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Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Final Score 1-0 as Banda’s Late Winner Lifts Pride to Road Win

A late goal by Barbra Banda secured a 1-0 win for the Pride over Bay FC on the west coast.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (15-0-6, 51 points) continued their unbeaten run and extended their lead atop the NWSL standings with a 1-0 win over Bay FC (8-12-1, 25 points) tonight at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA. Barbra Banda’s 84th-minute goal was the difference as the Pride continue their undefeated season, picking up the club’s fifth consecutive shutout. Orlando swept the season series with the expansion side with a pair of identical 1-0 scorelines.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made three changes to the team that played to a scoreless draw with the Kansas City Current on Sept. 13. Kylie Strom was out of the starting lineup for the second time this season and the first time since March 22 — the second game of the season — and was replaced by Carson Pickett. It was Pickett’s first start since returning to the Pride on Aug. 16. Additionally, Julie Doyle and Morgan Gautrat replaced Summer Yates and Haley McCutcheon.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse changed for the first time since the Olympic break, consisting of Pickett, Kerry Abello, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke. Gautrat and Angelina were in the defensive midfield behind Doyle, Marta, and Adriana, with Banda up top.

“We decided to give Kylie a well-deserved rest. Obviously, she came on towards the end of the game,” Hines said about the change. “But moving Abello into center back, you know, Abello’s been brilliant for us also. And it allowed us to play Carson at left back.”

Despite this game being the first-place team against the eighth-place team, it was very even for most of the 90 minutes. Far from the Pride’s best performance of the year, the hosts were the better side for much of the game. However, as they’ve done throughout this season, the Pride found a way to win, getting the winning goal with six minutes left in regular time.

The Pride created the first chance of the game in the third minute when Pickett found Banda making a diagonal run to the top of the box. The striker used a good first touch to flick the ball around Emily Menges for a shot on goal. However, it also created a tight angle, causing the shot to go straight to Bay FC goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland.

Bay FC created its first chance in the eighth minute when Racheal Kundananji beat Sams on the right and found Rachel Hill in the box. Abello did well to get a touch to the ball, but Hill regained control. The forward turned and shot, sending the attempt wide of the far post.

Hill was involved in another chance in the 10th minute when she sent Asisat Oshoala forward. Sams was on Oshoala’s hip and had the inside position. As a result, the Nigerian international’s shot was directly to Moorhouse, creating no trouble for the Pride shot stopper.

Bay FC had a third consecutive chance in the 12th minute when Caprice Dydasco lifted the ball into the box for Kundananji. Dyke got to it first, but her header went to Oshoala at the top of the box. The forward attempted to volley the ball on goal, sending it well over the top.

The Pride had a pair of chances in the 19th minute when Dyke sent Banda down the right. The striker used her body to turn Menges and get into the Bay FC box. The Zambian sent a strong shot on goal, but it was right to Rowland who pushed it away. Adriana was the first to the loose ball and backheeled it for Pickett. The left back shot’s attempt went off the head of Dydasco and the Pride couldn’t create anything from the ensuing corner kick.

Bay FC had its own pair of chances in the 21st minute when Kundananji sent a dangerous ball over Moorhouse to the back post. Hill was making a run with Pickett on her and the Pride left back was able to keep Hill from being able to get a shot off.

Marta initially took possession, but the hosts won it back. It ended up with Dorian Bailey on the right and the midfielder attempted a cross with her right foot. While it didn’t appear to be a shot, the ball curved towards goal, going over the outstretched arm of Moorhouse and off the crossbar.

The Pride were trying to send Banda behind the Bay FC back line several times, but she struggled to get in on goal. In the 37th minute, Marta played the striker into the box. She tried to create space from Abby Dahlkemper and got a shot off. However, the veteran defender did well to stay in front and Banda’s shot hit the outside of the net.

In the 41st minute, Kundananji found Oshoala at the top of the box. With too many defenders between the forward and goal, she played Alyssa Malonson between the back line instead of shooting. The left back turned and shot, forcing Moorhouse into a diving catch. However, Malonson came back from an offside position to receive the ball, so it wouldn’t have counted anyway.

It looked like the hosts might open the scoring in the 43rd minute when Kundananji turned Sams to get in on goal. As she wound up to shoot, Abello came over to challenge the attacker. It was enough to put Kundananji off and the shot was wide of the near post.

The Pride had more possession (55%-45%), crosses (8-5), and corner kicks (1-0) in the first half, but Bay FC created more shots (7-6). Both teams put two chances on target and completed 83% of their passes.

The Pride had the first decent second-half attack in the 52nd minute when Doyle dribbled to the end line while being defended by Malonson. The midfielder crossed the ball before it crossed the end line and Menges knocked it out before Rowland could grab it. Pickett sent the ensuing corner kick into the box, but it was too close to Rowland.

Bay FC took the first shot of the second half in the 56th minute. Abello intercepted a pass from Kiki Pickett to Oshoala at the top of the box. It went to Gautrat, who was unprepared to receive it. As a result, she couldn’t get anything on her clearance. It went straight to Bay FC’s Pickett, who shot from distance, sending it wide.

Dyke challenged Kundananji in the 60th minute, sliding in to win the ball. The Bay FC striker’s knee hit Dyke on her back, forcing the right back to receive attention. After being evaluated by the medical staff, it was determined that she couldn’t continue.

In addition to withdrawing Dyke, Hines made two additional changes in the 63rd minute. Angelina and Doyle also came out of the game, replaced by Strom, Yates, and Carrie Lawrence. Strom joined Sams as a center back, while Lawrence came in at right back and Abello moved over to left back. Pickett, the starting left back, moved forward into the midfield.

Kundananji found Maddie Moreau making a long run into the box in the 70th minute. Lawrence blocked Moreau’s cross attempt with a slide tackle and Sams got to the Bay FC defender before she could send a second ball across the box. Moreau felt she earned a corner kick from the play, but the referee gave a goal kick.

Less than a minute later, Bailey played the ball to her left for Kundananji. The attacker took a touch inside to create enough space for a shot, but it was right at Moorhouse.

After making defensive changes earlier in the half, Hines went more attacking with his fourth change in the 75th minute as Evelina Duljan came into the game for Gautrat.

The Pride nearly found the opening goal in the 78th minute when Pickett beat Dydasco to the far post and met a Marta cross. Pickett got her head to the ball but couldn’t get enough power on it. Still, Rowland had to dive to her left to push it away.

Moreau received a pass on the left in the 79th minute and played it to Bailey making a run to the six-yard box. Nobody in purple was on the midfielder and she tried to slip it past Moorhouse. However, the Pride number one did well to keep the ball out of the net and near her, gathering it and ending the attack.

Hines made his final change in the 80th minute, replacing Marta with Ally Watt.

In the 81st minute, Watt’s cross to Adriana beyond the far post was headed to Banda in front of the goal. It was a little behind the striker and she tried an acrobatic shot but couldn’t get much on it, enabling Rowland to collect.

Bay FC nearly took the lead two minutes later when Kundananji nutmegged Sams twice before sending a cross into the box. It was a good cross that found Hill, who tried to redirect the ball inside the post. Fortunately, it traveled just wide.

The miss by Hill loomed large as the Pride took the lead in the 84th minute. Pickett sent a beautiful ball into the box, where Banda was waiting between three defenders. Menges and Dahlkemper were in good positions, but it was a perfect cross that met the head of Banda, who redirected it in to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.

“A quality show towards the end of the game with a great ball for Barbra,” Hines said. “And a great finish to win us the game.”

Banda had been flying since joining the team early in the season and had four goals in three games in the Olympics. However, this was her first goal since rejoining the Pride following the Olympic break.

“Well, for her, of course, it means a lot because it’s been like, four games, five today. And for the team too, because we need her feeling good to do her best for the team,” Martra said about Banda scoring. “And I think it was really important that she scored tonight.”

“It’s massive, a massive confidence boost,” Hines added. “I’ve said all along, she’s getting in some really good positions. It’s that final touch and, you know, grateful for us, she managed to put the ball in the back of the net. She needed that.”

Banda’s goal was her 13th of the season, tying the club record for most goals in a single season. Marta previously set the record during the 2017 season, the only other time the Pride made the playoffs.

Hill tried to make something happen again in the 87th minute when she received the ball outside the box. The attacker turned and took a shot from long distance, but it didn’t cause any problems for Moorhouse.

Two minutes later, Kundananji made a run into the center of the field before sending the ball wide for Moreau on the left. The defender volleyed it towards goal, but it wasn’t a hard shot and Moorhouse made the easy catch.

With a goal lead, the Pride put 10 players behind the ball as the game entered stoppage time. However, they nearly scored a second in the third minute of added time from a counterattack. Watt slid in to win the ball from Moreau and Duljan took possession. Duljan immediately sent it long for Banda behind the Bay FC back line. She had time and space to place the ball behind Rowland but sent it directly to the goalkeeper instead.

In the final minute of stoppage time, Duljan was called for a foul on Tess Boade, giving the hosts one final chance in the final third. Rowland came up as everyone from Bay FC was in the Pride box. The free kick by Bailey was punched away by Moorhouse and cleared by Adriana as the final whistle blew.

However, it wasn’t quite over yet, as the video assistant referee took a long look at the final play to determine if there was a penalty. While there was some contact between Watt and Dahlkemper, it was determined that it was mutual and the game was over.

It was a very even game as the Pride had more possession (55%-45%), but both teams accumulated 13 shots and each put six on target. The Pride also had more crosses (22-13) and corner kicks (4-1), and slightly better passing accuracy (81%-80%). Most importantly, they scored the lone goal and came away with a 1-0 win away from home.

“I don’t think we played to our best,” Hines said. “I don’t think we were threatening as much as I would have liked us to be. But, you know, to come away from a difficult environment, Bay FC have done really well the last couple of games. Have shown what they are capable of doing. But yeah, 1-0 win away from home I’ll always take. You know, three points, it’s so critical at this stage in the season that we continue to pick up valuable points. But yeah, obviously there’s still a lot of things that we can continue to work on. I said to the players before the game, it’s important that we still learn, even though we’re unbeaten and still winning games, that we still have so many learning moments within that to continue to progress towards the postseason.”

The win extends the Pride’s unbeaten run to 21 games in the regular season, 22 games in the league going back to last year, and 25 games in all competitions. More importantly, the Current beat the Washington Spirit 3-0 earlier in the night, so the Pride extended their lead atop the NWSL standings to seven points.

Additionally, the win guarantees the Pride a top four position at the end of the season. They’ll host a playoff game for the first time in club history.

“We are really happy to know that,” Marta said about securing a home playoff game. “It was, like, our first goal in this year. To come back to the playoffs and play at home. It’s the best with our support and in the atmosphere that we have every single game at home. So, yeah, I’m happy with that. And then we’re going to go for more. Of course, our second goal is to win the shield, and then keep working hard to win the next games.”

The Pride also continued their record breaking with Moorhouse’s 12th shoutout of the season. That breaks the NWSL record for most shutouts by a single goalkeeper in a season.

“It’s a great feeling to have it just be me. It’s not a tied record. It’s Orlando Pride, it’s me, all up front. So, yeah, that’s a great feeling,” Moorhouse said. “It’s something, like I said before, I wanted it. It was one of my goals before the season to kind of see if I could get that record. It probably only became, not a determined effort, but it became more of a reality as the season went on. I’m like, yeah, I can actually do this. And now we have, I think it’s five games left to go. So, I just want to extend that record as much as I can and hopefully it stays for many years.”

She’ll have that opportunity when the Pride return home for a two-game homestand, beginning on Sept. 28 against the Houston Dash.

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Orlando Pride Sign Goalkeeper Kat Asman

The Pride have signed goalkeeper Kat Asman to a two-year contract through the 2026 NWSL season.

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2 hours ago

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December 11, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride announced this afternoon that the club has signed Kat Asman to a two-year contract through the 2026 season. The Portland Thorns selected Asman in the 2024 NWSL Draft.

“Kat is a phenomenal addition to our goalkeeping corps and is someone we expect to provide competition and push this group to be even better than they have been,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “We are so excited for what she brings to the group both on and off the pitch and are confident she will play an important role in our upcoming season. Kat is a great fit for our club, and we look forward to providing her the atmosphere and tools to grow her game and make an impact in Orlando.” 

Asman was selected by the Thorns with the 39th overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft. The Thorns needed a goalkeeper due to starter Bella Bixby’s pregnancy, which would cause her to miss significant time. While the rookie was on the roster, she was behind Shelby Hogan, Mackenzie Arnold, and Lauren Kozal. As a result, she didn’t make any NWSL or NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup appearances in 2024.

The Roswell, GA, native was already fourth-choice goalkeeper and Bixby will likely return to her starting position in 2025, leaving the rookie with no place in the squad. The Pride came to her rescue by signing the 24-year-old to a two-year contract.

“I am extremely excited to join the reigning NWSL champions,” Asman said in the club’s release. “A big reason I felt so drawn to joining the Pride is their drive to creating a connected team culture that thrives on building relationships off the field in order to cultivate results on the field. Over the last season, I’ve been able to watch Orlando have an unforgettable season, and I feel very blessed that I get to be a part of everything this team will continue to build in the future.”

Prior to being drafted by the Thorns, Asman spent four years starting for the Penn State Nittany Lions, where she was a teammate of Pride defenders Kerry Abello and Cori Dyke. She played 87 games in State College with 323 saves and 27 clean sheets. Additionally, she became one of four women in Penn State history to win 50 games.

Internationally, Asman has participated in training camps for the USWNT U-14 through U-18 youth teams.

What It Means for Orlando

This signing may not have much of an impact on the Pride in 2025, although the addition may bring into question Sofia Manner’s future with Orlando. Anna Moorhouse started all 26 regular-season games and all three playoff games in 2024, while McKinley Crone was the backup in all of those games. Manner was only on the team sheet for the Summer Cup matches, playing the second game and being an unused sub in the other two.

The Pride will likely have three goalkeepers on the roster for 2025, meaning one of the four currently under contract is likely on their way out. The club signed Crone to a new contract through 2026 on Sept. 6, indicating she’s part of the Pride’s future plans. With Moorhouse under contract next season, it might mean Manner is departing. The Finnish shot-stopper signed a two-year deal on Dec. 1, 2023, with an option for 2026. But with her lack of ability to lock down even the primary backup role this year, we could see a corresponding move in the coming days.

Regardless of who makes way for Asman, it’s likely she’ll be third string. The club seems content with Moorhouse and Crone as the top two goalkeepers and Asman has yet to make a professional appearance. There isn’t much for Carter to do this off-season to beef up the team, but determining who will be the third goalkeeper next season will be something to watch.

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2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Haley McCutcheon

The veteran midfielder spent her third year in purple and contributed to the team’s run to glory.

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December 11, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Haley McCutcheon was still known as Haley Hanson when she joined the Orlando Pride on Aug. 18, 2022 in a midseason trade with the Houston Dash. The Pride gave up $75,000 in Allocation Money and a second-round draft selection. She joined Orlando for the stretch run, making her debut with the Pride on Aug. 20 in a 2-1 win over Gotham FC. Following the 2022 season, the Nebraska product signed a new contract through 2024 on Oct. 26 of last year. The Pride extended McCutcheon’s stay in Orlando on Dec. 20, 2023 by inking her to a deal through 2026.

Once again, the versatile veteran contributed in a number of different roles on the pitch, but she saved her best for last, scoring her first goals of the season in the Pride’s playoff run, helping Orlando get past Chicago and Kansas City and into the NWSL Championship against Washington.

Let’s look back at McCutcheon’s third year with the Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

McCutcheon appeared in 22 games during the regular season, starting 18 and logging 1,700 minutes, which was the sixth-most playing time among all outfield players behind three of the team’s defenders (Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, and Emily Sams), and attackers Marta and Barbra Banda. Of her 18 starts, the first two games of the season saw her at left back, while she was in the midfield for her last 16 starts, although there were a few moments here and there where she moved around as needed when subs were made.

She did not score a goal or provide an assist in the regular season, largely due to a lack of clinical finishing, as she put only two of her 18 shot attempts on frame. She completed 80.4% of her passes, but tallied no key passes and completed just three crosses and 12 long balls on the season. Defensively, however, she shone brightly with 31 tackles and 23 interceptions, winning 69 headed duels. She committed 16 fouls, drew eight, and was booked twice.

In the NWSL playoffs, McCutcheon started in all three games, logging 270 minutes. She scored two goals, finishing the two of her three shots that hit the target, but did not record an assist or a key pass in the postseason. The midfielder connected on 62.8% of her 75 postseason passes. She contributed three tackles and three interceptions on the defensive end. She committed two fouls, did not draw one on the opposition, and was booked once.

McCutcheon made two appearances in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup (both starts), playing 162 minutes. She did not have a goal contribution or attempt a shot, but she was successful on two of three dribble attempts and completed 84% of her 55 passes, albeit without a completed cross or key pass and only one successful long ball. Defensively, she won four of her five tackle attempts (80%), recorded no interceptions, and won a headed duel. She committed two fouls, drew none on the competition, and was not booked. She attempted one penalty shot but saw her potential winning effort saved against North Carolina.

Best Game

There were a few decent options for McCutcheon’s top match of the year, but the standout for me is the Pride’s 3-2 playoff semifinal win over the Kansas City Current on Nov. 17. Ironically, it was one of her poorest passing performances of the season at just a 49% completion rate, but she managed to contribute in important ways on both ends of the pitch.

Her most important contribution came in the 41st minute with Orlando trailing 1-0. Ally Watt took the ball to the end line up the right channel and cut a pass back into the middle of the penalty area. With Adriana and Barbra Banda occupying the defenders, McCutcheon made a smart late run into the box, splitting her two teammates to get into an open area just as the ball arrived. McCutcheon’s first touch was a hard shot close to the goalkeeper, but the movement was too quick for Almuth Schult to recover and keep it out. With her second goal of the postseason, McCutcheon pulled the Pride level and they kicked on to take a 3-1 lead, ultimately winning 3-2 and advancing to the NWSL Championship.

That wasn’t McCutcheon’s only contribution, although it was her only shot attempt of the match. Her 51 touches in the game showed how involved she was, and her two tackles and two interceptions illustrate her importance to the defensive effort as the Pride held off the Current’s desperation rally attempt. She picked up one foul in the game and was booked in the 12th minute of stoppage time after Danielle Chesky awarded Kansas City a penalty, perhaps trying to give Vanessa DiBernardo a little more time to think about it. Aside from her stats and her goal, McCutcheon showed leadership, often pointing out assignments like an extra coach on the field. She was solid throughout Orlando’s postseason run, but this match was probably her biggest contribution to the three-game postseason sweep.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives McCutcheon a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season. This is an improvement over the 6 we gave her last year and the 5 out of 10 grade she received in 2022. She was in the lineup nearly every game, missing just four games from Sept. 20 to Oct. 11. She sat out two of those (officially) with a knock and the last of those was an extra day of rest after the Pride had clinched the NWSL Shield. Other than that, she was on the field.

2025 Outlook

I don’t expect McCutcheon’s role to change much next season, although Seb Hines might like to get her more rest in 2025. With Luana’s illness and injuries to Angelina and Morgan Gautrat, McCutcheon ate up minutes in the Orlando midfield in 2024. Fewer injuries to that position group and/or adding depth in th off-season — and potentially the development of Ally Lemos — could help McCutcheon manage her minutes next year. Regardless of how much time she spends on the pitch, she will likely be one of the key, and vocal, veteran leaders pushing the Pride forward as they try to defend their NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship.

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Orlando Pride Announce Roster Decisions Following 2024 NWSL Season

There aren’t many surprises in the Pride’s roster status update following the 2024 NWSL season.

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1 day ago

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December 10, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride updated the team’s roster status today following the 2024 NWSL season and announced some off-season decisions. The team is well intact for the 2025 season with 25 players currently under contract and only four players officially departing.

The players under contract for 2025 or beyond include forwards Amanda Allen, Barbra Banda, Simone Charley, Julie Doyle, Mariana Larroquette, Adriana, and Ally Watt; midfielders Kerry Abello, Angelina, Luana, Grace Chanda, Morgan Gautrat, Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon, Viviana Villacorta, and Summer Yates; defenders Cori Dyke, Brianna Martinez, Carson Pickett, Emily Sams, Rafaelle, and Kylie Strom; and goalkeepers McKinley Crone, Sofia Manner, and Anna Moorhouse.

The long list of players under contract is largely due to the work done during the season to sign several players to new contracts. Yates, Doyle, Gautrat, Crone, Watt, Villacorta, Dyke, Martinez, and Abello all re-signed midseason before their contracts expired.

Celia, Carrie Lawrence, and Megan Montefusco announced their retirements from professional soccer during the season, effective at the end of the year. Additionally, Evelina Duljan is out of contract and the club has decided not to bring the young attacker back.

Probably the biggest news from the updates is that the club is in discussions for club captain Marta to return for the 2025 season. The Brazilian saw her two-year contract expire, but had a resurgence at 38 years old, resulting in being named an NWSL MVP finalist.

Just as important to re-signing players were the midseason contract extensions of Pride Head Coach Seb Hines and Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter. The pair that led the Pride to the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship signed new deals earlier this year through the 2026 season with options for 2027.

What It Means for Orlando

There weren’t going to be any major surprises because 25 of the 30 players were already under contract and three had announced their retirements. Duljan’s departure is a little surprising because she’s only 21 years old and was a highly-touted addition prior to the season. However, she only played in 11 games in all competitions and didn’t appear to be a major factor going forward with the young players in the squad.

The other big news is that the club is in discussions about a return for Marta. The captain has been with the Pride for eight seasons and lost a step after suffering a torn ACL two years ago. However, she was excellent this year, scoring 11 goals and leading the team to the double. The question was whether the club would want to re-sign the attacker — who will be 39 in February — or if she would want to ride off into the sunset with the most successful season in Pride history. The Brazilian sports icon has repeatedly said when asked that she would like to play one to two more years. That being the case, the most likely place for her to do that was in Orlando.

Regardless of the Marta decision, the Pride are in great shape moving forward. They have nearly all of their key players returning next season, setting them up for potentially another run at an NWSL Championship. However, Carter has vowed to continue trying to make the squad better, so having a lot of returning faces doesn’t mean there won’t be some activity this off-season.

Post-2024 Orlando Pride Player Contract Statuses

(Current club players in italics)

  • Kerry Abello — Under Contract
  • Amanda Allen — Under Contract
  • Adriana — Under Contract
  • Angelina — Under Contract
  • Barbra Banda — Under Contract
  • Grace Chanda — Under Contract
  • Simone Charley — Under Contract
  • McKinley Crone — Under Contract
  • Celia — Retired
  • Julie Doyle — Under Contract
  • Evelina Duljan — Out of Contract
  • Cori Dyke — Under Contract
  • Morgan Gautrat — Under Contract
  • Mariana Larroquette — Under Contract
  • Carrie Lawrence — Retired
  • Ally Lemos — Under Contract
  • Luana — Under Contract
  • Sofia Manner — Under Contract
  • Brianna Martinez — Under Contract
  • Haley McCutcheon — Under Contract
  • Megan Montecusco — Retired
  • Anna Moorhouse — Under Contract
  • Marta — Out of Contract
  • Carson Pickett — Under Contract
  • Rafaelle — Under Contract
  • Emily Sams — Under Contract
  • Kylie Strom — Under Contract
  • Viviana Villacorta — Under Contract
  • Ally Watt — Under Contract
  • Summer Yates — Under Contract

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