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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.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

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.

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Orlando Pride

Barbra Banda Continues to Make Offers Scoreboard Can’t Refuse

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

Published

13 hours ago

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August 14, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando Pride Sign Norwegian Forward Sanne Lekven

The 25-year-old attacker joins Orlando on a deal through at least 2028 with the Pride badly in need of more goal contributions.

Published

3 days ago

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August 12, 2026

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Image of the Orlando Pride's team flag being displayed prior to a match.
Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride continue looking for ways to bolster the team’s anemic attack with today’s announcement that the club has signed forward Sanne Lekven. The Norwegian attacker has signed a deal through the 2028 season with a club option for 2029 and will join Orlando once the NWSL has received her P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate.

“Sanne is a strong, dynamic attacker with the speed to stretch defenses and the work rate to impact the game in multiple phases,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Caitlin Carducci said in a club press release. “At 25 years old, she has already gained valuable experience and is entering an exciting stage of her career. We believe she can make an immediate contribution to our attack, and we’re excited to welcome her to Orlando.”

Lekven is the third player Carducci has added in the past month, joining Zoe Matthews and Gabi Nunes, as the Pride continue searching for answers to an offense that struggles to score goals both with and without Barbra Banda in the lineup. Orlando has scored 23 goals in 19 matches (1.21 goals per game), and Banda has 12 of those.

The Pride’s latest signee arrives after scoring five goals in 10 matches with Norwegian top flight side Aalesunds FK, the Toppserien (which translates to “the top series”). Lekven came up through the Stord Idrettslag youth system, making her senior team debut in 2016 in Norway’s fourth division. She scored 60 goals in 71 appearances from 2016 through 2019, before jumping to the top flight with Idrettslaget Sandviken in 2020. However, she played in only four matches with Sandviken. Signing with Viking FK, Lekven played three years from 2021 through 2024 and scored 33 times in 70 matches. She then moved to Arna-Bjørna for 2025-2026, where she struggled for a team that suffered relegation, scoring just four goals in 34 games. She then landed with Aalesunds.

Although she has not yet featured for Norway’s senior team, Lekven has represented her country at the U-16 and U-17 youth levels.

Lekven will wear jersey No. 22 for the Pride.

What It Means for Orlando

Carducci obviously has seen the team struggling to score goals, and signings like Lekven and Nunes are attempts to address the issue. The Pride have added youth (Matthews), experience (Nunes), and now, a player breaking into her prime in Lekven. Jacquie Ovalle needs more talent around her to unlock her playmaking abilities and Banda needs someone to take some of the heat off of her in the attacking third. While Lekven can’t do that alone, the trio of recent signings may collectively address some of the issues Orlando has had this season.

At the same time, the NWSL is a big step up in degree of difficulty. Lekven will need to adjust to a new league, a new culture, and the usual variables that any foreign-born player experiences when arriving in the United States — more demanding travel, a variety of climates and altitudes, and the speed and physicality of the league.

It is interesting that the club lists her as a forward, as she has played quite a bit of wingback while in Norway, where she’s shown good pace and strength while being adept at dribbling past opponents. One should always beware relying too heavily on highlight videos, but the one below shows good crossing skills as well.

She seems to be well suited to play on either wing, and that’s an area where the Pride could use more help. Ovalle’s pace limits her effectiveness out there, but the Mexican international has shown some promise when playing through the middle, which could be a good spot for her after Marta departs.

Time will tell whether bringing Lekven can produce in this league, and with her signing being for the next couple of years, this is essentially the first new player to whom Carducci has made a significant commitment. Matthews and Nunes are only on deals through the end of this season, with no option years.

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Zoe Matthews, Gabi Nunes Look to Give Orlando Pride Attack Much-Needed Boost

The Orlando Pride have added Zoe Matthews and Gabi Nunes as they look to strengthen their roster for the season’s final stretch.

Published

5 days ago

on

August 10, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride have reached a point in the 2026 NWSL season in which reinforcements aren’t simply welcome — they could be necessary.

After winning the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship in 2024 and following that with another playoff semifinal appearance in 2025, the Pride entered this season with high expectations. But the season hasn’t followed the same script. They fell to a 7-10-2 record after a 3-1 home loss to Racing Louisville FC Friday night, leaving Seb Hines’ team with 23 points and plenty of work to do during the final stretch of the regular season.

That’s why the team signed two new additions.

The Pride signed 19-year-old midfielder Zoe Matthews on July 16 and Brazilian international forward Gabi Nunes on Aug. 4. The pair have very different backgrounds and bring different qualities to the Pride. But that could be precisely why the moves make sense.

Matthews provides youth, size, and versatility. Nunes provides experience, attacking versatility, and a proven history of scoring goals.

Neither player should be expected to single-handedly rescue the season. But if both can give the Pride something they’ve been missing, they could make a meaningful difference down the stretch.

Matthews Gives Orlando Youth, Different Look

Matthews’ signing isn’t necessarily about finding an immediate star. Instead, the Pride are adding a player who could give Hines another option while potentially developing into a more important contributor.

The 19-year-old has already taken an unusual path for someone her age. She began her professional career with the Houston Dash at just 17 before gaining experience in Spain and Portugal. The Pride signed her through the end of the 2026 season in July, with general manager Caitlin Carducci describing her as a player with tremendous potential.

Her physical profile immediately makes her intriguing. At 6-foot-2, Matthews provides a size and presence that isn’t easy to find in midfield and a target in the attack with size — something the Pride have lacked. Her experience also isn’t limited to one position, giving Hines some flexibility in determining where she can best help the team.

That’s particularly useful for a roster that has had to deal with absences throughout the season.

Matthews doesn’t have to walk into the team and immediately become a starter. If she can provide reliable minutes, compete for a place in the rotation, and give Hines another player capable of handling different responsibilities, she’s already providing something the team needs.

And there’s potentially more to come.

At only 19, Matthews has plenty of room to develop. The Pride may be getting a depth piece for the remainder of this season, but they could also be getting a player who becomes considerably more important in the future.

Nunes Could Provide Another Attacking Threat

While Matthews may contribute more in the future than this season, Nunes could make more of an immediate impact.

The 29-year-old Brazilian forward has spent much of her career playing at a high level in Brazil, Spain, and England, and she’s represented Brazil on the international stage. She’s played for Corinthians, Madrid CFF, Levante, and Aston Villa, while appearing for Brazil at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

That experience matters.

Nunes isn’t arriving in Orlando as an unknown prospect trying to figure out professional soccer. She’s played in major competitions, faced high-level defenders, and scored plenty of goals throughout her career.

The Pride specifically pointed to her versatility and proven ability to score when announcing the signing. That could be important for an Orlando attack that has struggled to find consistency this season.

The answer isn’t necessarily for Nunes to replace one of the Pride’s existing stars. In fact, her biggest contribution could come from making those players more dangerous.

If Nunes can establish herself as a legitimate threat in the final third, opposing defenses have another player they need to account for. That could create additional space for the Pride’s creative players and make the team less dependent on one or two individuals to manufacture chances.

That’s particularly relevant when Marta or Barbra Banda aren’t available.

The Pride experienced that problem against Louisville with Banda away on international duty and Marta unavailable because of concussion protocol. The Pride ultimately managed only one goal in the defeat.

Nunes can’t solve every problem caused by missing players. But she gives Hines another option when the usual formula isn’t available.

And, unlike Matthews, Nunes doesn’t have years to figure everything out. She’s here to help now.

Nunes can’t solve every problem caused by missing players, and Matthews isn’t going to become an overnight star. But the Pride don’t need either player to be a miracle solution. Orlando needs them to give Hines more options.

Matthews can provide versatility and upside. Nunes can provide experience and another attacking threat. If both can settle in quickly, their contributions could give the Pride more ways to win.

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