Orlando Pride

Top 10 Moments: Orlando Pride Win NWSL Shield

In our No. 2 moment of the year, the Pride’s regular-season dominance culminated in the winning of the NWSL Shield.

Published

1 year ago

December 30, 2024

S. Andrew DeSalvo

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

As we count down to the new year of 2025 — which will be Orlando City’s 11th in MLS, the Orlando Pride’s 10th in the NWSL, and OCB’s third in MLS NEXT Pro — and say goodbye to 2024, it’s time to look back at the club’s 10 best moments of the year as selected by The Mane Land staff via vote.

I usually do not compare myself to Ernest Hemingway, as the comparison is not very flattering to one of us. It is not important to delineate to whom it is not flattering, but suffice it to say one of us has significantly more writing talent than the other. Either way, I am going to borrow, and slightly modify, a line of Hemingway’s from The Sun Also Rises that I think perfectly encapsulates how the Pride won the NWSL Shield in 2024:

“How did you win the Shield?” Andrew asked. “Two ways,” Seb said. “Gradually and then suddenly.”

The actual question from the novel was about how a character went bankrupt, but the 2024 Orlando Pride were, as the kids say, money all year long, gradually stacking up point after point until Oct. 6, when they defeated the Washington Spirit 2-0 and suddenly they were the NWSL regular-season champions.

In order to get to that night in October, however, the sun had to also rise (sorry, that line was right there) on 22 other game days, and during that run of 22 games the Pride were better than any team in league history, going undefeated with 16 wins, six draws, and a +27 goal differential. For some context, only two NWSL teams had ever even won 16 games in a full season prior to 2024, and neither of them opened with 54 total points in their first 22 games.

In looking back at that season-opening stretch, it is somewhat amusing to see that the Pride drew their first two games, and neither of the teams they drew against (Racing Louisville and Angel City) made the playoffs. They then drew with Chicago, which ultimately made the playoffs as the lowest seed, and then, after whipping off a league-record eight straight wins, the Pride drew with San Diego…which also did not make the playoffs. So in a 12-game opening stretch, the Pride won eight games and drew four, and those four draws were with the teams who ended up ranked ninth, 12th, eighth and 10th of 14 total teams.

It is almost certainly not a coincidence that there were draws in the first three games and all three were played without FIFPRO World Best XI superstar Barbra Banda, but in looking back at the season, it is a bit of a stunner to see that the team that won the league started so meekly.

The Pride finally got their first win of the season in Game 4, against another non-playoff team, the Utah Royals, and that became the first of the eight wins in a row I mentioned earlier. Banda dressed for the first time in the next game, and with her in the lineup, the team scored 15 goals in the next seven games and put the entire league on notice that something special was happening in Orlando.

San Diego put a stop to the eight-game winning streak when the Pride traveled west for a Friday night matchup, but the Pride held on for a 1-1 draw despite playing without a few key players who had just returned from international duty. The team then traveled all the way back across the country for its next match, a hard fought 0-0 draw at North Carolina, becoming the first team all season to take a point from the Courage in their home stadium.

That took the Pride to a season-opening lucky number 13 straight games without a loss and also had the entire league looking ahead and salivating at a possible undefeated team vs. undefeated team matchup in Kansas City in a few short weeks. The Pride held up their end of the bargain, smashing Utah 6-0 and Angel City 3-0, and Kansas City did its part as well. Orlando went into the matchup at Kansas City undefeated through 15 games and tied on points with the Current, who also were 10-0-5 at that point.

I do not think it is hyperbolic to say that the anticipation before the game was as big as any regular-season game in NWSL history. The game was played in prime time on Saturday night, with no other games going on when it kicked off, and the opening 40 minutes of the game were everything everyone had hoped for, including goals from Banda and Kansas City’s Temwa Chawinga, who each had been on fire during opening half of the season. A red card on Orlando’s Carrie Lawrence in the 42nd minute changed the tone of the game, but in the second half Adriana earned a penalty kick that Marta converted, and the Pride held on for a gritty 2-1 victory while playing the entire second half down a player. Kansas City did not like the Pride’s postgame celebrations, although someone with two thumbs and who is writing this article certainly did.

That win over the Current opened up a three-point gap at the top of the table for Orlando, a lead the Pride would never relinquish. After a month-long break for the Olympics and the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, the Pride returned to NWSL regular-season action and proceeded to win three straight games in shutout fashion. They then tied the Current at home (another shutout) before going on another two-game win streak, though sadly the Houston Dash (another team that did not make the playoffs) were able to score a goal to break up the run of shutouts. The win over the Dash took the Pride to a record of 16-0-6 and brings us back to the night of Oct. 6, when the Pride won the NWSL Shield suddenly, after having set themselves up to win it gradually.

At this point of the NWSL season, there were only two teams remaining that could win the league — the Pride and their opponents on the night, the Washington Spirit, who entered the game trailing the Pride by seven points. A win for the Pride would put them up 10 points with only three games remaining, clinching the Shield.

“It’s number one versus number two, so we expect a very competitive game,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said going into the match. “Washington has been in a good run of form, as well as us, so I would expect both teams going out to get a win.”

The Mane Land’s Sean Rollins wrote an excellent recap of the match, and this paragraph of his really encapsulates how the match went:

This was a dominant performance by the Pride. They took the game to the Spirit early and didn’t let up. There were some moments when it looked like the visitors might find a way through, but the Pride took a deserved lead when Marta scored from the spot in the 53rd minute. An Adriana shot in the 73rd minute was deflected in by Tara McKeown and determined to be an own goal. The second goal ensured the Pride would take all three points and secure the shield.

Washington did not go down quietly, creating a few chances in the final 15 minutes of the game, but they were unable to get anything past the outstanding Orlando defense, and when the whistle blew, the Pride had their first-ever piece of NWSL hardware. If you have not seen the NWSL Shield in person, you need to find a way to get to a Pride game and see it, because it would give Captain America’s a run for its money. The NWSL and Tiffany & Co. were not messing around with this design.

“I mean, a lot of praise has to go to the players and what they’ve done. They’ve been incredible, their efforts and what they’ve put into this year,” Hines said after that match. “And, you know, I said to them before, it wasn’t our time last year. They were bitterly disappointed how the season ended and it just wasn’t meant to be. And so they took that into fuel going into this year. And, you know, I can’t doubt them. They’ve been absolutely amazing from start to finish. And I’m so happy for them that they finally got the job done in front of our own fans.”

Marta, who famously was a little loose with her tongue after winning the NWSL playoffs a few weeks later, was able to keep her postgame comments rated PG after this one. “We worked so hard from the beginning and every single game,” Marta said. “And we looked to have this moment, especially here in our house. You know, in front of our fans and families and friends. It’s unbelievable. Something that I dreamed about.”

The Sun Also Rises was Hemingway’s first novel, and it is considered by many to be his finest work. This was the Pride’s first-ever league championship, and while it remains to be seen whether it will eventually be considered their finest, there is no doubt whatsoever that it was an amazing season and one that will be remembered for a long time. Interestingly, Hemingway thought that a later novel, The Old Man and the Sea, was his best work, so perhaps there is another epic season coming for the Pride as well, and they will catch the their version of a giant marlin, the full undefeated season.

That would be a fish tale for another day, but on this day we celebrate a season-long dominant performance by Orlando, and one that culminated with the Pride celebrating their reign in the rain on Oct. 6, holding the NWSL Shield aloft as 2024’s regular-season champions.

Come back through New Year’s Eve as we count down the remainder of the top 10 moments of 2024 for Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and OCB.

Previous Top Moments of 2024

10. Orlando City’s massive second-half surge clinches top-four spot in Eastern Conference.

9. The Orlando Pride sign Zambian international striker Barbra Banda ahead of the 2024 season.

8. Facundo Torres scores his 47th goal for Orlando City, breaking the Lions’ all-time goal record.

7. Marta’s magical goal pushes the Orlando Pride past Kansas City and into the NWSL Championship.

6. Orlando City wins nervy three-game MLS Cup playoff series to advance past Charlotte FC.

5. Orlando Pride pick up the club’s first-ever playoff win in their first-ever time hosting a postseason match.

4. Orlando Pride rewrite club and NWSL record books throughout 2024 season and playoffs.

3. Orlando City dumps rival Atlanta United to advance to the club’s first-ever MLS Eastern Conference final appearance.

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Sign Jamaican International Forward Solai Washington

The Pride add attacking depth by signing former Florida State forward Solai Washington.

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2026

Michael Citro

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has signed Jamaican international forward Solai Washington. The former Florida State Seminole through the 2027 season with a mutual option for the 2028 season.

“Solai is a player we’ve had an eye on for a while during her two years in college,” Orlando Pride head coach Seb Hines said in a club press release. “Her composure on the ball, her ability to break lines, and the maturity she showed at Florida State make her a fantastic fit for what we’re building here. She brings energy, versatility, and a real competitive edge, which is what we look for in players. We’re excited to have her here in Orlando and to see the impact she can make in our environment both on and off the field.”

The 20-year-old attacker from Atlanta made 35 appearances in her two years in Tallahassee, scoring eight goals and adding four assists while helping the Seminoles win the 2025 NCAA national championship and the 2024 ACC tournament. Washington was a member of the 2024 ACC All-Freshmen Team, the 2024 All-ACC Academic Team, and was named to TopDrawerSoccer’s postseason Top 100 Freshman list (at No. 42).

On the international stage, Washington has already represented Jamaica at the senior level on the biggest stage, making three appearances with the Reggae Girlz at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, debuting in a scoreless draw with France.

What It Means for Orlando

The Pride’s need for depth in the attacking positions is well documented, and Washington is a young player with a ton of upside in an area of need. From that perspective alone, this is a signing that makes sense. While it would be nice for the club to sign some proven NWSL-level scorers to provide depth for Barbra Banda, Marta, and Jacquie Ovalle, it’s always good to develop young talent. Since the abolition of the NWSL Draft, teams must work harder to secure the services of players like Washington.

It will require some time to know whether Orlando’s faith in Washington will be rewarded, and she wasn’t the most prolific scorer at FSU, but it says something about a player that they can get minutes at age 17 in a World Cup. It will be up to Hines and his staff to develop Washington, who will have no shortage of great mentors as teammates.

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride Announce 2026 NWSL Schedule

We now know who, when, and where the Pride will play during the 2026 NWSL regular season.

Published

1 week ago

January 15, 2026

Sean Rollins

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

The National Women’s Soccer League schedule was announced this morning, telling us who, where, and when the Orlando Pride will play this year. The 2026 season will once again feature a balanced schedule with all teams playing the other 15 teams once at home and once on the road. The addition of Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC will see each team play 30 games, making it the longest regular season in league history.

The Pride will begin the season at home, facing the Seattle Reign on March 15. This season begins with a two-game homestand, ending with the club’s first-ever match against the Summit and the return of Ally Watt. The first road game will occur on March 25 when the Pride face Chicago Stars FC in Evanston, IL.

The Pride’s home schedule will end on Oct. 25 when they face NJ/NY Gotham FC. They’ll then travel west to face Seattle on Decision Day in the return game on Nov. 1, concluding the team’s 11th season in existence.

Orlando’s games this year are well distributed among the league’s various broadcast partners. The Pride will play nine times on Victory+ — the league’s new free streaming partner. Additionally, they’ll play six times on Prime Video, five times on Ion, twice on CBS Sports Network, once on ESPN, and once on ESPN2. The remaining games will be available on NWSL+.

Should the Pride qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive year, the quarterfinals will take play Nov. 6-8, followed by the semifinals on Nov. 14-15. The championship game will take place on Nov. 21 at a location yet to be determined.

The longest homestand this year is two games and will occur three times. As previously mentioned, the Pride begin with a pair of home games against Seattle and Denver on March 15 and March 20, respectively. They’ll host the Washington Spirit and North Carolina Courage on May 2 and May 8, respectively; the Kansas City Current and Boston on July 10 and July 15, respectively; and Utah Royals FC and the Houston Dash on Aug. 29 and Sept. 6, respectively.

The longest road trip this year is a three-game swing in May. Orlando will face Boston at Gillette Stadium on May 12, Denver on May 16, and San Diego Wave FC on May 24.

The league will take a month-long break during June as the country hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Pride’s final game before the break is on May 29 at home against Bay FC and they will return to action on July 3 against Angel City FC in Los Angeles.

The busiest months of the season will be May and July, when the Pride will play six times in each month. They’ll play four times in March, August, and September, three times in October, twice in April, and once in November.

Here’s a month-by-month breakdown of the regular season:

March — 4
April — 2
May — 6
June — 0
July — 6
August — 4
September — 4
October — 3
November — 1

The most common day the Pride will play this year will be Friday (11 times), the same as last year. They’ll play nine games on Sunday, seven on Saturday, two on Wednesday, and one rare Tuesday match.

Here’s the Pride’s breakdown by day for the regular season:

Monday — 0
Tuesday — 1
Wednesday — 2
Thursday — 0
Friday — 11
Saturday — 7
Sunday — 9

For fans that follow Orlando City and the Pride, the teams will play on the same day five times. However, two of the days won’t see the games overlap. On May 2, the Pride hosts the Spirit at 4 p.m. and the Lions face Inter Miami away at 7 p.m. On Sept. 19, the Pride host the Portland Thorns at 4 p.m while City plays at the New England Revolution at 7:30 p.m.

The teams’ games will overlap on three occasions, but they never start at the same time. On May 16, Orlando City hosts Atlanta United at 7:30 p.m. before the Pride play in Denver at 8:45 p.m. On Aug. 15, Orlando City hosts FC Cincinnati at 7:30 p.m. and the Pride play in Portland at 8:45 p.m. On Aug. 29, the Pride host the Royals at 7 p.m. and Orlando City faces Minnesota United FC away at 8:30 p.m.

2026 Orlando Pride Schedule (All Times Eastern)

Sunday, March 15 — vs. Seattle Reign FC, 4 p.m. (Victory+)
Friday, March 20 — vs. Denver Summit FC, 8 p.m. (Victory+)
Wednesday, March 25 — at Chicago Stars FC 8 p.m. (Victory+)
Sunday, March 29 — at NJ/NY Gotham FC, 7 p.m. (Victory+)
Friday, April 3 — vs. Angel City FC, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
Friday, April 24 — at Racing Louisville FC, 5:30 p.m. (Victory+)
Saturday, May 2 — vs. Washington Spirit, 4 p.m. (ION)
Friday, May 8 — vs. North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
Tuesday, May 12 — at Boston Legacy FC, 8 p.m. (Victory+)
Saturday, May 16 — at Denver Summit FC, 8:45 p.m. (ION)
Sunday, May 24 — at San Diego Wave FC, 7 p.m. (Victory+)
Friday, May 29 — vs. Bay FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
Friday, July 3 — at Angel City FC, 10 p.m. (Prime Video)
Friday, July 10 — vs. Kansas City Current, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
Wednesday, July 15 — vs. Boston Legacy FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
Saturday, July 18 — at Utah Royals FC, 8:45 p.m. (ION)
Friday, July 24 — vs. Chicago Stars FC, 8 p.m. (Victory+)
Friday, July 31 — at North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
Saturday, Aug. 8 — vs. Racing Louisville FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
Saturday, Aug. 15 — at Portland Thorns, 8:45 p.m. (ION)
Sunday, Aug. 23 — at Washington Spirit, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Saturday, Aug. 29 — vs. Utah Royals FC, 7 p.m. (NWSL+)
Sunday, Sept. 6 — vs. Houston Dash, 7 p.m. (Victory+)
Friday, Sept. 11 — at Kansas City Current, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
Saturday, Sept. 19 — vs. Portland Thorns, 4 p.m. (ION)
Sunday, Sept. 27 — at Bay FC, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, Oct. 2 — vs. San Diego Wave FC, 8 p.m. (Prime Video)
Sunday, Oct. 18 — at Houston Dash, 1 p.m. (CBSSN)
Sunday, Oct. 25 — vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 3 p.m. (CBSSN)
Sunday, Nov. 1 — at Seattle Reign FC, 5 p.m. (TBD)

Orlando Pride

How the Orlando Pride Can Return to the Mountaintop

What needs to happen for the Pride to win hardware in 2026?

Published

1 week ago

January 15, 2026

David Rohe

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

A fall-off after winning the double in 2024 was probably inevitable, yet the Orlando Pride still managed to come within minutes of playing in a second straight NWSL championship match. Many of the pieces are still there, and there are resources to get more. However, there have been some big changes in personnel on and off the pitch.

What needs to happen for the Pride to challenge for another double in 2026?

Reinvigorate the Attack

The return of Barbra Banda is the balm to soothe the worries of Orlando Pride fans. Even when the Pride struggled before she was injured, Banda scored plenty of goals. The biggest problem is she was left on an island as the team tried lobbing the ball up the field to her, hoping she’d do it all herself. Jacquie Ovalle didn’t take the NWSL by storm as we hoped, but it sometimes takes time for a player to adjust to a new league and club. If they had been able to work together, it’s likely the Orlando attack wouldn’t have faltered. Ovalle’s ability to deliver the ball into the box, combined with Banda’s ability to put the ball in the net, is a dangerous combo.

Of course, the Pride will need more than the two of them if the club is to win some trophies in 2026. I made this point several times last season, but Marta needs to find her form from 2024. With Banda and Ovalle in the attack, it should allow Marta the freedom she needs to be creative without having to carry the offense. Additionally, the Pride need other attackers to also find their 2024 form. I’m looking at Julie Doyle and Summer Yates in particular.

Fill the Roster

Haley Carter didn’t leave the cupboard bare when she departed for the wicked Washington Spirit. As such, Seb Hines and new Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Caitlin Carducci don’t have too much to do. But, the transfer of Emily Sams did create a need at center back. Fortunately, the Orlando Pride received $650,000 in intraleague transfer funds for Sams. That kind of cash can go a long way to filling the gaps in the roster.

With Kylie Nadaner on maternity leave and Rafaelle seemingly always on the verge of injury, finding a replacement for Sams is a priority. Some might point to Zara Chavoshi, but unless she levels up quickly, Carducci will need to look elsewhere. Offensively, as important as Banda is, adding another striker is necessary for quality depth. The departures of Ally Watt and Prisca Chilufya mean there’s a spot for an even better backup striker. I’m also not opposed to a quality left back.

Find the Grit

In 2024, the entire Pride team was personally offended if the opposition scored a goal. The level of defending up and down the pitch was a big factor in breaking records and winning hardware. The players need to pick up the chip and put it back on their metaphorical shoulders. I somewhat addressed this with the need to replace Sams, but there’s more to it than that. The Pride wore teams down over the course of a match, meaning it wasn’t necessary to score tons of goals. Of course, it’s not just the back line that needs to be better, but the entire team. Fortunately, Hines knows a thing or two about defenses. The Pride still have Marta to motivate them, and that — while not everything — is not a small advantage.

Those are the things I will be looking for in 2026. Let me know your thoughts or ideas in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!