Orlando Pride Returning to Winning Ways at Right Time

The Orlando Pride got off to a flying start in 2025 before their first three-game winless run since the beginning of the 2023 season. However, they’ve bounced back strong in recent weeks, hitting their stride at the right time.

The Pride came into the 2025 season with huge expectations. They won the NWSL regular-season and playoff championships in 2024, making them a target for the opposition. However, they won five of their first six games this year, with the only loss being a 1-0 defeat against the Washington Spirit, who currently sit tied in second with the Pride.

Following a 3-2 comeback win over Angel City FC, the Pride went on a skid unseen in two years. It started with a 1-0 loss away to the Portland Thorns and a draw against the North Carolina Courage, before they returned home and lost 1-0 to the Kansas City Current — the team’s first loss at Inter&Co Stadium since Aug. 25, 2023.

The skid ended on May 23 with a historic performance by Barbra Banda. The striker netted three goals in the first 38 minutes against the Utah Royals for the first hat trick in team history. More importantly, she lifted her team to a 3-1 win away from home.

The first half Saturday against the Houston Dash looked like it might be a disappointing night. At halftime, possession was even and the Pride had a slim 6-4 shot advantage. After putting 11 of their 13 shots on target in Utah, they only put one on frame in the first half against a team near the bottom of the NWSL standings.

Fortunately, it looked like a different team in the second half. They dominated possession and put constant pressure on the Dash defense, reuslting in Cori Dyke scoring the game-winning goal with the final kick of the ball.

The wins are coming at a great time for the Pride as an extended summer break approaches. Following the team’s June 20 game in Louisville, they won’t play again until Aug. 3. The last thing the players on the team want is to spend more than a month thinking about their current struggles before taking the field again.

“We talked about going into the Utah game, our form wasn’t great, so we knew how important that Utah game was leading into the international break,” Pride center back Kylie Nadaner said following the team’s win over Houston. “And now these three games leading into an even longer break for the Euros. So, we want to get that momentum back and just keep growing and learning each game.”

The team knew this season was going to be much more challenging. Heading into the 2024 campaign, the Pride had only made the playoffs once in eight years. They only missed out on goal difference in 2023 and were heading in the right direction.

Despite the improvements, nobody expected them to go 23 games unbeaten, winning both the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship. This year, they have a target on their backs, something Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made sure his team knows.

“We’ve said it at the start of the year, we’ve got a target on our backs. You know, teams can come to Inter&Co Stadium and maybe be content with a 0-0. That’s where we’re at,” Hines said after Saturday night’s win. “Teams may have a completely different game plan against us in those two recent other games. So, we know that that’s the challenge.”

The win over Houston, combined with San Diego Wave FC’s 2-1 loss to Seattle Reign FC, saw the Pride jump the California-based team into second place. Even though Washington matched the Pride’s point total with its win Sunday, the Pride have a better goal differential.

The Pride now go on a difficult two-game road trip, where they’ll face two teams hovering around the last playoff spot. It starts with a cross-country trip to San Jose, CA, where they’ll face Bay FC, currently in the last playoff position.

Then, they’ll head to Kentucky for the final game before the extended break, facing a Racing Louisville team that sits in sixth. Both opponents will be desperate to get points and stay in the top eight.

The game in Louisville will be the 13th of the year, marking the halfway point of the season. Sitting in second, even if it’s still five points behind Kansas City, will be a positive spot heading into the break. More importantly, the team will have momentum when the league restarts in August.

“Momumtum is massive,” Hines said. “I think we showed that last year.”

The Pride entered that Utah game knowing they had to start winning again to get themselves back into an advantageous position. They’re now halfway to ending the first half of the season on a four-game winning streak, precisely what they needed. Wins in the next two would put them in a great spot entering the final 13 games of the 2025 campaign.