Orlando Pride
A Look at NWSL Shield Winners’ Late Season Form and Performance in the Playoffs
What prior NWSL Shield-winning seasons can tell us about Orlando’s quest for an NWSL title.
Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium, the Orlando Pride finished their NWSL Shield-winning regular season with a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Reign. Orlando showed some of the same warning signs in this match that plagued the club in its previous two losses at the Portland Thorns and Gotham FC, including poor defending, especially from set pieces. This dip in form came in matches that didn’t carry the same weight for Orlando after the Pride clinched the top spot in the league, but they will have to get back on track in a hurry for the playoffs.
Orlando was the best team in the NWSL during the regular season, but to evaluate how form can be a factor in crowning a champion, this piece will open the history books to compare Orlando’s performances in the final matches to prior NWSL Shield and championship-winning clubs.
Before looking at recent NWSL trophy winners’ end-of-season performances, it is important to contextualize Orlando’s end to the season. Over the final five matches, the Pride racked up three wins and their only two losses of the season. The Pride won the shield with three games remaining on the calendar, which created a strange situation for the club. These remaining matches mattered less in context, and due in part to tough matchups, heavy lineup rotation, and maybe some drop in concentration, the Pride had just one win and two losses to close the campaign.
In the 11 matches leading up to winning the Shield, the Pride only conceded two goals, but in the three matches since, they have conceded seven times. Returning to their defensive roots, quickly and without Rafaelle, who is now out for the year, will be critical for Orlando’s chances in the playoffs.
After looking at the Pride’s form, it can be compared to prior NWSL Shield and championship winners from each of the previous five seasons:
| Season | Shield Winner | Points | Final Five Regular Season Matches | NWSL Playoff Champion | Points and Position | Final Five Regular Season Matches |
| 2018 | NC Courage | 57 | W-D-W-D-W | NC Courage | N/A | N/A |
| 2019 | NC Courage | 49 | W-W-W-L-W | NC Courage | N/A | N/A |
| 2021 | Portland Thorns | 44 | L-D-D-W-D | Washington Spirit | 39 (3rd) | D-W-W-W-W |
| 2022 | Seattle Reign | 40 | D-W-W-W-W | Portland Thorns | 39 (2nd) | W-D-W-W-D |
| 2023 | San Diego Wave | 37 | W-L-W-D-W | NJ/NY Gotham | 31 (6th) | D-W-L-L-D |
| 2024 | Orlando Pride | 60 | W-W-L-L-W | TBD | TBD | TBD |
The good news for Orlando is there is some precedence for the Pride’s situation. In both 2018 and 2019, the shield-winning North Carolina Courage went on to win the NWSL championship as well. Each season, the Courage dropped a result or two in the final games, before getting a final-day win to propel them into the playoffs. These teams were two of the best ever in the NWSL, winning the shield with four games and two games left to be played, respectively. With the Pride’s win against Seattle on Saturday, they surpassed the 2018 Courage team to break the record for the most points and the most wins in a single regular season, showing just how special this season has been so far.
Since the North Carolina Courage completed back-to-back domestic doubles, the NWSL Shield winners have not won a playoff game, let alone the NWSL championship. In each season from 2018 to 2023, the shield winner had fewer points than the year before, showcasing the league’s parity. In 2021, the Portland Thorns struggled mightily down the stretch, winning only one of their final five games. That year it was the Washington Spirit, undefeated in their final seven regular-season matches, that took home the trophy. The following year, the shield-winning Reign lost in the first round despite coming into the playoffs on a seven-match unbeaten streak. That season, the Thorns won the NWSL championship after a five-match unbeaten run to close the regular season. Both of these years, hot teams kept their streaks going into the playoffs to win it all, regardless of who won the shield.
The 2023 NWSL campaign stands out as one of the more unique seasons. The San Diego Wave won a tight shield race on the final day despite accumulating only 37 points. Then, Gotham, which just barely beat out the Orlando Pride for the final playoff spot on goal differential, won the NWSL championship despite poor form to close the season. San Diego’s early exit from the playoffs continued a trend of tight shield races followed by first-round losses. This pattern, shown below, highlights how Orlando’s early shield win has more in common with the 2018 and 2019 Courage teams than recent shield winners.
| Shield Winner | Matches Left After Winning the Shield | Playoff Result |
| 2018 Courage | 4 | NWSL champions |
| 2019 Courage | 2 | NWSL champions |
| 2021 Thorns | 1 | Eliminated 1st round |
| 2022 Reign | Won on the final day | Eliminated 1st round |
| 2023 Wave | Won on the final day | Eliminated 1st round |
| 2024 Pride | 3 | TBD |
The table above shows some correlation between how tight a shield race is to the playoff result of the winner. This pattern could be explained by how hard a team is working in the final weeks of the season to win a trophy before running out of steam for the playoffs. On the other hand, it may show that tight races mean there are multiple good teams capable of winning the NWSL championship, unlike the 2018 and 2019 seasons, in which the Courage were a step above the opposition.
The Pride will hope that winning the shield early means they are fresh and well rested for the playoffs. If not, the other top teams in the league have been in great form at the end of the year, as Washington, Gotham, and Kansas City have each only dropped points in one of their final five matches heading into the playoffs.
At the end of the regular season, it was clear that the Orlando Pride’s form had dipped after winning the NWSL shield. The win against Seattle on the final day of the regular season was a step in the right direction, but unconvincing. A look at the history books shows that the best teams in NWSL history have been able to win both the NWSL Shield and championship. For Orlando to stake its claim as having had the best season in league history, the Pride will need to reverse their form and defeat some of the hottest teams in the league.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Boston Legacy FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride look to win their second straight game as they welcome Boston Legacy FC to Inter&Co Stadium.
Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (6-6-2, 20 points) face Boston Legacy FC (3-7-4, 13 points) at Inter&Co Stadium at 7 p.m. (NWSL+, Victory+). This is the second and final scheduled meeting between these two teams this season.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
Boston Legacy FC is one of two expansion teams joining the NWSL in 2026. The first and only game between the two teams took place on May 12 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. The Pride took the lead in the 14th minute when Rafaelle was pushed over during a set piece and Marta converted the penalty. However, Aleigh Gambone equalized in the 72nd minute and Amanda Gutierres netted the winner eight minutes into second-half stoppage time from the penalty spot for a handball in the box by Luana. Boston took that first-ever meeting 2-1.
Overview
The Pride went into the World Cup break with back-to-back wins over San Diego Wave FC and Bay FC. However, they returned with a weak performance against Angel City FC away from home, resulting in a 2-0 loss.
On Friday night, the Pride faced a red-hot Kansas City Current team. While the first half wasn’t the best, the Pride had arguably their best half of the season in the final 45 minutes. Marta opened the scoring with a long-distance shot in the 49th minute, followed by a Hannah Anderson header off a corner kick in the 57th minute. Barbra Banda came on in the 76th minute and extended her league-leading goal total to 12 in the 85th minute, securing the 3-0 win.
The clean sheet was the Pride’s fifth of the season. Combined with the three goals, the team now has a positive goal difference (+2) with 21 goals scored and 19 goals conceded. The last two years, the team has been better defensively than offensively, but it’s opposite this season. The Pride are now third in goals scored and 10th in goals conceded.
In addition to the three points, Jacquie Ovalle and Marta started together for the first time this season. Banda also played the final 14 minutes after missing the Angel City game and looked like her dangerous self in the attack.
Tonight, the Pride welcome a Boston Legacy FC team that sits 14th in the 16-team league. The visitors tonight only have three wins this year, with one coming against the Pride and the other coming Friday night against the Chicago Stars.
Boston went into the World Cup break with back-to-back losses, falling 2-1 to Seattle Reign FC and 1-0 to the Kansas City Current. However, the expansion side has bounced back well, drawing 2-2 with Bay FC before beating the Stars 2-0.
Boston is led in the attack by Aissata Traore and Gutierres with four goals each, followed by Nichelle Prince and Alba Cano with two apiece. Biance St-Georges, Sammy Smith, and Gambone are the team’s only other goal scorers with a goal each.
Prince leads the team in assists, with three, followed by Gutierres with two. Traore, Barbara Olivieri, Emerson Elgin, and Laurel Ansbrow have each added one assist this season.
The team is tied with Racing Louisville FC on 15 goals scored, third fewest in the league. Meanwhile, Boston’s 21 goals conceded is fourth most in the NWSL this season. Despite falling back in May, this is a game from which the Pride should be able to take all three points.
“Last time we played them it was a physical game,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said ahead of tonight’s contest. “It came down to literally the last kick of the game as well, so we’re looking to bounce back from that result that we were disappointed with going to their place. And, also, building on our performance against Kansas. It was a really good, encouraging performance. The attention to detail, scoring some goals as well is always nice, making it entertaining for our fans. So we’re looking to replicate that against Boston.”
The Pride will be without Hailie Mace (thigh), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Rafaelle (hip), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Summer Yates (ankle). Boston will play without Lais Araujo (thigh), Josefine Hasbo (lower leg), Kaka (ankle), Fauzia Najjemba (thigh), and Chloe Ricketts (ankle).
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Cori Dyke, Hannah Anderson, Zara Chavoshi, Oihane.
Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon.
Attacking Midfielders: Jacquie Ovalle, Angelina, Solai Washington.
Forward: Marta.
Bench: Cosette Morche, McKinley Crone, Kerry Abello, Luana, Nicole Payne, Julie Doyle, Seven Castain, Simone Jackson, Barbra Banda.
Boston Legacy FC (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Casey Murphy.
Defenders: Lilly Reale, Emerson Elgin, Jorelyn Carabali, Bianca St-Georges.
Defensive Midfielders: Annie Karich, Alba Cano.
Attacking Midfielders: Aissata Traore, Barbara Olivieri, Nichelle Prince.
Forward: Ella Stevens.
Bench: Laurel Ivory, Hannah Stambaugh, Nicolette Hernandez, Laurel Ansbrow, Deja Davis, Amanda Allen, Sammy Smith, Aleigh Gambone, Gutierres.
Referees
REF: Cristian Campo.
AR1: Noah Kenyawani.
AR2: Kendall McCardell.
4TH: Alejo Calume.
VAR: Alyssa Pennington.
AVAR: Brian Marshall.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7 p.m.
Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.
TV: None.
Streaming: NWSL+, Victory+.
Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @themaneland.bsky.social on Bluesky and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter (@ORLPride) or Bluesky (@orlpride.com) feed.
Enjoy the game. Go Pride!
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 3-0 as Pride Bounce Back with Win
The Pride take all three points at home against the red-hot Current.
A strong defensive effort and some moments of attacking quality earned the Orlando Pride all three points in a 3-0 win over the Kansas City Current at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. It was especially fitting that the Pride earned a clean sheet on goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse’s 100th appearance with the club.
The Orlando Pride (6-6-2, 20 points) bounced back from a difficult result in LA in convincing fashion against a tough Kansas City Current (8-6-0, 24 points) team. The match started off fairly even, but Orlando was organized and disciplined in this match and ultimately prevailed with goals from Marta, Barbra Banda and Hannah Anderson.
Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines deployed his typical 4-2-3-1 formation in the team’s return home. The back line in front of Moorhouse was made up of Kerry Abello, Anderson, Zara Chavoshi, and Cori Dyke. Haley McCutcheon and Ally Lemos served as the defensive midfielders, with Angelina, Marta, and Jacquie Ovalle taking up the attacking midfield roles. Solai Washington serving as striker.
“Zara’s been out for majority of the season, and we know her qualities,” Hines said said of his defensive players after the match. “With young players, you have to find out what they’re made of as well, and so she really stepped up into the challenge —Hannah and Zara — because they’ve been patient and been waiting for this opportunity since the start of the year. Hannah is such a threat off set pieces. Talk about Cori. She’s she’s been brilliant as well. Wherever we’ve put her in that back line, she’s been so consistent. We have to consistently have those desired behaviors to not concede, and that gives you the platform to go on and win the game.”
Kansas City came out quickly, testing Moorhouse in the first minute with a cross from Amelia White that Moorhouse got to just ahead of Haley Hopkins.
At the other end, Dyke took Orlando’s first shot from the top of the box in the sixth that looked more like a cross than a shot, and Marisa Jordan saved it with ease.
In the seventh minute, Angelina got the ball wide to the right side to Ovalle, who sent it back to Angelina, who then fired high.
Orlando put together a decent buildup down the left in the ninth minute by Abello and Washington, who centered it for Marta. Marta passed back to Angelina, who fired well wide to the left. Orlando went forward again in the 11th minute, with Marta out wide sending a ball over the 18-yard box that Dyke collected and then worked back out to Angelina. The Brazilian crossed it in to Abello, who headed it off target at the back post.
Izzy Rodriguez stripped Mart of the ball in the 13th just outside the Orlando 18-yard box, allowing Debinha to find Hopkins with a centering pass, but the Current attacker fired wide right. Croix Bethune tried her luck from long distance in the 16th minute, but the effort went straight at Moorhouse.
Orlando had a well-worked buildup through the middle in the 17th minute, with Dyke advancing up the right and sending a ball to Lemos, who found Dyke again for a cross in to Washington — but her shot sailed over the crossbar. Washington and Marta traded passes in the 19th before Washington attempted a right-footed cross into the box that Jordan intercepted easily.
As the teams continued battling back and forth, White worked her way around Abello in the 22nd minute and picked out Debinha with a cross, but her effort went straight at a well-positioned Moorhouse. Bethune found Hopkins in the 23rd, but Lemos cut off her ball through the box, sending it behind for a corner. McCutcheon headed away the ensuing corner, earning Kansas City another corner. Hopkins headed the the entry cross over the bar, handing Orlando a goal kick.
Kansas City nearly broke through three minutes later, on a mistake by the Pride defense on a ball over the top to Debinha. Chavoshi attempted to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick, but she was too far from the end line. Debinha got past her to the ball and sent it in front to Hopkins for the tap-in. But the goal was chalked off for offside on the initial ball. It was a close play.
Rocky Rodriguez’s cross found Bethune in the 30th minute, and the midfielder outjumped Abello, got her head on it, and placed the effort well, but the shot had little pace to it and Moorhouse collected it.
Lemos made a nice driving run in the 33rd minute and fed Washington, whose cross was cut out by Laney Rouse. The loose ball found Angelina before it was eventually cleared following some back-and-forth changes of possession just outside the Current’s box.
Some gritty midfield work from Abello — who picked up a knock to her wrist on the play — saw her strip the ball from the Current in the 38th minute and advance it to Washington, who worked her way to the end line and passed back to Ovalle. The Mexican international’s shot was right at Jordan. Abello received treatment, left the field briefly, and returned to the match in the 41st minute after the mandatory one-minute wait for receiving attention.
Orlando won a throw-in in the 42nd minute, and Washington worked her way down the left before delivering a cross that Jordan stopped, colliding with Kayla Sharples in the process. Neither was injured in the tangle.
Orlando was able to maintain sustained possession for several minutes and spent that time trying to fashion a shot but never created anything threatening. Kanasas City pounced on a McCutcheon attempted pass, and broke down the pitch through a Bethune ball over the top to Debinha, who had to wait for reinforcements. Lo’Eau Labonta arrived and Debinha fed a ball she popped up which was defended away by McCutcheon but back out to the Current. Kansas City worked it back to Labonta, who then sent the ball over the crossbar. It was the last action of the first half.
Orlando held the lead in possession (51%-49%) and both teams managed six shots. Kansas City led in shots on target (3-1), corner kicks (2-0), and passing accuracy (88%-86%).
Kansas City subbed on the dangerous Temwa Chawinga for Debinha after the break, and the Current started off the second half aggressively. Marta had other plans though and, in the 49th minute, she scored her 50th goal for the Pride from about 30 yards out. Ovalle took the ball down Orlando’s left side, worked her way central, and passed back to Marta. Kansas City applied absolutely no pressure on her, so she blasted a long-range shot past a diving Jordan.
Hines made his first substitution of the game in the 53rd minute, bringing on Hailie Mace for Abello. Orlando earned a corner moments later through Marta, and the Pride doubled their lead on the ensuing set piece. Lemos sent a good cross to the back post and Anderson met it with a header, placing it perfectly past Jordan to make it 2-0.
The Current won a corner of their own in the 59th minute, but Orlando defended it away. It only as far as Chawinga, whose follow-up shot was blocked by Anderson.
Hines turned to his bench again in the 65th minute, sending on Luana for Angelina and Julie Doyle for Ovalle. Bethune worked her way into Orlando’s box in the 67th and fired from close range, but at a tight angle, and sent her effort straight at Moorhouse, who parried it behind for a corner. Moorhouse punched the corner clear, and the danger was eventually cleared over the crossbar for an Orlando goal kick.
Orlando was content to sit back and defend from that point. Bayley Feist made a slow-rolling effort in the 72nd that was easily gathered by Moorhouse, and Mace had a shot of her own in the 73rd that didn’t overly test Jordan. The Current responded in the 74th through Gianna Paul, but Moorhouse collected her effort without much trouble.
Hines made his final change in the 76th minute, bringing on Banda for Marta and Oihane for Washington. Banda’s first involvement came in the 77th, when she fired over the bar, and she got in behind again in the 78th and tried to chip Jordan — but the ball drifted past the far post with no one on hand to finish it off.
The Current had back-to-back chances in the 80th minute. Chawinga’s tepid effort was saved comfortably by Moorhouse, and moments later, Bethune pounced on an ill-advised pass from Anderson, only for Moorhouse to deny her as well. Paul’s cross into the box in the 83rd was collected just as easily.
Banda put the result beyond doubt in the 85th. Mace sent a ball over the top and into acres of space behind the Current’s back line. Jordan came rushing out to beat Banda to it, but she made only glancing contact with the ball on her volley attempt to clear it. The ball squirted behind Jordan. Banda easily beat Jordan to the loose ball and slotted it into an empty net for her 12th goal of the season, making it 3-0.
“We felt our structure and our engagement line was probably better to be a little bit lower to kind of take away the space that she could exploit and not let just one ball beat us.” Hines said of his strategy to deal with Chawinga’s threat. “A little adjustment that we made going into this game was just dropping Haley McCutcheon into the back line and covering those distances and the shifting across, but also trying to be aggressive to still press in the right position.”
The Current continued to press in the 90th minute, with Chawinga carving out her best look of the night, cutting left to right and smashing a hard shot just wide of the right post, handing possession back to Orlando. Moments later, Chawinga headed over the bar on the match’s final scoring chance.
Orlando’s defensive posture for much of the second half flipped the stats firmly in the visitors’ favor. Kansas City led in possession (55%-45%), shots (20-11), shots on target (9-5), corner kicks (4-1), and passing accuracy (88%-83%).
“Really good result. You know, especially after we come from a loss in LA,” Marta said. “It’s been like a tough season this year, ups and down[s], and we need to take a chance, especially when we play home. So, I’m really happy with the result tonight. Some days you wake up and then you just say to yourself, ‘It’s today, you know. Today you’re gonna play your best game.'”
The Pride next face the Boston Legacy at home on Wednesday.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride return home tonight as they welcome the Kansas City Current to Orlando.
Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride (5-6-2, 17 points) return home to face the Kansas City Current (8-5-0, 24 points). This is the first of two meetings between the two teams with the return game in Missouri scheduled for Sept. 11.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
The Current joined the NWSL in 2021 after the team’s ownership group bought the Utah Royals and relocated the club to Kansas City. It’s the second NWSL team in the city — FC Kansas City played there from 2013 to 2017 before moving to Utah — and the team was known as NWSL Kansas City for its inaugural season.
The Pride and Current have played 10 games against each other in the regular season and once in the playoffs. Orlando has a 3-3-4 record in the regular-season series (1-2-2 at home) and 4-3-4 in all competitions (2-2-2 in Orlando).
The two teams last met on Aug. 16, 2025, in Kansas City. While the Current outshot the Pride 16-5, each team only put one on target in a scoreless draw. On May 16 at Inter&Co Stadium, Temwa Chawinga was the difference, scoring the game’s lone goal in a 1-0 win by the Current.
The first game in 2024 was on July 6 in Kansas City, Barbra Banda gave the Pride the lead, but the hosts responded two minutes later through Chawinga. Despite a second yellow card for Carrie Lawrence dropping the Pride to 10 players just before halftime, Marta converted a second-half penalty, lifting her team to a 2-1 win.
On Sept. 13 in Orlando, the teams combined for 27 shots, but neither converted as the game ended in a scoreless draw. The final meeting of the season came on Nov. 17, 2024, in the NWSL semifinals in Orlando. Debinha gave the Current the lead and Haley McCutcheon equalized just before halftime. Banda made it 2-1 in the second half and Marta doubled the advantage late in normal time. Vanessa DiBernardo got one back deep in stoppage time from the penalty spot, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride won 3-2 to advance to the NWSL Championship in the Current’s home stadium.
The first time the teams met in 2023 was on April 23 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City. It was scoreless after an hour before the Current got a quick flurry of goals by Debinha and CeCe Kizer, lifting Kansas City to a 2-0 win. On June 23, 2023 in Orlando, the visitors took the lead through Debinha, and Kizer doubled the advantage just before halftime. Marta converted a penalty to pull one back, but the Pride fell 2-1.
The first meeting in 2022 took place May 14 at Exploria Stadium. The Pride took the lead early in the second half on a Gunny Jonsdottir goal. Elyse Bennett scored late in the second half, and the visitors appeared to win the game a minute into injury time through Kristen Hamilton. However, Kylie Strom was pulled down in the box five minutes later, resulting in a penalty. With Marta injured, the only player willing to step up to take the penalty was center back Toni Pressley, who drilled the ball into the roof of the net, pulling out a 2-2 draw.
Their second meeting in 2022 came on July 31 in Kansas City while the Pride were in the middle of their seven-game unbeaten run. The Pride opened the scoring when Erika Tymrak found Celia, whose header made it 1-0, and doubled the lead just after halftime through Julie Doyle. The Current stormed back with goals by Bennett and Kizer, pulling out a 2-2 draw.
The teams played twice during the 2021 NWSL season, with the first game occurring May 30 at Exploria Stadium. Courtney Petersen found Alex Morgan just outside the six-yard box and the striker headed in the game’s lone goal as the Pride won 1-0.
The Pride and Current met again on June 23 at Legends Field in Kansas City. The Pride had a weakened squad as then-coach Marc Skinner left some key players at home, preparing to lose them to the Olympics. It looked to be costly when Mariana Larroquette gave the hosts the lead late in first-half injury time. But the Pride responded well. Two minutes after Larroquette’s goal, Sydney Leroux’s shot took a deflection off a defender and went in to make it 1-1. Shortly after halftime, Leroux scored on a great individual effort from just outside the box. Marta then scored the goal of the game, beating Kansas City goalkeeper Abby Smith from the top of the center circle, lifting the Pride to a 3-1 win.
Overview
It’s been an up-and-down season for the Pride this year. The lowest point occurred in mid-May when they lost back-to-back games to expansion sides Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC away from home. It appeared as though they had righted the ship just before the World Cup break, winning back-to-back games against San Diego Wave FC and Bay FC.
Unfortunately, the return to action went about as poorly as you’d fear. Despite being on the road, they were facing an Angel City team that fired its coach prior to the break. However, the Pride spent nearly the whole game on their heels, falling 2-0.
The back line of Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Hailie Mace played well in the two victories, but they struggled to get the ball out of their own end in LA. It was a significant reason why they conceded twice.
The attack has been led yet again by Banda, who leads the league with 11 goals in 12 games. But the Zambian international missed the last game with a thigh injury.
On the postiive side, Jacquie Ovalle returned to the team in LA after missing the previous seven games. While she didn’t have the attacking impact she had early in the season, the midfielder’s presence will likely be felt when Banda returns as the two have made a dangerous pair.
The Current were the class of the league last season, winning the NWSL Shield by an astounding 21 points. They struggled out of the gate this year but have been on fire since the beginning of May. They’ve won six of their last seven games, with the only loss coming on May 20 to Angel City in LA. Most recently, they dominated the Summit in Denver 3-0.
The slow start can be attributed to a change of coach. Vlatko Andonovski stepped down from his coaching duties to become the club’s full-time sporting director. Chris Armas took over after being fired by the Colorado Rapids and it seemed early on like it might’ve been a mistake. But it now appears as though they could be the team to beat in the second half of the season.
The recent surge in victories has lifted the Current to fifth in the NWSL standings. That’s mostly due to their offensive prowess. The team has scored 21 goals in its first 13 games, tied with the Wave for second and three goals behind the Portland Thorns. Meanwhile, they’re 10th in goals conceded, having given up 17 goals.
Unsurprisingly, the Current are led by Chawinga, who has eight goals in nine games this year. Michelle Cooper has four goals, followed by Haley Hopkins and Croix Bethune with two goals each. Bethune leads Kansas City with five assists, followed by Cooper with three and Izzy Rodriguez and Chawinga with two each.
While the Current will have most of their attack, Cooper is out tonight with a thigh injury. Given her goals and assists, it’s something that could have an impact on tonight’s game. Especially with veteran center back Rafaelle missing.
“It’s always a good match against KC, whether it’s home or away. Two teams that have consistently been at the top of the table. The last two shield winners as well,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “So we expect a competitive game, both teams going after it. Obviously they’ve got new management, a couple of new players as well. But within their style of play and principles, it’s very similar to what they’ve shown in the last couple of years.”
The Pride will play tonight without Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Rafaelle (hip), and Viviana Villacorta (knee). The Current will be without Ellie Bravo-Young (thigh), Alana Cook (knee), Cooper (thigh), Clare Gagne (head), Mary Long, and Lorena (hip). Additionally, Katie Scott is away with the U.S. U-20 National Team.
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Kerry Abello, Hannah Anderson, Zara Chavoshi, Cori Dyke.
Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Ally Lemos.
Attacking Midfielders: Angelina, Marta, Jacquie Ovalle.
Forward: Solai Washington.
Bench: Cosette Morche, Hailie Mace, Oihane, Nicole Payne, Luana, Julie Doyle, Seven Castain, Summer Yates, Barbra Banda.
Kansas City Current (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Marisa Jordan.
Defenders: Izzy Rodriguez, Kayla Sharples, Gabrielle Robinson, Laney Rouse.
Defensive Midfielders: Rocky Rodriguez, Lo’eau LaBonta.
Attacking Midfielders: Debinha, Croix Bethune, Amelia White.
Forward: Haley Hopkins.
Bench: Kaylin Williams-Mosier, Meila Brewer, Elizabeth Ball, Kolo Suliafu, Vanessa DiBernardo, Bayley Feist, Gianna Paul, Penelope Hocking, Temwa Chawinga.
Referees
REF: Nabil Bensalah.
AR1: Jake Brochu.
AR2: Ben Rigel.
4TH: Elvis Osmanovic.
VAR: Anya Voigt.
AVAR: Katarzyna Wasiak.
How to Watch
Match Time: 8 p.m.
Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.
TV: None.
Streaming: Prime Video.
Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @themaneland.bsky.social on Bluesky and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter (@ORLPride) or Bluesky (@orlpride.com) feed.
Enjoy the game. Go Pride!
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