Our month-long wait is nearly over, as the Pride’s season will resume next week when they travel to California to play Angel City. The Pride will join Orlando City B (OCB) and make it two local teams in action, as the Young Lions and the rest of MLS NEXT Pro are still channeling their inner Elton John and singing “we’re still standing,” though after their loss on Sunday OCB is no longer doing it better than they ever did. Oh well, hopefully the Young Lions will start a new win streak this weekend.

The Pride, however, are still on a winning streak, as they won their last two games before the June hiatus by defeating San Diego 1-0 and Bay FC 3-1. With their next game away at Angel City, they have a chance to make it three wins in a row against the California teams, and that would kick off what is going to be an important month of July for Orlando.

The Pride will play six games in July (more than every other team in the league except Gotham and Washington), and by month’s end they will have gone from 40% through the season to 60%. They have one of the league’s easier schedules in July, based on the records of their opponents, and with half of those games against teams above them in the table they can take a big step toward solidifying a playoff spot if they can perform well during the upcoming month.

The Pride’s next six games are:

• July 3 at Angel City
• July 10 vs. Kansas City
• July 15 vs. Boston
• July 18 at Utah
• July 24 vs. Chicago
• July 31 at North Carolina

Those six opponents combine for the following stats:

*Top 30 players according to the goals added ranking by American Soccer Analysis , excluding goalkeepers

That -12 goal differential is heavily influenced by Chicago’s -19, but Boston also has a negative goal differential and both Angel City and Kansas City are only slightly positive. The -12 ranks 14th across all of NWSL and the 1.34 points earned per match ranks 10th, so this upcoming stretch of games is a critical one for the Pride to take advantage of.

And, of course, during this critical stretch of games Barbra Banda has to depart for the rescheduled Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) tournament that begins in late July. FIFA’s rules say that club teams must release their players for the tournament by July 20, but we do not know yet if Banda will want to depart earlier to help Zambia prepare for the tournament (which will also be a qualifier for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, so it is a huge deal). If she stays until the July 20 deadline, she will be there for four of the Pride’s six July games, but it is possible she will want to leave a little earlier, which could mean missing the Pride’s game in Salt Lake City on July 18.

Banda is only one player, but as every Pride fan knows, she is a force, as she is leading the Golden Boot race and is one of the league’s top candidates for Most Valuable Player at this stage of the season. She has scored 11 of the Pride’s 18 goals — a tidy 61% — and if you add in her one assist, that makes 12 goal contributions. In other words, she is contributing to two out of every three Pride goals.

The NWSL’s summer transfer window opens on July 14, so it is possible that the Pride could have someone lined up to come in and be available as Banda departs, but the more likely scenario is that the Pride rely on their current attackers, who had a month to continue to recover in June, through July.

Jacquie Ovalle was nearing full health as of the final game before the June break, and while Marta did not play in that game, she was dressed (and she went to Brazil and played in the second of the two friendlies against the USWNT), so hopefully with more than a month in between games she will be fully fit for the upcoming July slate. Solai Washington was called up for Jamaica during the June international window as well, and if all three of those players are healthy then the Pride’s depth will be much better equipped to try to cover for Banda’s absence. Zambia finishes the group stage on Aug. 2, but depending on how it does, the Pride could be without their superstar forward until potentially after Aug. 16, the day of the WAFCON final.

This places more urgency on getting results while Orlando is whole, and in particular during those first few games in July. The Pride have already defeated Angel City once this season, so hopefully they can repeat that accomplishment, and then a week later Kansas City comes to the City Beautiful for the next edition of one of the league’s marquee matchups. Boston arrives for a midweek game the following week, and the Pride will want to avenge their poor performance from their first matchup.

Banda is likely to be available for all three of those games, depending on her recovery from a leg injury suffered against Bay FC, and hopefully the Pride can pick up at least six points. However, we know the Pride will be Banda-less for the Chicago and North Carolina games to close out July, with the August games being evaluated on a game-by-game basis depending on how Zambia performs.

Hopefully, the Pride honor Independence Day by creating their own fireworks all throughout July, starting with their game in Los Angeles on July 3. A great July will set the team up for another opportunity to make a run in the NWSL playoffs and to hoist another championship banner in Inter&Co Stadium.

Vamos Orlando!

We’re only a little over a week away from the Orlando Pride’s first match back from the NWSL summer break. The Pride will travel across the country to take on Angel City at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. We will have a preview of that match next week. For now, I want to focus on the bigger picture and what I want to see from the Pride as the team returns to NWSL play.

Banda is Back (For a Bit)

Barbra Banda will be with the club at least until players leave for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), which begins July 26. Since it is inevitable that Banda will be called up by Zambia for the competition, that still leaves at least the first two matches back if not three matches before her departure. Banda will be motivated to pad her goal total before heading out.

Banda currently leads the NWSL Golden Boot race with 11 goals. Her closest competition is Temwa Chawinga and Ashley Sanchez, who have seven goals each. Chawinga will also participate in WAFCON with Malawi, meaning Sanchez is the only one of the two who can close the gap while Banda is away. Of course, if Banda were to bag a hat trick or a brace in each of the matches before departing, it might not be close enough to worry about Sanchez.

Find More Offense

As far as I know, there should be no reason why Banda, Marta, and Jacquie Ovalle cannot be on the pitch at the same time. It’s not something we’ve seen due to various absences, and I’m very much looking forward to it happening. As I mentioned above, I know it will be for a limited time because of Banda’s international duty, but I’ll take what I can get.

That makes it all the more important for Marta and Ovalle to develop chemistry for when Banda is away. Of course, in some ways they have similar skill sets and could really use a speedy target striker to feed. The Pride don’t have a like for like to replace Banda — not that any team does — but they will need some sort of solution.

I’ll keep asking for 2024 Julie Doyle and Summer Yates to show up until they finally show up. Perhaps some newer players like Solai Washington, Nicole Payne, Simone Jackson, or Seven Castain can take advantage of the opportunity. Most likely, Seb Hines spreads things around like he did when Banda was injured last season. The team needs to score goals unless the defense can return to 2024 form as well. Speaking of that…

Team Defense Must Improve

I’ve already mentioned my wanting the Pride to play with a chip on their shoulder, and Sean Rollins wrote about how Hines can use the break to shore up the back line. Improving the defense starts on the back line, but it doesn’t end there. In 2024, the Pride defended as a team and they must return to that type of play.

I was inspired by the USMNT’s pressing against Paraguay and Australia. I’m in no way saying that I want or expect the Pride to play Mauricio Pochettino’s system, but I want to see more aggressive play in the midfield to win the ball back after they give it away. Ideally, the Pride will quit giving the ball away in their own half, but I’m realistic enough to ask for baby steps.

Winning the ball back quickly is not just the job of the back line or the defensive midfield. I need everyone tracking back to help out. The Pride have allowed 17 goals so far, which is tied for the most with the Kansas City Current among teams above the playoff line. Given the Pride will be without Banda for a while, shoring up the defense is extremely important.

What are you looking to see from the Pride as the NWSL season returns? Let us know in the comments.

Seb Hines has spent much of the 2026 NWSL season rebuilding the Orlando Pride back line. The FIFA World Cup break now provides the first extended opportunity for the team to settle a defensive unit that has undergone significant personnel and positional changes.

Defense has been one of the team’s defining strengths in recent seasons. The Pride built much of their success on consistency at the back with a settled group of players who understood their roles and rarely needed adjustments. This year, however, that stability has been tested.

The departure of center back Emily Sams, Kylie Nadaner’s pregnancy, and an early-season injury to Kerry Abello forced Hines into changes before the team had the chance to establish continuity. Rather than working from a fixed defensive base, the team has been forced to adjust.

At the start of the season, Hines paired Rafaelle with Hailie Mace in central defense. Mace has experience at center back from her time in Kansas City, but the position isn’t her natural role. On the outside, Cori Dyke began the season at left back, while Oihane started on the right.

As the season progressed, Hines continued to adjust his back line. In early May, Mace moved back into her natural right back position. Dyke shifted into central defense alongside Rafaelle, and Oihane moved to the left side. The changes provided more comfort for Mace, but also required players to adjust to new roles with games coming quick and fast.

Making things more difficult were injuries to Rafaelle that forced Hannah Anderson into the lineup. While the veteran played well, it was yet another change the back line had to get used to while trying to stay in a playoff position.

Between late April and mid May, the Pride lost four of five matches, conceding multiple goals in each defeat. That run included a 4–2 home loss to the Washington Spirit, as well as back-to-back defeats to expansion sides Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC.

The performances showed a back line still searching for consistency and chemistry in its defensive setup. With different combinations being used across the back line, the Pride had little time to get used to their new positions and partnerships before the next game arrived.

Following the loss in Denver, the Pride opted to remain on the road rather than return to Orlando before facing San Diego Wave FC on the West Coast. The decision appeared to pay off. The Pride earned a 1–0 win over San Diego before returning home to close the first half of the season with a 3–1 victory over Bay FC.

Those results suggested that Hines may have finally found the back line he’ll go with as the season continues. Dyke has grown more comfortable alongside Rafaelle in central defense, Mace’s return to right back has added stability on the flank, and Oihane has shown quality when playing on either side.

In the team’s most recent game against Bay FC, Hines was able to make adjustments that didn’t hinder the team’s performance. Abello started at left back and Oihane moved back to her natural role at right back. Meanwhile, Dyke and Rafaelle remained the center back pairing and continued to look more comfortable together.

Despite the recent successes, the group has still had limited time to build consistency together. Most of the changes were made during the season rather than in preseason, meaning relationships and understanding across the back line have had to develop in real time.

That’s what makes the World Cup break particularly valuable.

Instead of focusing entirely on match preparation from week to week, the break gives Hines and his staff a rare stretch of time to work on organization and consistency across the back line. It also allows players to become more familiar with one another in their current roles, rather than constantly adjusting to new combinations.

For a team that has made several midseason changes, that kind of continuity can’t be built in games alone. Training time becomes especially important for communication, spacing, and defensive coordination — the small details that often decide whether a back line is stable or exposed.

The Pride entered the break with some momentum, having won two of their last three games and showing signs of improvement defensively. But the first half of the season has also made clear how long it can take to get used to positional changes, even if the personnel remain the same.

If the Pride are going to climb up the NWSL standings, it will largely depend on how well this current group can settle during the break.

For a team that has spent months adapting on the move, the timing of the pause may prove to be exactly what the defense needs.