Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Final Score 2-0 as Pride Win Again
The Pride beat NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-0 to extend their unbeaten run to 19 games.
The Orlando Pride (13-0-5, 44 points) continued their unbeaten streak by defeating NJ/NY Gotham FC (10-4-4, 34 points) 2-0 tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. Adriana netted a first-half brace, which held up for 71 minutes as the Pride extended their winning streak to five games and unbeaten run to 19 matches.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made one change to the team that beat the Houston Dash 1-0 on Aug. 23. Summer Yates, the goal scorer in that game, replaced Julie Doyle in the midfield. The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke. Haley McCutcheon and Angelina were the defensive midfielders behind Yates, Marta, and Adriana with Barbra Banda up top.
The game was originally scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., but storms in the area pushed the start time back to 7:25 p.m. The Pride came out flying once the game began, taking control in the first 20 minutes. Adriana scored in the sixth minute and again in the 19th minute, giving the hosts a 2-0 lead. That was enough as Gotham only put two of its 16 shots on target, both of which were saved by Moorhouse.
Gotham created the first shot of the game in the third minute when the inability of the Pride to clear gave Delanie Sheehan space outside of the box. The midfielder tried to guide the ball inside the far post but was unable to get around it, resulting in the ball sailing harmlessly wide.
The first chance for the Pride gave the hosts an early lead. In the sixth minute, Yates’ cross to the six-yard box was converged on by Strom, Nealy Martin, Jess Carter, and Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. Despite being outnumbered, Strom got her head to the ball, putting it down for a wide open Adriana to finish and giving the Pride a 1-0 lead.
During the play, Berger accidentally punched Strom while trying to reach the ball and Martin also went down with a head injury. Both players received treatment but were eventually able to continue.
The Pride doubled their lead in the 19th minute when Yates played a great, long switch across the field to Adriana with space. The Brazilian took Jenna Nighswonger one-on-one, eventually creating enough room for a shot towards the far post. Berger couldn’t get close to the attempt and Adriana had a brace in less than 20 minutes, giving the Pride a commanding 2-0 lead.
“It was a great moment for Adriana. She’s been looking forward to getting on the score sheet,” Hines said about the brace. “She’s been working extremely hard with her finishing, and she had a night tonight.”
As you might expect, the Pride were trying to find Banda in the box with space and the striker finally got the ball in the box in the 27th minute. The team’s leading goal scorer took a touch inside to create space from the defender before taking a shot at goal. However, the attempt was right at Berger, who made an easy save.
Yates tried to send McCutcheon through on goal in the 30th minute, but the ball was a bit too far in front of her, and Berger was able to clear it away. The Pride maintained possession, resulting in a cross attempt by Adriana that Nighswonger knocked out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece found the head of Banda, but the striker couldn’t get much on it.
Gotham had a good chance in the 43rd minute when Emily Sonnett played a great ball across the field from the midfield line into the Pride box. The cross went just over the head of Sheehan to Yazmeen Ryan on the far side. Taking Dyke on one-on-one, Ryan created enough space for a shot but sent the attempt over the goal.
It looked like the Pride might have a third goal in the 45th minute when Abello and Yates combined to play McCutcheon forward. Banda was making a diagonal run and McCutcheon played her in on goal. The Pride striker opened her body before firing for the far side of the goal, hitting the post. It wouldn’t have counted anyway as the flag came up for offside.
In the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, Adriana sent a long ball across the box that Banda headed to the top of the six. Yates was making a run, but Sonnett got there first to knock it out for a corner kick. Marta’s set piece was cleared away, ending the threat.
The final chance of the half came in the eighth minute of injury time when Rose Lavelle played Ryan forward. Rather than dribbling into the box, the attacker shot from outside the 18, sending the attempt wide.
The Pride led most of the statistical categories in the first half, including possession (52%-48%), shots (7-4), shots on target (3-0), corner kicks (3-0), and crosses (10-4). The hosts also had better passing accuracy (88%-85%) in the first 45 minutes.
“We always mention it at halftime. You know, 2-0 is a dangerous score line at halftime,” Hines said. “Two halves are never the same. And especially when we’re dominating so much in the first half and creating some really good opportunities in the first half and played some really good football. A team like Gotham is going to adjust things.”
“We say it all the time, 2-0 is a very dangerous lead,” Strom added. “So we knew that they were going to change something. We weren’t sure what. So, we just needed to problem solve and adapt and, you know, try to figure out how to beat the press in the second half.”
The only halftime substitute was Esther Gonzalez coming on for Martin and the Spanish international tried to make an immediate impact. Seconds after the restart, she won the ball from Strom and attempted to chip Moorhouse. It was an ambitious attempt that went over the target.
The Pride had their first chance of the second half in the 48th minute when Abello sent Banda long down the left. The forward found an open Adriana in the middle and the attacker volleyed the ball with the outside of her right foot right to Berger.
Gotham had a good chance to get one back in the 52nd minute when Lavelle lifted the ball over a leaping Yates for Carter making a run towards the back post. The defender sent the ball across the face of the goal where Gonzalez was making a run, but the forward couldn’t get her foot to it.
The visitors had another good chance in the 54th minute when Nighswonger sent an excellent ball to Dunn making a run towards the back post. Dunn had gotten behind the back line and tried to volley the ball on goal, but hit the attempt over the crossbar.
Gotham nearly scored an own goal in the 59th minute when Tierna Davidson got to an Abello cross before Marta. She redirected the ball over Berger and it looked like the ball would cross the line, but it hit the bottom of the crossbar instead. It was enough to keep it out and allow Berger to collect it.
Hines made his first change of the night in the 65th minute with Doyle coming onto the field for Yates.
Gotham continued to try to find a goal that would get them back into the game. In the 70th minute, Davidson sent a long ball for Gonzalez that got her behind Strom. The forward’s second touch was a shot from a tight angle that went over the crossbar.
A minute later, pressure from a Pride goal kick created a chance for Nighswonger. McCutcheon received the ball near the top of the box but quickly gave it away to Katie Stengel. The second-half substitute played Lavelle forward and the U.S. international found Nighswonger with more space. The defender was aiming for the far post but sent the attempt wide.
Pressure in the back created problems for the Pride again in the 77th minute when a weak pass from Strom to Sams enabled Stengel to take possession. The substitute dribbled around Sams to create space for a shot, but McCutcheon came flying in to block the shot out of play.
After the first corner kick was cleared out of play, the second resulted in a shot from long distance by Nighswonger. However, Moorhouse was up to the task, blocking it behind her goal. It wasn’t until the fourth consecutive corner kick that the Pride were able to clear.
The Pride immediately went the other way, trying to create something of their own. The number of Gotham players forward enabled the Pride to create a counterattack when Marta chipped the ball for Doyle and the midfielder sent Banda forward. Banda was looking to take Bruninha one-on-one and was taken down by the Brazilian when a teammate got back.
Bruninha was booked for the challenge and Banda required attention. Hines took the opportunity to make another substitution, replacing Banda with fellow forward Ally Watt. Adriana stepped up to take the free kick but it was stopped by Berger.
Watt had a chance to make her impact on the game in the 84th minute when McCutcheon sent her behind the Gotham back line. However, she took too many touches, enabling Berger to come off her line and block her attempt at goal.
In the 90th minute, Pickett pulled back Jessica Silva near the top of the Pride box, giving the visitors a good chance. Lavelle’s free kick was headed on goal by Stengel, but Moorhouse was there to make the catch.
Doyle did well to shield the ball from Carter in the second minute of stoppage before splitting a pair of defenders to enter the box. Adriana, who initially gave Doyle the ball, continued her run into the 18 and Doyle found her. The midfielder shot in an attempt to score the first hat trick in Pride history, but it was directly at Berger.
On the other end, Gotham had a good chance to convert in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Stengel won a header between Sams and Dyke. It set up perfectly for Taryn Torres, who sent her shot for the far post. Moorhouse had no chance at stopping the attempt, but it went just wide of the far post.
It looked briefly like the Pride had a third in the ninth minute of stoppage time when Doyle dribbled inside and towards the top of the box to create space from two defenders. The midfielder’s strike was a beautiful one, getting just over the outstretched arm of Berger and into the roof of the net. Unfortunately, the flag went up for offside.
That was the last chance for either team as the Pride won 2-0. At full time, Gotham had more possession (50.5%-49.5%), shots (16-13), corner kicks (6-3), and crosses (12-10). However, the Pride put more shots on target (9-2) and converted twice. Both teams completed 82% of their passes.
“I think every game that we’re playing in is always going to be a challenging game, but it’s just a testament to the players and their attitudes,” Hines said about the performance. “We wanted to start the game on the front foot. We wanted to start with intensity and to take the lead after 20 minutes, I thought we were terrific. I thought we played some really good football. I think the second goal epitomizes what we’re trying to do. And, you know, Adri takes both goals really well. And then, obviously towards the end, as they’re pushing more numbers forward, trying to get back into the game. Again, talk about mentality, and attitude, and throwing your body on the line to keep the ball out of the net was brilliant to see. And again, it’s another clean sheet against a good opponent.”
The clean sheet was the Pride’s fifth in the last six games, a remarkable record for a team that has featured the best defensive unit in the league.
Even more impressive than the clean sheets is they’ve done it with changes on the back line. Rafaelle was injured in the Olympics, causing Sams to move to center back and Dyke to enter the starting lineup. Despite the changes, the Pride continue to avoid conceding goals.
“I just think it speaks to the depth of this team,” Dyke said about the defensive success. “We just have such a talented roster of players that could play 90 minutes on any given day. And I think that makes a really competitive training environment. So, I think just the way we’re pushing ourselves every day in training and holding each other to that high standard allows us to continue to have those clean sheets.”
“I think we just take a lot of pride in our defending. And when we say defending, it’s not just our back line or goalkeeper, it’s front to back,” Strom added. “So, we just want to make things predictable. We want to lock them to one side. We want to end it when it gets wide. And when we do that, we have a lot of success.”
In a season full of new team and league records, the head coach set a new one tonight. The win was Hines’ 26th as Pride head coach, surpassing Tom Sermanni for most wins in team history. Since neither coach has a win outside of league play, the record is for NWSL and all competitions.
“It’s cool, I guess,” Hines said about setting the team record. “You know, I don’t even think about it. I’m just one who lives in the moment and I’m already thinking about the next game. So, yeah, we’ve said it all season long, records are great. The winning streak, the unbeaten streak, winning as coach, they’re all great. But we have an objective that we want to achieve this year and we’ll continue it.”
The Washington Spirit drew 1-1 with the San Diego Wave and the Kansas City Current lost 2-1 to the North Carolina Courage 2-1 tonight. As a result, the Pride increased their lead on the field to six points.
After a brief stop at home, the Pride will now head back out on the road as they face the Chicago Red Stars next Sunday.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Final Score 3-1 as Banda Brace Leads Pride to Victory
Barbra Banda bags a brace and an assist but goes down injured late in the victory.
After dropping two games to expansion teams and stealing a win in San Diego, the Orlando Pride looked to enter the summer break on a good note. The Pride (5-5-2, 17 points) had never lost to Bay FC (3-6-2, 11 points) and used a second-half burst to maintain that winning record and won 3-1 at Inter&Co Stadium.
Barbra Banda opened the scoring in the fourth minute and followed it up in the 51st minute with her second. She added an assist to Cori Dyke in the 55th minute to close out the Pride scoring. Caroline Conti scored the lone Bay FC goal at the seven-minute mark.
“No better gift than a 3-1 victory at home in front of our fans,” Pride Head Coach (and birthday boy) Seb Hines said after the game. “It feels good that we’re ending this period on a high. I think it’s the first time this season we’ve got back-to-back victories.”
The Pride made one change in the lineup, giving Kerry Abello her first start of the season over Julie Doyle. Anna Moorhouse started in goal with Abello, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Oihane on defense. Haley McCutcheon and Ally Lemos played midfield in front of them with Mace, Luana, and Nicole Payne attacking from the midfield. Banda and her leading-leading nine goals played alone up top.
After an hour weather delay, the Pride went with the in-vogue start these days by kicking the ball straight out of bounds deep on the start and pressing high. It led to an opening three minutes of play in which the Pride kept the pressure up and forced the ball to stay on the Bay FC side. In the fourth minute, Luana headed a ball towards the center which Banda controlled, bodied Bay FC’s Joelle Anderson off the ball, and slotted the opening goal with her left foot.
Bay FC fought right back in the seventh minute as the visitors didn’t have to fight through the press off their kickoff. Claire Hutton crossed the ball into the box, Abello deflected it wide but there was no Pride defender there and it fell to Caroline Conti. Abello tried to fight all the way over but Conti was able to put it past Moorhouse before any help arrived.
The entire back line got pulled to the right on the play and Mace could not get back to help out wide.
“Hailie Mace came into NWSL as a winger. She’s got some tendencies that fit a winger profile. We knew Bay FC had a high back line. How do we get behind that back line? Having someone to support Barbra and not just Nicole but add in another player who can get into the attack,” Hines said regarding the switch.
In the 16th minute, Rachael Kundananji beat Oihane and crossed the ball to Hannah Bebar, who headed it into the net, but Cristiana Girelli was in an offside position threatening the goal, so the assistant referee ruled that it put Moorhouse off enough to interfere with the play.
The teams settled down a bit and traded possession until the 27th minute when Oihane centered the ball to Payne, who scuffed the shot high. One minute later, Luana sent a through ball for Banda to run onto and she went down in the box in a collision with Brooklyn Courtnall. It was fairly evident, however, that Banda got her leg into Courtnall’s to either try to control the ball or draw a foul, and the referee, Jaclyn Metz, saw it the same way.
In the 33rd minute, Oihane was subbed out for Hannah Anderson. Oihane had been laboring a little and may have picked up a knock somewhere.
The Pride couldn’t re-establish the high press so they turned into a lot of possession by Bay FC. Any attack by the Pride ended in a turnover off a bad pass or ill-conceived long shots as Orlando’s attackers were impatient in building play. Turnover after turnover plagued the Pride for the remainder of the half as they did not threaten at all until the 45th minute, when Banda took on Maddie Moreau and Kundananji, shook them both loose, and then crossed the ball into an empty area at the back post with no one to finish.
It was a fitting final piece of sound and fury, signifying nothing, as the half wrapped without any plays of interest. The Pride weren’t able to lead any of the statistics, tying Bay FC in shots (4-4), while Bay FC led in shots on target (3-1), possession (53%-47%), and passing accuracy (85%-83%). Neither team was able to force a corner in the first half.
To start the second half, Hines subbed in Summer Yates for Abello, which pushed Mace back to the back line. In the 48th minute, Kundananji got behind when Anderson got caught out and was sizing up a one-on-one with Moorhouse. Dyke hustled back and blocked the shot.
“We started the game super strong, super intense, but I think we fell off towards the end of that first half,” Dyke said. “We got a little too stretched between the lines and weren’t getting enough pressure on the ball and we talked about that at halftime. We needed to stay more compact and then pick our moments to go.”
Go they did. Three minutes later, Yates sent a through ball angled behind Banda which allowed her to run onto the ball unopposed. She beat goalkeeper Emmie Allen, who came out of the box aggressively to defend, and then passed the ball into the net in the 51st minute.
Four minutes later, Banda pressured Allen, forcing the goalkeeper into a clearance out of play. On the ensuing throw-in, Banda held off Bebar in the box, spun, and crossed the ball to Dyke, who put the ball in off the crossbar. The ability of the Pride to retain possession and work the ball in against a lesser opponent opened up the scoring and turned the game on its head.
Bay FC didn’t have a lot to do over the next stretch of time and Taylor Huff went down with an injury in the 61st minute, prompting a change as she was subbed out for Karlie Lema. Dorian Bailey came on for Joelle Anderson in the same stoppage but at the 62nd minute.
The teams went back and forth for a bit until the Pride drew a corner in the 71st minute. It deflected off a Bay FC defender and fell to Rafaelle at the far post, who headed it just wide. Three minutes later, Jacquie Ovalle and Zara Chavoshi wrapped up the Pride substitutions by coming in for Payne and Mace. Bay FC also took the stoppage in the 74th minute to sub two players in, bringing on Keria Barry and Onyeka Gamero for Kundananji and Girelli.
Unfortunately, in the 81st minute, Banda was dribbling down the left side when she pulled up lame and went to the ground off the pitch. She stayed there until tended to and was obviously upset. We’ll have to wait for any injury news on her. Bay FC made its final substitution in the ensuing stoppage in the 82nd minute, bringing on Kelli Hubly for Conti.
The injury to Banda left the Pride playing with only 10 players for the remaining 15 minutes (including added time) due to using up all three substitution windows. They stayed fairly solid in defense and played a lot of keep-away ball to see out the victory while playing short.
“A great way to finish this part of the season with a win at home. I think we were consistent today and we took the chances we created,” Luana said. “We’ve been having highs and lows in this part of the season but we bounced back in these two wins and it brought us a lot of confidence.”
Orlando City was ahead in the only stat that matters, goals, but trailed in every other major stat. Bay FC finished ahead in shots (14-8), shots on target (5-4), possession (54%-46%), passing accuracy (85%-84%), and corners (4-1).
The Orlando Pride now will be off until early July for the NWSL World Cup break. The next match is scheduled for July 3 in Los Angeles against Angel City FC.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride return home to face Bay FC in their final game before the FIFA World Cup break.
Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride (4-5-2, 14 points) return home from a three-game road trip to take on Bay FC (3-5-2, 11 points). This is the first of two meetings between the two teams with the return game scheduled for Sept. 27 in San Jose.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
Bay FC is one of two expansion teams that entered the NWSL for the 2024 season. The teams have met four times, with the Pride holding a 3-0-1 record and a 1-0-1 mark at home in the series.
The most recent meeting took place on Sept. 13, 2025, in Orlando. The visitors took the lead just before halftime when Racheal Kundananji headed in a long pass by Caprice Dydasco. The Pride equalized in the second half, when Ally Watt headed a Jacquie Ovalle cross past Jordan Silkowitz to claim a 1-1 draw.
On June 13 of last year in San Jose, CA, Bay FC led almost every statistical category, but the Pride defense held strong until Barbra Banda scored shortly after halftime. The Pride withstood attack after attack, coming away with a hard-fought 1-0 win.
The teams met twice in 2024, with the first-ever game between the clubs occurring on May 11. Just prior to the half-hour mark, Banda dribbled inside and Deyna Castellanos attempted an ill-advised challenge, resulting in a foul in the box and a Pride penalty. Adriana put the ball into the bottom left corner for the only goal, lifting the Pride to a 1-0 win. It was the sixth win in an NWSL-record, eight-game win streak.
The teams met for the second time on Sept. 20, 2024. It looked like the game might be headed for a scoreless draw until Banda got her head on the end of a Carson Pickett cross, redirecting it past Katelyn Rowland to give the Pride the 1-0 win.
Overview
The Pride return home tonight after a difficult road trip that saw the team fall 2-1 to Boston Legacy FC and 3-1 to Denver Summit FC. Having already lost to both expansion teams, they headed west to face San Diego Wave FC, a team near the top of the standings. But Nicole Payne’s first professional goal lifted Orlando to a 1-0 win.
Despite not scoring in two of the last three games, Banda still leads the league with nine goals in 10 games this season. She has a two-goal lead on Ashley Sanchez, who is second in the league. Haley McCutcheon is the only other Pride player with multiple goals, scoring twice in the same game. Ovalle, Marta, and Hannah Anderson have the team’s other three goals. The assists have been spread out much more evenly with Ovalle, McCutcheon, and Rafaelle all sharing the team lead with two.
The clean sheet against San Diego was big for the back line as the team has conceded too many goals recently. Dating back to their 3-2 loss to Racing Louisville FC on April 24, the Pride have conceded multiple goals in four of the last six games. The only other game in which they didn’t concede at least twice was a 1-0 win over the North Carolina Courage on May 8, their last home game.
Tonight is the Pride’s last game before the league breaks for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After the game, they won’t play again until July 3 and won’t play at home until July 10. That makes getting a quality result tonight essential for momentum going through the remainder of the season.
If you’re looking for a team to win against, Bay FC is one of the most likely candidates. The Bay -area side sits 13th in the NWSL on 11 points, just four points ahead of Louisville for last place. Tonight’s visitors are currently on a four-game winless run (0-2-2) and a two-game losing streak. Their last win was a 1-0 victory against San Diego on May 3. The club’s most recent games are a 2-0 loss to Portland Thorns FC on May 20 and a 1-0 loss to Chicago Stars FC on May 24.
Bay FC has struggled this year on both ends of the field. Its eight goals are second fewest in the league and Bay is one of three teams with single-digit goals this year. Meanwhile, the team’s 14 goals conceded are sixth in the league. The California side has been better defensively overall than the Pride, who have conceded 16 goals, but worse offensively, as the Pride have scored 15 goals so far this year.
Bay FC has been led in the attack by Alex Pfeiffer and Dorian Bailey with two goals each. Kundananji, Taylor Huff, Keira Barry, and Joelle Anderson have one apiece. Pfeiffer also leads the team in assists with two, tied with Cristina Girelli. Huff and Sydney Collins are the only other players with assists this season.
It should help the Pride tonight that Bay FC will be missing two key players. Silkowitz and starting center back Aldana Cometti were sent off against Chicago Sunday, meaning they’ll miss tonight’s game.
However, the Pride have their own key absences. In addition to injuries that have accumulated this season, Angelina was handed an additional game’s suspension after being sent off on May 16 for pulling Delanie Sheehan’s hair.
“We’re looking forward to it. Looking forward to being back home,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “It’s been a long road trip. Excited to get in front of our own fans. Want to create that atmosphere, make it hostile for Bay FC. We know it’s a quick turnaround for both teams as well, so we want to make sure that we start off on the front foot, build on what we achieved last Sunday in San Diego, and finish this part of the season on a high.”
The Pride will be without Angelina (suspension), Cosette Morche (ankle), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Solai Washington (knee). Marta (thigh) and Ovalle (thigh) are listed as questionable. Bay FC will be without Cornetti (suspension), Abby Dahlkemper (maternity leave), Anouk Denton (lower leg), Dydasco (maternity leave), Heather Gilchrist (knee), Alyssa Malonson (knee), Emily Menges (maternity leave), Pfeiffer (knee), and Silkowitz (suspension).
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Oihane, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, Hailie Mace.
Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon.
Attacking Midfielders: Kerry Abello, Luana, Nicole Payne.
Forward: Barbra Banda.
Bench: McKinley Crone, Zara Chavoshi, Hannah Anderson, Julie Doyle, Marta, Jacquie Ovalle, Summer Yates, Seven Castain, Simone Jackson.
Bay FC (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Emmie Allen.
Defenders: Sydney Collins, Joelle Anderson, Brooklyn Courtnall, Maddie Moreau.
Defensive Midfielders: Hannah Bebar, Claire Hutton.
Attacking Midfielders: Racheal Kundananji, Caroline Conti, Taylor Huff.
Forward: Cristiana Girelli.
Bench: Camryn Miller, Kelli Hubly, Jamie Shepherd, Dorian Bailey, Karlie Lema, Onyeka Gamero, Tess Boade, Keira Barry.
Referees
REF: Jaclyn Metz.
AR1: Art Arustamyan.
AR2: Adam Cook.
4TH: Edson Carvajal.
VAR: Anya Voigt.
AVAR: Katarzyna Wasiak.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7 p.m.
Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.
TV: None.
Streaming: NWSL+.
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!
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Three Keys to Victory
What do the Pride need to do to earn all three points against Bay FC?
The Orlando Pride welcome Bay FC to Inter&Co Stadium this Friday night for the last match before the World Cup break. This is an opportunity to get a win over a team lower in the table and move up in the standings. What must the Pride do to earn all three points against Bay FC this weekend?
Keep the Chip
I have been asking all season on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for the Pride to play with the chip on their shoulder that they had when they won the double in 2024. We saw that against the San Diego Wave. My hope is that the players have now remembered what that feels like and will execute with the same level of intensity going forward.
The task is potentially a little easier against Bay FC, as the California-based side has scored less than half the number of goals that the Wave have this season. Of course, that is the trap. The Pride cannot slack off against Bay FC. Having Rafaelle anchoring the defense is a big help, and moving Hailie Mace out to right back has proven effective. In 2024, this team hated — with a capital “H” — conceding goals. They took it personally. That is the passion I want again. The chip on the shoulder.
Overwhelm and Outscore
As I mentioned above, Bay FC is not a prolific scoring team. Friday’s visitors have also given up 14 goals this season. That’s not the best or the worst in the league, but they haven’t faced Barbra Banda yet. The Orlando Pride don’t have any trouble creating chances, but they have had trouble getting anyone other than Banda to finish them this season. Banda leads the league in goals, and she has an opportunity to maintain or extend that lead against Bay FC.
What will truly make the difference for the Pride against Bay FC is if any of the other players can contribute a goal. We saw the space that Banda can provide her teammates when Nicole Payne scored her first goal against San Diego. Now I want other players to take advantage of that space to provide some goals for the Pride.
More Luana
Luana got her first start since coming back to the squad cancer-free. I think we’ve forgotten that she was a starter on the 2024 squad before her Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis. She was a starter on a team that won the double. Now she is back and she is a leader and an inspiration for her fellow players.
Given Marta’s limited minutes, having Luana out there as a stabilizing presence is important. Obviously, she brings a different skill set than Marta but still a critical one. Much like the defense, the midfield was better last match, and I feel she was a big part of that.
That is what I will be looking for on Friday night. The Pride can head into the World Cup break on a high with a victory. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!
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