Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (6-8-2, 20 points) return home to play Chicago Stars FC (4-11-0, 12 points). This is the second and final time these teams will meet during the regular season.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

History

The Pride and Stars have played every season since Orlando’s entrance into the NWSL except 2020. The teams have played 23 games, with the Pride going 8-13-2 overall and 2-7-2 at home in the regular season. Orlando has also faced the Stars in the playoffs once, wining at home.

The last meeting between the Pride and Stars took place on March 25 in Evanston, IL. Jacquie Ovalle had arguably her best game for the club, netting a goal and adding an assist. Her goal was the second of the night with strikes by Barbra Banda and Hannah Anderson securing the 3-0 win.

The first game last season took place March 14 in Orlando. It was a dominant performance by the Pride as they struck early through Haley McCutcheon, and Ally Watt doubled the lead before halftime. An own goal by Anderson (then with Chicago), a Julie Doyle strike, and a Banda brace saw the Pride come away with a 6-0 win. On Sept. 7, 2025, in Evanston, IL, Sam Staab gave the hosts the lead early in the second half and Carson Pickett equalized a few minutes later. The tie score didn’t last long, as a minute later Jameese Joseph made it 2-1 Chicago. Goals by Bea Franklin and Julia Grosso put the game away, despite McCutcheon getting one back. A late conversion by Ludmila secured the 5-2 win for Chicago.

The Pride and then-Red Stars met first in 2024 on March 29 in Orlando, the Pride took the lead early through a Taylor Malham own goal, but Mallory Swanson equalized in the second half, resulting in a 1-1 draw. The teams then met in Illinois on Sept. 8, 2024. Marta’s goal was the difference as the Pride came away with a 1-0 win.

The Nov. 8, 2024 meeting was the Pride’s first-ever home playoff game and they dominated. Watt set up a McCutcheon goal to give the hosts the lead, and Banda netted a brace with a goal on each side of halftime. Marta made it 4-0 with a penalty, sealing the result. It would’ve been a clean sheet, but Anna Moorhouse cleared the ball off of Joseph and into her own net, capping the scoring in a 4-1 Orlando win.

The teams first met in 2023 on May 27 in Illinois. Orlando dominated the entire 90 minutes, with Chicago only getting two chances on its home field. But the Pride struggled to hit the target, and Yuki Nagasato’s goal was the difference as the Pride fell 1-0.  The Aug. 20 return matchup was the debut of Pride center back Rafaelle, and the Brazilian scored to give Orlando the early lead. The hosts continued their attack, resulting in four more goals. Messiah Bright scored a pair, new signing Mariana Larroquette scored her first Pride goal, and Mikayla Cluff capped off the night with a goal as the Pride won 5-0.

The first meeting of 2022 took place on May 22 in Orlando. Sarah Griffin gave the visitors the lead, and goals by Bianca St-Georges and Swanson made it 3-0 Chicago. It appeared as though the Red Stars would run away with the game, but the final 10 minutes saw three goals and two penalties for an exciting finish. Sydney Leroux missed a penalty, but Amy Turner scored the Pride’s first goal late. Swanson converted her penalty moments later, and Leah Pruitt scored her first goal for the Pride a minute after that in a 4-2 Red Stars win. The second meeting of the 2022 season was on June 12 in Illinois. Swanson capitalized on an early Pride turnover and the Red Stars held on for the 1-0 win.

The teams met three times during the 2021 season but didn’t play until Aug. 8 in Illinois. Jodie Taylor and Leroux scored for the Pride before halftime. The 2-0 win ended a six-game winless streak and was the first NWSL victory for interim head coach Becky Burleigh.

The second meeting was held Oct. 13 in Bridgeview, a rescheduled game that was originally supposed to take place Oct. 2. Kealia Watt scored early and the Red Stars defended that lead for 84 minutes on their way to a 1-0 result. The teams met again Oct. 29, 2021, in Orlando in the final game of the regular season. The Red Stars controlled the game and Watt scored the lone goal in a 1-0 Chicago win.

The Pride and Red Stars didn’t play in the 2020 Fall Series, so the last meeting prior to 2021 came in 2019. The teams first met June 30 at Exploria Stadium. Goals by Chioma Ubogagu and Marta were topped by a Sam Kerr hat trick as the Red Stars won 3-2. The teams met again Aug. 21 in Bridgeview. The Pride took a 2-0 lead with goals by Rachel Hill and Ubogagu. Tierna Davidson cut the lead in half for Chicago, but the Pride won 2-1. The third meeting in 2021 took place Sept. 11 in Orlando. Casey Short stole the game for Chicago with the game’s lone goal five minutes into second-half injury time as the Red Stars won, 1-0.

The 2018 NWSL season saw the Pride and Red Stars meet three times. On May 2 in Bridgeview, Hill and Ubogagu scored in a 2-0 Pride win. They met in the same location May 26, with a Leroux brace and goals by Hill, Alex Morgan, and Dani Weatherholt leading to a 5-2 Pride win. The Red Stars were led by a Kerr brace in a 3-1 Chicago victory on Aug. 25 in Orlando in the third meeting of 2018.

The Pride and Red Stars met three times in 2017. A Christen Press goal on July 1 lifted Chicago to a 1-0 win. On July 22 in Bridgeview, a Press brace led her team to a 2-1 win. The final meeting came a week later in Orlando. Morgan and Sofia Huerta traded goals in a 1-1 draw.

The Red Stars won both meetings in 2016 by 1-0 final scores.

Overview

The Pride have struggled since returning to action from the FIFA World Cup break. They’ve lost three of their four games, getting shut out in all three losses. Surprisingly, the win came in a dominating 3-0 second half against a red-hot Kansas City Current team.

A major reason for the offensive slump is that Banda is in the process of returning from a thigh injury. She played the final 14 minutes against Kansas City on July 10, the final 30 minutes against Boston Legacy FC on July 15, and started Saturday night in Utah, playing 32 minutes.

While the team has struggled to score goals, the Pride have been strong defensively. Following the 2-0 loss to Angel City FC, they earned a clean sheet against Kansas City and only gave up one goal each against Boston and Utah. A slight improvement offensively could see them climb up the table, even if they’re not scoring multiple goals each game.

The Pride have now entered the back half of the season and find themselves in the unfamiliar situation of being below the playoff line. The loss Saturday night saw them drop to ninth, one point behind the North Carolina Courage and two points behind Angel City FC. Making things more challenging is that they’ve played more games than the teams around them. That makes getting points even more crucial, especially at home. Additionally, Banda, who leads the NWSL with 12 goals, has departed the team to compete with Zambia in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The Pride will look to get back on the right path tonight and they’re playing a team that should support that goal. Chicago sits in 15th of the 16-team league after 15 games. The Stars have only won four times this year and only once away from home. Given that the Pride already crushed this team back in March, nothing less than three points should be acceptable.

Chicago has struggled on both ends of the field this year. It is the only team in the league yet to score double-digit goals, having only netted eight, and is the first team to reach 30 goals conceded this season. The Stars’ -22 goal difference is the worst in the league by 11 goals.

Chicago claimed an impressive 3-2 win over the Utah Royals coming out of the World Cup break, but dropped back-to-back 2-0 results to Boston and Angel City heading into tonight’s game.

In the absence of Swanson, who has missed much of the year on maternity leave, most of the team’s offense has come from Jordyn Huitema. The Canadian international leads the team with four goals, providing half of the team’s attack this season. However, Huitema tore her ACL against Angel City, ending her season.

The team has also improved defensively, though there’s still work to do. The Stars conceded four goals and three goals twice through May 16, but haven’t conceded three times since. Still, they’ve only earned two clean sheets, with the last one coming on May 24, and have conceded multiple goals in all four games since.

“I think it’s two teams that are looking to get back on form,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said ahead of the match. “We’ve had two disappointing results by one-goal deficits, so, we’re looking to bounce back. Looking to get back to our own environment, playing in front of our own fans, and put on a performance that everyone’s proud of.”

The Pride will play tonight without Banda (international duty), Anderson (lower leg), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), and Viviana Villacorta (knee). The Stars will be without Ryan Connaughton (knee), Emma Egizii (lower leg), Bea Franklin (torso), Huitema (knee), Natalia Kuikka (knee), Swanson (lower leg), Taylor Wood (lower leg), and Michelle Alozie (international duty).

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Projected Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Zara Chavoshi, Cori Dyke.

Defensive Midfielders: Angelina, Ally Lemos.

Attacking Midfielders: Jacquie Ovalle, Haley McCutcheon, Solai Washington.

Forward: Julie Doyle.

Chicago Stars FC (4-5-1)

Goalkeeper: Katie Atkinson.

Defenders: Nadia Gomes, Sam Staab, Aaliyah Farmer, Jenna Bike.

Midfielders: Jameese Joseph, Manaka Hayashi, Maitane Lopez, Julia Grosso, Ryan Gareis.

Forward: Brianna Pinto.

Referees

REF: JC Griggs.
AR1: Matthew Rodman.
AR2: Sharon Gingrich.
4TH: Richonne Clark.
VAR: Jamie Padilla.
AVAR: Maggie Short.

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How to Watch

Match Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: 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.

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Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

The Orlando Pride’s 2026 season has been defined by two very different stories.

One side of the team has spent much of the year trying to rediscover what made it a championship-winning group. The other has been searching for the consistency needed to support that foundation. 

Early in the season, the biggest questions surrounding the Pride centered on the team’s defense. The unit that helped win the club’s first NWSL championship did not immediately look like the same dominant group. Goals were conceded more frequently, defensive mistakes were more costly, and they appeared to be searching for the organization and stability that became a defining part of their recent success. 

But Head Coach Seb Hines eventually found the adjustment that helped the back line regain its identity.

By moving Hailie Mace from center back to her natural right back position and shifting Cori Dyke into a center back role, Hines created a defensive structure that gave the Pride more balance. It was clear that Dyke is more comfortable in that center back position, while Mace had much better performances on the right side.

And the results were almost immediately noticeable.

In the five games before the shift, the Pride conceded multiple goals four times. Since that change, the team has only conceded two goals once — a 2-0 loss to Angel City FC on July 3.

But that move wasn’t the only one that’s made a difference.

Left back Kerry Abello has been out injured for much of the year and Mace has found herself on the shelf as well. That forced Dyke back to an outside back role and injuries to Brazilian center back Rafaelle have resulted in the pairing of Hannah Anderson and Zara Chavoshi. Even with backups forced into starting roles, the back line has been excellent in recent games.

Since returning from the break, the Pride have only conceded four goals in four games, including a clean sheet against the Kansas City Current and back-to-back 1-0 defeats to Boston Legacy FC and the Utah Royals. They’ve lost three of their last four games, but it’s not the fault of the defensive unit.

The losses come down to the lack of consistency in the attack.

The Pride have one of the most dangerous forwards in the world in Barbra Banda. The Zambian striker has been everything the Pride hoped for when the club made her one of the biggest signings in NWSL history, and she currently leads the league in goals scored.

But even Banda’s impact has come with some challenges.

The star has been working her way back into full match fitness from a thigh injury, and Hines has been carefully managing her minutes. That’s meant the Pride have not always had their most dangerous weapon available for a full 90 minutes.

The loss in Utah Saturday night was the first time Banda started since the World Cup break and the 62 minutes she played were her most in game during that stretch.

Getting Banda back to full fitness will be a major factor for the Pride moving forward, but they’ll also have to prepare for a stretch without her. Banda will soon be leaving for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, creating another challenge for an attack that has already struggled to find consistency.

That makes the need for secondary scoring options even more important.

Banda has done more than enough to carry her share of the responsbiity. The forward currently leads the NWSL with 12 goals, but the rest of the roster has combined for just nine goals this season. The next-highest scorers on the team are Haley McCutcheon, Marta, and Anderson, who have each found the back of the net twice.

Those numbers highlight just how much the Pride have relied on Banda for goals.

That type of dependence is difficult for any team to sustain. Even the best forwards in the world will eventually face opponents who adjust their defensive approach and focus more resources on limiting their impact. Other players have to step up and create goals from different areas of the field.

The Pride have already shown they can win games without dominating offensively. The defense has kept them competitive. Even when they’ve failed to score, they’ve remained within striking distance.

Saturday night was a perfect example. The Pride were outshot 13-3 and didn’t put a single attempt on goal. However, they only trailed 1-0 in the final minutes, so one quality strike or a fortunate bounce of the ball would’ve been enough to claim a valuable point.

That’s both a strength and a frustration for this team.

The defense has given the Pride a chance in nearly every game. It recovered from early-season struggles, adjusted through injuries, and returned to being one of the most reliable units in the league. But without consistent offensive production, those strong defensive performances have not always translated into results.

The Pride don’t have to become an offensive powerhouse overnight. They already have a world-class goal scorer and a defensive foundation capable of competing with any team in the league.

They just need more players to share the responsibility.

That’s been a defining characteristic of Hines’ teams in Orlando. The Pride have been built around a dominant defensive identity, but they’ve also found goals when they needed them — often from unlikely sources.

Even last season, when Banda suffered a season-ending injury, the Pride continued to find ways to create important moments and collect valuable points. The defense gave them a foundation, but the attack provided enough to turn close games into results.

This season, those moments have been harder to find.

The encouraging sign is that the Pride have already solved one major problem. The defense has rediscovered its identity despite injuries, lineup changes, and a difficult start to the year. Now they need the attack to do the same.

If the Pride can pair their improved defensive form with more consistent offensive production, they will once again have the formula that made them one of the NWSL’s best teams.

The defense has found its identity. Now the offense needs to find its rhythm.

The Orlando Pride (6-8-2, 20 points) fell 1-0 tonight to the Utah Royals (8-4-3, 27 points) at America First Field in Sandy, UT. Narumi Miura’s 36th-minute goal was the difference as the Pride lost their second straight and third in four games.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made four changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Boston Legacy FC on Wednesday. Luana, Nicole Payne, Seven Castain, and Barbra Banda entered the starting lineup, replacing Ally Lemos, Solai Washington, Jacquie Ovalle, and Marta.

“The league is unforgiving at times and that’s why you need a roster to supplement some of the fatigue with other players,” Hines said about the changes. “Make sure they’re rested and ready to go. We have to be careful with certain players. Obviously, players coming back from injury and managing their minutes, but also fatigue. And we don’t need any more injuries within the current squad.”

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse included Oihane, Hannah Anderson, Zara Chavoshi, and Cori Dyke. Angelina and Haley McCutcheon were in the defensive midfield behind Castain, Luana, and Payne with Banda up top.

This was a tough watch for Pride fans as the Royals dominated every facet of the game. The Pride didn’t record a shot until the 52nd minute and, even worse, didn’t come close to a chance at goal. The fact they only lost by one is an achievement as the Royals should’ve won by multiple goals. But some poor finishing and a header off the post allowed the Pride to keep it close.

Utah created the first shot of the game in the 14th minute when Ana Tejada played a ball forward that Cece Delzer tapped to Mina Tanaka. The midfielder driblbed across the box to find space and unleashed a shot that Moorhouse tipped over the crossbar.

The ensuing corner kick was deflected, landing at Kiana Palacios’ foot. The Mexican international turned to shoot, sending her attempt off target.

Palacios received a ball at the top of the Pride box in the 23rd minute before cutting and slipping. But she was able to get the ball to Miyabi Moriya, who laid it off for Tejada. The Spanish international sent her attempt over the crossbar, creating little concern for Moorhouse.

The 36th minute saw a seemingly innocuous situation turn into the game’s opening goal. Tejada sent a long ball forward for Cloe Lacasse, whose shot was blocked. It fell to Moriya, who tried to shoot but stumbled over the ball. Instead, she played it central to Tejada, who continued the ball to Miyabi. The midfielder dribbled outside as she was defended by Angelina before lifting a cross into the box. However, it sailed over the Moorhouse’s head and inside the far post to give the hosts the 1-0 lead.

WHAT A BALL BY NARUMI 😱 pic.twitter.com/NxhRPv0Lvk

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 19, 2026

Miura sent Delzer down the right in the 42nd minute. As the attacker reached the end line, she attempted a cross that Chavoshi blocked out of play. Chavoshi then headed the corner kick out to Miyabi, waiting just outside the box. The Japanese international’s second touch was a shot that sailed over the target.

The final chance of the half came in the second minute of stoppage time when Moriya sent Delzer down the right. The midfieder spotted Tejada making a run to the top of the box, allowing the attacker to take a first-touch shot. However, the shot went off Palacios and wide of the goal.

After 45 minutes, Utah had the advantage in possession (59%-41%), shots (7-0), shots on target (2-0), corner kicks (4-2), and passing accuracy (78%-62%). It was a dominant half that had the Pride down a goal and needing a major lift.

Hines made three changes at halftime. Kerry Abello, Washington, and Lemos came into the game for Castain, Luana, and Oihane.

The Royals started the second half on the attacking foot, taking their first shot less than a minute after the restart. Tejada played Tanaka into the Pride third of the field, and Tanaka tried to chip the ball over Moorhouse. However, she sent the attempt wide of the target.

The Pride finally created their first shot of the game in the 52nd minute when they won a corner kick. The set piece was cleared away where Lemos took possession. She played it centrally for Abello. Since nobody stepped up to the defender, she attempted a shot through a group of players that was blocked.

In the 54th minute, Payne sent a cross into the box for Banda. The striker tried to turn the ball on goal, but Kate Del Fava was there to block it. The ball went right back to Banda, who laid it off for Abello. But her shot was also blocked. With her back facing the goal, Banda turned and shot into Del Fava, allowing Utah to clear.

A Tanaka cross in the 59th minute went right to Anderson, but the center back’s clearance only went to the top of the box. Chavoshi blocked Tejada’s first-touch shot and Lacasse’s follow-up attempt as well.

Hines made his fourth change of the night in the 61st minute, replacing Banda with Ovalle. The substitution was due to a minutes restriction on Banda, who continues to increase her minutes as she returns from a thigh injury.

Dyke cleared a loose ball in the Pride third of the field over the end in the 65th minute as Lacasse chased it down. Tatumn Milazzo shook free of Lemos on the ensuing corner kick and sent her free header off the far post. It bounced off Delzer’s shoulder, allowing Ovalle to clear the danger.

Hines made his final change in the 74th minute as Julie Doyle came on for Payne.

The Pride should’ve had a good attempt at goal in the 84th minute when Angelina drew a foul and quickly played the ball to Abello. The defender sent it forward for Washington down the left with Doyle and Ovalle making runs. Washington sent the ball into the box, but her cross sailed over the crossbar. It was especially irritating to Ovalle, who had a step on her defender at the top of the six-yard box.

At full time, Utah had the advantage in possession (57%-43%), shots (13-3), shots on target (3-0), corner kicks (6-5), and passing accuracy (77%-65%). Frankly, the Pride are fortunate they didn’t lose by more as the post saved them from a two-goal loss.

“Tough one. Tough defeat,” Hines said. “I thought the game was quite even. The goal is just one of those that, it’s a cross that goes into the corner and they take the lead. The players gave absolutely everything. It’s always tough, big turnaround from Wednesday night to come in here. The travel. We’ve always said we’re not going to look for excuses. We always look at what’s in front of us and try our best and I think the players tried their best tonight, but it wasn’t quite enough today.”

The Pride continue to struggle since returning from the FIFA World Cup break. They’ve now lost three of their first four games since the restart, with the only win being a surprising 3-0 victory over the Kansas City Current at home.

While the Pride are in a slump, it hasn’t been the defensive unit’s fault. Orlando has only conceded four goals in the last four games and has a clean sheet in that span. The last two losses have been narrow 1-0 defeats.

“Defensively, I thought we did everything in our power to try to stop clear-cut opportunities,” Hines said. “We knew that Utah would use the space in behind and try to exploit that, use their goalkeeper. So we were patient within that. Structurally we were okay. We allowed certain players to have the ball.”

The main problem for the Pride has been finding goals. They’ve only scored in one of their last four games. It’s a problem that appeared tonight and is why they weren’t able to get anything from the game.

“We weren’t quite threatening enough in transition,” Hines said. “Would’ve like to have seen some better opportunities to go to goal, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort. The ball just ran out of play or we mishit it.”

This loss sees the Pride out of the playoff spots, landing in ninth with 20 points from 16 games. While they sit just one point behind the North Carolina Courage for eighth and two behind Angel City FC for seventh, they’ve now played two more games than all of the teams around them. Denver Summit FC is just one point back, Bay FC is two back, and Seattle Reign FC is three back, with each holding two games in hand.

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The Pride will look to achieve a positive result on Friday when they welcome Chicago Stars FC to Inter&Co Stadium.