Orlando Pride

An Orlando Pride Midseason Temperature Check

A review of the Pride’s performance during the first half of the season and a look at what that may mean for the second half.

Published

4 months ago

July 31, 2025

S. Andrew DeSalvo

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

During the last week or so, I have been watching the Apple TV show Stick, so Owen Wilson has been on my screens quite a bit. Whenever I see him, I often immediately think back to one of my favorite movies, Zoolander, when he played Hansel, the male model who was “so hot right now.” That leads me a to a quick game of hot or not.

The city of Orlando? Hot. Swelteringly hot. Orlando City? Hot. The Lions are on two wins in a row, and as mentioned in Tuesday’s Lion Links, four players and Óscar Pareja all were named to the most recent MLS Team of the Matchday. Orlando City B? Not hot. Frigid. The OCB minute on Tuesday’s PawedCast was barely 30 seconds long, and even that was too much. The Orlando Pride? Well, here’s the thing, we do not know, because they have not played since June 20!

Our Sean Rollins provided a recap of the Pride players who spent time playing in international tournaments during the long break, but we have not seen the rest of the team in uniform for more than 40 days and 40 nights, so who Noahs how they are doing.

You got that reference, right? Feel free to make the comments rain with complaints if you did not.

When the Pride take the field again on Aug. 3, it will have been six weeks since their last game, and they will commence the second half of the season by hosting Utah, the league’s worst team with only one win thus far this season. Hot. Let’s quickly recap the first half of the season as a primer for what we will be a packed few months of soccer for the reigning NWSL champions.

At the halfway point of the season, the Pride are second in the standings, but they trail Kansas City by a hefty eight-point margin. Second place is great, but the Pride are only three points away from fifth place, so they will need to stack up a lot of wins in the second half or they will find themselves looking at needing to go on the road in one or both of the first two rounds of the playoffs.

The Pride may be in second place, but it has not been because of their offense, which has been middling at best. The table below is sourced from fbref.com and fotmob.com and shows Opta’s tracking for the first 13 games. While the Pride are among the league’s best at taking shots and putting them on target, they are nearly the worst at scoring goals on those shots on target. Not hot.

Metric	Pride	Pride’s Rank	Best in NWSL
Goals Scored (w/Own Goals)	20	T-4	29
Goals Scored (by Offense)	17	T-7	28
Shots Taken per 90 mins	13.3	3	14.5
Shots on Target %	40%	3	44%
Goal Conversion on Shots on Target	22%	13	39%
Big Chances Created	27	6	33
Big Chance Conversion Rate	33%	T-10	64%

The 17 goals that the Pride have scored with their offense (i.e. excluding own goals by the opposition) give the team an average of 1.31 goals scored per 90 minutes, a 21% decline from their 1.65 goals scored per 90 minutes during the 2024 regular season. And in the final games before the break it was even worse, with the team scoring six goals in its final seven games, half of which came against Utah and two of the other three were scored deep in second half stoppage time.

There is no bonus for scoring early as opposed to late, but the larger point is that the offense has really struggled. The Pride scored half of their 20 goals during the first three games of the season, and then in the 10 games after that they were shut out four times.

Thankfully for the Pride, the defense has been quite good thus far this season. Even with a heavy rotation of back line personnel they are tied for the league lead in goals allowed.

Metric	Pride	Pride’s Rank	Best in NWSL
Goals Allowed	10	T-1	10
Shots Allowed per 90 mins	11.5	T-5	7.7
Shots on Target % Allowed	32%	3	30%
Goal Conversion on Shots on Target	19%	1	19%
Expected Goals Allowed per Shot	0.10	T-4	0.08
Post-Shot Expected Goals +/-	+3.5	4	+5.4

The Pride are doing a great job keeping the ball out of the net, the most important defensive metric in the sport, and the other metrics show a lot of the reasons for why that is. The Pride are among the top teams in the league in limiting shots, and the shots they are allowing are not from areas where goals are often scored from, hence the low expected goals allowed per shot and shots on target percentage.

The Pride’s goalkeepers (primarily Anna Moorhouse, but McKinley Crone did play most of the second half against Portland) have also kept out 3.5 more goals than Opta’s analysts “expected,” based on the location of the shot and how well it was struck by the opponent.

I mentioned the heavy rotation of the back line. By my tracking, the Pride played four different back lines for at least 100 minutes during the first half of the season, with the most frequently used back line only playing approximately 30% of the minutes.

Back Line	Minutes	% of All Minutes	Goals Allowed per 90
Abello-Strom-Sams-Dyke	349	29.8%	1.03
Abello-Strom-Sams-Oihane	149	12.7%	0.60
Abello-Rafaelle-Strom-Sams	108	9.2%	0.00
Dyke-Strom-Sams-Oihane	102	8.7%	0.88
All Other Back lines (13)	462	39.5%	0.78

By contrast, Orlando City’s most frequently used back line has played 48% of the available MLS minutes together, but the situations are much different. The Pride’s rotations were more about an abundance of talented players combined with (yet another) Rafaelle injury, and with a congested schedule facing the team during the next three months (five games in August, seven in September, and four during the first 18 days of October) due to the Concacaf W Champions Cup kicking off, the defensive rotations will probably continue.

Going back to the offense, Orlando’s rotations will also likely continue, because the Pride have yet to find a group that they can count on to produce goals. Among the top five most played attacking groups, three are scoreless and the other two only average 1.13 and 1.38 goals scored per 90 minutes (excluding own goals scored by the opposition).

Attacking Group	Minutes	% of All Minutes	Goals Scored per 90
Banda Angelina – Marta – Watt Gautrat – McCutcheon	238	20.3%	1.13
Banda Pickett – Marta – McCutcheon Angelina – Gautrat	133	11.4%	0.00
Banda Yates – Marta – Watt Angelina – McCutcheon	130	11.1%	0.38
Banda Angelina – Marta – Chilufya Gautrat – Lemos	69	5.9%	0.00
Banda Abello – Marta – Watt Lemos – McCutcheon	68	5.8%	0.00
All Other Attacking Groups (35)	532	45.5%	2.03

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. It is true that the rarely used lineups are much more productive than the commonly used lineups. The Pride scored nine of their goals after the 57th minute, which means that they had frequently made changes to the starting lineup by the time they scored their goal. Of the 35 “Other Attacking Groups,” 29 played fewer than 20 minutes together, so while the aggregation of all those groups may have been more productive than the starting groups, clearly the coaching staff, at least thus far, believed that none of those lineups deserved more minutes on the field together.

The coaching staff and front office have had plenty of time to review the first half of the season and game plan out the upcoming months, and we will see pretty quickly if they go with more of the same lineups, thinking that the offense will positively regress to the mean, or if there are going to be changes afoot for the second half of the season.

The club has not announced any recent personnel moves, but Simone Charley, Luana, and Rafaelle could all return from their injuries in the upcoming weeks, offering additional looks that the Pride could use as they build toward the playoffs and the Concacaf W Champions Cup.

Due to the Copa América Feminina championship game on Aug. 2, Angelina and Marta will likely miss the Pride’s game on Aug. 3, but they will return after that, and with the NWSL Transfer Window open until Aug. 25, there is also still plenty of time left for the Pride to add reinforcements, if the front office believes they are necessary.

The Pride are the defending champions and in second place in the league, so a complete overhaul is definitely not needed, but as noted earlier, the offense has been inconsistent and I think either needs a different strategic plan, different personnel, or both. While Kansas City is way ahead in the standings, the Current are not unbeatable, and the Pride’s roster is still full of players who know what it takes to win a championship.

The Pride open the second half of the season with Utah, Louisville, and Kansas City, and those three games — the first against the team at the bottom of the standings, the next a revenge game from a 2-0 loss in June, and the third against the team at the top of the standings — will give a strong indication of whether the team figured out some of its issues from the first half of the season.

Here’s hoping that after these next three games, when people talk about Orlando being hot in August, they are talking about both the weather and the Pride.

Orlando Pride

2025 Orlando Pride Season In Review: Emily Sams

The center back was once again one of the best defenders for the Pride, helping them reach their second straight NWSL semifinal.

Published

2 days ago

December 8, 2025

Sean Rollins

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride drafted defender Emily Sams with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. The former Florida State player signed with the National Women’s Soccer League through 2025 and was loaned to Swedish side BK Hacken FF prior to being selected by the Pride and signing a three-year contract through the 2026 season.

Sams had a breakout year in 2024, winning NWSL Defender of the Year and helping the club win the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship. She signed a new deal on Feb. 13, 2025, keeping her in purple through the 2027 NWSL season.

The defender showed her versatility this year, playing several games at right back and center back. She was another key player in a successful season for the Pride, helping them to finish fourth in the league and reach the NWSL semifinals.

Let’s take a look at the defender’s 2025 NWSL campaign.

Statistical Breakdown

The defender’s first appearance this year came in the NWSL Challenge Cup against the Washington Spirit. Sams started and played all 90 minutes without recording any shots or goal contributions. She completed 44 of her 52 passes (87%), including four long balls. Defensively, Sams recorded a tackle, an interception, and an aerial duel won.

Sams played in 25 of the team’s 26 regular-season games, starting 24 times and playing 2,183 minutes — the second-most minutes of any Pride player and the most by an outfield player. She took two shots without putting any on target, so she obviously didn’t score any goals. The defender completed 1,284 of her 1,457 passes (88.1%), including 85 of her 146 long balls (58.2%), but didn’t record any assists. Defensively, she added 42 tackles, 33 interceptions, 92 clearances, and 13 blocks. She committed 11 fouls, suffered 25, and was booked once with a yellow card.

Sams started both playoff games, playing all 180 minutes. She didn’t take any shots or record a goal contribution, completing 82 of her 97 passes (84.5%), including five of her 12 long balls (41.7%). She recorded three tackles, four interceptions, a block, and 10 clearances defensively while committing two fouls, drawing five on her opponents, and being booked once.

While a primary starter in the regular season, Sams only played in three of the four Concacaf W Champions Cup games, starting two and playing 164 minutes without a goal contribution. She took one shot that was off target and completed 85 of her 100 passes (85.%). The defender had five tackles and wasn’t booked.

Best Game

Sams’ best game came on Oct. 18 when the Pride traveled to Washington, D.C. for an afternoon clash with the Washington Spirit. The Pride came back from two deficits to defeat their rivals 3-2 and claim a huge three points.

Sams started alongside Rafaelle at center back and was excellent. She completed 41 of her 46 passes (89%), including both long balls, a key pass, and three into the final third. She finished with one tackle, five clearances, four interceptions, and four recoveries. The defender won two of her four duels (50%) in a game where she helped the Pride keep their late lead.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Sams a 7 out of 10 for the 2025 NWSL season. It’s a decrease from her exceptional 9 in 2024, but still higher than her 6.5 grade in 2023. The grade ties Sams with Rafaelle for the second-highest grade on the team, one point behind Barbra Banda, who was given an eight for her injury-shortened season. Overall, Sams was excellent this year and fully deserves one of the highest grades as she further cements herself as one of the best defenders in the NWSL.

2026 Outlook

Perhaps no player on the Pride is a more definite starter next season than Sams. She’s arguably the team’s best defender and has been a mainstay in the starting lineup over the past three seasons. Her new contract in February means she’ll remain in purple through the 2027 season.

The only question will be where she plays. She’s started at center back and right back several times over the past two seasons, but is best in the middle of the field. However, when Kylie Nadaner and Rafaelle are available, Pride Head Coach Seb Hines has opted to use her at right back.

Regardless, there’s no question that Sams will be a regular starter on the Pride back line as long as she remains healthy. Her presence is something that will be essential if the Pride hope to make a run for a second NWSL Championship next season.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Orlando Pride

2025 Orlando Pride Season In Review: Anna Moorhouse

The England international turned in another solid season between the posts.

Published

3 days ago

December 7, 2025

S. Andrew DeSalvo

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

The Orlando Pride acquired goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse from French side Bordeaux on Jan. 31, 2022, signing her to a two-year contract through the 2023 season. In October of 2023, she signed an extension through 2025, and then on Aug. 15, she signed another extension that runs through the 2027 season. She has been the Pride’s primary starting goalkeeper since 2023, and her strong play in Orlando earned her several call-ups with the England national team and her first ever starts with the Lionesses on Nov. 29 and Dec. 2 of this year.

Let’s take a look back at Moorhouse’s fourth season with the Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

Moorhouse opened the 2025 season in the same place that she ended the 2024 season, in between the posts in a game against Washington. This time she did not shut the Spirit out though, allowing one goal on three shots on target, while making two saves. She completed 73% of her passes, including four long balls on nine attempts (44%), and while she went the right way on three of the four penalty kicks, Moorhouse did not save any of them as the Spirit defeated the Pride on penalties after the 1-1 draw.

During NWSL regular-season play, she appeared in 25 games, starting all 25 and going the full 90 in 24, while coming off due to a potential concussion in the other. The Pride went 11-8-6 in games that Moorhouse started, and already trailed when she left the first Portland game in a 1-0 road loss May 3. She played a team-high 2,211 minutes, allowing 26 goals and making 72 saves for a save percentage of 74% and a goals-against average of 1.06, which was third in the NWSL among goalkeepers who played in at least 10 games. She passed at an 77% completion rate, with 97 accurate long balls among the 215 she attempted (45%). The Liverpool Hope University graduate ended up with a plus/minus of +6 for the season, and allowed 2.1 fewer goals than Opta’s analysts projected using their post-shot expected goals tracking.

Moorhouse started and played full matches in both of the Pride’s playoff games, going 1-1-0 while logging 180 minutes and allowing only one goal on nine shots on target. She made eight saves for a save percentage of 89% and finished with a 0.5 goals-against average. She was not as accurate with her passing as she was during the regular season, completing only 58% of all passes and 29% of her long balls. The only goal she allowed was unfortunately the only goal in the semifinal game, so she ended the playoffs with a plus/minus of +1.

Moorhouse dressed during three of the Pride’s four Concacaf W Champions Cup matches, but she did not play during any of those games.

Best Game

The Pride’s No. 1 posted eight shutouts during the 2025 season, with the final shutout coming in the opening round of the playoffs against Seattle. The Reign went down a goal early, thanks to Haley McClutcheon, and thus were on the attack for the final 70 minutes. They outshot the Pride 17-9 and put eight shots on target, but Moorhouse was up to the task, stopping all eight shots for a season-high eight saves. Ironically, for a goalkeeper, her best save of the night might have come not with her hands but with her feet, as she just got her left foot extended enough to deny Seattle the game-tying goal in the 75th minute — a huge save to keep the Pride ahead.

Maddie Mercado with a clever chance for Seattle but Anna Moorhouse comes up big for the Pride ‼️ pic.twitter.com/uRvpcKWiEe
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) November 8, 2025

Opta’s analysts estimated that Seattle’s post-shot expected goals tally was 1.6, so Moorhouse was +1.6 on actual goals allowed vs. expected goals allowed, her best differential of 2025. It was an excellent performance in what was to that point the biggest game of the Pride’s season, and her efforts helped the Pride get through to the semifinals for the second consecutive season.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Moorhouse a composite grade of 6.5 out of 10, a slight drop from the 7 out of 10 we gave her last season and a slight improvement from the 6 out of 10 she received in 2023. Her shot-stopping skills and reflexes were still strong, but there were once again a few goals that she just gave away — in particular against Utah, when she was caught well off her line, and then more egregiously against San Diego, when she was under very little pressure and yet passed the ball directly to a Wave player, who then made her pay by putting the ball into the open net. Goalkeepers are always under the microscope, and Moorhouse had a solid season for the most part, but a few of the goals the Pride allowed only occurred due to her errors and that is why her grade dipped just a little bit from 2024.

2026 Outlook

Moorhouse’s contract runs through the 2027 season, so barring an off-season transaction, she will be back with the Pride next season and will return as the presumptive starting goalkeeper. The Pride are bringing back all four of their goalkeepers, who are all under contract though, so clearly they see something in each of the other three goalkeepers (Kat Asman, McKinley Crone, and Cosette Morché). That means that Moorhouse will not just be handed the starting gloves for 2026; she will have to earn them. The England international is by far the most experienced of the Pride’s goalkeeping quartet, but Crone and Morché both showed potential during their minutes this season, and they will both try to unseat Moorhouse during the preseason. I expect Moorhouse will retain her spot as the starter, but she will be pushed like never before.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Orlando Pride

2025 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Barbra Banda

The Zambian international was having another standout season when a season-ending injury derailed things.

Published

4 days ago

December 6, 2025

Michael Citro

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride signed Zambian international striker Barbra Banda on March 7, 2024 from Chinese Women’s Super League side Shanghai Shengli FC to a contract through the 2027 season. Banda arrived a few weeks later when her exit from Shanghai Shengli and international paperwork were taken care of, and from the moment she stepped onto the pitch with her Pride teammates on April 19 of last year in a home win over the San Diego Wave, she completely changed the team’s attack, embarking on a season that resulted in NWSL regular-season and playoff titles and racking up a full trophy case worth of individual awards.

Banda’s second year with the club was off to a great start, with eight goals in the first 12 games, including the first hat trick in Orlando Pride history, before her production tailed off a bit and then she was then lost for the season to a hip injury sustained early in the match at Kansas City on Aug. 16.

Let’s take a look back at Banda’s injury-shortened second season in Orlando.

Statistical Breakdown

Banda started and played the first 82 minutes in the 2025 Challenge Cup match. She did not record a goal contribution and took just one off-target shot. She passed at an 84% rate but that was on just six total attempts, and she did not record a completed long ball or a key pass, although she was successful on one of her two dribble attempts. Defensively, she won one aerial duel. She committed one foul, drew two on the Washington Spirit, and was not booked.

During the regular season, Banda made 16 appearances (15 starts), playing 1,299 minutes. She contributed eight goals and an assist, putting 35 of her 58 shots on target. She completed just 61% of her 182 passes, two of her 14 crosses (14.3%), and two of her four long balls (50%) with 15 key passes. On the defensive end, the Zambian forward contributed 14 tackles, two interceptions, two clearances, and two blocked shots. She committed 37 fouls, drew 21 on the opposition, and picked up three yellow cards on the season.

Banda did not participate in the Concacaf W Champions Cup or the playoffs, which both took place after her season-ending injury.

Best Game

There’s really no contest. Banda recorded the first hat trick in club history and the NWSL’s first first-half hat trick on the road in a 3-1 road win over the Utah Royals on May 23. It was a dominant first 45 minutes for the Zambian international, who started scoring early. Oihane sent Ally Watt down the right flank and Banda made a quick, heads-up move to get inside her defender as Watt’s cross arrived. She flicked her shot home with a first-touch shot to put the Pride ahead 1-0 in the sixth minute.

That one touch finish 🤌

Ally Watt serves Barbra Banda the perfect ball to finish! pic.twitter.com/NkVPjvFXuF
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 24, 2025

Although Utah tied the game eight minutes later, Banda was just getting started. Showing off her impressive speed and physicality, Banda punished Utah for a soft back pass, blazing forward to beat the center back to the ball and poking it into space. She took a couple of dribbles, pushed the ball right to round the keeper while holding off the other center back, and slotted home her second goal of the game in the 37th minute to restore Orlando’s lead.

Barbra Banda on the run, Barbra Banda scores the goal 👏 pic.twitter.com/O4G0OCJkKY
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 24, 2025

Less than a minute later, Haley McCutcheon sent Banda down the left flank with a long ball. The Zambian entered the box from the side while weighing her options in a ton of space. She then blasted a near-post shot past goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn to make it 3-1, completing her hat trick from start to finish in just 32 minutes.

It had to be Barbra Banda to score the first hat trick of the season 🪄 pic.twitter.com/SgFfpHYSD0
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 24, 2025

Banda fired six shots in total in the game and put all six of them on target, coming close to a fourth goal several times, making the most of her 24 touches in the game in her 72 minutes on the pitch. If there was a downside to her match, it was completing only four of her 10 passes (40%), but she did all the damage on the day, logging a game-high three successful dribbles on four attempts. She also had five recoveries on the defensive end and won four of her eight duels. She committed three fouls and drew one on Utah, picking up one of her three yellow cards on the season in this match.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Banda a composite rating of 8 out of 10 for her second season in Orlando. This was a point lower than the 9 we gave her last year. Banda was as dangerous as ever, but at times she was impatient and often isolated, which no doubt led to most of her 199 turnovers on the season. Although she finished with eight goals, tying for sixth among all NWSL players despite missing nearly half the season, Banda still left a few goals on the field with misses or firing straight at the goalkeeper, but that’s admittedly a nitpick. She still somehow finished the year with the league’s most shots on target (35). There wasn’t much drop in Banda’s play, but the overall slight drop in team play was likely more costly to her individual stats than anyone else’s on the team. It’s a shame her injury occurred prior to Jacquie Ovalle’s arrival, as the Mexican international’s skillset seems well suited to play to Banda’s strengths.

2026 Outlook

The 25-year-old is in the prime of her career and under contract through 2027, so unless she requests a transfer, she’ll be a big part of Orlando’s team in 2026. Banda will be an automatic starter when she returns to action. Depending on her recovery timeline and how much time she can get in preseason training, she might start the season on the bench before returning to the starting XI, but as one of the league’s most lethal players, she’ll be a starter as soon as she’s fully fit.

As mentioned above, Ovalle’s acquisition was largely due to a skillset that complements Banda’s. Ovalle’s ability to pick out teammates should unlock more scoring chances for Banda, and in turn, Banda’s presence on the pitch will open up space for Ovalle that was missing in 2025. The partnership, once it’s had some time to gel, should be a fruitful one for Orlando. A return to double-digit goals in 2026 is not only possible, but with a healthy Banda, it’s probable. That would put her back at NWSL Best XI level.