Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Midseason Review: Metrics and Milestones
With half of the NWSL season in the rearview mirror, it is time to take a look at how the league table and individual leaderboards are shaping up.

The NWSL season is just over halfway complete, and the Orlando Pride show no signs of slowing down. With nine wins, five draws, and no losses, they continue to rewrite club and league record books. While there is everything left to play for, this piece will serve as a retrospective on the Pride’s performances and results in the NWSL so far. It will look at notable statistics for the players and the club, as well as highlighting the records and milestones already surpassed by the midpoint of the 2024 season.
Fixture Results and the NWSL Table
Despite the incredible first half of the season for Orlando, the Pride are not the only undefeated team in the league. A look at the league table below shows Orlando and the Kansas City Current tied at the top with identical records, though the Current claim first place due to the goal-differential tiebreaker.
It seemed that the Pride had closed the gap in goal differential with their recent 6-0 win over Utah Royals FC, but the Current then followed Orlando’s lead with a 4-1 road win over the Portland Thorns. Hot on the heels of the teams tied at the top are the Washington Spirit and the NJ/NY Gotham FC side they defeated on Sunday.
NWSL Table and Pride Fixture Results
Points | Club | Home Result | Away Result |
32 | Kansas City Current | ||
32 | Orlando Pride | — | — |
31 | Washington Spirit | 3-2 | |
27 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | ||
23 | Portland Thorns | 2-1 | |
19 | North Carolina Courage | 4-1 | 0-0 |
17 | Chicago Red Stars | 1-1 | |
16 | Racing Louisville FC | 1-0 | 2-2 |
15 | San Diego Wave FC | 1-0 | 1-1 |
15 | Angel City FC | 1-1 | |
15 | Bay FC | 1-0 | |
14 | Houston Dash | ||
9 | Seattle Reign | 3-2 | |
7 | Utah Royals FC | 6-0 | 1-0 |
The 26-match NWSL regular season is formatted so that each team plays each other twice — once at home and once on the road. The table above illustrates that the Pride have played more matches at home and more matches against the middle of the table than the top. However, while the Pride have yet to play either Kansas City or Gotham, wins against Washington and Portland do show that the Pride are beating some of the league’s better teams during their undefeated run.
Even after the 6-0 thrashing of Utah on Friday, the 3-2 win against the Spirit may stand as the most impressive result so far. Fans will remember that game as Barbra Banda’s full debut. With a goal, assist, and penalty drawn on the night, she started her career at the blistering pace that has continued since.
Pride Players on the Leaderboards
Orlando’s place at the top of the table has all the hallmarks of sustained success, with an emphasis on defense and the ability to overcome absences around the pitch. To go along with their league position, Pride players are also among league leaders for defensive performances and goal contributions.
Defensively, the Pride’s 11 conceded goals are tied with Gotham for the fewest goals allowed in the league, and their six clean sheets are tied with the Houston Dash for most in the league. The defense has been critical to preventing opposition chances, and Anna Moorhouse has been a solid shot stopper. Her 41 saves, at an impressive 80% save rate, are enough for fourth in the league. Houston’s Jane Campbell leads all goalkeepers with 67 saves.
Another key to the defensive rigidity has been the availability and adaptability of several defensive standouts. The table below shows Orlando’s leaders in minutes played, headlined by Moorhouse, the only player who has played every minute.
Minutes Leaders for the Pride
Player | Minutes Played (Percent of Available Minutes) |
Anna Moorhouse | 1260 (100%) |
Emily Sams | 1170 (93%) |
Kerry Abello | 1163 (92%) |
Kylie Strom | 1141 (91%) |
Haley McCutcheon | 1099 (87%) |
Below Moorhouse, the rest of the top five players in minutes played have all started at multiple positions and thrived. The value of being able to deploy Kylie Strom and Emily Sams at center back or fullback, Kerry Abello at fullback or anywhere else, and Haley McCutcheon at fullback or midfield can’t be overstated.
At the other end of the pitch, Banda is putting together a historic run. With 10 goals scored in just 10 matches, she’s tied with Sophia Smith for the most in the NWSL. Banda is particularly lethal with her headers — her five headed goals have already broken the Pride’s record for all-time headed goals in just half of a season.
Banda’s five assists also place her on the league leaderboard behind Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, who has nine, and Smith and Temwa Chawinga, who both have six. Despite dominating the headlines, Banda isn’t the only cog making the Orlando Pride machine run. Orlando’s attacking midfield pair of Marta and Summer Yates have contributed four goals each. Julie Doyle and Ally Watt have each added two goals as well. Behind Banda, Abello has contributed two assists, and no other player has had more than one, as the attacking buildup play has been spread throughout the squad.
One of the underappreciated aspects of Orlando’s season has been the development of talent acquired through the NWSL draft. While not every drafted player stars immediately, Head Coach Seb Hines has a proven track record of developing players to contribute. To show this development, the table below includes nine players drafted over the previous three seasons who have debuted for Orlando. The minutes these draftees have played in the NWSL is then tallied as a percentage of the full season to track each players’ involvement from year to year.
Pride Draftee Development by Season
Player | First Year Percentage of Minutes Played | Second Year Percentage of Minutes Played | Third Year Percentage of Minutes Played |
Julie Doyle | 35% | 42% | 67% |
Mikayla Cluff | 47% | 76% | Traded |
Emily Sams | 100% | 93% | – |
Summer Yates | 6% | 56% | – |
Bri Martinez | 2% | 55% | – |
Messiah Bright | 69% | Traded | – |
Ally Lemos | 23% | – | – |
Cori Dyke | 20% | – | – |
Alex Kerr | 1% | – | – |
Starting with the 2022 rookie class, Doyle shows the trajectory any coach would hope for. She has been rewarded for her year-over-year improvement with more involvement each season. Cluff was on a similar trajectory before her trade to Utah. While she no longer plays for the Pride, her development in Orlando increased her value and the returns for the Pride when she was traded.
The 2023 rookie class was signed to contribute immediately, as shown by the large minute shares garnered by Emily Sams and Messiah Bright in their first seasons. While Bright requested a trade before year two, Sams is just as important for the club in her second season. She has played almost every minute since being drafted, showing her fitness and importance to the team.
Yates and Brianna Martinez, on the other hand, show a different path to impacting the club. While their involvement in 2023 was minimal, they worked hard on their fitness and skills in the off-season and have played bigger roles in 2024, earning the trust of Hines. (Note: Martinez was drafted by Louisville, but signed by Orlando in early 2023 after not catching on with that club.)
This growth is something the new rookies should be keen to learn from. Both Ally Lemos and Cori Dyke are featuring periodically from the bench. The plan is that exposure now hastens their development into key players one to two years down the road.
All in all, Hines and his staff have a track record of improving players and maximizing the roster. It will be up to the rookies and younger players to make the most of the opportunities in front of them.
Milestones and Records Broken in 2024
- Marta continues to surpass her own milestones. Every match she plays grows the club record for all-time appearances, standing now at 132. Her goals against Utah also extended the club record for career goals to 35.
- Banda has set the club record for braces in a season with four. Is it only a matter of time until she achieves the first Pride hat trick?
- Friday against Utah, Orlando set team records for goals scored and winning margin with six each. This surpassed the previous records set in a 5-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars in 2023.
- Earlier in 2024, Orlando set the NWSL record for consecutive wins with eight by defeating Portland at home. The streak ended with the Pride’s draw at San Diego Wave.
- The Pride continue to extend their team-best undefeated streak, which sits at 15 games and dates back to the final day of 2023.
- Orlando’s 0-0 draw against the North Carolina Courage on June 15 marked the end of a 16-match scoring streak, which was a new club record.
- Orlando has 32 points in NWSL play and is rapidly closing in on the club’s best single-season points total of 40, set in 2017. Just three wins from the final 12 games would be enough to exceed the current record.
As the numbers and milestones show, Orlando is having a historic season in the NWSL. In post-match interviews however, the players and staff repeatedly make it clear that the club’s biggest goals are still ahead of it.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Utah Royals: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride look to return to their winning ways as they travel to face the struggling Utah Royals.

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (5-3-1, 16 points) travel west to take on the Utah Royals (1-6-2, 5 points) in Sandy, UT. This is the first of two matchups between these teams with the return game in Orlando scheduled for Aug. 3.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
The Royals first played in 2018 and 2019 before the team was purchased and relocated to Kansas City. The new owners of Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake bought an expansion side, so 2024 was the first season the two teams met since 2019, although this is an all-new side. The Pride are 3-3-2 against the Royals all-time, with all games coming in the NWSL regular season. Orlando is 2-0-0 against this current iteration of the Royals (1-0-0 on the road) and 2-1-1 all-time in the state of Utah.
The last time the Pride met the Royals was on June 21, 2024 in Orlando. It was a dominant performance from start to finish as the Pride roared to a 6-0 win. Barbra Banda started the scoring, and Summer Yates made it 2-0 just before halftime. The Pride took off in the second half with goals by Banda and Ally Watt, along with a Marta brace.
On April 12 in Sandy, UT. Marta started on the bench and came on for Adriana in the 62nd minute. It didn’t take long for the Pride captain to make an impact, netting the game’s lone goal six minutes later, as the visitors left the Beehive State with a 1-0 victory.
The 2019 season was the final one for the original Royals and the Pride faced this opponent three times that year. The first game between the teams was on April 27 in Orlando, and the difference was Christen Press, who netted the lone goal early in a 1-0 result. On May 25 in Utah, Amy Rodriguez opened the scoring from the penalty spot and Makenzy Doniak made it 2-0 late. The third meeting was on Aug. 17 in Orlando. Press gave the visitors the lead in the 60th minute and Rodriguez doubled the advantage late as the Royals won 2-0.
The 2018 campaign was the Royals’ inaugural season, and Orlando got the better of the newcomers, going unbeaten in three matches (1-0-2). In the 2018 season opener, Utah and the Pride played to a 1-1 draw in Orlando. The Royals scored on their first chance of the game. They had an excellent spell of early possession. Diana Matheson put in a cross and Gunny Jonsdottir — who later played for the Pride for two seasons in 2021 and 2022 — volleyed it into the back of the net. Marta tied things up from the spot later in the first half, and the game ended 1-1.
About a month and a half later, the teams met again, playing to a 0-0 draw, this time in Rio Tinto Stadium. It was a relatively dull night with no goals and the majority of the action in the middle of the field. Both teams struggled on the attacking end. There were no shots on target in the first half and just three in the second.
While those first two matches ended in draws, the last meeting of 2018 finally saw a winner. On July 14, 2018, there was end-to-end action, and both teams saw chances in front of the net. Utah found an early goal from Rodriguez, and then Alex Morgan tied it up with a penalty kick just before halftime. In the second half, a good through ball from Ali Krieger found Kristen Edmonds one-on-one with Utah goalkeeper Abby Smith, who was caught out of position. Edmonds chipped the ball past Smith for the game-winner, and Orlando got its first-ever victory against the Royals, 2-1.
Overview
The Pride are coming off a tough stretch where they’ve lost two of their last three games 1-0, and only a last-minute equalizer in North Carolina kept it from being three straight losses. The most recent loss came a week ago tonight when the Pride hosted the Kansas City Current in a battle for first place. Temwa Chawinga’s 52nd-minute goal was the difference, sending the Pride down to third in the NWSL standings.
The problem for the Pride has been the attack. Other than scoring three goals in 20 minutes against Angel City FC in a 3-2 come-from-behind win, the Pride haven’t scored multiple goals in a game since March 29, when they defeated San Diego Wave FC 2-1.
Meanwhile, the Pride’s defense has been fantastic. That Angel City game is the only time the Pride have conceded multiple goals this year. Head Coach Seb Hines even gave starting center backs Kylie Nadaner and Emily Sams a break, replacing each of them with rookie Zara Chavoshi in successive games, but they only gave up one goal in those games combined. Unfortunately, the lack of offense resulted in only getting one point.
Banda got off to a great start this season, netting a brace in the opener. However, she’s only scored twice in the last eight games and hasn’t found the back of the net in the last three matches. Marta has had similar struggles, failing to score since the win over Angel City.
The Pride desperately need three points to get themselves back on track, and they face the perfect team tonight. The Royals were one of the worst teams in the league last year, finishing 11th of 14 teams. They aren’t any better this year so far, with just five points from nine games, good enough for 13th place.
As you might expect from a team with just one win, Utah has struggled offensively and defensively this year. Their seven goals are second fewest in the NWSL, and their 16 goals conceded are tied with Angel City for second most. The only team worse is the last-place Chicago Stars, who have scored five times and conceded 19 goals.
While the Royals have struggled defensively this year, they’re coming off their best game of the season, a 3-3 draw at the Washington Spirit. The sudden production ended a three-game goalless streak. We’ll see if that carries into tonight.
Nobody on the Royals has multiple goals or assists this year, understandable by their lack of scoring. But they’ll have their work cut out for them tonight when they face one of the league’s best defenses. The Pride’s seven goals conceded is tied with Seattle Reign FC for second, just one behind the Current.
The Pride started the season as the most prolific offense, scoring six times in the season opener. But, apart from the three-goal output against Angel City, they’ve cooled off considerably. Facing a team that has leaked goals all year, this could be the game the Pride need to get back to their scoring ways.
“I think they put up a good performance against a good Washington Spirit side. They should be happy walking away with a point,” Hines said about tonight’s opponent. “Obviously, they were close to three points as well, but I think before the game they probably would’ve taken that. So we can’t take them too lightly. We’re trying to bounce back from some disappointing results, not performances. And I think it’s a great opportunity for us to go there and come away with three points.”
The only change to the Pride availability report is the removal of Julie Doyle (knee). Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), and Rafaelle (thigh) remain out.
The Royals will be without Mikayla Cluff (concussion), Macey Fraser (knee), Olivia Griffiths (maternity leave), Cloe Lacasse (knee), Alex Loera (knee), Tatumn Milazzo (knee), Paige Monaghan (foot), and Kaleigh Riehl (lower leg).
Projected Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Oihane.
Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.
Attacking Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Ally Watt.
Forward: Barbra Banda.
Utah Royals (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Mandy McGlynn.
Defenders: Nuria Rabano, Lauren Flynn, Kate Del Fava, Janni Thomsen.
Midfielders: Ana Tejada, Mina Tanaka, Dana Foederer.
Forwards: Cece Kizer, Ally Sentnor, Brecken Mozingo.
Referees
REF: JC Griggs.
AR1: Matthew Rodman.
AR2: Darren Bandy.
4TH: Rachel Swett.
VAR: Katherine McCormick.
AVAR: Brian Marshall.
How to Watch
Match Time: 9:30 p.m.
Venue: America First Field — Sandy, UT.
TV: None.
Streaming: FDSN App, NWSL+.
Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @themaneland.bsky.social on Bluesky and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).
Enjoy the game. Go Pride!
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Drop Second Home Game This Season
The Pride’s offensive struggles continued and a defensive mistake was costly for Orlando.

The Orlando Pride (5-3-1, 16 points) fell at home for the second time this season, losing 1-0 to the Kansas City Current (7-2-0, 21 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. Temwa Chawinga’s 52nd-minute goal was the difference as the Pride failed to win for the third consecutive game.
This was a game everyone following the league had circled on their calendar. The Current came into it in first place with the Pride right behind. The Pride and Current have widely been considered the top two teams in the league and the Current showed they were the team to beat this season.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines only made one change from the team that drew 1-1 with the North Carolina Courage Saturday night. Emily Sams returned to the lineup after a night off, sending Zara Chavoshi to the bench.
The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Sams, and Oihane. Haley McCutcheon and Morgan Gautrat were the defensive midfielders behind Carson Pickett, Marta, and Angelina with Barbra Banda up top.
The Pride got the game off to a fast start and it looked like they would cause problems for the Current all night. But as the game progressed, the visitors took more and more control. After the Current took the 1-0 lead early in the second half, they put more players behind the ball. The Pride held significant possession, looking for a way through, but struggled to threaten in the final third.
It didn’t take long for the Pride to create their first chances in this game, doing so inside the first minute. It started with a poor pass by Izzy Rodriguez that Banda intercepted and carried into the Current box. She tried to beat Lorena to her near post, but the goalkeeper did well to block it with her foot.
The rebound went right back to Banda and her second shot was blocked by Alana Cook. The second block went to Oihane out right. The defender sent her cross over the heads of Angelina and Banda where McCutcheon met it at the top of the six. However, the midfielder’s header was right into the hands of Lorena, ending the threat.
In the seventh minute, Banda played Oihane outside on the right and the defender sent another cross into the box. This time Angelina attempted to turn and volley the ball on target, but the Brazilian couldn’t get over it and sent the shot over the goal.
The Current looked to have their first chances in the ninth minute when Bia Zaneratto played Chawinga behind the Pride back line. Moorhouse made a pair of good saves before Sams cleared the ball away. However, Chawinga was offside on the initial ball.
The visitors finally did get a clean shot in the 20th minute when Zaneratto took a chance from outside of the box. But it was right to Moorhouse and the Pride goalkeeper didn’t have any trouble with it.
Three minutes later, Lo’eau LaBonta sent Debinha behind the Pride back line, and she tried to chip the ball over Moorhouse to the back post. Moorhouse committed to the ball and was able to get enough of her fist on it to send it away.
The Pride finally got back on the front foot in the 44th minute with a sustained attack, primarily through Gautrat on the left. Eventually, the midfielder found Angelina near the top of the Current box. The Brazilian took a shot, but sent it well wide of the near post.
As the first half neared stoppage time, Angelina sent Banda into the Kansas City third of the field. The Zambian didn’t have any teammates with her, so she took it herself. Kayla Sharples stuck her leg in and knocked the ball away, resulting in Banda going down. The striker looked to the referee for a penalty, but Natalie Simon rightly waved play on.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Angelina played Oihane out to the right. The right back sent a low cross to the near post where Banda was making a run. She tried to flick it on goal with her heel, but the ball went wide.
There was a lengthy delay as the video assistant referee looked at the play for a possible handball on Cook. However, nothing came of it and the halftime whistle blew before play could continue.
At halftime, the Current had more possession (50.8%-49.2%), but the Pride had more shots (7-5). Both teams put two shots on target and had a corner kick in the first 45 minutes.
The Current got the first second-half chance and used it to take a 1-0 lead. It started when Sams cleared the ball up the field to Rodriguez, who sent it back the other way. Nadaner was the first one to reach it with Zaneratto on her back. The center back got a touch to the ball, but it got away from her. Chawinga took advantage, getting in on goal and putting it away to give her team the lead.
“We looked at that kind of play before the game, so it’s kind of disappointing to then concede from that. Because we did identify it as a kind of something that they do,” Moorhouse said about the goal. “I mean, obviously, they’ve got the speed up top, and they just like to put the ball on behind for that. So, yeah, it’s just one of those things. Just finished it well.”
“She’s playing against a really good forward in Bia and probably every game she gets away with that touch,” Hines said about Nadaner losing possession on the goal. “But, unfortunately, it gets too far away. And they waited for that one moment and capitalized on it.”
Kansas City looked to double the advantage right away in the 54th minute when Rodriguez earned enough space from Oihane to send a cross to the back post. Hailie Mace and Pickett went up for the ball with Mace sending it wide.
The Pride tried to get one back in the 55th minute when Oihane was played wide. The Spainard sent a cross to Banda at the near post, but Sharples got there first to clear it out for a corner kick. Pickett’s ensuing set piece was caught by Lorena, ending the attack.
In the 60th minute, Sams pushed into the attack. The center back attempted to find Angelina, but it was right back to her. Then she tried to set up Gautrat at the top of the box. The defensive midfielder didn’t get much on the ball, enabling Lorena to make the easy stop.
Hines made his first change of the game in the 65th minute and, down a goal, it was an attacking one. Ally Watt came into the game for the defensive-minded Gautrat.
Chawinga had a chance for a second goal in the 69th minute when Rodriguez’s cross was chested down by Zaneratto. Sams was on the striker, but got turned around, giving Chawinga a clean look. However, her shot was right at Moorhouse who made the stop.
Pickett played a long ball into the box in the 73rd minute, but it went all the way through to Oihane on the other side. The right back lifted a ball into the box for Banda and the striker jumped to get her head to it, sending it wide of the far post.
Immediately after the chance, Simon sent the players to the sideline for the second-half hydration break. Hines made two changes during the stoppage, replacing Oihane and Angelina with Prisca Chilufya and Ally Lemos.
In the 79th minute, Chawinga dribbled across the top of the box with Sams and Marta on her. The striker went down after some contact with Sams and a foul was called. Lemos was in the process of clearing the ball at the time, sending it off the back of Chawinga’s head. Chawinga was down for a while and received attention from the trainer as she underwent a concussion test. However, she was eventually able to continue.
Hines made his final change in the 82nd minute, as Summer Yates came on for McCutcheon. It was Yates’ first appearance since April 12 when she suffered an ankle injury against Seattle Reign FC.
“I’m excited to be back. Thankful that our medical team was able to get me back quicker than expected. So, super excited that I was able to get on the field and, you know, just run around and play again. Not be in a boot,” Yates said about her return. “So, yeah, super excited. And hopefully I can help the team in these up and coming games.”
Mace put a shoulder into Banda in the 85th minute and the referee called for a foul. The ensuing set piece by Pickett was flicked on by Watt and off Banda. However, the striker couldn’t reach it before Lorena collected the ball.
In the 87th minute, Zaneratto played Chawinga towards the Pride box. The striker turned Nadaner and created enough space from Abello to get a shot off. Fortunately, it was right at Moorhouse, who blocked it with her legs.
As a second shot flew wide, Chawinga was hopping away from the play. This time she wasn’t able to continue and had to be substituted.
The fourth official showed 12 minutes of second-half added minutes, giving the Pride plenty of time to find an equalizer.
In the fifth and sixth minutes of stoppage time, the Pride earned three corner kicks as the Current fiercely defended their one-goal lead. However, none of Pickett’s set pieces were put on goal.
In the 10th minute of stoppage time, Nichelle Prince fouled Sams just inside the Current third of the field. Lemos’ set piece was blocked, but the Pride kept possession. A second ball by Yates was sent into the six-yard box and into the arms of Lorena.
Sharples knocked the ball off of Banda’s foot and out in the final minute of stoppage time, giving the Pride one last chance to find an equalizer. Pickett’s set piece was headed away and the final whistle blew, ending the game and handing the Pride their second home loss this season.
At full time, the Pride had far more possession (58.4%-41.6%), crosses (26-8), and corner kicks (7-1). But the Current had more shots (12-11) and shots on target (5-4). But Kansas City was the team able to break through and hold on for the 1-0 win.
“I thought it was a well balanced match,” Hines said. “I think both teams were trying to figure each other out for long periods of the game. What our players put into that game, the effort and the commitment, the desire, was tremendous. And we just fell short today with the result. But I thought the performance was there. Obviously, you never want to lose a game, especially 1-0 at home. But I can’t give the players enough compliments for their efforts tonight.”
“Tough result, obviously,” Moorhouse added. “But I thought we played well. We dominated in parts. It’s always going to be a tough game. We’ve had some tough games in the past against Kansas, so yeah, it’s a disappointing result. But the performance is something to work on and something to keep pushing on.”
The Pride are learning how hard it is to be the hunted instead of the hunters. They were 23 games unbeaten before they suffered their first loss last year with just three regular-season games remaining. This is their third loss this season, second at home, and their third consecutive game without a win.
“I think we’ve got to put everything into perspective, right? Three years ago, this team was the laughing stock of the league. And last year we showed our ability to prove a lot of people wrong,” Hines said. “Winning both shield and championship doesn’t come easy, and so once you’ve achieved that, you earn respect around the league. You know, teams adapt to it. Even teams like Kansas, going to a back five and reducing the amount of space that you can play for. It’s challenging, it’s difficult, and we’ll go through those moments together.”
“Teams are playing different against us,” Moorhouse agreed. “We’re usually coming up against teams sitting back in a low block, defending for their lives. And we’ve got to figure out a way to kind of score goals against that. We were on top for the majority of the past games. And we just need to find a way to score that goal. And then maybe we can relax a little bit. And then we don’t have to chase the game in the dying minutes.”
San Diego Wave FC’s 1-0 win over NJ/NY Gotham FC tonight saw the California-based club jump the Pride in the standings. After spending nearly all of last season the start of this season in one of the top two spots, the Pride are now third in the NWSL, one point behind San Diego and five points behind Kansas City. They could drop further tomorrow night when the Washington Spirit, one point back, host the Utah Royals.
The Pride have a week to brush off this loss as they head back out west to face the Utah Royals next Friday night in Sandy, UT.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride return home looking to get back to their winning ways as they host the first-place Kansas City Current.

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (5-2-1, 16 points) return home to face the Kansas City Current (6-2-0, 18 points) in a battle for first place. This is the first of two meetings between the two teams with the return game in Kansas City scheduled for Aug. 16.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
The Current joined the NWSL in 2021 after the team’s ownership group bought the Utah Royals and relocated the club to Kansas City. It’s the second NWSL team in the city — FC Kansas City played there from 2013 to 2017 before moving to Utah — and the team was known as NWSL Kansas City for its inaugural season.
The Pride and Current have played eight games against each other in the regular season and once in the playoffs. Orlando has a 3-2-3 record in the regular-season series, 4-2-3 in all competitions, and is 1-1-2 at home in the regular season and 2-1-2 at Inter&Co Stadium in all matches.
The two teams last met on Nov. 17, 2024, in the NWSL semifinals in Orlando. Debinha gave the Current the lead in the 33rd minute and Haley McCutcheon equalized just before halftime. Barbra Banda made it 2-1 in the second half and Marta doubled the advantage late in normal time. Vanessa DiBernardo got one back deep in stoppage time from the penalty spot, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride won 3-2 to advance to the NWSL Championship.
Last Sept. 13 in Orlando, the teams combined for 27 shots, but neither converted as the game ended in a scoreless draw. On July 6 in Kansas City, Banda gave the Pride the lead, but the hosts responded two minutes later through Temwa Chawinga. Despite a second yellow card for Carrie Lawrence dropping the Pride to 10 players just before halftime, Marta converted a second-half penalty, lifting her team to a 2-1 win.
The first time the teams met in 2023 was on April 23 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City. It was scoreless after an hour before the Current got a quick flurry of goals by Debinha and CeCe Kizer, lifting Kansas City to a 2-0 win. On June 23, 2023 in Orlando, the visitors took the lead through Debinha, and Kizer doubled the advantage just before halftime. Marta converted a penalty to pull one back, but the Pride fell 2-1.
Their first meeting in 2022 came on July 31 in Kansas City while the Pride were in the middle of their seven-game unbeaten run. The Pride opened the scoring when Erika Tymrak found the head of Celia and doubled the lead just after halftime through Julie Doyle. The Current stormed back with goals by Elyse Bennett and Kizer, pulling out a 2-2 draw.
The first meeting in 2022 was on May 14 at Exploria Stadium. The Pride took the lead early in the second half on a Gunny Jonsdottir goal. Bennett scored late in the second half, and the visitors appeared to win the game a minute into injury time through Kristen Hamilton. However, Kylie Strom was pulled down in the box five minutes later, resulting in a penalty. With Marta injured, the only player willing to step up to take the penalty was center back Toni Pressley, who drilled the ball into the roof of the net, pulling out a 2-2 draw.
The teams played twice during the 2021 NWSL season, with the first game occurring May 30 at Exploria Stadium. Courtney Petersen found Alex Morgan just outside the six-yard box and the striker headed in the game’s lone goal as the Pride won 1-0.
The Pride and Current met again on June 23 at Legends Field in Kansas City. The Pride had a weakened squad as then-coach Marc Skinner left some key players at home, preparing to lose them to the Olympics. It looked to be costly when Mariana Larroquette gave the hosts the lead late in first-half injury time. But the Pride responded well. Two minutes after Larroquette’s goal, Sydney Leroux’s shot took a deflection off a defender and went in to make it 1-1. Shortly after halftime, Leroux scored on a great individual effort from just outside the box. Marta then scored the goal of the game, beating Kansas City goalkeeper Abby Smith from the top of the center circle, lifting the Pride to a 3-1 win.
Overview
The Pride are coming off a tough road trip where they lost 1-0 to the Portland Thorns and drew 1-1 with the North Carolina Courage. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made multiple changes from his usual lineup in both games, most notably giving Nadaner a rest in Portland and Emily Sams a break in North Carolina.
They nearly lost three of their last four when the Courage took a 1-0 lead into second-half stoppage time. But Prisca Chilufya came to the rescue, scoring her first NWSL goal to claim a point on the road.
Banda and Marta are the driving offensive forces for the Pride as they were last season. However, neither has been able to create anything the last few games, although the Brazilian has racked up plenty of key passes. Banda’s last goal was a 76th-minute goal against Angel City FC on April 25, and Marta’s last goal contribution was a penalty on March 29 against San Diego Wave FC. They’ll be looking to get back to their scoring ways tonight.
Rookie Zara Chavoshi got the start in the two most recent games to give Nadaner and Sams a rest. However, the regular center back pairing should return tonight, providing a boost to a defensive unit that’s been very good again this season.
Tonight, the Pride face their toughest test of the 2025 campaign as they welcome the only team ahead of them in the standings. The Pride and Current have been the league’s two best teams, so this game has been circled on calendars since the start of the season.
The teams had the same number of points heading into last weekend’s games. However, after the Pride drew Saturday night, the Current took advantage of the dropped points by defeating Bay FC 4-1 at home.
In addition to their two-point lead, the Current have the most goals with 18. Meanwhile, the Pride are tied with the Wave and Angel City on 15 goals, second most in the league. Defensively, the Current and Pride are the two best teams in the league, conceding just six times.
The Current are led offensively by the players you would expect. Debinha has a team-leading five goals, followed by Chawinga’s four goals and Lo’eau LaBonta’s three goals. Izzy Rodriguez, Hailie Mace, and Claire Hutton are tied for team lead with two assists each.
Kansas City’s defensive performances have come with a new goalkeeper this year, as the club added Brazilian international Lorena to the side. However, the center back pairing of Alana Cook and Kayla Sharples were with the team last year.
“It’s always an entertaining game against Kansas. It’s a game we’ve done relatively well in recent games, so we’re looking forward to it,” Hines said about tonight’s game. “We’re looking forward to being back home in front of our own fans. It should be a really good atmosphere. You know, (a) Friday night game is always exciting. But it’s good to be home and getting back onto the field.”
There are a few changes to the Pride availability report this week. Aryssa Mahrt (knee) and Summer Yates (ankle) are available for selection. Meanwhile, Julie Doyle (knee) has been upgraded to questionable. Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), and Rafaelle (thigh) are still out.
The Current will be without Michelle Cooper (lower leg), Hamilton (hip), Alex Pfeiffer (knee), and Gabrielle Robinson (knee).
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Carson Pickett, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Oihane.
Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.
Attacking Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Kerry Abello.
Forward: Barbra Banda.
Bench: McKinley Crone, Cori Dyke, Prisca Chilufya, Summer Yates, Zara Chavoshi, Ally Watt, Viviana Villacorta, Grace Chanda, Ally Lemos.
Kansas City Current (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Lorena.
Defenders: Izzy Rodriguez, Kayla Sharples, Alana Cook, Hailie Mace.
Midfielders: Claire Hutton, Ellie Wheeler, Lo’eau LaBonta.
Forwards: Temwa Chawinga, Bia Zaneratto, Debinha.
Bench: Elizabeth Bell, Vanessa DiBernardo, Bayley Feist, Haley Hopkins, Laurel Ivory, Flora Marta Lacho, Mary Long, Nichelle Prince, Rocky Rodriguez.
Referees
REF: Natalie Simon.
AR1: Art Arustamyan.
AR2: Nicholas Seymour.
4TH: Edson Carvajal.
VAR: Kevin Broadley.
AVAR: Matthew Seem.
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 feed (@ORLPride).
Enjoy the game. Go Pride!
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks ago
Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Final Score 3-3 as Lions Squander Lead Twice at Home
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Five Takeaways
-
Orlando City1 week ago
Orlando City vs. Inter Miami: Three Keys to Victory
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks ago
Orlando Pride at North Carolina Courage: Final Score 1-1 as Pride Score a Late Equalizer
-
Photo Galleries2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Photo Gallery
-
Orlando Pride7 days ago
Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Drop Second Home Game This Season