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Orlando City vs. Sporting Kansas City: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City?

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10 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Cricket is usually the sport that most people associate with games taking place over the course of multiple days, but on Saturday night and Sunday morning, it was soccer that became a two-day game due to extreme weather (read: heavy rain and frequent lightning strikes) in the vicinity of Inter&Co Stadium. Orlando City channeled that lightning into an electric start and a powerful ending, defeating Sporting Kansas City 3-1 to make it four straight victories and six wins in the club’s last seven matches.

I have my purple pen out and I am ready to issue some grades, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their matchup with a Western Conference opponent.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — El Pulpo was up to the task when he was called upon, making three acrobatic saves and coming aggressively off his line when balls were played over the top. Kansas City’s one goal came on a play when he had to come out, but the Peruvian was unable to push Mason Toye wide enough to prevent him from playing a ball back into the middle for Dejan Joveljic to tap in and tie the game. That goal felt like it had been coming after Orlando City really let down after the opening goal, so  it is hard to fully fault him as Kansas City had been creating good opportunities for nearly 20 consecutive minutes, and the visitors finally converted one. On the whole, I thought it was a strong game for Gallese, as he even added a cool 90% completion rate on his 20 pass attempts. 

D, David Brekalo, 6 — the strain of seven full 90s and one nearly full 90 in his last eight games, plus a game pushed back several hours due to weather, plus a partnership with a player out on the left wing who was more focused on offense than defense made this game a little rougher than ideal for Brekalo, as he looked a little leggy toward the end after a solid performance during the first three-quarters of the match. Without usual partner Iván Angulo on the field, Brekalo sat back a little more than usual, and he needed to, as Kansas City clearly was more focused on attacking down his side early in the game. The Lions had some nervy moments during that time and gave up a goal on a play that started with a through ball in between Robin Jansson and Brekalo, but after that, the Slovenian stepped up his defense and played solidly until he looked gassed in the final minutes of the match and got turned around a few times. He finished second on the team with 75 completed passes at a 90.4% completion rate and with one key pass, and he added one tackle and four clearances. 

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The captain had a slightly louder game than his center back partner, Rodrigo Schlegel, but not for positive reasons, as it was on his side where Kansas City focused most of its attack, particularly early in the game. Gallese was called into action early after a through ball split Jansson and Brekalo, and just a few minutes later, it happened again, but this time Kansas City converted. The defense improved after those early chances, but the Lions were fortunate to not be trailing. Jansson contributed to the shoring up of the defense after those early concerns, and he eventually matched his center back partner with 95.1% passing accuracy, as well as making one tackle, one interception, and four clearances. 

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Quiet games from center backs usually are a good thing, and through no fault of his own, the Argentine had a pretty quiet game, playing solidly but mostly playing just as a fulcrum to help pass the ball among his back line teammates. He completed a game-high 77 passes at a 95.1% clip, and made two tackles, one block and four clearances during the rare moments when Kansas City was attacking in his vicinity. 

D, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, 7 — it was fitting that Thórhallsson took over Kyle Smith’s role in the central midfield during the second half, as he demonstrated his own Smith-like versatility in this game, playing 45 minutes at right back and 45 minutes in the midfield. The Icelandic Dagur-of-all-trades was excellent in both roles, keeping Kansas City from threatening down the attacking left side in the first half and helping the Lions own the center of the field during the second half. He completed 94.5% of his passes and added three tackles and three clearances on defense.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, 6.5 —  It is hard to open a game better than how the Trinidad & Tobago international opened this one, ripping a volley into the back of the net within two minutes after the opening kickoff. Spicer, who started on the left to give Angulo a break in a multi-match week, showed tremendous pace and dribbling ability on Saturday night/Sunday morning, and his performance probably made Toronto fans scream, “I told you he was being misused!” at their televisions while watching Orlando City in jealous frustration. Spicer was a threat offensively, but getting forward creates spaces behind, so he had some issues tracking back on defense. If he wants to earn consistent minutes for Óscar Pareja, he will need to improve his defense in the future. On this night, his offense was enough though, as in addition to his goal, he made multiple aggressive runs up the left side to help create chances. He completed 72% of his passes, including two key passes, and also led the team in tackles with four. 

MF, Kyle Smith, 6 — with César Araújo out due to yellow card suspension, The Accountant stepped into a starting role, playing the first half as a defensive midfielder. He was an active participant, completing 29 of his 30 pass attempts, and helped out defensively as well, adding two tackles and one clearance. Oscar Pareja talked about spacing issues being a problem in the first half, and the Lions’ energy level certainly dropped significantly after the first 10 minutes, so his solution was to move Thorhallsson to the middle, sacrificing Smith to bring on Alex Freeman, which also served to jumpstart the attack.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Absent his usual midfield partner, Araújo, the Colombian played a litter deeper than usual, though he still was engaged in the offense, completing 20 more passes than any non-back-line player. Atuesta completed those passes at a 93.1% rate, with one key pass, and he also took one shot and put it on target, but it was right at the goalkeeper. He had one tackle and two interceptions on defense as well, before making way in the 86th minute for Joran Gerbet to get a little bit of rest with the Lions up 3-1. 

MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — This will not be a game that Pašalić looks back fondly on, as he was unable to get any real threat going on offense and may have been lucky to not be substituted out even earlier than he was. The Croatian took three shots and put two on target, but neither were well struck and both were saved easily. He completed 91.3% of his passes but did not beat any defenders off the dribble, and speaking of defending, he did not contribute any defensive statistics. Perhaps it was due to playing with Thórhallsson instead of his usual partner, Freeman, for most of his minutes on the field, but this was not Pašalić’s night. 

F, Martín Ojeda, 7.5 (MotM) — There are only so many superlatives that I can use before it starts to become repetitive, but once again the Argentinean Designated Player was the talisman and key to the Orlando City offense. His shot/pass off the goalkeeper on Spicer’s goal obviously prevented him from extending his goal contribution streak just minutes into the game. ‘Oh well,’ Ojeda must have thought, ‘I’ll just have to do it again,’ and then he went ahead and did by assisting on Ramiro Enrique’s goal to give Orlando City the lead in the second half. Ojeda was everywhere, and on a different day he might have had a hat trick of assists and perhaps a few goals himself, but his touch was a little off. He completed 82.6% of his passes but had a crazy eight key passes — six more than any other Lion — and he took three shots but was unable to put any on target. The offense ran through him once again, and if he continues at his current pace when people refer to Orlando City’s M. Ojeda, that M just might stand for MVP.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — Though he was active throughout his time on the field, the Colombian did not factor into any of the scoring plays. He got himself into position to take three shots but put none on target, squandering one big opportunity on his left foot after a beautiful one-two with Ojeda, shooting it with venom but high and wide left. He only completed 69.2% of his passes, but as is usually the case, he was trying creative and aggressive passes to unlock the defense, so it was not surprising his completion rate was lower than that of the rest of his teammates. 

Substitutes

D, Alex Freeman (46′), 7 — The introduction of the U.S. international at right back invigorated the Orlando City offense, and the team looked completely different (in a positive way) during the final 45 minutes. Freeman’s energy and pace were hugely helpful, and he partnered well with Pašalić and fellow substitutes Angulo and Nico Rodríguez on the right side of the field. He completed 89.3% of his passes, and his shot attempt late in the game was deflected and then corralled by Rodríguez, who turned and fired it into the net. Freeman did not get an assist on the play, but for all intents and purposes he assisted on the third and final goal. He could have done better with a partial breakaway opportunity just moments after Rodriguez’s goal.

MF, Iván Angulo, (71′), 6 — Angulo moved to the bench with the big Leagues Cup game coming up on Wednesday, but just as with Freeman, when he came on he brought energy and pace, and the Lions’ offense accelerated with him zooming around the field. He had a secondary assist on Enrique’s goal, and he almost had a goal himself after being played in behind, but he lifted his shot over the bar. Angulo looked to be running at a different speed than everyone else when he came on, and he provided excellent minutes off the bench after coming on for Pašalić. He completed all five of his passes and tracked back very well to provide defensive cover once Orlando City took the lead.

F, Ramiro Enrique, (71′), 6.5 — The Argentine came on with Angulo, replacing Muriel and Pašalić, and the offense improved with the two subs on for the two Designated Players. Enrique got himself into a dangerous location just minutes after coming on, and when Ojeda cut the ball back into the middle, Enrique was ready, receiving the pass, spinning 180 degrees, and then firing with his weaker left foot, equaling his career high with his eighth goal of the season. He completed four of his five pass attempts, including one key pass, and it was his goal that gave Orlando City the lead back for good.

MF, Nico Rodríguez, (78’), 6.5 — Rodríguez came on for Spicer, sending Angulo over to his favored left side and settling in himself on his favored right side. The Colombian impressed in his 12 minutes plus stoppage time, looking lively and active, and his awareness paid off in the 83rd minute. He alertly controlled a blocked Freeman shot, reacted quickly, and turned and fired, scoring his first career MLS goal and effectively ending the game by putting the Lions up by two. Rodríguez completed seven of his eight passes and put his one shot on target and in the net, and he looked completely comfortable on the field throughout his appearance.

MF, Joran Gerbet, (86′), NA — Gerbet made his return from a long absence due to a thigh injury, coming on for Atuesta to see out the final minutes of the game. He completed all nine of his passes and looked back to full speed, which will be important for Orlando City with a busy next few months ahead.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 3-1 win against Sporting Kansas City. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/8/26

OCB beats Carolina Core, Barbra Banda named to NWSL May Best XI, USMNT and USWNT lose, and more.

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2 hours ago

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June 8, 2026

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Image of Matthew Belgodere celebrating his game-winning goal against Carolina Core FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work over the weekend, and like many of you, I’m looking forward to the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicking off later this week. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Belgodere’s Late Winner Lifts OCB over Carolina Core FC

Orlando City B overturned a 2-0 deficit to defeat Carolina Core FC 3-2 at Osceola County Stadium Sunday. Arnaud Tattevin struck first for Carolina, giving the visitors and early lead. Carolina added another goal to go up 2-0 before defender Jair Caiza received a red card for violent conduct against Issah Haruna in the penalty area, and OCB was awarded a penalty kick. Pedro Leao converted from the spot to pull the Young Lions within one before halftime. In the second half, Leao added another goal to tie the match for OCB. Matthew Belgodere came off the bench and scored the late winner for the Young Lions, who earned all three points at home and extended their winning streak to three games. OCB will be on the road to take on Huntsville City FC Saturday at Wicks Family Field.

Barbra Banda Named to NWSL Best XI for May

Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda was named to the National Women’s Soccer League Best XI for the month of May. It’s the third monthly Best XI of the year award for Banda this season. She recorded six goals and added one assist in May. Two of those goals were winners against the North Carolina Courage and Bay FC. Banda leads the NWSL Golden Boot race with 11 goals in 12 matches during the 2026 campaign.

OCB Transfers Jaylen Yearwood to FC Naples

Orlando City B announced Friday that the club has transferred defender Jaylen Yearwood to USL League One side FC Naples. OCB will retain a sell-on percentage if FC Naples transfers Yearwood to another club in the future. Yearwood, Orlando City’s No. 14 overall draft pick in the first round of the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, made 10 appearances for the Young Lions during the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season, starting six matches, and made two appearances for the Trinidad & Tobago Men’s National Team.

USMNT Falls 2-1 to Germany in World Cup Send-Off Match

The U.S. Men’s National Team fell 2-1 to Germany at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, Saturday in an international friendly. Former Lion Alex Freeman started the match and played 72 minutes. Kai Havertz scored the opening goal two minutes into the match to give Germany the lead. Antonee Robinson scored the equalizer for the Yanks before halftime. In the second half, Leroy Sane added the winning goal for Germany. The USMNT will take on Paraguay Friday in its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.

USWNT Loses Road Friendly at Brazil

The U.S. Women’s National Team fell 2-1 to Brazil at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday in an international friendly. Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina started the match for Brazil, playing 68 minutes, while defender Rafaelle came off the bench in the second half and played 10 minutes. Orlando Pride forward Marta was on Brazil’s bench but did not play. Sophia Wilson scored her first goal for the USWNT since 2024 early in the first half. However, Brazil scored two quick goals from Taina Maranhao and Bia Zaneratto to take a 2-1 lead and held on for the win. The USWNT will face Brazil on the road again on Tuesday at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza.

Free Kicks

  • In case you missed it Friday, check out this amazing save by Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau for the Canadian Men’s National Team in its friendly against Ireland.
  • Former Lion Cyle Larin is staying with EFL Championship side Southampton after the club announced his loan from Mallorca had been converted into a permanent transfer.
  • NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill, a limited partner in the ownership group for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride, was interviewed by Yahoo Sports and shared insights into his experience investing in soccer, growing up playing soccer in Northern Virginia, his thoughts on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and more.
  • Major League Soccer announced its First XI players named to the 2026 MLS All-Star Game, which will take place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, on July 29. None were Lions.
  • EFL Championship side Derby County has reportedly reached an agreement with the Vancouver Whitecaps to sign midfielder Sebastian Berhalter.
  • The USL Super League will reportedly flip its calendar to begin play in the spring and end its season in the fall beginning in 2027 to align with the NWSL. The league will play a fall season in 2026 before transitioning to the new calendar.
  • The Iranian soccer federation has accused the United States of “vindictive behavior” after stating that visas were denied to key administrative and managerial officials. The Iranian Men’s National Team will only be allowed to travel to the U.S. on matchdays and must leave the country after each match.
  • Midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed during the match for Denmark in an international friendly against Ukraine Sunday. The match was abandoned, and the national team shared an update. We here at The Mane Land wish Eriksen a speedy recovery.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: June 3, 2023 vs. New York Red Bulls

Let’s rewind to an eventful match on the road up in New Jersey that took place just over three years ago.

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3 days ago

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June 5, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

With Orlando City on break for the foreseeable future, it falls to me to keep bringing you fond memories from OCSC games of years gone by. We won’t be going quite as deep into the vault as we did last week, when we rewound to nine years ago and relived a wet and weird win over D.C. United. Today, we’ll go a little over three years into the past to June 3, 2023, when the Lions hit the road to take on the New York Red Bulls.

As Orlando prepared to face the Red Bulls after opening the season against them at home, things were going pretty well for the Lions. They were riding a four-game unbeaten streak that included some solid results on the road and sought to continue that trend up in Harrison, NJ.

To do that, then-coach Oscar Pareja sent out the team in his traditional 4-2-3-1. Pedro Gallese was in net, while Kyle Smith, Antonio Carlos, Robin Jansson, and Rafael Santos manned the back line. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena sat in deep midfield as the double pivots, Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres were the attacking midfielders, and Ercan Kara was deployed as the tip of the proverbial spear.

By and large, the first half wasn’t the most engaging 45 minutes of soccer that Orlando City has ever graced us with. The first 15 minutes saw a lot of fouls and fairly sloppy play, with the game lacking any real rhythm but featuring plenty of stops, starts, and turnovers. That all changed in the 18th minute when Orlando broke the deadlock through an unlikely source. The Lions managed to break New York’s press, and Cartagena took advantage of an out-of-position John Tolkin to play Angulo behind the defense with a great ball. The Colombian carried the ball into the box, cut onto his left foot to avoid the sliding challenge of Dylan Nealis, and beat goalkeeper Carlos Coronel to score his third goal of the season.

The Red Bulls had a great opportunity to tie the game in the 30th minute after a bad Pereyra giveaway at midfield, but Luquinhas hit a tame shot at Gallese and failed to capitalize. Smith of all people had a crack at goal from inside the box just a few minutes before halftime, but he sent his effort wide of the post when he really should have hit the target. Tom Barlow then wasted another chance to put the game at 1-1 going into halftime but contrived to fire over the bar from the top of the area when all he had to do was hit the empty net.

That proved to be the last action of the half, and it was surprising to see Orlando in the lead based on the stats. Orlando held slightly more possession (52.1%-47.9%) and passed marginally better (76.1%-74.9%) but those were the only categories in which it led. The Lions were outshot (7-2), had fewer shots on goal (2-1), and took no corner kicks while the Red Bulls had one.

Fortunately, the Lions got a break just a couple minutes into the second half. Kara ran onto a ball over the top and New York center back Andres Reyes pulled him back, picked up a deserved second yellow card, and hit the showers early in the 47th minute.

New York cleared the danger from the ensuing free kick, but referee Victor Rivas was advised to go to the monitor and check for a foul during the play. Further examination revealed that Sean Nealis took Jansson down from behind as the ball was in the air, and he rightfully pointed to the spot. Enter Torres, who stepped up and beat Coronel (who guessed the right way), to double Orlando’s advantage despite the Paraguayan trying to get in his head beforehand.

The good vibes were dented slightly when Araujo went down injured in the 57th minute, with Felipe coming on in his place. The Red Bulls kept up their traditional high pressing despite being down a man, and with the Lions continuing to be sloppy in possession, it was hard to blame them. The teams traded chances right after Araujo made his exit, and some close calls for New York spurred Pareja into further changes, with Duncan McGuire and Martin Ojeda entering the fray for Kara and Pereyra in the 62nd minute.

Angulo squeezed off a shot from an acute angle three minutes later and Coronel saved it well, with the game entering a bit of a lull after he did so as the teams traded fouls and McGuire was caught offside.

Things sprang back into life in the 72nd minute. Ojeda cleared his lines and managed to find Angulo in the process, who absolutely torched Frankie Amaya down the left wing. The Colombian carried the ball into the box, drew Tolkin to him, and crossed perfectly for the unmarked Torres, who fired low and hard past Coronel with conviction to put the game away for good.

Despite being down 3-0, the Red Bulls kept up the fight and Jansson was forced into a good block just four minutes after Facu bagged his brace. The Lions spurned a few more half chances as the game wound down, and there was a scary moment in the 82nd minute when Dylan Nealis fell into Gallese’s leg, but the goalkeeper was able to soldier on after getting some treatment, although he looked a little shaky.

That more or less did it for the notable moments of action, as Orlando saw out a healthy eight minutes of stoppage time to make it five games unbeaten. The Lions finished with more possession (51.2%-48.8%) and more shots on target (5-2), but New York was crisper with its passing (79.2%-78%), took more shots (14-7), and won more corners (8-2).

David Rohe was on hand for our Player Grades column in this one, and Angulo took Man of the Match honors with an 8 out of 10 for his one-goal, one-assist performance that also included three completed dribbles, two tackles, and an interception. Torres unsurprisingly also graded out high with a 7.5 out of 10, as did Cartagena, who received the same grade.

The Lions went on to grab one more victory before the undefeated streak ended at six up in Foxborough against the New England Revolution. Fortunately, they started picking up points again immediately afterward and had a largely strong summer and back half of the year that saw them finish second in both the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield race. Hopefully, this year’s side can take some cues from the 2023 squad and start stacking points with more regularity once the season resumes in July. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 6/5/26

Maxime Crepeau named Canada’s starter, analyzing Germany before USMNT friendly, USWNT prepares for Brazil, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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June 5, 2026

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Image of Maxime Crepeau making a save against the New York Red Bulls.
Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a pretty hectic week for me, but I’m looking forward to a weekend filled with soccer and celebrating with some friends. It should be a nice next couple of days before the World Cup is here in full force next week. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Canada Chooses Maxime Crepeau as Starting Goalkeeper

Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau was named as the starter for Canada for the upcoming World Cup. The 32-year-old has been in a tight battle with Dayne St. Clair for the starting job for quite some time and he’s done well enough for Jesse Marsch to choose him for the role. This will be Crepeau’s first World Cup since he wasn’t able to take part in the 2022 competition due to a broken leg. Canada will play Ireland today in a friendly before hosting Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup on June 12.

Analyzing Germany Ahead of USMNT Clash

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Germany on Saturday in Chicago in its final friendly before the World Cup starts next week. This will be the 13th match between the two nations, with the most recent one being a 3-1 loss by the U.S. in October of 2023. Manuel Neuer is Germany’s starting goalkeeper, but he’s dealing with an injury and backup Oliver Baumann could play on Saturday in his place. Hopefully the U.S. can make his life difficult, but Germany has tough defenders in Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck. Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz, and Leroy Sane are dangerous attacking threats, while Nick Woltemade brings both height and solid ball movement at the top of the formation. It should be a great test for the USMNT before the games get serious.

USWNT Prepares for Brazil

The United States Women’s National Team is in action on Saturday as well, with the team set to play Brazil in Sao Paulo in the first of two friendlies. Plenty of attention will be on the reunited attacking trio of Sophia Wilson, Trinity Rodman, and Mallory Swanson that combined for 10 goals and five assists in the 2024 Summer Olympics. As for Brazil, the Orlando Pride are well represented, with Marta, Angelina, and Rafaelle all called up for these friendlies. There’s plenty of competing talent on Brazil’s roster, so it will be interesting to see who starts on Saturday. I’m most interested to see how the U.S. defense manages against Brazilian attackers like Ludmila, Dudinha, and Kerolin without having Naomi Girma on the back line.

Liverpool Hires Andoni Iraola as Next Manager

Liverpool didn’t waste much time finding a new manager after firing Arne Slot last week, hiring Andoni Iraola as his replacement. Iraola joins Liverpool after three years with Bournemouth that included securing Europa League qualification for the first time in club history this past season. He now joins a Liverpool team that qualified for the Champions League, but lost 12 league games after winning the league title in 2025. It will be interesting to see how Iraola does at one of England’s biggest clubs, particularly in regards to how his high-octane approach is applied.

Free Kicks

  • While the Pride haven’t provided an injury update on Barbra Banda according to reporter Jeff Kassouf, she did reportedly travel for Zambia’s friendlies against Kenya and Burkina Faso as the team prepares for next month’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

I checked in with the Orlando Pride: no official update on Barbra Banda after sustaining an injury over the weekend in #NWSL play. A spokesperson confirmed that Banda did travel to join Zambia for international duty. Hopefully more answers soon. No NWSL games until July 3.

— Jeff Kassouf (@jeffkassouf.bsky.social) 2026-06-04T19:11:37.433Z

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastical Friday and rest of your weekend!

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