  • Norway: Toppserien (14)
  • Canada: Northern Super League (15)

There certainly are more domestic leagues that play spring-to-fall seasons, but the resources put towards tracking women’s soccer statistics remain far behind the men for sites that track player stats, so with help from fbref.com, FotMob, and Sofascore I pulled together as many as I could find that took place exclusively in 2026.

As mentioned earlier, Banda’s total of 17 goals ranks third overall, trailing only Diana Ordóñez from Tigres (25) and Eugénie Le Sommer (19) from Toluca, both from Liga MX Femenil in Mexico. Sadly, assist data was not available anywhere for that league, so for both of those women and everyone else from that league their goals scored are also their total goal contributions.

Banda’s 17 goals were scored in more than 300 fewer minutes than those other two players, however, so while Ordóñez still beats her on goals scored per 90 minutes, Le Sommer does not.

An obvious issue with ranking raw totals of any metric in soccer is that players rarely play the same number of games and minutes, and this is especially true with how I set this analysis up by blending tournaments with domestic leagues. Therefore, the fairest way to compare is standardizing goals (on the x-axis) and goal contributions (on the y-axis) on per-90-minute basis, which leads to the chart below for players with at least four goal contributions across all of the listed competitions:

A graph showing players' goals (on the x-axis) and goal contributions (on the y-axis) on per-90-minute basis.

Four Pride players made the list, three you are likely familiar with (Banda, Haley McCutcheon, and Jacquie Ovalle) with and one (Sanne Lekven) who the Pride just acquired on Wednesday. Lekven’s stats are from her time with Aalesunds FK in Norway’s Toppsieren, where she was off to a good start with five goals in only 759 minutes, for a goals-per-90-minutes value of 0.59, which is 71st among those on the chart above.

Banda’s goals per 90 of 1.11 ranks tied for 11th, and her goal contributions per 90 of 1.24 ranks 27th, but many of those ahead of her racked up their stats in lesser competitions (the two outliers on the chart — Kiko Seiki and Riko Ueki — both play for Japan and won their three group stage games in the Asian Cup by a combined score of 22-0). Banda ranks in fourth place in both metrics in the NWSL (Opta’s top-ranked league among all domestic women’s leagues), and hopefully hits the ground running at that same high level when she returns to action.

Perhaps she can match her four goals in a game for Zambia with a similar game for Orlando. I support this idea.

The Pride are desperate for offense, and hopefully the combination of Banda’s return and the recent acquisitions of Lekven and Gabi Nunes can turn the season around. Banda is undoubtedly a boss, and we will see shortly if she and her consiglieri can whack a few teams in the final portion of the season and leave them swimming with the non-playoff fishes.

Vamos Orlando!

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