Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville FC: Final Score 1-1 as Pride Wrap Up the Summer Cup with Another Draw
The Pride ended their Summer Cup with a 1-1 draw against Racing Louisville FC.
The Orlando Pride (0-0-3, 4 points) drew 1-1 with Racing Louisville FC (1-0-2, 6 points) at Inter&Co Stadium tonight in their final game of the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. Evelina Duljan gave the Pride the lead in the 38th minute and Reilyn Turner equalized in the 67th minute. The visitors then won 4-3 on penalties to take the extra point as both teams were eliminated, with North Carolina winning the group.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made five changes from the team’s 2-2 draw with CF Monterrey Femenil Saturday night. Anna Moorhouse, Kerry Abello, Haley McCutcheon, Summer Yates, and Julie Doyle replaced Sofia Manner, Carrie Lawrence, Morgan Gautrat, Ally Watt, and Mariana Larroquette. While Lawrence was away with an excused absence, the other four starters from the Monterrey game were on the bench.
The back four in front of Moorhouse in goal was Cori Dyke, Kylie Strom, Abello, and Celia. McCutcheon and Ally Lemos were the defensive midfielders behind Doyle, Duljan, and Yates with rookie Alex Kerr starting up top for the second straight game.
The Pride were the better team in the first 45 minutes, creating most of the chances and taking a 1-0 lead into the break. Louisville came out the better side in the second half, immediately putting the Pride under pressure. Hines made some changes as the Pride looked to flip the momentum back to their side, but it was the visitors that caused the most trouble. Both teams had chances for a winner as time wound down, but neither could convert and the game ended in a draw.
The Pride had the first chance of the game in the sixth minute when Ellie Jean couldn’t control a square pass in the back. Kerr intercepted it and went the other way, attempting a cross just before the ball crossed the end line. However, Lauren Milliet got back just in time to block it out for a corner kick.
The ensuing set piece by Yates was cleared to the top of the box where Dyke ran onto it. The defender attempted a first-touch shot that was deflected out by Jordan Baggett for a second corner. Yates’ second corner was cleared, ending the threat.
The visitors had their first chance of the game in the seventh minute when Baggett lifted the ball behind the Pride defense for Parker Goins. The attacker had space, but took a quick shot after briefly bringing the ball down. As a result, she was unable to get over the ball, sending it sailing well wide of the target.
It looked like Doyle might have a chance in the 18th minute when Jean couldn’t control the ball in the box. Doyle took possession and tried to create some space. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to lose Milliet, who blocked the right-footed shot.
Three minutes later, Abello sent a cross into the box that found Duljan. Rather than attempting to shoot through multiple defenders, the midfielder laid it off for Celia. The right back took the shot instead, but it was deflected by Arin Wright and into the arms of Louisville goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer.
In the 27th minute, Jean sent a great ball into the Pride box for Goins. Dyke did well to defend the attacker, knocking the ball free and enabling Lemos to send it out of play.
The Pride were unable to clear the ensuing throw-in, enabling Louisville to take possession. Wright played the ball to the left for Elexa Bahr, who sent a cross towards the back post. Ary Borges got a glancing head to it, but sent the attempt wide.
The hosts quickly went the other way and created a chance of their own. Abello played a nice ball for Kerr with the outside of her left foot and the striker took a first-touch shot. It was a solid attempt but was right at Bloomer who made the easy catch.
Kerr used a nice individual effort in the 38th minute to lose Milliet and create a shot. She was aiming to beat Bloomer to her near post, but the Louisville goalkeeper did well to get down and block it away.
The Pride maintained possession, resulting in Abello with the ball on the left. The left back used some nice moves to beat Bahr and send a cross into the box. Duljan beat her defender to the cross in the six, heading it in to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.
“I knew, kind of right when I received that ball, I knew that I was in one-v-one position,” Abello said about the play. “I love to go one-v-one and I don’t get to do that as much at left back. So, I knew I wanted to take that opportunity and get a service off, and I kind of slowed it down for a sec, but I saw that we had runners in the box. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I gotta get this service off.’ I can’t go back now because we had good numbers. So sent it in and Ev made a great run, great header.”
“Could she build on what she did last week? I thought she was tremendous last week, so I think going into the next game, it’s always the most challenging game for yourself individually,” Hines said about Duljan. “Because you set such a high bar in that first game, you don’t want to just to be a one-off, and I think as the game went on to build that confidence. She took the ball in difficult areas. She’s another one that we had to move into the midfield, which is a position she’s not too comfortable with. But again, she took the ball under pressure. She managed to find outlets.”
Kerr was on the attack again in the 42nd minute after receiving a ball from Abello in the box. The forward dribbled across, looking for space to shoot, but was well defended. Instead, she laid the ball off for Doyle, who had space. The midfielder shot on goal but it was pushed away by Bloomer. That was the last chance for either team as the Pride took a 1-0 lead into the break.
At halftime, Louisville had more possession (55.9%-44.1%), but the Pride had more shots (7-5), shots on target (4-0), and corner kicks (2-0). Additionally, both teams had four crosses and Louisville had better passing accuracy (88.3%-84.3%).
The Pride made one halftime change as Watt entered the game for Yates.
Louisville got the first chance of the second half when Borges sent a cross across the face of the goal to Turner. After not getting any shots in the first 45 minutes, Turner’s second touch was on target. Fortunately for the Pride, the attempt was at the near post where Moorhouse made the easy catch.
The visitors had a decent chance in the 60th minute when Celia pulled Turner down from behind just outside of the Pride box, earning herself a yellow card. Halftime substitute Marisa DiGrande took the set piece and was aiming towards the back post for Taylor Flint. However, it was a bit too high for the tall midfielder.
On the other end, the Pride created their first shot of the second half when Watt played the ball to the top of the box for Doyle. The attacker took a couple of touches to her right to separate from Milliet before firing off target.
Immediately after the chance, the Pride made two more changes. Claire Winter and Amanda Allen came into the game for Abello and Kerr.
The Pride nearly doubled their lead in the 66th minute when Louisville was unable to clear the ball after a pair of blocked shots. Duljan took control and dribbled to the right, eventually laying it off for Celia. The right back shot but the attempt was just over the bar.
A minute later, Louisville got its equalizer. Receiving the ball down the right, Emma Sears got a cross off to the back post before Strom could reach her. Turner was wide open as Celia was late getting back, enabling the attacker to easily head the ball in and even the game at 1-1.
The Pride nearly retook the lead two minutes later when McCutcheon sent Watt behind the Louisville defense. The forward was looking for Allen making a run into the box, but her cross through traffic was cleared before it reached the second-half substitute.
Hines made his fourth substitution and used his second window in the 72nd minute to bring Larroquette into the game for McCutcheon.
The visitors continued to be the more dangerous team and created another chance in the 74th minute. Wright sent a long cross to the back post where Flint outjumped her defender, trying to send it back in front of the goal. However, her header curled around the back post and out of play.
In the 80th minute, Louisville nearly scored the go-ahead goal when Maddie Pokorny received the ball on the left side of the box and sent a low ball to the back post. Sears beat Winter to the ball, but couldn’t put the attempt on frame.
Larroquette played Watt down the right in the 84th minute and the speedster beat her defender to the ball. She sent a dangerous cross into the six-yard box that Allen was attempting to run onto, but the forward couldn’t reach it.
Shortly after the chance, Hines made his final change of the game. Gautrat entered in the place of first-half goal scorer Duljan.
In the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, Winter lost the ball to Pokorny who sprinted the other way. The Pride were forward, so only Strom was back. As Gautrat tried to catch up to Pokorny, Strom slid over to cover the attacker. Meanwhile, Kayla Fischer was wide open in the middle. Fortunately, Dyke got back and intercepted the pass to Fischer, saving an almost sure goal.
Dyke went down injured on the play and had to come off for further treatment. The Pride had backup goalkeeper Kenna Caldwell warming up but never brought her on, deciding to end the game with 10 players. Despite being down a player, they held on for the 1-1 draw.
After 90 minutes, Louisville had more possession (57.5%-42.5%) but the Pride had more shots (16-13) and shots on target (4-3). The Pride also had more corner kicks (3-1) while the visitors had more crosses (12-9) and better passing accuracy (85.4%-81.6%).
“I’ll give the players the benefit of doubt. It’s a new team really coming together,” Hines said. “You know, that chemistry wasn’t quite there. But their attitude’s first class and towards the end of the game, when you’ve got, you know, 10 players on the field and still managed to see our team to penalties, that’s really pleasing for me and the rest of the staff.”
“Honestly, I think we could have performed better, but I was really proud of the team and the fight and we remain undefeated. And I think that was a really important goal for us,” Abello added. “You know, we have a lot of new players sliding into new positions, and overall, I’m just really proud of the fight of our team to see out that draw. And yeah, I think we developed a lot over the Summer Cup and we’re looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Despite the Pride having been eliminated prior to the game and Louisville having been eliminated with the draw, the teams had to take part in a penalty shootout to see who got a second point from the game.
The Pride got the shootout off to a good start when Jaelin Howell knocked the opening kick off of the right post. The following six shooters converted, giving the Pride a 3-2 lead heading into the fourth round. But a poor penalty by Gautrat enabled Bloomer to block the ball away, keeping her team alive. After Flint gave Louisville the lead, it was up to Watt to keep the Pride in it. However, she went straight down the middle, allowing Bloomer to block the shot away and give Louisville the extra point.
“We’ve had a lot of practice with penalties. So, yeah, that puts us in a good position moving forward. I think, looking back, it’s been a really good test for us, especially with so many players away on international duty,” Hines said about the Pride’s Summer Cup campaign. “It’s allowed us to give all the players an opportunity to go out there and perform and still stay at a high standard. You know, see where players are at. It’s very difficult trying to replicate real games, competitive games, and this tournament allowed us to do that. So I think we’re in a really good position going into the regular season now and where everyone is, and still continue to have that high standard that we set early on in the season.”
The Pride end the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup with three draws and claim four points, winning one of their three shootouts. While they were unable to find a win in the three games and were eliminated in the group stage, they extended their season-long unbeaten run to 19 games in all competitions.
“It makes me really excited and confident going into the rest of the season,” Abello said about claiming points in all three games. “I was so happy to see our whole bench get a lot of minutes and everyone did so well. And so, I think that just goes to show the depth that we do have and I think we’ll definitely use that depth throughout the remainder of the season. So, I’m excited. I’m excited for those players.”
Since they didn’t advance to the semifinals next weekend, the Pride have an extended break before they restart the NWSL regular season. They’ll take the field next on Aug. 23 when they travel to Texas to face the Houston Dash.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride look to bounce back from their first loss of the season as they welcome Angel City FC to Orlando.
Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (4-1-0, 12 points) look to bounce back from their first loss of the year tonight when they face Angel City FC (2-1-2, 8 points). This is the first of two games the teams will play this year, with the return game in Los Angeles scheduled for Aug. 21.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
Angel City was one of the NWSL’s two expansion teams entering the league in 2022. As a result, the Pride have only played tonight’s opponents six times. The Pride are 3-1-2 in the six games, all in NWSL regular-season play and the home team has never won. The Pride are 0-1-2 against Angel City at Inter&Co Stadium.
The most recent matchup between these two teams took place on June 30, 2024 in Los Angeles. Adriana gave the Pride the lead in the 20th minute and scored a second goal in the 26th minute. Barbra Banda netted a goal of her own six minutes into stoppage time, leading the Pride to a dominating 3-0 win. On March 22, 2024, in Orlando, former Pride attacker Claire Emslie gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot, and it looked as though the Pride would drop their first game of the season. But Marta volleyed home an equalizer from an Angelina corner kick late, pulling out a 1-1 draw.
The first meeting of the 2023 season was on April 2 in Orlando. Emily Sams took down Alyssa Thompson in the first half, giving the visitors a penalty. Emslie stepped up and converted to give her team a 1-0 lead. Messiah Bright responded just after halftime to make it 1-1, and the game appeared to be heading for a draw. But Katie Johnson scored the winner in the 10th minute of second-half injury time. On Oct. 2, 2023 in Los Angeles, an Adriana volley beat Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson to her near post for the only goal as the Pride won a crucial late-season game.
The first-ever game between the teams took place on May 8, 2022 in Los Angeles. In the third minute, Gunny Jonsdottir’s cross was tipped by Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haracic, but it went right to Sydney Leroux. The Pride striker fired right at Morgan Reid standing in front of goal. The ball bounced off the defender and went in to give the Pride an early lead. The hosts controlled the final hour, but the Pride held on for 87 minutes to claim their first win of the season.
The teams met again on Aug. 7 in Orlando. Then-Pride defender Ali Riley opened the scoring with a wonderful strike from the left side. The Pride responded in the second half through Julie Doyle, three minutes after she entered the game, to even it at 1-1. The visitors took another lead when Cari Roccaro beat Viviana Villacorta to a corner kick, putting it past Erin McLeod. The Pride equalized for a second time in the 90th minute when Doyle and Paige Nielsen raced for a Thais Reiss cross, with the defender reaching it first. But Nielsen’s attempted clearance went into her own net, allowing the Pride to claim a 2-2 draw and extend their unbeaten run to five games.
Overview
After drawing the Washington Spirit in the Challenge Cup and falling on penalties, the Pride got the season off to a roaring start. They thrashed the Chicago Stars 6-0 in the season opener and followed that with wins over NJ/NY Gotham FC, San Diego Wave FC, and Seattle Reign FC. It looked like it would be another long unbeaten streak like last year until Saturday evening.
The Pride dominated the Spirit in their return to Orlando, but finishing doomed the hosts. The Pride held 60% possession and outshot the Spirit 20-9. However, only six of their shots were on target. In the 63rd minute, Anna Moorhouse made one of her typical gaffes, giving the ball to Gift Monday on her own goal line and allowing the Nigerian to tap it in. That was the only goal as the Pride fell 1-0 for their first home loss since 2023.
Despite the loss, the Pride are still off to a great start this year. They currently sit second in the league, three points behind the Kansas City Current, and have the second-best goal difference behind the same team.
The Pride have been very strong defensively with a back line of Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Sams, and Cori Dyke. Oihane started the last game and played well but was taken off at halftime Saturday after suffering an injury. Other than Moorhouse’s mistake, there isn’t much to complain about when it comes to the team defensively.
While the Pride have scored the second-most goals in the league with 11, that’s largely because of their six-goal output on March 14. They scored two in each of the following two games, one against Seattle, and were held goalless Saturday for the first time this season. Seven of the team’s goals have been scored by Banda (3), Haley McCutcheon (2), and Marta (2). Ally Watt and Julie Doyle both scored in the opener, and the Pride benefited from an opposing own goal in each of the first two games.
Angel City currently sits in sixth place with eight points from the team’s first five games. Tonight’s visitors have netted seven goals and conceded eight for a negative-one goal difference.
The team is led offensively by U.S. international Alyssa Thompson, who has three goals and an assist in four games. Riley Tiernan joined the club this season and the rookie has been a solid signing, adding two goals and an assist in five appearances. The other two goals have come from Macey Hodge and Kennedy Fuller, scoring one each.
Despite giving up eight goals, Angel City has been quite fortunate defensively on the injury front. The club had the same defensive unit in its first four games before moving right back Gisele Thompson forward to take her sister Alyssa’s spot in the attack.
Angel City is coming off a tough match Friday night, falling 4-0 to Gotham FC at home. Flying across the country for a Friday night game, this seems like a good opportunity for the sputtering Pride attack to get back into form.
“I think LA are a new team. New to different philosophies, different styles of play,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “Obviously have a lot of young players and brought in some new players, so it’ll be an interesting matchup. Again, we want to get back to winning ways. Obviously, we’re disappointed after the last result, and there’s no better way to do that than this Friday against Angel City.”
There’s no change to the Pride availability report tonight. They remain without Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), Aryssa Mahrt (knee), Julie Doyle (knee), Rafaelle (thigh), and Summer Yates (ankle).
Angel City will be without Jun Endo (knee), Macey Hodge (upper leg), Sydney Leroux (excused absence), and Ali Riley (upper leg).
Projected Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Cori Dyke.
Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.
Attacking Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Ally Watt.
Forward: Barbra Banda.
Angel City FC (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Angelina Anderson.
Defenders: M.A. Vignola, Savvy King, Sarah Gorden, Gisele Thompson.
Defensive Midfielders: Alanna Kennedy, Katie Zelem.
Attacking Midfielders: Alyssa Thompson, Kennedy Fuller, Claire Emslie.
Forward: Riley Tiernan.
Referees
REF: Matt Thompson.
AR1: Tom Felice.
AR2: Stephen Milhoan.
4TH: Russell Miller.
VAR: Alexandra Billeter.
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 Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Final Score 1-0 As Pride Drop Points For First Time in 2025
A goalkeeping error and poor finishing were costly as the Pride fell at home to the Washington Spirit.
The Orlando Pride (4-1-0, 12 points) dropped points for the first time this season, falling 1-0 to the Washington Spirit (4-1-0, 12 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse gave the ball to Gift Monday right in front of her own goal in the 63rd minute, resulting in the game’s only goal and it could hardly have been easier for the visitors to produce the winning goal.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made three changes to the team that beat Seattle Reign FC 1-0 on April 12. Morgan Gautrat, Angelina, and Oihane entered the lineup for Ally Lemos, Summer Yates, and Cori Dyke.
The back line in front of Moorhouse in goal was Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, and Oihane. Haley McCutcheon and Gautrat were the defensive midfielders behind Angelina, Marta, and Ally Watt, with Barbra Banda up top.
The Pride dominated the majority of the game. They created nearly all of the chances and should’ve taken the lead on multiple occasions. Meanwhile, the Spirit didn’t get their first chance on target until the 62nd minute. That attempt and the goal a minute later were the only two chances the Spirit put on frame all game. The mistake by Moorhouse and lack of finishing ended up being the difference as the Pride stumbled for the first time this season.
The Pride got the first chance of the game in the fourth minute when Oihane played Banda down the right. The striker got behind the Spirit back line and played the ball into the box where Angelina was running on. The Brazilian tried to get on the end of the pass, but it was just beyond her reach.
Banda dribbled into the box from the right in the ninth minute and, after beating Tara McKeown, met Narumi Miura. The midfielder made contact with the striker and the Pride players appealed for a penalty, but the referee signaled for a goal kick.
Gautrat blocked a clearance attempt in the 20th minute. The ball went straight to Banda, who was in on goal from the right. The striker’s shot for the near post, but it was right into the arms of Kingsbury.
Two minutes later, Abello received a long pass on the left side of the field. Nobody stepped up to the left back, so she carried the ball towards the top of the box. She was aiming for the far post, but Kingsbury did well to dive to her left and touch it wide.
The Pride were unable to create anything from the ensuing corner and Washington cleared the danger.
In the 26th minute, Angelina and Abello played a give-and-go, sending Angelina towards the end line. The left-sided midfielder sent a cross into the six-yard box for Banda, but it was just behind her. Watt reached the free ball and played it back to Gautrat at the top of the box, but her shot was blocked.
The Pride dominated the first half hour, making it difficult for the Spirit to get any possession in the final third. In the 30th minute, McKeown sent a cross towards the back side of the six where Esme Morgan was waiting. The defender tried to volley a shot towards goal but couldn’t get over the ball.
The Pride gave away the ensuing goal kick, creating another chance for the Spirit. This time, Ashley Hatch had a chance. The league’s top goal scorer tried to guide the ball past Moorhouse and into the top corner but sent it just high and wide.
On the other end, a long ball forward was misplayed, allowing Banda to get behind the Spirit back line. The striker dribbled in from the right and shot, but the attempt was right at Kingsbury.
In the 43rd minute, Watt carried the ball past her defender on the right and sent a low shot towards the near post. However, Kingsbury had it covered and didn’t have any trouble collecting it.
A minute later, Marta played the ball to Angelina at the top of the box. The Brazilian lifted the ball over the back line for McCutcheon, who tried to guide the ball inside the far post. Unfortunately, she sent it wide.
Despite their inability to score, the Pride dominated the first half. They ended the first 45 minutes with the advantage in possession (58%-42%), shots (10-4), shots on target (3-0), crosses (12-3), corner kicks (3-0), and passing accuracy (84%-81%).
“We were doing really well. Our press was working really well. We were blocking them in, weighing the ball,” Watt said about the halftime message. “So, yeah, coach Seb was just saying we just need to finish those chances.”
Hines made one halftime change. After suffering an injury in the first half, Oihane was replaced at right back by Dyke.
The Pride took the first shot of the second half in the 46th minute when Banda sent a long shot towards goal. Kingsbury wasn’t able to collect the ball, knocking it wide and out of play for a Pride corner kick.
The first set piece was cleared out of play and the second corner was wide, ending the threat.
In the 52nd minute, Gabrielle Carle knocked the ball back for Leicy Santos, who sent a hard shot towards goal. The ball slammed off the head of Hatch, going out of play and sending the striker to the ground. Hatch had to go through a concussion test before play was able to resume.
Hatch went down again in the 58th minute. This time she failed the concussion test and was replaced by Rosemonde Kouassi.
The Spirit finally got their first shot on target in the 62nd minute. Makenna Morris entered the Pride box from the right and took a shot, but it didn’t cause any trouble for Moorhouse.
A minute later, Moorhouse made one of the mistakes she’s known for, and it was a big one. Receiving a pass back from Sams, the goalkeeper tried to dribble out of pressure from Gift Monday. Instead, she gave the ball to the forward right in front of her own goal. It was an easy tap-in for Monday, giving the Spirit a 1-0 lead.
“I think, for us, we want to play out of the back. And I think it’s all about finding the open player. Because obviously when a team presses the way that they do, you put yourself under pressure,” Gautrat said about the goal. “And I think, for us, since sometimes when they press well, sometimes you just have to clear it. And I think, for us, we got a little bit caught in between who was even dropping to help Anna in the moment.”
The Pride nearly equalized in the 65th minute when Abello beat Carle to get a cross off. Banda tried to flick the ball from the near post to the far post, hitting the crossbar. The ball fell to Watt and the attacker fired on target, but Morgan blocked it wide. The Pride couldn’t create anything from the ensuing corner kick and the chance ended.
“I was just focusing so hard to make sure I didn’t clear the ball over the net,” Watt said about her chance. “And I just happened to hit it right to my defender. So, I need to finish those chances.”
Hines made two more changes in the 69th minute. Lemos and Prisca Chilufya came into the game for McCutcheon and Watt in a pair of straight swaps.
Banda nearly sent Angelina through on goal in the 70th minute. The Brazilian was behind the back line, but the pass was just beyond her reach and Kingsbury was able to collect it.
In the 72nd minute, Banda was sent behind the Spirit back line. However, McKeown did well to get her body on the striker. Banda got a shot off, but she sent her shot sailing wide of the target.
Hines made his fourth change of the game in the 79th minute, replacing Gautrat with Carson Pickett.
In the 83rd minute, Banda tried to play Marta at the near post, but the ball was knocked out of play for a corner kick. Kingsbury pushed away the ensuing set piece off Carle’s head and in to even the game at 1-1.
As the Pride players celebrated, referee Elton Garcia was called to the monitor. Nadaner backed into Kingsbury on the play, impeding the goalkeeper from catching the ball. It was a quick review and the goal was correctly overturned, retaining the Spirit’s lead.
Immediately after the review, Hines made his fifth and final change of the game. Grace Chanda came on for Angelina.
In the 88th minute, Marta made a nice cut to create space from a pair of defenders. Despite the long distance, Kingsbury could only push the ball over the top for a corner kick. Unfortunately, the ensuing set piece was too close to the former Pride goalkeeper, who caught the ball and ended the attack.
Abello sent Chilufya down the right in the third minute of stoppage time. Carle slid in to intercept, but missed the ball, allowing Chilufya to get into the Spirit box. The Zambian then beat Morgan and shot for the far post. However, the ball rolled just wide for a goal kick.
In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Rebeca Bernal put her hand on Marta’s back and the Pride captain went down. Bernal contested the foul call, but the Pride had a free kick in a dangerous position. Lemos’ free kick was just over Banda’s head, but sent back in by Pickett. A poor clearance went to Marta, but the Brazilian mishit the ball.
The final chance of the game came in the ninth minute of stoppage time when Marta’s cross went through the legs of Banda at the near post. Kingsbury collected it and the Pride dropped points for the first time this season.
The Pride ended up with the advantage in possession (59.9%-40.1%), shots (20-9), shots on target (6-2), crosses (22-7), corner kicks (11-1), and passing accuracy (82.3%-77.3%). However, the poor finishing cost them dearly as the Spirit take home all three points.
“I think 99% of the match we did well. I thought we played with a real intensity,” Hines said about the performance. “I thought we put Washington under immense pressure, and obviously we need to capitalize on those moments. And the frustration is, when you dominate a game, to not get anything out of it. We should put ourselves in that position. So obviously, bitterly disappointed with the result. I thought the performance was good, but we have to move on.”
This is the first loss for the Pride at Inter&Co Stadium since Aug. 25, 2023, a 2-1 loss to San Diego Wave FC. It snapped a 22-game points streak at home (16-0-6) in all competitions after claiming points in every home game last year.
“Tough one. Obviously, we don’t like to lose. We haven’t lost at home in a long, long time,” Gautrat said. “But, I think for us, we’re still early on in the season. I thought the performance was there. Thought we dominated in all facets of the game, honestly. And I just felt like we didn’t put one away. And we gave up one chance, maybe, and I think that we were unfortunate in that. But for us, I think we move on. We learn from the loss, and it’s still early on.”
The Pride will undoubtedly see this as three points lost. They had plenty of chances to put the game away much earlier. Their inability to do so and a simple mistake cost them a home loss against a team they’ll likely be challenging for the NWSL Shield at the end of the season.
“I think we got a little bit too lax for just maybe 5-10 minutes,” Gautrat said. “And I think that that makes a huge difference in this league, because teams are good enough and the quality is good enough to punish you for that. And I think we have to have a better performance for the full 90 minutes.”
The Pride will look to bounce back from this loss Friday night when they welcome Angel City FC to Orlando Friday night.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride look to make it five straight wins as they welcome the Washington Spirit to Orlando.
Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride return home to face the Washington Spirit. This is the second time the teams will meet this year and the first of two regular-season games. They are scheduled to face off again in Washington on Oct. 18.
Here’s everything you need to know about today’s game.
History
The Pride and Spirit have faced off 27 times since the Pride joined the NWSL in 2016. Orlando has a record of 10-9-8 in all competitions against Washington and a 9-6-7 record in NWSL play (regular season and playoffs combined).
The last time these two teams met was on March 7 in the NWSL Challenge Cup. In her first game back since July 6, Rafaelle netted the opening goal to give the Pride a late first-half lead. Leicy Santos equalized in the 72nd minute with a terrific strike, ending the game 1-1. The Spirit won the ensuing shootout 4-2 to claim the preseason trophy.
The first meeting of 2024 was on April 26 in Washington, D.C. Angelina gave the Pride the early lead before Ouleymata Sarr equalized shortly before halftime. A Barbra Banda strike and a Summer Yates penalty conversion in the second half seemed to put the game away, but Anna Moorhouse dropped an easy catch from Ashley Hatch, giving the Spirit a second goal. Fortunately, the Pride held on for the 3-2 win, extending their early-season winning streak to three games.
On Oct. 6, 2024 in Orlando, the Pride were dominant but didn’t convert until Marta scored in the 53rd minute. An Adriana shot was deflected by Tara McKeown for an own goal in the 73rd minute, lifting the Pride to a 2-0 win and clinching the NWSL Shield. The two teams then met on Nov. 23, 2024 in the NWSL Championship. Banda’s 37th-minute goal was the difference in the game as the Pride won their first-ever league title.
The first meeting of 2023 was on May 10 at Audi Field in NWSL Challenge Cup group play. Tori Hansen gave the Pride a surprising early lead, but late first-half goals by Lena Silano, Sam Staab, and Marissa Sheva made it 3-1 Washington at halftime. Ally Watt scored off the bench early in the second half, but Ashley Sanchez put the game away in injury time as the Spirit won 4-2.
The first regular-season matchup of 2023 was on May 20 in Orlando. Marta converted a first-half penalty, but Staab equalized five minutes later. Kylie Strom netted the winner late, and the Pride won 2-1. The Pride dominated the Spirit in the second regular-season matchup on July 1. Julie Doyle had a brace in the first 16 minutes and a McKeown own goal put the game out of reach as the Pride won 3-0.
The final meeting in 2023 was in the Challenge Cup on Aug. 4 in Orlando. The game appeared to be headed for a scoreless draw until Mariana Speckmaier scored eight minutes into second-half injury time, lifting her team to a 1-0 win.
The first game between the teams in 2022 came on May 27 at Exploria Stadium. Trinity Rodman gave the Spirit an early lead and Hatch doubled the advantage after halftime. As the game entered second-half stoppage time, it appeared as though the Pride would fall for the second straight time, but a pair of late goals by Mikayla Cluff and Darian Jenkins stunned Washington with a 2-2 draw. The teams met again on July 17 at Audi Field and the Spirit dominated the game statistically. They had more possession, shots, and shots on target but couldn’t find the back of the net, resulting in a scoreless draw.
Prior to the draw in May, the Pride and Spirit played two games in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. The first was on March 19 in Orlando, playing to a scoreless draw.
The second Challenge Cup meeting came on April 3 at Audi Field. Gunny Jonsdottir scored the team’s first goal in four games. However, the Spirit already had a 3-0 lead. Rodman scored a late goal to put the game away as the Pride fell 4-1.
The two teams played four times during 2021. The first was on April 21 in the Challenge Cup. Sydney Leroux’s goal was the only scoring as the Pride won 1-0. Just two games later, the Pride opened their regular season by hosting the Spirit on May 16. Hatch gave Washington the lead, but Alex Morgan equalized to claim a 1-1 draw. The second regular-season meeting that year was on June 6 in Washington. Hatch opened the scoring, but Taylor Kornieck equalized minutes later, resulting in a 1-1 draw. The final meeting of 2021 came Aug. 22 at Audi Field. Marta gave the Pride the lead, but Hatch equalized just two minutes later. It looked like it would be a third straight 1-1 draw but Sanchez won it for Washington late.
Due to the pandemic, the Pride and Spirit didn’t play in 2020 but faced off three times in 2019. The first was on July 6 in Orlando. Marta scored a brace in the second half, leading the Pride to a 4-3 win. They played again on Aug. 24 in Washington. Crystal Thomas gave the hosts the lead and Marta equalized. But Hatch’s goal lifted the Spirit to a 2-1 win. The final game was supposed to be the following weekend but was postponed due to Hurricane Dorian. Instead, the game was played Oct. 9 in Orlando. The Spirit dominated the rubber match, beating the Pride 3-0.
The first of two meetings in 2018 was on March 31 at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Hatch scored a goal and added an assist in a 2-0 win for the Spirit. The Pride got their revenge in the second game in the same location. Alanna Kennedy’s goal was the difference as the Pride won 1-0. The final meeting that year was on July 7 in Orlando. Hatch gave the Spirit the lead, but Leroux scored just before halftime and Marta’s goal gave Orlando the 2-1 win.
The 2017 season was the first time the teams played three times in a year. Their April 22 meeting was the Pride’s first home game that year. Line Sigvardsen-Jensen gave the visitors the lead, but Danica Evans answered as the teams drew 1-1. They met for the second time that year in Maryland on July 8 when Marta and Mallory Pugh both scored braces in a 2-2 draw. The final game in 2018 was on Aug. 8 in Orlando. Marta, Camila, and Morgan all scored as the Pride ran away with a 3-0 win.
The Spirit swept the first two meetings in 2016, winning 2-0 in Maryland and 2-1 in Orlando.
Overview
The Pride have gotten off to a great start to the 2025 NWSL season. They started with a club record-tying 6-0 win over the Chicago Stars and followed that with wins over NJ/NY Gotham FC, San Diego Wave FC, and Seattle Reign FC.
Offensively, the Pride have a league-leading 11 goals, largely sparked by that dominant 6-0 season opener. As expected, Banda leads the team with three goals. Marta and Haley McCutcheon follow with two goals each.
The Pride back line has started this season where it left off last year. Chiamaka Okwuchukwu’s 62nd-minute goal for San Diego on March 29 is the only goal conceded in regular-season play. Only the Kansas City Current have equaled the Pride’s defensive start to the season.
The Spirit have started the season just a bit behind the Pride and Current. After winning the Challenge Cup, last year’s runners up are 3-1-0, with their only loss being a 2-0 defeat at home to the Current.
Outside of the 2-0 loss — the Current are second in the league with 10 goals scored — the Spirit have only conceded once. The last two games have been 2-0 wins over Bay FC and Racing Louisville FC.
The Spirit are led offensively by the always-dangerous Hatch. The U.S. international has four of the team’s six goals, with Santos and Makenna Morris splitting the other two. Santos, Esme Morgan, and Narumi Muira each have one assist so far this year.
Former Pride goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury remains the starter in net for the Spirit. The shot stopper has 13 saves — fourth in the league — and an 0.75 goals-against average — third in the league.
In front of Kingsbury is a strong center back pairing of Tara McKeown and Rebeca Bernal. Casey Krueger and Gabrielle Carle have been the fullbacks until the most recent game when Krueger was out with a knee injury.
“Two teams that are competing to ultimately win the shield. So, there’s not a lot of room for error. It’s fine margins,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “They are coming to our place and we want to make that hostile environment with the fans coming out and supporting us. But it should turn out to be an entertaining game. Like I said, both teams are in a good run of form, and so we’re hoping we get the good side of it by getting the three points.”
There’s only one change to the Pride availability report today. Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), Aryssa Mahrt (knee), Julie Doyle (knee), and Rafaelle (thigh) remain out. They’re joined by Summer Yates (foot) who suffered an injury while assisting Banda’s goal in Seattle on April 12.
The Spirit have an extensive injury list, including Croix Bethune (hip), Emma Gaines-Ramos (knee), Hal Hershfelt (ankle), Lyza Jessee (wrist), Krueger (knee), Paige Metayer (knee), Brittany Ratcliffe (lower leg), Trinity Rodman (back), Ouleye Sarr (back), Andi Sullivan (knee), and Kate Wiesner (hip) all out. Santos (ankle) is questionable.
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, Oihane.
Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.
Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Ally Watt.
Forward: Barbra Banda.
Bench: McKinley Crone, Carson Pickett, Cori Dyke, Bri Martinez, Zara Chavoshi, Ally Lemos, Viviana Villacorta, Grace Chanda, Prisca Chilufya.
Washington Spirit (5-3-2)
Goalkeeper: Aubrey Kingsbury.
Defenders: Makenna Morris, Gabrielle Carle, Tara McKeown, Rebeca Bernal, Esme Morgan.
Midfielders: Narumi Miura, Heather Stainbrook, Courtney Brown.
Forwards: Ashley Hatch, Gift Monday.
Bench: Sandy MacIver, Leicy Santos, Rosemonde Kouassi, Kysha Sylla, Kiley Dulaney, Meg Boade, Chloe Ricketts.
Referees
REF: Elton Garcia.
AR1: John Krill.
AR2: Tiffini Turpin.
4TH: Alejo Calume.
VAR: Greg Dopka.
AVAR: Brian Marshall.
How to Watch
Match Time: 5 p.m.
Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.
TV: Ion.
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!
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