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Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Win Battle of Undefeated Teams

Despite going down to 10 players in the first half, the Orlando Pride beat the Kansas City Current on the road.

Published

2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride (11-0-5, 38 points) went on the road and handed the Kansas City Current (10-1-5, 35 points) their first loss of the season, winning 2-1 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. The Pride’s Barbra Banda and the Current’s Temwa Chawinga — the two top scorers in the NWSL — traded goals in the first half, and Marta scored the winner with a penalty kick in the second half.

Orlando was reduced to 10 players in the 42nd minute after Carrie Lawrence received her second yellow card, but the Pride were still able to win their 11th game of the season, claiming the battle of the league’s last two remaining unbeaten teams. The result extended the Pride’s unbeaten streak this season to 16 games — 17 dating back to last year’s season finale — and they are now first in the league standings.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made one change to the lineup that won 3-0 against Angel City FC, with Angelina replacing Haley McCutcheon in the midfield. It was Angelina’s first start since undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on her knee on May 9. Anna Moorhouse started in goal behind a back line of Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, and Lawrence. Julie Doyle, Angelina, Summer Yates, and Adriana made up the midfield, while Marta played a bit further up the pitch with Banda up top.

The Pride wasted no time in attacking and created the game’s first chance in the second minute. Banda charged toward the end line on the right and her shot forced a save from Current goalkeeper Adrianna Franch. Orlando cycled the rebound around until it wound up at the feet of Angelina, who took a low, driven shot from distance that Franch was able to gather.

It was just the start of a frantic battle between the league’s top offenses, as the match featured plenty of counterattacking. The duel between Strom and Michelle Cooper was one to watch up and down the wing and highlighted the back-and-forth nature of the match. Strom defended well against Cooper, but the 21-year-old had the Current’s first real chance in the sixth minute when a decent cross found her in the box, only for her to send it over the bar. Abello then went the other way, winning a corner after her cross was blocked.

Another important battle between individual players was Lawrence’s defense against Chawinga. It was just Lawrence’s second start this season after her injury in last year’s preseason, and stopping Chawinga is arguably the toughest assignment in the league. Chawinga is particularly lethal when counterattacking and Lawrence picked up the first yellow card in the 14th minute when she pulled the Malawian forward’s shirt to slow her down on the break. Though the Pride were able to safely deal with the ensuing free kick, the card put Lawrence in a tough spot early.

Sams made a critical tackle against Chawinga soon after, one of many great contributions from the defender. However, Chawinga was relentless in this match and had another chance in the 17th minute, nearly getting on the end of a loose ball in the box. However, Moorhouse was there to collect it and see out the danger. Moorhouse was called to action again in the 20th minute, making a save but spilling the rebound before chasing it down to push it out of play.

It was a physical match, and Marta received a yellow card in the 23rd minute for her reaction to a hard foul from Claire Lavogez. Marta will likely be heading back to Orlando with some bumps and bruises as it was just one of many times during the match that she was knocked down. Strom spoke after the match about how Marta’s passion in this match was a rallying point of sorts for the team.

“You saw the fire in her eyes today, and that is so contagious,” Strom said. “We see her fighting, and she’s the one throwing her body in front of everything, putting everything on the line. Everybody gets behind that, everybody in the locker room. We are so connected and that’s something so special with this team.”

That passion was evident soon after that foul, as Marta hustled to get in the way of an attempted clearance by the Current soon after. Banda was quick to get to the loose ball in the box, but she was forced into a tough angle and sent her shot wide.

In the 28th minute, the Current picked up their first yellow card of the night after Claire Hutton kicked the back of Marta’s leg while defending her.

The hydration break did little to slow down the breakneck pace of the game. In the 32nd minute, Marta didn’t get all of the ball on an attempted shot and the Current sprinted the other way. Lavogez took a crack at goal herself from outside the box, but the shot went just over the ball. A minute later, Marta was fouled yet again, this time in a decent area from distance. Angelina lobbed the free kick over the Kansas City defense, but Franch was there to catch it.

The Pride finally broke through in the 37th minute. Adriana found a nice pocket of space between Kansas City defenders and Marta found her fellow Brazilian with a nice pass. Adriana didn’t take long to shoot and it never had a chance at going in, but it did deflect off of Elizabeth Ball and Banda was there to jump on the opportunity. The Zambian forward was on it in an instant and beat Franch to give the Pride the lead.

It was Banda’s 12th goal in what has been a fantastic first season in Orlando. With that goal, she took the lead in the NWSL Golden Boot race as well.

That lead, both for the Pride and Banda, lasted all of two minutes. Chawinga bested Lawrence and was then off to the races, dribbling through Orlando’s defense and putting her shot past Moorhouse for the equalizer in the 39th minute. It was Chawinga’s 12th goal of the season as well.

The game wasn’t done changing though, as Lawrence received her second yellow card in the 42nd minute and was sent off. Lawrence had been defending Chawinga yet again and left her feet to tackle the forward from behind, leaving the Pride with just 10 players for the remainder of the match. Even though halftime was looming, Seb Hines immediately made a change with his first substitution in the 44th minute, bringing off Doyle to add another defender in Rafaelle. Hines has spoken often about the importance of goals right before halftime, so it made sense for him to bring on Rafaelle immediately to prevent conceding a late, first-half goal.

Chawinga nearly had her brace in the 46th minute after a nice first touch to beat Sams and set up a shot. Moorhouse redeemed herself with a phenomenal diving save to nudge the curling shot just wide and out for a corner. While she had some worrying moments in this match, this save was one of Moorhouse’s best of the season.

Although down a player, the Pride didn’t stop pushing for a goal offensively to close out the first half. However, despite a flurry of corner kicks from Orlando, the first half ended with the game tied 1-1 and the Pride at a disadvantage due to Lawrence’s exit.

The Pride had more possession (53%-47%), shots (7-6), shots on target (5-4), corner kicks (4-1),and crosses (9-8). The Pride also completed 76% of their passes, while the Current were successful on 72% of theirs.

Hines made another change at halftime, replacing Yates with McCutcheon in the midfield.

It didn’t take long into the second half for Marta to be fouled again, with Lo’eau LaBonta receiving a yellow card this time. The medical team came out as she stayed down, but Marta was ultimately able to continue.

It was hard to tell that the Pride were down a player at times, as Banda and Marta required plenty of attention from the Current and the team remained organized and consistent with its pressure. This wasn’t the first time the Pride have played well after a red card this season and it showed.

“You have to manage those moments. You have to not find excuses,” Hines said. “It could have been very easy to give up and say, ‘You know what, we’re playing the top of the table tonight at their grounds, we’re down to 10 players.’ That could have been your excuse, but we’re not like that. That’s not the attitude. That’s not the character that we have in this group. They embrace it. They use it as fuel. Even when things are going against them, they step up and have great attitudes throughout the whole game.”

Adriana, Banda, and Marta all had their shots blocked in a barrage of chances for Orlando in the 51st minute, earning a corner for their efforts. That corner was cleared by the Current and Chawinga was wreaking havoc at the other end in a flash. Her cross skipped in front of goal, but Moorhouse collected it before the Current could capitalize. In the 55th minute, Chawinga sent a shot directly at Moorhouse. The goalkeeper couldn’t handle it, but her back line was able to clear away the danger during the panic.

Kansas City Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski made his first substitution in the 56th minute, bringing in Bayley Feist for Lavogez. In the 57th minute, Hailie Mace was shown a yellow card for yet another foul against Marta.

Things took an unexpected turn in the 60th minute. Sams came up with another important tackle to spark a counterattack that sent Banda downfield in a hurry. The forward dribbled towards the box and then slipped a nice pass in to tee up a shot for Adriana. The Brazilian’s first shot was blocked, and she rushed to poke at the rebound, getting fouled by Franch in the process. Franch was shown a yellow card while Adriana remained down and the Pride were awarded a penalty. Marta took it and beat Franch to give Orlando an unlikely lead while down a player on the road. Purists may say her penalty kick was too driven to be a panenka, but it was crafty, deceptive, and wound up in the back of the net all the same.

The goal showcased Orlando’s commitment to keep attacking for a winner despite being a player down in the second half.

“It didn’t change,” Hines said in regards to the team’s game plan after the red card. “We came into this game with the intention that we wanted to win. Whether we have 10 players or 11 players, it doesn’t matter. We always feel like there’s an opportunity for us to win.”

Chasing a result, Feist had a shot from distance in the 66th minute. It took a deflection, but Moorhouse was able to make the save without any trouble. Hutton had a shot from distance in the 68th minute, but it went over the crossbar. The Pride’s defense did a great job limiting the Current to tougher shooting opportunities and pressed when needed to stop Kansas City from gaining momentum.

Hines then added some fresher legs with a pair of substitutions in the 69th minute, with Cori Dyke and Ally Watt replacing Adriana and Angelina. Watt did fairly well when defending and applying pressure, although she did concede a foul in the 74th minute that gave the Current a free kick in a dangerous area. Debinha is lethal from set piece situations, but the Pride’s wall did its job to stop the shot.

Banda had a chance to expand Orlando’s lead in the 80th minute, but Franch managed an impressive kick save to deny her. She had another chance in the 84th minute while surrounded by Kansas City players, but her shot went wide.

Andonovski made another change in the 85th minute, with Brazilian defender Lauren coming on for Ball. The Current started to pick up the pace, creating better opportunities as the game neared its end. Feist had a shot from distance that went over the bar like many others, but it wasn’t off by much.

Hines responded by bringing in another defender, with Bri Martinez coming off the bench for Marta to help see out the match. Moorhouse came up with another big save in stoppage time against Ellie Wheeler after the ball took a weird bounce off of Abello. The Current were relentless, but the Pride proved why they have the best defense in the league.

“I think it says so much about our mentality,” Abello said after the match. “Going a player down obviously isn’t the best situation, but you can still get points. We’ve played some of our better football when we’re a player down. We still found the spaces. We still played well. It’s all about making good decisions and just being gritty in the defensive third.”

Mace had a shot with plenty of heat on it that went just off target and Chawinga put a header wide of goal in the final moments in the Current’s best chances of an onslaught of attacks successfully endured by the Pride. The final whistle blew after a little over 10 minutes of stoppage time and the Pride claimed all three points on the road.

Lawrence’s red card shifted things as far as statistics go, but it was far from one-sided, as the Current finished with more possession (57%-43%), shots (23-15), shots on target (13-11), and crosses (26-11). The Current also completed 74% of their passes while the Pride completed 68% of theirs. Both teams had five corner kicks. Moorhouse finished the game with seven saves, and Franch ended up with three.

“We showed so much character, so much heart,” Strom said. “To be honest, even when we went a man down, we were never in doubt. We knew we could win this game. From the beginning of this year, we knew we had something special with this team and we just proved it.”

There was plenty of attention on this match as it pitted the league’s two previously undefeated sides against each other for the first time this season. It was the most impressive result yet for a team that has far exceeded expectations this season. Seb Hines has spoken often this year about the team’s tenacity and this match was a testament to the work the Pride have put in to reach the top of the table.

“To go down to 10 players so early in the game and show the character that we’ve been talking about all season long is just incredible,” Hines said. “To come into this environment, we knew that was going to be a tough game. Same amount of points, same amount of wins, same amount of ties, there was nothing between us going into this game. I think we showed our character, our personality.”

The win gives the Orlando Pride sole possession of first place in the NWSL standings after 16 games. They are in a great spot as the league takes a break for the Olympics and the Summer Cup. Marta, Adriana, Rafaelle, Angelina, Banda, and Grace Chanda will all be in Paris for the tournament.

The Pride’s next game will come in the group stage of the inaugural NWSL X Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup when they take on the North Carolina Courage on July 20. Their next NWSL match isn’t until Aug. 23, when they face the Houston Dash on the road.

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

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

Published

8 hours ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

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

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

History

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

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

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

Defensive Midfielders: Angelina, Haley McCutcheon.

Attacking Midfielders: Julie Doyle, Summer Yates, Marta.

Forward: Simone Jackson.

Bench: Cara Martin, Hannah Anderson, Nicole Payne, Ally Lemos, Reagan Raabe, Luana, Seven Castain, McKinley Crone, Barbra Banda.

Boston Legacy FC (3-4-3)

Goalkeeper: Casey Murphy.

Defenders: Emerson Elgin, Lais Araujo, Jorelyn Carabali.

Midfielders: Josefine Hasbo, Annie Karich, Barbara Olivierei, Alba Cano.

Forwards: Bianca St-Georges, Aissata Traore, Nichelle Prince.

Bench: Laurel Ivory, Amanda Allen, Sammy Smith, Amanda Gutierres, Ella Stevens, Chloe Ricketts, Aleigh Gambone, Nicolette Hernandez, Laurel Ansbrow.

Referees

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

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Gillette Stadium — Foxborough, MA.

TV: None.

Streaming: Victory+.

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

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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

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

Published

4 days ago

on

May 8, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published

4 days ago

on

May 8, 2026

By

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

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

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

History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

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

Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Ally Lemos.

Attacking Midfielders: Solai Washington, Angelina, Summer Yates.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

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

North Carolina Courage (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Kailen Sheridan.

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

Midfielders: Manaka Matsukubo, Shinomi Koyama, Riley Jackson.

Forwards: Ashley Sanchez, Evelyn Ijeh, Lauryn Thompson.

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

Referees

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

How to Watch

Match Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: Prime Video.

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

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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