Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit, NWSL Championship: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Win Club’s First League Title
The Pride defeated the Washington Spirit 1-0 to become NWSL champions.

The Orlando Pride finished their historic season tonight by capturing the club’s first NWSL Championship with a 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Barbra Banda gave the Pride the lead in the 37th minute and, despite defending almost the entire second half, held on to take the title.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines deployed the same lineup that beat the Kansas City Current 3-2 Sunday afternoon to advance to this championship game. The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke. Haley McCutcheon and Angelina were in the defensive midfield behind Ally Watt, Marta, and Adriana with Banda up top.
For the first time since 2019, the NWSL Championship was between the two teams with the best records in the league. Despite being the lower seed, Washington was the more aggressive team in this game and created multiple early chances. However, the Spirit struggled to put attempts on target, enabling the Pride to take the lead before halftime. The second half was all Spirit, as the Pride sat behind the ball, desperately holding onto the one-goal lead. They were able to keep the opposition at bay and Banda’s goal stood as the Pride claimed their first-ever league title. It caps a season in which the Pride took home both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship, becoming the first team to win the double since the 2021 Portland Thorns.
The Spirit got off to an attacking start, putting the Pride on their heels in the opening minutes. Rosemonde Kouassi received the ball on the left in the third minute and beat Dyke to create enough space for a shot. However, it was from a tight angle and right into the arms of Moorhouse.
The Pride went the other way and created their first chance of the game seconds later. Banda was able to get a shot off, but it was deflected out of play by Hal Hershfelt. The ensuing corner was cleared and the Pride didn’t cause any trouble for Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury.
Orlando had a better chance in the 15th minute when the ball popped out to Banda and the striker turned her defender before sprinting down the field. She had Adriana on her left and Marta on her right, ultimately playing it wide to the Pride captain. Marta took a touch inside to find space to shoot between a pair of defenders, sending the ball into the arms of Kingsbury.
Ashley Hatch made an overlapping run in the 22nd minute, receiving the ball from Tara McKeown. Receiving it on the right, Hatch sent a low cross into the six-yard box. However, it was too close to Moorhouse, who collected it.
In the 33rd minute, Kouassi made a run to the top of the Pride box, swerving through multiple defenders before getting a shot off. She was aiming for the near post, and Moorhouse dove for the attempt, but it went just wide.
The Pride took the lead in the 37th minute from the only player that caused problems for the Spirit defense. It started when Angelina won the ball from Leicy Santos, pushing the Colombian in a physical battle to win possession. She then sent Banda down the right, and the Zambian took on defender Esme Morgan one on one. Moving inside to get enough space for a shot, she beat Kingsbury with her left foot to her near post for the opening goal.
“I think that was a great moment for me,” Banda said about her goal “As that ball came through me, I don’t hesitate. I always want to take on the defenders. So I saw that opportunity and I had to put the ball at the back of the net because I saw the positioning of the goalkeeper. So it was great for me.”
Kingsbury took responsibility for the goal in the Spirit’s postgame press conference, confessing Banda’s shot caught her off guard as she was expecting a cross from that position. The quick shot with her off foot fooled the former Pride shot stopper and got between her leg and the post for the game’s only goal.
Marta tried to create something on her own in the 43rd minute, using multiple stepovers to beat Casey Krueger. The Brazilian sent the ball towards goal from a tight angle, forcing Kingsbury to tip it wide for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was cleared and it remained a 1-0 Pride lead.
Strom conceded a corner kick in the 45th minute and the Spirit nearly found an equalizer. McKeown’s set piece was towards the penalty spot where Hatch and Dyke jumped for the ball. The forward outjumped the right back, getting her head to the ball and sending towards the corner. It was behind Moorhouse but off the post and the Pride barely survived the attack.
Possession was evenly split in the first 45 minutes, but the Spirit created more shots (8-4). However, the Pride put more of their chances on target (3-1). While the Pride had more corner kicks in the first half (3-2), the Spirit had more crosses (9-8) and better passing accuracy (74%-70%).
Similar to the first half, the Spirit were the more dangerous team in the opening minutes of the second half. In the 47th minute, Kouassi got her head to a Trinity Rodman cross at the top of the six-yard box, forcing Moorhouse to push it away for a corner kick.
The short set piece resulted in Marta fouling Kouassi just outside of the box. Makenna Morris’ free kick found Hatch, who was left alone in the middle. The forward got her head to the ball and sent it towards the far post, but the attempt was wide.
The Spirit continued to put pressure on the Pride, creating a pair of chances in the 52nd minute through Morris and McKeown, but the Pride were able to clear the danger without conceding.
It looked like the Pride might double their lead in the 58th minute when Banda used her strength to turn McKeown and sprint into the Spirit third of the field. The striker slowed down as she approached Morgan and decided how to attack the center back. That gave McKeown time to get back and win the ball for Washington.
The Pride were finally able to cause some problems for the Spirit in the 61st minute when their press forced a turnover in Washington’s defensive third of the field. Watt took possession and played it back for McCutcheon, who lifted the ball for the far post. Unfortunately, she was unable to get around the ball and it sailed wide.
A minute later, Banda played the ball back for Marta, who sent a low shot towards the far post. Watt was making a run, stopping when the shot was taken. Adriana let the shot go through, and the ball bounced wide. It appeared like Watt also might have gotten on the end of it had she continued her run. Instead, it was a goal kick for the Spirit.
Hines made his first change of the game in the 66th minute, replacing Adriana with Summer Yates.
Hatch had several good chances in front of goal, and she had another in the 68th minute. McKeown received a loose ball on the right and sent the cross into the middle of the box. As she had all night, Hatch beat the Pride defenders to the ball, redirecting it on goal. However, the header was directly at Moorhouse.
Hines’ second change came in the 74th minute as Julie Doyle came into the game for Watt.
The Pride were on their back foot most of the second half, so it didn’t help when they needlessly gave the ball away in their own third. In the 85th minute, the ball slipped out of Abello’s hands as she threw it in, going straight to Kouassi. The attacker played it forward for Morris, whose cross was blocked by Sams.
Santos took possession and took a step forward before shooting, but Strom was there to block it. The ball went to Hatch at the top of the box, and the forward took a shot of her own. This time, McCutcheon was the one who got in the way, enabling the Pride to clear without Moorhouse having to make a save.
Hines made his final two changes of the game in the 86th minute, as the Pride looked to see out the win. They were defensive moves, as Carson Pickett and Morgan Gautrat came into the game for Abello and Angelina.
Kouassi was active in the final third all game and had a chance in the 88th minute. The Ivory Coast international cut to get past Pickett and shot for the near post, sending the attempt just wide.
The Spirit wanted a penalty as the game entered six minutes of stoppage time when Hatch dribbled around Gautrat and into the box. Gautrat extended her arm as Hatch entered the 18 and went to the ground. However, Hatch was already slipping and referee Alyssa Nichols determined that to be the case.
Rodman was sent down the right in the third minute of stoppage time before playing it back to Morris behind her in the box. The rookie sent her right-footed shot between a pair of defenders and towards goal, but it curled away from the target.
The Spirit felt they should’ve had a penalty again in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Kouassi won the ball from Banda and cut to split McCutcheon and Yates before going down. However, Kouassi seemed to go down easily and Nichols again let play continue.
The final chance for the Spirit came in the eighth minute of stoppage time when Kouassi’s shot was blocked and Gabrielle Carle crossed the ball towards the back post. Rodman and Dyke went up for the ball with the final touch going off the Pride right back.
Kingsbury came up as Rodman sent the ensuing corner kick into the box. The goalkeeper headed the ball towards the goal, but Gautrat was there for the block. Despite protests it was a corner kick, Gautrat’s clearance was blocked out of play by McKeown for a goal kick. That was all the Pride needed to see out the game.
The Spirit dominated the game statistically with the advantage in possession (58%-42%), shots (26-9), shots on target (5-3), corner kicks (8-3), crosses (25-11), and passing accuracy (79%-69%). However, the Pride were able to stay strong defensively and Banda’s first-half goal held up.
As the stats show, the Spirit dominated play in the second half, forcing the Pride to show the defensive prowess that led them to their 14th clean sheet this season. They’ve been more porous in recent games, but were solid in this one. It’s largely due to the play of center backs Sams and Strom, something the rest of the team noticed.
“Our back line was incredible today, but nothing that they didn’t do before. It was like that the whole season,” Marta said about the defending. “Like, Em (Sams) won the best defender of the year, and I think she deserves it. I’m a little bit sad because I did see Kylie in one of the teams, the best teams. But for us, for Orlando, both are so important. And both inside and outside the field, they just proved, they just show this kind of stuff every single game. And for me, they’re the best defenders in this league.”
“Tremendous,” Hines added about the center backs. “You know, I think you forget that Em is only a two-year pro. What she’s done this year is unimaginable. She’s won an Olympics, she’s won an NWSL Shield, she’s won an NWSL Championship, she’s (NWSL) Defender of the Year. You know, to replicate this year is incredible. And so, I’m very grateful for her trust in me and my experiences as a center back and Kylie as well. You know, (Strom) transitioned from a left back into center back. It’s not something that we planned at the start of the year, but it’s a testament to these players and doing a job for the best of the team.”
The Pride defense especially showed its abilities in the final 15 minutes. While the Pride defended most of the second half, the team was put under tremendous pressure in the final moments. It took some desperate defending, including diving in front of shots, to keep the clean sheet and come away with the win in 90 minutes.
“We’ve been put through those moments. If you ever watched us throughout the year, you know, you would have seen a team who’ve had to deal with those moments in the last 15 (minutes),” Hines said about his team’s defending. “And I’m not sure if this is still a record as well, but I think we’ve conceded the least amount of goals in that last 15. And so nothing changed in that last 15. You could see the players throw their bodies on the line, working together, tracking back, trying to stop the service to Orlando getting close to them, blocking shots. And so it’s no different to what we’ve done all season long, especially in this championship game.”
Despite the defensive performance, it’s no surprise that the game’s MVP award went to Banda. The Pride striker scored the lone goal and was a problem for the Spirit back line. The clean sheet was impressive, but it was a team effort.
This win is especially meaningful for Marta. The Brazilian joined the Pride in 2017, playing in the club’s first playoff game that season. She went through some terrible years and a complete roster overhaul, being the lone player from the club’s only successful campaign to experience the rebuild. After eight years with the Pride, she’s finally a champion.
Arguably the best player in the history of women’s soccer, Marta showed how much this win meant to her when being interviewed on stage after the game. “I f***ing wait eight years for this moment!” she yelled into the microphone.
“I’ve been in Orlando for so long, and then I see players come and then leave, come and leave,” Marta said after the game. “We had ups and downs. Some seasons we were okay, but not good enough. And I always ask myself what I’m looking for, because I’m still staying in Orlando. I was not satisfied with all of the other seasons, and I feel like I don’t want to leave this place without doing something really big, because it was like that in every single place that I’ve played.”
“I was just so happy for her,” Hines said about Marta finally winning the championship. “You know, she’s put everything into this club. She’s never played for any other team than Orlando Pride since she moved over to the U.S. So, I was just so happy for her to just share that moment. It’s a moment that she has been waiting for so long, and just to give her a hug at the end of the game, just meant the world to me. And obviously the club in general, because the players are working so hard for her to have that moment.”
In a season full of breaking records, the Pride had some more in this game. Moorhouse became the first international goalkeeper to win an NWSL Championship, Sams became the first player to win an Olympic goal medal and an NWSL Championship in the same year, Angelina became the first international player to record an assist in a NWSL Championship game, and Seb Hines became the first Black head coach to win an NWSL Championship.
“I appreciate it,” Hines said about being the first Black coach to win the NWSL Championship. “Obviously. I think it’s a historic moment for America, the NWSL. You know, my journey has been a different one. I started as a volunteer, I finished my career. I had a great playing career. I finished that journey and then transitioned to coaching. I want to be that role model for other people to get the opportunity that I got. It’s a big responsibility. I fulfilled a lot of joy in this, in this opportunity, and so I just want to continue to be an advocate for more Black coaches and create a more diverse league within the NWSL.”
Additionally, Banda scored four goals in three games during the postseason. That makes her the leading goal scorer in a single NWSL postseason in league history.
It’s not just an historic occasion for the Pride, but for the city of Orlando. The Pride are the first major professional sports team in the city to win a league championship. The NBA’s Orlando Magic have been to two NBA finals — losing in both — and Orlando City has never made it past the Eastern Conference semifinals of the MLS Cup playoffs.
“It’s massive. I obviously did my research. When I took this job on, I’d seen that Orlando had never won a championship between City, Pride, Orlando Magic, just to name a few,” Hines said about the accomplishment. “And so, yeah, I always wanted to have that open bus (ride) through the streets of Orlando. I think it’s a monumental moment for the city of Orlando, because they’ve been through so much since I’ve been here. You know, I’ve been here 10 years and I’ve seen a lot of things. Not only with the Pride, but Orlando in general. And so, to give back to the city is a massive achievement for everyone.”
This is only the beginning of the celebrations for the Pride. The city of Orlando has planned a parade that will start at 4:30 p.m. on Orange Avenue and arrive at City Hall for a celebration ceremony on Monday.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Final Score 1-1 as Pride Drop Challenge Cup In Penalties
The Pride drew the Spirit in the Challenge Cup before falling 4-2 on penalties.

The Orlando Pride opened the 2025 campaign tonight with a 1-1 draw against the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup at Inter&Co Stadium, falling 4-2 in penalties. Rafaelle gave the Pride the lead in the 41st minute, but Leicy Santos equalized with a great set piece in the 72nd minute.
This was the first time seeing Pride Head Coach Seb Hines’ starting lineup for 2025. Anna Moorhouse was in goal behind a back line of Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Rafaelle, and Emily Sams. Morgan Gautrat and Haley McCutcheon were the defensive midfielders behind Ally Watt, Marta, and Angelina with Barbra Banda up top.
The game saw the return of Brazilian center back Rafaelle, who had been out since July 6, 2024. It was also Angelina’s introduction in the attacking midfield for the first time since early last year. Primarily a defensive midfielder last season, Hines moved her forward where she could be creative.
“Rafa missed a lot of football last year. You can see what she brings when she’s on the field,” Hines said about the center back. “And so getting her to 45 minutes was a goal of ours.”
“We felt tonight that was an area that we could exploit with Washington’s press,” Hines said about starting Angelina in the attacking midfield. “We would have liked to get her the ball a lot more in that first half in that position. But again, it’s that understanding in chemistry and more work on the training field that would have helped us get her in those positions where she can be threatening.”
The Spirit had the first chance of the game in the 10th minute when the Pride tried to play the ball out of the back. They worked it from left to right, ending up on the foot of Sams. She played it central for McCutcheon, but the pass was off target. Santos took possession and shot from outside of the box but missed wide.
Watt nearly gave the Pride the lead in the 14th minute when the attacker tried to chip Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury. The goalkeeper got a touch to the ball, causing it to hit the top of the crossbar. The ensuing corner kick by Angelina was too close to Kingsbury, who caught it.
The Spirit had another good chance in the 18th minute when Gabrielle Carle played a beautiful ball forward for Brittany Ratcliffe on the right. Teenage midfielder Chloe Ricketts was making a run to the top of the box and Ratcliffe found her. Ricketts tried to beat Moorhouse to her right post, but the Pride shot stopper did well to get down and make the save.
A Watt cross caused problems for the Spirit in the 21st minute when Kingsbury lost control. It was free for a brief time, but nobody in purple was there to jump on it. Kingsbury was able to get back on the ball and end the threat.
In the 36th minute, Watt stuck her foot out and intercepted Narumi Miura’s pass back for Esme Morgan. As the attacker entered the box, Miura tripped her from behind and referee Alex Billeter pointed to the spot.
As Marta stood over the ball, the video assistant referee called for Billeter to take a second look. Replays showed that the contact between Miura and Watt was just outside the box. Billeter agreed and awarded the Pride a free kick instead. That could have been a major talking point, because Billeter did not allow play to continue after the foul, although Banda was first to the loose ball, appeared to have advantage, and may have scored had the whistle not blown.
However, on the set piece, Angelina tapped the ball to Marta, who fired a shot into the wall. The ball bounced back to Rafaelle, who sent it through several bodies and into the far corner to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.
“It’s always a great pleasure to score, especially with my whole team supporting me and happy for me to be back,” Rafaelle said. “First of all, I’m really happy to be back. I know scoring is a big moment in the game, but for me, just playing a few minutes and being with the team, that’s the best feeling ever.”
In the second minute of first-half injury time, Watt knocked the ball off Casey Krueger’s foot and out for a corner kick. Rafaelle got her head to Marta’s set piece, sending the ball towards goal. However, Kingsbury was there to catch it before it reached the goal line.
Banda turned McKeown in the third minute of stoppage time and went on a strong run into the box. McKeown went down while challenging Banda and the striker got into the box. The center back caught back up with Banda as she challenged Carle. There was contact and Banda went down, but Billeter determined it wasn’t enough to point to the spot for a second time.
The final attempt of the first half came in the dying seconds. Ashley Hatch did well to turn McCutcheon and create space for a shot from outside the box. However, the attempt was right into the arms of Moorhouse, who caught the ball as the halftime whistle blew.
Hines made one halftime change, and it was an interesting one. While Rafaelle coming off wasn’t surprising, Julie Doyle replaced her. As a result, Sams moved from right back to center back, McCutcheon moved from the defensive midfield to right back, and Angelina moved from the attacking midfield to defensive midfield.
“We would have liked to keep her (Rafaelle) on the field for longer,” Hines said about the substitution. “But, you know, you’re putting a player at risk at that moment. So it was nice to see her contributing and getting a goal because we know that she can contribute in goal-scoring moments as well.”
The Pride took the first attempt at goal of the second half when Banda dribbled inside and shot from outside the box. The attempt was off the head of McKeown, who crumbled to the ground and received treatment before continuing.
The visitors got their first second-half attempt in the 50th minute when Ricketts played the ball wide for Krueger, who sent it into the box. Ratcliffe made a run between Sams and Nadaner, diving to head the ball. However, the attempt went wide of the near post.
Things got a little feisty in the 52nd minute when Ricketts came in late on Sams in the Pride box, taking out the center back. Moorhouse took exception to the challenge and sprinted out to confront Ricketts. As more players came running in, Billeter told everyone to back up and eventually regained control of the situation.
Marta tried to make something happen in the 65th minute, twisting and turning to find space for a shot. Morgan knocked the first attempt away, but it went right back to the Pride captain. She used some nifty footwork to create a second shot but sent it high and wide of the target.
Hines made his second change shortly after, bringing Ally Lemos on in the 67th minute. This time it was a more straightforward change as she replaced Gautrat.
The Spirit went on the attack following the substitution, creating chances deep with set pieces. The first was in the 70th minute when Marta fouled Hal Hershfelt. Makenna Morris’ free kick found McKeown in the box. She volleyed the ball into the box, but McCutcheon knocked it away. It ended up back with McKeown, whose shot went across the box and nowhere near the target.
The visitors got another chance in the 72nd minute when Angelina was called for a foul on Miura near the top of the Pride box. Santos took the set piece. Moorhouse got her hands to it but couldn’t keep it from slipping inside the near post to even the game at 1-1.
“Great goal by them,” Nadaner said about the goal. “Sometimes you just got to put your hands up.”
The Pride went on the attack after the equalizer, trying to retake the lead. Marta won a corner kick in the 75th minute, which Angelina sent into the box. The cross was behind the attackers, but Marta got her head to it. She tried to turn it on goal, sending it wide.
Hines made two more changes in the 82nd minute as Summer Yates and Prisca Chilufya replaced Watt and Banda. It was a Pride debut for Chilufya, who joined the team this off-season.
The Pride nearly retook the lead in the 85th minute when McCutcheon played Banda at the near post. The striker had the inside position on the defender and tried to turn it on goal, but it went wide.
The Spirit nearly had a chance in the 87th minute when Krueger sent a high ball down field and Sams misplayed it. Hatch controlled the ball and dribbled into the box, but Abello did well to come across and knock it out for a corner kick.
The ensuing set piece was tipped by Moorhouse, going to Santos beyond the back post. Her shot was blocked and the Spirit players called for a handball, but Billeter decided it wasn’t, as it deflected up off Chilufya’s foot and onto her hand.
It looked like the Pride had a late winner when Yates was taken down by Carle in the 90th minute. Angelina sent the ball behind the back line and Nadaner dove, heading it past Kingsbury. However, the flag went up for offside, a correct decision.
That was the final decent chance for either team as the 90 minutes ended 1-1. Since it’s the Challenge Cup, the game went to penalties to see who got the trophy.
Doyle and Angelina converted the first two attempts, but were equaled by Hatch and Rebeca Bernal. Yates took the third kick for the Pride, sending it wide. Miura took the third for the Spirit. Moorhouse got her hands to it, but it was too strong and Washington took the lead.
The Pride’s fourth penalty was a weak one to the right by Lemos and Kingsbury made the stop. That left it up to McKeown. The forward-turned-center back powered it past Moorhouse to give Washington the trophy.
The Pride ended the game leading every major statistical category, including possession (52.2%-47.8%), shots (13-9), shots on target (4-3), crosses (11-7), corner kicks (7-1), and passing accuracy (80.8%-79%).
“Football’s a cruel game, you know? Losing to penalties is never nice,” Hines said about the game. “I thought we did really well throughout the game. I thought our press was really, really good, and we had some good opportunities. But again, we have to take into consideration this is the first game of the year. And it’s a final. And, obviously, you want to win every game, but I think it’s always hard losing a final and losing a trophy. But I think it’s going to help us have that hunger to continue to start where we left off from last year.”
This is the first time the Pride have lost to the Spirit since Aug. 4, 2023, in the previous version of the Challenge Cup. Last season, they went 3-0-0 against tonight’s opponent, clinching the NWSL Shield and winning the NWSL Championship against the Spirit.
With the Challenge Cup behind them, the Pride now look forward to the NWSL regular season. They’ll kick off the new campaign next Friday night when they host the Chicago Stars.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride kick off the 2025 campaign in the Challenge Cup against the Washington Spirit.

Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride face the Washington Spirit in the 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup. Now a Super Cup, it’s a rematch of the 2024 NWSL Championship, which the Pride won 1-0.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
The Pride and Spirit have faced off 26 times since the Pride joined the NWSL in 2016. Orlando has a record of 10-9-7 in all competitions against Washington and a 9-6-6 record in NWSL play (regular season and playoffs combined).
The last time these two teams met was on Nov. 23, 2024 in the NWSL Championship. Barbra Banda’s 37th-minute goal was the difference in the game as the Pride won their first-ever league title.
The game prior to the championship was on Oct. 6, 2024 in Orlando. Despite dominating the game, the Pride didn’t convert until Marta scored in the 53rd minute. An Adriana shot was deflected by Tara McKeown for an own goal in the 73rd minute, lifting the Pride to a 2-0 win and clinching the NWSL Shield. On April 26 in Washington, D.C., Angelina gave the Pride the early lead before Ouleymata Sarr equalized shortly before halftime. A Banda strike and a Summer Yates penalty conversion in the second half seemed to put the game away, but Anna Moorhouse dropped an easy catch from Ashley Hatch, giving the Spirit a second goal. Fortunately, the Pride held on for the 3-2 win, extending their early-season winning streak to three games.
The first meeting of 2023 was on May 10 at Audi Field in NWSL Challenge Cup group play. Tori Hansen gave the Pride a surprising early lead, but late first-half goals by Lena Silano, Sam Staab, and Marissa Sheva made it 3-1 Washington at halftime. Ally Watt scored off the bench early in the second half, but Ashley Sanchez put the game away in injury time as the Spirit won 4-2.
The first regular-season matchup of 2023 was on May 20 in Orlando. Marta converted a first-half penalty, but Staab equalized five minutes later. Kylie Strom netted the winner late, and the Pride won 2-1. The Pride dominated the Spirit in the second regular-season matchup on July 1. Julie Doyle had a brace in the first 16 minutes and a McKeown own goal put the game out of reach as the Pride won 3-0.
The final meeting in 2023 was in the Challenge Cup on Aug. 4 in Orlando. The game appeared to be headed for a scoreless draw until Mariana Speckmaier scored eight minutes into second-half injury time, lifting her team to a 1-0 win.
The first game between the teams in 2022 came on May 27 at Exploria Stadium. Trinity Rodman gave the Spirit an early lead and Hatch doubled the advantage after halftime. As the game entered second-half stoppage time, it appeared as though the Pride would fall for the second straight time, but a pair of late goals by Mikayla Cluff and Darian Jenkins stunned Washington with a 2-2 draw. The teams met again on July 17 at Audi Field and the Spirit dominated the game statistically. They had more possession, shots, and shots on target but couldn’t find the back of the net, resulting in a scoreless draw.
Prior to the draw in May, the Pride and Spirit played two games in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. The first was on March 19 in Orlando, playing to a scoreless draw. The second Challenge Cup meeting came on April 3 at Audi Field. Gunny Jonsdottir scored the team’s first goal in four games. However, the Spirit already had a 3-0 lead. Rodman scored a late goal to put the game away as the Pride fell 4-1.
The two teams played four times during 2021. The first was on April 21 in the Challenge Cup. Sydney Leroux’s goal was the only scoring as the Pride won 1-0. Just two games later, the Pride opened their regular season by hosting the Spirit on May 16. Hatch gave Washington the lead, but Alex Morgan equalized to claim a 1-1 draw. The second regular-season meeting that year was on June 6 in Washington. Hatch opened the scoring, but Taylor Kornieck equalized minutes later, resulting in a 1-1 draw. The final meeting of 2021 came Aug. 22 at Audi Field. Marta gave the Pride the lead, but Hatch equalized just two minutes later. It looked like it would be a third straight 1-1 draw but Sanchez won it for Washington late.
Due to the pandemic, the Pride and Spirit didn’t play in 2020 but faced off three times in 2019. The first was on July 6 in Orlando. Marta scored a brace in the second half, leading the Pride to a 4-3 win. They played again on Aug. 24 in Washington. Crystal Thomas gave the hosts the lead and Marta equalized. But Hatch’s goal lifted the Spirit to a 2-1 win. The final game was supposed to be the following weekend but was postponed due to Hurricane Dorian. Instead, the game was played Oct. 9 in Orlando. The Spirit dominated the rubber match, beating the Pride 3-0.
The first of two meetings in 2018 was on March 31 at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Hatch scored a goal and added an assist in a 2-0 win for the Spirit. The Pride got their revenge in the second game in the same location. Alanna Kennedy’s goal was the difference as the Pride won 1-0. The final meeting that year was on July 7 in Orlando. Hatch gave the Spirit the lead, but Leroux scored just before halftime and Marta’s goal gave Orlando the 2-1 win.
The 2017 season was the first time the teams played three times in a year. Their April 22 meeting was the Pride’s first home game that year. Line Sigvardsen-Jensen gave the visitors the lead, but Danica Evans answered as the teams drew 1-1. They met for the second time that year in Maryland on July 8 when Marta and Mallory Pugh both scored braces in a 2-2 draw. The final game in 2018 was on Aug. 8 in Orlando. Marta, Camila, and Morgan all scored as the Pride ran away with a 3-0 win.
The Spirit swept the first two meetings in 2016, winning 2-0 in Maryland and 2-1 in Orlando.
Overview
Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter has done well in keeping her championship squad together. The team returns 10 of its 11 regular starters from the 2024 championship run. However, the Pride will likely feel the departure of Adriana after Carter shipped the Brazilian off to Saudi Arabia at the end of January.
It’s unclear who will replace Adriana, although top candidates include back-from-injury Grace Chanda and new signing Prisca Chilufya, but the rest of the team remains intact. Marta signed a new two-year deal to remain with the team and will captain the side tonight. Banda remains up top, making the Pride a threat going forward. However, it’s more important that the back line returns.
The Pride were the best defensive team in the league last year, giving up just 20 goals. They had a chance to set the record for fewest goals conceded in a season, but Head Coach Seb Hines decided to rest players for the playoffs after winning the NWSL Shield.
The Spirit are largely the same team the Pride played in November, but they did make a significant move. Andi Sullivan is out with a torn ACL, suffered in the Oct. 6 meeting between these two teams in Orlando. So the Spirit went out and got Japanese midfielder Narumi Mirua — who spent the last two seasons in North Carolina — to replace her.
Rodman, Sarr, and Hatch remain on the front line for the Spirit, making them a threat going forward. Sarr and Rodman led the team last year with eight goals each, and Hatch was just behind them with seven. They helped lead the Spirit to 51 regular-season goals, second in the league last season. However, the Spirit will be without Sarr and possibly Rodman tonight.
“It goes without saying, it’s been a short off-season and a short preseason, but we wouldn’t swap it for anything,” Hines said leading into this game. “Going through the highs of last year and winning the championship and going to the last game of the year is incredible. Then you’re straight into reality with the preseason. We’ve had a really good preseason and played some really competitive games. The challenge is internationals always going away in pivotal moments within preseason, but everybody’s fit and ready to go into this game against Washington in the Challenge Cup. We’re excited, we’re looking forward to it, and we’re looking forward to putting on a show in front of everyone, especially our fans who have been waiting to see us since the championship game. We’re ready to go.”
The Pride will enter this first game of the season without six players, some of whom were expected to be missing. The list includes Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Amanda Allen (shoulder), Carson Pickett (foot), Aryssa Mahrt (knee), and Oihane (excused absence). Additionally, Cori Dyke (thigh) is listed as questionable.
The Spirit are without Croix Bethune (knee), Emma Gaines-Ramos (knee), Rosemonde Kouassi (knee), Lyza Jessee (wrist), Paige Metayer (knee), Sarr (back), Sullivan (knee), Courtney Brown (hip), Heather Stainbrook (hip), Kysha Sylla (knee), and Kate Wiesner (hip). Rodman (back) is listed as questionable.
Projected Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Rafaelle, Emily Sams.
Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Morgan Gautrat.
Midfielders: Ally Watt, Marta, Angelina.
Forward: Barbra Banda.
Bench: McKinley Crone, Prisca Chilufya, Viviana Villacorta, Julie Doyle, Grace Chanda, Summer Yates, Ally Lemos, Brianna Martinez, Zara Chavoshi.
Washington Spirit (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Aubrey Kingsbury.
Defenders: Casey Krueger, Esme Morgan, Tara McKeown, Gabrielle Carle.
Defensive Midfielders: Hal Hershfelt, Narumi Muiura.
Midfielders: Brittany Ratcliffe, Leicy Santos, Chloe Ricketts.
Forwards: Ashley Hatch.
Bench: Rebeca Bernal, Meg Boade, Margie Detrizio, Kiley Dulaney, Sandy MacIver, Trinity Rodman, Makenna Morris.
Referees
REF: Alexandra Billeter.
AR1: Katarzyna Wasiak.
AR2: Matthew Rodman.
4TH: Shawn Tehini.
VAR: Greg Dopka.
AVAR: Rhett Hammil.
RAR: Melissa Gonzalez.
How to Watch
Match Time: 8 p.m.
Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.
TV: None.
Streaming: Prime Video.
Twitter: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).
Enjoy the match. Go Pride!
Orlando Pride
Summer Yates a Top Candidate to Replace Adriana’s Production — and Exceed It
A look at what the Pride will be missing with Adriana’s departure and a case for why Summer Yates is the best replacement candidate.

The Pride’s season starts Friday…kind of. The Pride definitely will play a game on that date, wearing their uniforms in front of fans, but the game will straddle the line between being meaningful and meaningless.
It is an NWSL game, but one that has no bearing on the standings or playoff qualification. However, if they win, they will win a trophy — the NWSL Challenge Cup. Players will not accumulate any official NWSL statistics, but if they perform well or poorly, it very well may have a bearing on their roles once the regular season starts. A soccer game should in no way be similar to Winston Churchill’s famous line about the Soviet Union being a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside of an enigma, except for when it is.
Perhaps that was a bit hyperbolic. Ok, very hyperbolic.
What is truly still a mystery, however, is who will take the mantle from Adriana as the team’s third offensive focal point? The clear top two are Barbra Banda and Marta, who combined for more than 20 goals last season, but the third is up for grabs. As a quick reminder, here are the top performers from last year during NWSL regular-season play (data from Opta’s tracking on fbref.com, SCA = shot-creating actions):
Player | Mins | Goals | Shots | SCA per 90 | % of Team’s Touches in Attacking Third |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barbra Banda | 1,741 | 13 | 101 | 4.6 | 12% |
Marta | 1,734 | 9 | 61 | 5.1 | 13% |
Adriana | 1,681 | 6 | 76 | 3.9 | 12% |
Summer Yates | 1,327 | 5 | 25 | 4.0 | 7% |
Ally Watt | 887 | 3 | 28 | 2.2 | 4% |
Adriana’s departure leaves nearly 1,700 minutes to fill, in addition to around four shots per 90 minutes and the third most goals on the team. The Brazilian also was a heavy possessor of the ball when the Pride were in the attacking third of the field, touching the ball as often as Banda and almost as often as Marta.
The Pride do not have to directly replace all of those statistics, but being that they brought back many of the key contributors from last season, they are likely to play in a similar fashion as they did in 2024 (and, um, they won the shield and the cup so why wouldn’t they?). So, many of the shots and touches taken by Adriana will be there for someone else to take.
Grace Chanda was recently removed from the Season-Ending Injury List, Simone Charley likely will be removed soon, and the team signed Prisca Chilufya in the off-season, but I think it will be Yates who makes another leap and ascends into a major role in the Pride’s attack this season. Head Coach Seb Hines clearly already trusts her, giving her 17 starts during the regular season in 2024, and despite receiving little national attention and playing only slightly more than 50% of the available regular-season minutes, she proved herself to be one of the league’s elite attacking players, placing in the top 20 in several critical metrics.
Here is where she ranked in the NWSL during the 2024 season in several attacking statistics:
Metric | Value | 2024 NWSL Rank |
---|---|---|
Shot-Creating Actions per 90 | 4.00 | 17 |
Season Game Score per 90 | 0.62 | 18 |
Goals | 5 | 18 |
Plus/Minus per 90 | +1.56 | 2 |
On-Off | +1.29 | 12 |
A quick trip down dictionary lane for these metrics:
- Shot-Creating Actions — the final two plays that happened immediately prior to a shot.
- Season Game Score — I explained this metric in detail in this article on Orlando City, but it amounts to a measure of the contributions of goals, expected assists, and attacking plays per game.
- Goals — Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooals.
- Plus/Minus per 90 — the differential between goals scored and goals allowed while a player is on the field, normalized over a 90-minute period.
- On-Off — the differential between goals scored and goals allowed while a player is on the field as compared to the goal differential when they are not on the field, normalized over a 90-minute period.
For all of these metrics, the goal is to be positive, and the more positive the better the performance. Yates is a skilled dribbler and passer, and those skills in particular helped her create exactly four shots per 90 minutes for her teammates last season. Despite playing nearly 350 fewer minutes than Adriana last season, she had more key passes (32 to 30) and one-on-one dribbling wins (28 to 24), and her win rate on those one-on-one dribbling take-ons was much higher (45% to 35%).
Those same skills helped contribute to her high season game score as well, as expected assists and progressive passes come from well-played passes, and progressive carries (dribbles) can only happen if a player has excellent touch and can dribble at speed at an opposing defense.
If you scroll back up to the first chart, which showed goals and shots, you will notice that Yates scored five goals on only 25 shots — a 20% success rate and the best on the team. The full team average, excluding Yates, was 9.9% and the NWSL average was 10.0%, so she was in a class by herself in terms of making the most of her shots when she took them.
The final two metrics I showed, plus/minus and on-off, are tied into goal differential, and those therefore take into account both the offensive and defensive performance of the player and the team while on the field. Yates was better than +1.00 in both metrics, and while soccer is a game played by 11 players, it is still telling that the team performed positively while she was on the field and was better with her on the field than when she was not on the field.
Yates cannot play all of Adriana’s minutes, but I think if healthy she should definitely pick up at least 400-500 of them. Extrapolating is a dangerous business, best left to mathematicians (oh hey, that’s me) and gamblers (not me, though I did like seeing that the Pride are the favorites to win the NWSL this year). An increase of 400-500 minutes would be an increase of around one-third for Yates and would correspondingly put her on track for seven goals and three assists during the regular season.
Only 14 NWSL players had at least 10 goal contributions in 2024, and I think that is possible for Yates to achieve in 2025. I think she deserves the minutes, and if she gets them, she will deliver goals all….summer….long. The competition will be fierce with the firepower the Pride have on the offensive side of the ball, and I am excited to see how Hines divvies out the minutes once the season starts.
Perhaps the NWSL Challenge Cup will be a harbinger of things to come, or perhaps Hines will use that game for experimentation or even as a shiny diversion, like covering a barnacle with bioluminescent algae, with the whole league watching. Only he knows, but one thing we all know is that he is smiling while thinking about whatever strategy he is planning to deploy in the season opener.
Until then it is is mystery, but my hope is that he will read the clues and solve the case by selecting Summer Yates on the field with a 90-minute timepiece.
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