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Orlando Pride vs. Utah Royals: Final Score 1-1 as Pride Draw Last-Place Team

The Pride started the second half of the season by dropping two points against the Utah Royals at home.

Published

10 months ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride (8-4-2, 26 points) returned to action tonight drawing 1-1 with the Utah Royals (1-10-3, 6 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. Mina Tanaka gave the visitors the lead in the fourth minute, chipping Anna Moorhouse from distance. The Pride dominated the second half and got a goal from Prisca Chilufya, but they couldn’t find a late winner as they shared the points.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines was forced into some key changes for this game as Marta and Angelina wrapped up their Copa America Femenil win with Brazil Saturday night. Kerry Abello and Ally Watt were also out with injuries.

The back line in front of Moorhouse in goal was Carson Pickett, Kylie Nadaner, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke. Morgan Gautrat and Haley McCutcheon were the defensive midfielders behind Julie Doyle, Ally Lemos, and Summer Yates with Barbra Banda up top.

There were some notable players on the bench for this game. Luana was in the team for the first time since being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2023. Rafaelle was also healthy enough to be in the team for the first time since March 23.

The Pride came into this game in second place, but with a slim lead in the standings over multiple teams. While they were missing several players, the opposition was as well. Utah also came into this game with only one win, two draws, and 10 losses, placing the Royals last in the league.

It should’ve been a relatively easy win for the Pride, but it was the Royals that got off to the attacking start. Poor goalkeeping gave the visitors the early lead and it took a while for the hosts to get into the game. They started to gain some advantage right before an extended lightning delay and continued it for the rest of the game. But the Pride were only able to get one goal in the second half, dropping two crucial points in a tight battle atop of the NWSL standings.

The Pride created the first chance of the game in the second minute when Pickett spotted Banda making a diagonal run into the Utah third of the field. The striker got a step on her defender and fired from the left of goal, but the shot was straight into the arms of Utah goalkeeper Mia Justus.

Three minutes later, the Royals took a surprising early lead. Kaleigh Riehl played Tanaka forward in a seemingly innocuous position. With nobody stepping up and Moorhouse well off her line, the midfielder attempted to chip the ball over the Pride goalkeeper. All Moorhouse could do was watch it sail over her head and into the goal, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.

“I think we all know it’s incredibly difficult to win games in this league. The parity within the league is very close, and we can’t take for granted a team like Utah,” Hines said about going down early. “They’ve had nearly six weeks to prepare  for this game. And so they’ll have their principles. They’ll have an objective to come here and get the win. And yeah, it becomes incredibly difficult when you go one-nil down so early. But, you know, you still have enough time to get yourself back into the game.”

Aisha Solorzano was sent over the top and behind the back line in the sixth minute. Nadaner caught up with the attacker, tripping her as she approached the Pride box. Claudia Zornoza took the set piece, curling it by Moorhouse and off the post.

Bianca St-Georges received a pass on the right in the 10th minute, playing it into the box, where Solorzano was making a run. The ball was a bit too far in front of the striker, so she slid in to redirect it on goal. However, this time Moorhouse was there to make the stop.

In the 24th minute, Zornoza carried the ball into the Pride third of the field before firing from long distance. The attempt was on target, but it didn’t cause any trouble for Moorhouse, who easily caught it.

It looked like the Pride might have a golden chance for an equalizer in the 34th minute when Doyle played the ball to Banda in the box. Riehl made contact from behind and the striker went down, but referee Jaclyn Metz decided to let play continue.

Seconds later, play stopped when Dyke was taken down near the edge of the box. That gave the video assistant referee a chance to call Metz to the monitor. When the review was over, it was determined there was no foul.

The ensuing set piece by Pickett was a dangerous one, going through the box and out  of play. The only Pride player near the ball was Sams, but it was too far from her to get on the end of it.

While the weather didn’t look bad, Metz called the players off the field in the 40th minute due to lightning in the area. It was 28 minutes before the players reappeared and fans were allowed to go back to their seats. By the time the players were done warming up and play resumed, it was a 41-minute stoppage.

“We just talked about behaviors, being more intentional, like balls wide, making sure we have the intensity to go and press and affect the player on the ball, and when we did that, good things started to happen,” Hines said about his message during the delay. “So both in possession and out of possession, we’ve looked at how they were pressing and how we can manipulate them and create goal-scoring opportunities. And we made some adjustments. And yeah, towards that halftime period, we were much better.”

Dyke sent Banda forward in the 43rd minute, and the striker beat her defender to the end line. Her cross was a little behind Lemos, who got her foot to it, and out of the reach of Doyle, allowing the Royals to escape the danger unharmed.

In the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time, Banda pressured Justus as she tried to play the ball out of the back. It went directly to Gautrat, who tried to chip the goalkeeper, but the attempt was off target.

The final chance of the half came in the eighth minute of stoppage time, when a cross into the box was deflected. However, it fell right to Banda with space. The striker tried to turn it on goal but sent it high and wide.

That was the final chance of the half, with the Pride ending the extended first half down 1-0. After 45 minutes, the Pride had more possession (51%-49%), crosses (11-3), and corner kicks (4-1). But Utah had more shots (4-3), shots on target (3-1), and most importantly, the lone first-half goal.

Hines made one change during the break. Simone Jackson came into the game for Yates. It was Jackson’s second appearance for the Pride and her home debut.

Gautrat sent Banda down the left in the 46th minute and the striker got behind the back line. Looking for the equalizer, the Zambian attempted to beat Justus to her near post but sent the shot wide.

St-Georges took Utah’s first second-half shot in the 59th minute from the top corner of the Pride box, looking to beat Moorhouse to her far post. However, the shot stopper got her hands to it, pushing the attempt wide.

In the 64th minute, Janni Thomsen fouled Nadaner and Dana Foederer was booked for standing directly in front of the free kick. The stoppage gave Hines the chance to make two more changes as Chilufya and Viviana Villacorta came on for Lemos and Gautrat.

“As soon as Prisca came on, we felt like Barbara needed a little bit more support closer to her. So we took away the 10, moved Prisca as a double nine, and then had Simone Jackson and Julie giving us the width to really spread out the back line,” Hines said about the substitution. “We felt there was more spaces down the sides, but then also to get more support around Barbra was important.”

Banda turned Flynn in the 67th minute and the second-half substitute pulled Banda’s shirt, receiving a booking for the foul. Just feet from the edge of the box, it gave the Pride a free kick in a dangerous position.

Pickett stepped up to take the set piece but sent the attempt over the crossbar.

Hines made his fourth change and used his second window in the 70th minute to replace Pickett with Rafaelle. A starter at the beginning of the season, it was the center back’s first appearance in more than four months.

The change saw Dyke move from right back to left back, a change that paid dividends. In the 72nd minute, Dyke played the ball forward for Jackson, who shielded her defender to get forward. An early ball by the attacker reached Chilufya behind the back line and the Zambian slipped it past Justus to even the game at 1-1.

“In my mind, I only had one thought, which is what can I do to change the faces of the fans? What can I do to give hope to my fellow teammates? That was the only thing that was on my mind,” Chilufya said. “I was just thinking, let me do my part. But I want the opponents to feel that okay, something has changed. So my focus was on just helping the team and at least give some hope to the fans, so that they keep on cheering on us.”

The goal also saw Jackson earn her first professional goal contribution. It’s a big moment for the 22-year-old attacker, who the Pride see as a potential key component of the team moving forward.

“She’s brilliant. She’s brilliant,” Chilufya said about playing with Jackson. “And I, I always enjoy being on the same side with her. Even during training, because I feel like we read each other’s minds very well. We connect very well. So whenever she has the ball, the only thing I think of is getting in the box and just see where the ball ends. So I would say she’s one of my — obviously all of them are my favorite players, but whenever she’s on the ball, I feel like there’s so much that can be done. You know, even on the other end, when she has the ball and where the ball goes next, I feel like she’s always picking the the right spot. So it’s always good to have her on the pitch. It’s a good thing.”

After scoring the opening goal inside the first five minutes of the game, Tanaka tried to beat Moorhouse from distance again in the 74th minute. Again, she got the ball over the Pride goalkeeper, but the ball skipped off the top of the crossbar.

In the 76th minute, Chilufya took possession of a loose ball on her own side and carried it all the way into the Utah box. She beat Flynn to get a shot off but sent the attempt straight into the arms of Justus.

Hines made his final change in the 79th minute during the second-half hydration break. Simone Charley made her Pride debut, replacing Doyle.

“It’s been a journey, to say the least. 854 days, to be exact,” Charley said about her return. “And yeah, it was just surreal. I think I’m just so grateful for the belief that this club has had in me and just being a part of the whole journey. And I think just stepping on the field like right before, I just think back to how many people worked so hard to get me there. And I feel like those are all the people who come to mind as I stand there and just standing on their shoulders. And then I run out on the field and I’m like, it’s happening, guys, it’s happening. It’s been two years, and it’s here. It feels surreal. I feel like it’s a dream. Someone pinch me.”

It didn’t take the substitute long to get involved, taking her first shot in the 80th minute. Villacorta chipped the ball forward, which Charley took down well. She cut inside to lose Kate Del Fava, but Flynn caught her from behind, getting enough contact on the attacker to put her off. Charley took the shot, but Justus had no trouble with it.

The Pride nearly found a winner in the 90th minute when Chilufya took the ball to the end line and played it through the box. Jackson controlled it on the far side and shot. However, Del Fava got in front of the attempt, heading it over the crossbar to keep the game even.

Chilufya sent Banda down the right in the fourth minute of stoppage time and the striker outran Flynn to create space for a shot. Unfortunately, it was a tight angle and the attempt sailed high and wide of the far post without troubling Justus.

In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Banda dribbled to the end line before winning a corner kick. The set piece was headed out, but only to Sams at the top of the box. The center back’s shot was on target, forcing Justus to tip it over the crossbar.

The ensuing set piece from the opposite side found the head of Rafaelle, who sent her attempt over the target.

The Pride continued to press, looking for a late winner. But it wasn’t to be as the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

At full time, the Pride had the advantage in possession (54.6%-45.4%), shots (14-8), shots on target (6-5), crosses (16-6), corner kicks (8-2), and passing accuracy (79.9%-74.4%). The Royals’ physicality was on display in the number fouls, doubling the Pride at 20-10.

“Kind of mixed because we didn’t start the way that we would have liked,” Hines said about the game. “It wasn’t ourselves early on, and obviously Utah capitalized on that. They took an early lead, and it was much better in the second half. You know, more energy, more intensity, a willingness to go and put pressure on them. And we got the well-deserved equalizer. But it wasn’t enough to win the game after that. So, yeah, I think overall, it’s two points dropped. You know, we’ve always been very proud to play here in front of our own fans and try and get three points, regardless of who we play. And we fell short today.”

Unfortunately, this was a game that’s been seen way too often with the Pride. They had a slow start and, while they created plenty of chances, were only able to ripple the net once.

“I think in that first 20 minutes, we weren’t ourselves. We couldn’t connect too many passes. Other than probably the early opportunity from Barbra, we didn’t really create much either,” Hines said. “And so the weather delay came out a good time for us, because after that, we were much better. We were a lot more intentional with everything that we did. We had full belief that we’d come away with a win tonight. We knew that the equalizer would come. We put immense pressure on Utah’s back line. And, yeah, we just fell short. You know, people made some good saves, some good blocks. But I sound like a broken record because it keeps happening. And so we need to continue to work on that, of when we’re on top scoring the goal.”

The Pride remain in second in the NWSL, 10 points behind the Kansas City Current. They’re tied on points with the Washington Spirit, but have a seven-goal advantage for the tiebreaker. Meanwhile, they’re one point ahead of the San Diego Wave, two points ahead of the Seattle Reign, and four points ahead of the Portland Thorns.

The Pride will look to bounce back from this disappointing result when they host Racing Louisville FC Saturday night.

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Orlando Pride

An Early Look at Orlando Pride’s Contract Decisions

Let’s look ahead to roster decisions that Caitlin Carducci and the Pride will need to make either at or before the end of the 2026 NWSL season.

Published

3 days ago

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June 6, 2026

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Image of Marta and Angelina being honored before a game.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Now that the monthlong NWSL break is upon us, we’ve got a little time to take a breath and look ahead. As we did with Orlando City a week ago, let’s look forward at the roster decisions Caitlin Carducci and the Orlando Pride will have coming up at season’s end. Unlike the MLS side, we don’t have the luxury of the salaries for the players, but we still know which contracts will expire and which ones will have contract options available to exercise at the end of 2026.

Kerry Abello — Defender/Midfielder

Abello arrived via the 2021 NWSL Draft, in which the Pride selected her in the third round (No. 24 overall), but she opted to return to Penn State for one more year of eligibility. Orlando signed Abello in January of 2022 through the 2023 season. The Pride ripped up that deal in February of 2023, signing Abello to a new contract through 2024 with an option for 2025. Abello then signed another new deal in March of 2024 that runs through the end of this year.

Just 26, Abello is an intriguing player still in her prime years who has shown flashes of being a top-notch starter. However, she still has defensive lapses in games, turns the ball over far too frequently in others, provides little in terms of goal-scoring contributions (three goals, five assists in all competitions since the start of 2022), and hasn’t settled into the kind of consistency you’d hope for in a veteran player who has been in the league since 2022.

She started the 2026 season on the injured list but started to see game action just before the break, including her first start of the 2026 season. The versatile defender/midfielder can play a variety of positions in both the defense and the attack and is only two years removed from MLS Bext XI Second Team honors, when she played primarily left back for the double-winning Pride. That makes her worth keeping around, even if it’s as a depth player on a strong, deep team.

Angelina — Midfielder

The Brazilian international signed a three-year deal on Dec. 13, 2023, running through the end of 2026. That’s set to expire later this year, so there is some work to do in keeping the midfielder around. So far this season, Angelina has registered one assist. Over her three-year NWSL career with the Pride, the Brazilian has scored two goals (both in 2024) and added four assists in the regular season, contributing sparingly from her often deep-lying position. She has also been a solid, if unspectacular, set-piece taker.

Angelina was one of the best players on the Pride in 2024. Like many others, her game took a step back in 2025 (no goals, one assist), and she hasn’t been her best self yet in 2026 yet either. The recent hair-pulling incident that cost her a red card and an additional game suspension was a costly mistake that veteran leaders shouldn’t make. Still, when she’s on her game, Angelina is one of the best deep-lying midfielders in the NWSL. She can unlock a defense with a single through ball or long ball, as she did in the 2024 NWSL Championship, when she set up Barbra Banda’s game-winning goal. Angelina is a good player who the Pride will likely want to bring back, as long as the cost isn’t too high.

Kat Asman — Goalkeeper

Another player signed through 2026 but not beyond, Asman has spent a good chunk of her time with the Pride while on loan with Lexington FC in the USL Super League since signing with Orlando on Dec. 11, 2024. Asman has been a good goalkeeper in that league, winning the 2025-2026 USL Super League Golden Glove award. It seems unlikely the Pride will prioritize signing Asman, although she’s played well in competitive action and may have shown more than McKinley Crone and Cosette Morche have combined.

Seven Castain — Forward

Castain signed a one-year deal through the end of 2026 back on Jan. 16. The TCU product has shown flashes of promise in her first year with Orlando, but she has also looked overmatched and not ready for the NWSL at times as well. She seems to have fallen down the depth chart as other young players emerge and other Pride players have come off the injury list. It’s unclear if the club thinks highly enough of Castain at this point to re-sign her, but she still has time in 2026 to make an impact and give Carducci something to think about.

McKinley Crone — Goalkeeper

Orlando’s current backup to Anna Moorhouse will see her deal expire at the end of the season as well. Crone signed a short-term deal in late September of 2023 through the end of that season and earned a new contract. She signed through the 2024 season on March 11, 2024, and must have impressed everyone, because the club signed her through 2026 just six months later in a new deal announced on Sept. 6, 2024.

It remains to be seen who will emerge as the primary backup when Morche returns from injury. Crone has looked good in her infrequent matches, but has primarily been used outside of NWSL competition since her arrival.

Image of Julie Doyle playing agaainst Boston Legacy.

Julie Doyle — Midfielder/Forward

Doyle was Orlando’s third selection in the first round (No. 11 overall) in the 2022 NWSL Draft. The Santa Clara product signed her first pro contract on Jan. 27, 2022, through that season with an option year for 2023, which the club exercised in November following her rookie season. Doyle then signed a new two-year contract through the 2024 season on May 8, 2023. The Pride signed her to another new contract on Oct. 1, 2024, a two-year deal through the 2026 season, meaning she’s out of contract at the end of this year.

During her time in Orlando, Doyle has been a decent bench option and spot starter, but she hasn’t exactly broken out and has struggled to get into the starting lineup at times. Given her position, one might reasonably expect a former first-round pick to contribute more offensively, but Doyle has never exceeded two goals in league play in any season despite getting herself into some good scoring positions. Now 27, Doyle has shown the Pride who she is over the course of the last four-and-a-half seasons. It will be interesting if she’s shown enough to stick around on another new contract.

Luana — Midfielder

The first player we’ll discuss who has a contract option year after 2026 is the Brazilian international midfielder, who has battled back from a scary Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis during her first year with the Pride in 2024. Luana signed with Orlando on Dec. 14, 2023, but played only a few games before showing up on the availability report as an excused absence. The Pride announced on April 29, 2024, that the Brazilian would miss the rest of the season to undergo treatment. She battled her illness while her teammates won the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship, inspired largely by her courage. Luana beat the disease, but it took a while to come back. She returned to the pitch in the second half of 2025 and did enough to earn herself a new contract, which she signed on Nov. 13, 2025. Her contract runs through this season but there is a mutual option year on the deal for 2027.

Luana has looked fantastic at times, and it’s easy to forget that she started the 2024 campaign as a starter for a team that went on to shatter club and league records en route to winning the double. She scored her first goal with the Pride in Orlando’s 2-0 home playoff win over the Seattle Reign on Nov. 7, 2025 (actually, it was her first goal contribution of any kind with Orlando). She was a big part of the buildup for the Pride’s winning goal at San Diego on May 24, although she did not get an assist because a defender touched the ball. Luana finally notched her first NWSL assist in the Pride’s most recent match — the 3-1 win on May 29, which sent the team into the break on a two-game winning streak. If her trajectory continues, it’s not hard to imagine her returning as a regular starter when all players are available, and she could once again play for the Brazilian Women’s National Team. On the other hand, at 33 years of age, time is not on her side in terms of her remaining career.

Marta — Midfielder/Forward

Look, at some point Marta has to retire, right? The 40-year-old legend has earned the right to go out on her own terms, but the two-year contract she signed on Jan. 9, 2025, seems likely to be her last. That contract concludes after this season, and this could be the Pride’s most important off-season decision.

Marta turned back the clock in 2024, playing at one of the highest levels of her illustrious career. That was an encouraging sign, and even though it would have been a storybook ending to a glorious career for the Brazilian icon to exit the world stage as a player after winning the double, Pride fans understandably celebrated her announcement that she signed a new contract with Orlando.

Her performances fell off in 2025 — something that plagued the entire team — but her availability in 2026 has been an even bigger issue. The Marta problem is that despite her age and lack of availability, she’s still hard to replace, because even in limited minutes, she’s performing better and helping the team win and retain possession more than most of her teammates and better than most potential replacements could do in her place. The goal production has tailed off, however, and that’s having an impact in the standings, because if Marta isn’t producing, the Pride have little offense outside of Banda (though Jacquie Ovalle’s return from injury should help).

The Pride would likely offer Marta a new one-year contract if she wants to keep playing. Few could blame them, and it’s hard to fault an athlete who loves the game so much that they don’t mind the diminishing returns they bring to their club as they extend their career. However, Orlando is in a transition phase, and using Marta’s salary elsewhere could help the club get younger, faster, and more threatening. Ultimately, this may be more Marta’s decision than Orlando’s, because the club will want Marta to end her career in purple. And while it seems the bell is tolling on a legendary career, it would surprise almost no one if she has another surge left in her.

Cara Martin — Goalkeeper

Pride fans could be forgiven for thinking Martin is an AI construct, because when have we seen proof of life? (OK, she’s made the substitutes’ bench a few times. Allegedly.) Martin signed Jan. 16 along with Castain and Nicole Payne. The former Big East Goalkeeper of the Year with Georgetown has not appeared for Orlando and her bio isn’t in the team’s game notes. Martin’s contract is up at the end of the season, and with Orlando collecting backup goalkeepers to work with the team in training and wait in line behind Moorhouse, the question is whether she’ll do enough to remain in the Pride’s stable of backup netminders.

Image of Kylie Nadaner making a headed clearance against the Houston Dash while Barbra Banda looks on.

Kylie Nadaner — Defender

The club’s vice captain has been away on what has seemed more like eternity leave than maternity leave. Nadaner had her baby in May, and the long process of getting back into playing shape lies ahead. Meanwhile, she’s in the final season of a three-year deal she signed on Dec. 7, 2023. Nadaner began her time in Orlando as a struggling left back who worked her way into becoming one of the team’s most dependable center backs.

Nadaner will be 35 early next season as her birthday is in March. While it’s difficult for players to return to playing shape after giving birth to a brand-new human, doing it in your mid-30s is even tougher, though it’s doable. Whether Nadaner is offered a new contract may depend on her ability to get back on the field in the second half of 2026 and show she can still perform.

Oihane – Defender

The Spanish fullback is in the last guaranteed season of a two-year deal she signed on Feb. 14, 2025. However, that contract includes a 2027 option year. Oihane has looked strong at times, although some minor knocks here and there have disrupted her continuity. She’s been one of the team’s better crossers in open play, posting three assists in just under a year and a half with Orlando.

The problem for Oihane is she’s in the Pride’s deepest position group. Cori Dyke, Hailie Mace, Haley McCutcheon, Nicole Payne, and Reagan Raabe can all play right back. Oihane has also filled in at left back, but there is coverage there, too. We may not know until the postseason roster decisions whether the Spanish international will remain in the club’s plans.

Nicole Payne — Defender/Winger

A former Portland Thorns and (briefly) Paris Saint-Germain player, Payne signed a one-year contract with the Pride on Jan. 16 that expires after the season. She showed off her pace playing right back in her first appearance with Orlando, but she’s since seen time at right wing, scoring a big goal in a solid outing at San Diego in the final week before the break. She didn’t back up that performance well five days later against Bay FC, but you can see there’s talent, speed, and potential scoring punch from the USC product.

Whether Payne is brought back is likely still up in the air, but there has been some promise, and her potential has not been questioned. Staying healthy has been a challenge for Payne. If she can stay fit, she would at least make a good depth option if she can turn in consistent performances like the one she had against the Wave.

Reagan Raabe — Forward/Defender

Raabe arrived as a non-roster invitee in preseason camp and earned a short-term contract on March 5. She’s made a couple of appearances off the bench in different positions but hasn’t been able to show a lot in her limited action. Will it be enough for the 24-year-old Nebraska product to earn a fulltime contract? We’ll find out soon.

Viviana Villacorta — Midfielder

The Orlando Pride had high hopes for Villacorta after drafting her at No. 9 overall in the first round of the 2021 NWSL Draft. And while she’s shown flashes of the potential she had coming out of UCLA throughout her time in Orlando, injuries have plagued her career and have completely derailed multiple seasons. Even in 2026, Villacorta has been on the club’s availability list, most recently with a knee injury. She’s done enough to hang around and earn three different contracts with the Pride, who exercised her 2026 option on June 30, 2025, meaning she’ll be out of contract again at the end of the year.

Whether the club still values Villacorta as a good depth option or is ready to turn the page on the 27-year-old — or whether Villacorta even wants to continue her career — is a decision we’ll have to wait to find out.

Summer Yates — Midfielder

Yates was a highly regarded prospect out of the University of Washington who somehow fell to Orlando in the fourth round (No. 39 overall) in the 2023 NWSL Draft. She quickly earned a rookie contract on March 7, 2023, through 2024 with an option year for 2025. She played so well during the club’s 2024 run to the double that she earned a new contract on July 11, 2024, through 2025 with an option year for 2026. Unfortunately, Yates followed many other Pride players in regressing in 2025, but Orlando and Yates had already mutually exercised her 2026 option year in October of 2024. That means she’s out of contract after this season, like so many others.

The 25-year-old native of Pasco, Washington, is just entering her prime years, but her play since the start of 2025 has not shown many signs of the improvements we saw in 2024. Former general manager Haley Carter touted her off-season work on our podcast prior to the club’s 2024 double-winning campaign. Since then, Yates has not scored a league goal and has tallied only two assists in the regular season, although she notably notched a hat trick in a 5-0 win at Chorrillo FC in Panama a year ago. Her most recent game against Bay FC saw Yates thread the needle to set up Banda’s second goal of the night, which turned out to be the game-winner.

Yates does so many things well, but putting together consistent performances has been a struggle since the start of 2025. Some of that has been related to playing through some minor knocks. Every dribble into a blind alley or misplaced pass in the attacking third seems worthwhile when Yates sticks a gorgeous through ball into Banda’s path, but a return to her 2024 form, in which she scored five NWSL goals, would be her best path to a lucrative new deal with the Pride.

The Pride roster provides a lot of flexibility for Carducci. There are as many as 14 expiring contracts either, outright or with an option decision, and the competition for new deals will be stiff. Carducci can spend the rest of the 2026 season evaluating the squad, looking at the areas she wants to improve, and making informed choices about which players to re-sign and which to let go.

That, of course, is a double-edged sword, because letting things go too long can result in players becoming free agents and leaving for free. In the past, the Pride under Carter liked to lock players down before their deals expired. This year, we may yet see some signings before season’s end, but Carducci has the opportunity to overhaul the roster. At the very least, the bottom of the roster can (and should) be churned a bit.

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Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Final Score 3-1 as Banda Brace Leads Pride to Victory

Barbra Banda bags a brace and an assist but goes down injured late in the victory.

Published

2 weeks ago

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May 29, 2026

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Image of Barbra Banda celebrating her goal against Bay FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

After dropping two games to expansion teams and stealing a win in San Diego, the Orlando Pride looked to enter the summer break on a good note. The Pride (5-5-2, 17 points) had never lost to Bay FC (3-6-2, 11 points) and used a second-half burst to maintain that winning record and won 3-1 at Inter&Co Stadium.

Barbra Banda opened the scoring in the fourth minute and followed it up in the 51st minute with her second. She added an assist to Cori Dyke in the 55th minute to close out the Pride scoring. Caroline Conti scored the lone Bay FC goal at the seven-minute mark.

“No better gift than a 3-1 victory at home in front of our fans,” Pride Head Coach (and birthday boy) Seb Hines said after the game. “It feels good that we’re ending this period on a high. I think it’s the first time this season we’ve got back-to-back victories.”

The Pride made one change in the lineup, giving Kerry Abello her first start of the season over Julie Doyle. Anna Moorhouse started in goal with Abello, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Oihane on defense. Haley McCutcheon and Ally Lemos played midfield in front of them with Mace, Luana, and Nicole Payne attacking from the midfield. Banda and her leading-leading nine goals played alone up top.

After an hour weather delay, the Pride went with the in-vogue start these days by kicking the ball straight out of bounds deep on the start and pressing high. It led to an opening three minutes of play in which the Pride kept the pressure up and forced the ball to stay on the Bay FC side. In the fourth minute, Luana headed a ball towards the center which Banda controlled, bodied Bay FC’s Joelle Anderson off the ball, and slotted the opening goal with her left foot.

Bay FC fought right back in the seventh minute as the visitors didn’t have to fight through the press off their kickoff. Claire Hutton crossed the ball into the box, Abello deflected it wide but there was no Pride defender there and it fell to Caroline Conti. Abello tried to fight all the way over but Conti was able to put it past Moorhouse before any help arrived.

The entire back line got pulled to the right on the play and Mace could not get back to help out wide.

“Hailie Mace came into NWSL as a winger. She’s got some tendencies that fit a winger profile. We knew Bay FC had a high back line. How do we get behind that back line? Having someone to support Barbra and not just Nicole but add in another player who can get into the attack,” Hines said regarding the switch.

In the 16th minute, Rachael Kundananji beat Oihane and crossed the ball to Hannah Bebar, who headed it into the net, but Cristiana Girelli was in an offside position threatening the goal, so the assistant referee ruled that it put Moorhouse off enough to interfere with the play.

The teams settled down a bit and traded possession until the 27th minute when Oihane centered the ball to Payne, who scuffed the shot high. One minute later, Luana sent a through ball for Banda to run onto and she went down in the box in a collision with Brooklyn Courtnall. It was fairly evident, however, that Banda got her leg into Courtnall’s to either try to control the ball or draw a foul, and the referee, Jaclyn Metz, saw it the same way.

In the 33rd minute, Oihane was subbed out for Hannah Anderson. Oihane had been laboring a little and may have picked up a knock somewhere.

The Pride couldn’t re-establish the high press so they turned into a lot of possession by Bay FC. Any attack by the Pride ended in a turnover off a bad pass or ill-conceived long shots as Orlando’s attackers were impatient in building play. Turnover after turnover plagued the Pride for the remainder of the half as they did not threaten at all until the 45th minute, when Banda took on Maddie Moreau and Kundananji, shook them both loose, and then crossed the ball into an empty area at the back post with no one to finish.

It was a fitting final piece of sound and fury, signifying nothing, as the half wrapped without any plays of interest. The Pride weren’t able to lead any of the statistics, tying Bay FC in shots (4-4), while Bay FC led in shots on target (3-1), possession (53%-47%), and passing accuracy (85%-83%). Neither team was able to force a corner in the first half.

To start the second half, Hines subbed in Summer Yates for Abello, which pushed Mace back to the back line. In the 48th minute, Kundananji got behind when Anderson got caught out and was sizing up a one-on-one with Moorhouse. Dyke hustled back and blocked the shot.

“We started the game super strong, super intense, but I think we fell off towards the end of that first half,” Dyke said. “We got a little too stretched between the lines and weren’t getting enough pressure on the ball and we talked about that at halftime. We needed to stay more compact and then pick our moments to go.”

Go they did. Three minutes later, Yates sent a through ball angled behind Banda which allowed her to run onto the ball unopposed. She beat goalkeeper Emmie Allen, who came out of the box aggressively to defend, and then passed the ball into the net in the 51st minute.

Four minutes later, Banda pressured Allen, forcing the goalkeeper into a clearance out of play. On the ensuing throw-in, Banda held off Bebar in the box, spun, and crossed the ball to Dyke, who put the ball in off the crossbar. The ability of the Pride to retain possession and work the ball in against a lesser opponent opened up the scoring and turned the game on its head.

Bay FC didn’t have a lot to do over the next stretch of time and Taylor Huff went down with an injury in the 61st minute, prompting a change as she was subbed out for Karlie Lema. Dorian Bailey came on for Joelle Anderson in the same stoppage but at the 62nd minute.

The teams went back and forth for a bit until the Pride drew a corner in the 71st minute. It deflected off a Bay FC defender and fell to Rafaelle at the far post, who headed it just wide. Three minutes later, Jacquie Ovalle and Zara Chavoshi wrapped up the Pride substitutions by coming in for Payne and Mace. Bay FC also took the stoppage in the 74th minute to sub two players in, bringing on Keria Barry and Onyeka Gamero for Kundananji and Girelli.

Unfortunately, in the 81st minute, Banda was dribbling down the left side when she pulled up lame and went to the ground off the pitch. She stayed there until tended to and was obviously upset. We’ll have to wait for any injury news on her. Bay FC made its final substitution in the ensuing stoppage in the 82nd minute, bringing on Kelli Hubly for Conti.

The injury to Banda left the Pride playing with only 10 players for the remaining 15 minutes (including added time) due to using up all three substitution windows. They stayed fairly solid in defense and played a lot of keep-away ball to see out the victory while playing short.

“A great way to finish this part of the season with a win at home. I think we were consistent today and we took the chances we created,” Luana said. “We’ve been having highs and lows in this part of the season but we bounced back in these two wins and it brought us a lot of confidence.”

Orlando City was ahead in the only stat that matters, goals, but trailed in every other major stat. Bay FC finished ahead in shots (14-8), shots on target (5-4), possession (54%-46%), passing accuracy (85%-84%), and corners (4-1).

The Orlando Pride now will be off until early July for the NWSL World Cup break. The next match is scheduled for July 3 in Los Angeles against Angel City FC.

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Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride return home to face Bay FC in their final game before the FIFA World Cup break.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

May 29, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride (4-5-2, 14 points) return home from a three-game road trip to take on Bay FC (3-5-2, 11 points). This is the first of two meetings between the two teams with the return game scheduled for Sept. 27 in San Jose.

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

History

Bay FC is one of two expansion teams that entered the NWSL for the 2024 season. The teams have met four times, with the Pride holding a 3-0-1 record and a 1-0-1 mark at home in the series.

The most recent meeting took place on Sept. 13, 2025, in Orlando. The visitors took the lead just before halftime when Racheal Kundananji headed in a long pass by Caprice Dydasco. The Pride equalized in the second half, when Ally Watt headed a Jacquie Ovalle cross past Jordan Silkowitz to claim a 1-1 draw.

On June 13 of last year in San Jose, CA, Bay FC led almost every statistical category, but the Pride defense held strong until Barbra Banda scored shortly after halftime. The Pride withstood attack after attack, coming away with a hard-fought 1-0 win.

The teams met twice in 2024, with the first-ever game between the clubs occurring on May 11. Just prior to the half-hour mark, Banda dribbled inside and Deyna Castellanos attempted an ill-advised challenge, resulting in a foul in the box and a Pride penalty. Adriana put the ball into the bottom left corner for the only goal, lifting the Pride to a 1-0 win. It was the sixth win in an NWSL-record, eight-game win streak.

The teams met for the second time on Sept. 20, 2024. It looked like the game might be headed for a scoreless draw until Banda got her head on the end of a Carson Pickett cross, redirecting it past Katelyn Rowland to give the Pride the 1-0 win.

Overview

The Pride return home tonight after a difficult road trip that saw the team fall 2-1 to Boston Legacy FC and 3-1 to Denver Summit FC. Having already lost to both expansion teams, they headed west to face San Diego Wave FC, a team near the top of the standings. But Nicole Payne’s first professional goal lifted Orlando to a 1-0 win.

Despite not scoring in two of the last three games, Banda still leads the league with nine goals in 10 games this season. She has a two-goal lead on Ashley Sanchez, who is second in the league. Haley McCutcheon is the only other Pride player with multiple goals, scoring twice in the same game. Ovalle, Marta, and Hannah Anderson have the team’s other three goals. The assists have been spread out much more evenly with Ovalle, McCutcheon, and Rafaelle all sharing the team lead with two.

The clean sheet against San Diego was big for the back line as the team has conceded too many goals recently. Dating back to their 3-2 loss to Racing Louisville FC on April 24, the Pride have conceded multiple goals in four of the last six games. The only other game in which they didn’t concede at least twice was a 1-0 win over the North Carolina Courage on May 8, their last home game.

Tonight is the Pride’s last game before the league breaks for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After the game, they won’t play again until July 3 and won’t play at home until July 10. That makes getting a quality result tonight essential for momentum going through the remainder of the season.

If you’re looking for a team to win against, Bay FC is one of the most likely candidates. The Bay -area side sits 13th in the NWSL on 11 points, just four points ahead of Louisville for last place. Tonight’s visitors are currently on a four-game winless run (0-2-2) and a two-game losing streak. Their last win was a 1-0 victory against San Diego on May 3. The club’s most recent games are a 2-0 loss to Portland Thorns FC on May 20 and a 1-0 loss to Chicago Stars FC on May 24.

Bay FC has struggled this year on both ends of the field. Its eight goals are second fewest in the league and Bay is one of three teams with single-digit goals this year. Meanwhile, the team’s 14 goals conceded are sixth in the league. The California side has been better defensively overall than the Pride, who have conceded 16 goals, but worse offensively, as the Pride have scored 15 goals so far this year.

Bay FC has been led in the attack by Alex Pfeiffer and Dorian Bailey with two goals each. Kundananji, Taylor Huff, Keira Barry, and Joelle Anderson have one apiece. Pfeiffer also leads the team in assists with two, tied with Cristina Girelli. Huff and Sydney Collins are the only other players with assists this season.

It should help the Pride tonight that Bay FC will be missing two key players. Silkowitz and starting center back Aldana Cometti were sent off against Chicago Sunday, meaning they’ll miss tonight’s game.

However, the Pride have their own key absences. In addition to injuries that have accumulated this season, Angelina was handed an additional game’s suspension after being sent off on May 16 for pulling Delanie Sheehan’s hair.

“We’re looking forward to it. Looking forward to being back home,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “It’s been a long road trip. Excited to get in front of our own fans. Want to create that atmosphere, make it hostile for Bay FC. We know it’s a quick turnaround for both teams as well, so we want to make sure that we start off on the front foot, build on what we achieved last Sunday in San Diego, and finish this part of the season on a high.”

The Pride will be without Angelina (suspension), Cosette Morche (ankle), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Solai Washington (knee). Marta (thigh) and Ovalle (thigh) are listed as questionable. Bay FC will be without Cornetti (suspension), Abby Dahlkemper (maternity leave), Anouk Denton (lower leg), Dydasco (maternity leave), Heather Gilchrist (knee), Alyssa Malonson (knee), Emily Menges (maternity leave), Pfeiffer (knee), and Silkowitz (suspension).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Oihane, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, Hailie Mace.

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon.

Attacking Midfielders: Kerry Abello, Luana, Nicole Payne.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Zara Chavoshi, Hannah Anderson, Julie Doyle, Marta, Jacquie Ovalle, Summer Yates, Seven Castain, Simone Jackson.

Bay FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Emmie Allen.

Defenders: Sydney Collins, Joelle Anderson, Brooklyn Courtnall, Maddie Moreau.

Defensive Midfielders: Hannah Bebar, Claire Hutton.

Attacking Midfielders: Racheal Kundananji, Caroline Conti, Taylor Huff.

Forward: Cristiana Girelli.

Bench: Camryn Miller, Kelli Hubly, Jamie Shepherd, Dorian Bailey, Karlie Lema, Onyeka Gamero, Tess Boade, Keira Barry.

Referees

REF: Jaclyn Metz.
AR1: Art Arustamyan.
AR2: Adam Cook.
4TH: Edson Carvajal.
VAR: Anya Voigt.
AVAR: Katarzyna Wasiak.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: NWSL+.

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.

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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