Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Final Score 2-0 as Pride Remain Winless Since Summer Break
The Pride lost their second straight match, extending their winless streak to six games.
The Orlando Pride (8-6-4, 28 points) fell to NJ/NY Gotham FC (6-6-6, 24 points) 2-0 tonight at Inter&Co Stadium, continuing a month’s worth of offensive struggles. Esther Gonzalez opened the scoring in the 13th minute and Jaelin Howell doubled the advantage in first-half stoppage time. That was enough for the visitors to walk away with all three points.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made three changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Angel City on August 21. Rafaelle, Kerry Abello, and Prisca Chilufya entered the lineup in place of Oihane, Carson Pickett, and Simone Jackson.
The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Rafaelle, and Emily Sams. Haley McCutcheon and Angelina were in the defensive midfield behind Ally Lemos, Marta, and Ally Watt with Chilufya up top.
Hines made multiple changes to the attack, looking for the right combination without star striker Barbra Banda, who suffered an injury against the Kansas City Current on Aug. 16. Tonight, several players spent time up top as the Pride look for the best way to replace the attacking threat. However, it remains a work in progress.
“We’re obviously experimenting with it,” Hines said about the lineup changes. “When you lose a player with that sort of quality, like Barbra, it’s difficult to replace.”
“Those are big shoes to fill,” Lemos said about being one of the players the coaches depend on in the attack. “I mean, Barbra is a big part of our team, but a lot of players have stepped up and done what they can. And I just think, like even our coaches have said it, we have everyone that we need to get a result in the room with us.”
It was a tough night for the Pride in this game as they fell apart in the back and failed to threaten in the attack against a more physical team. Banda’s absence was evident as the team doesn’t seem to have an answer up top. Meanwhile, Rafaelle’s move to center back alongside Nadaner and Sams’ shift to right back didn’t work well as the Pride were vulnerable near their own goal.
Defenders getting pushed off the ball was all too common in this game as both goals were the result of it. McCutcheon was pushed off the ball on the first goal and Sams was outmuscled on the second. They were unable to provide the same physicality on the other end, allowing Gotham to clear the danger during attacks.
The Pride started the game aggressively, creating the game’s first corner kick in the first minute when Chilufya sent Watt down the right. As the attacker tried to cut inside, Lilly Reale knocked the ball out of play for a corner kick. Unfortunately, nothing came from the set piece.
The first shot of the game came in the second minute when Reale tripped Watt as she entered the Gotham third of the field. Lemos sent the free kick into the box with Watt stumbling as she got her head on the ball. However, she sent the attempt wide.
Watt won another corner kick in the eighth minute. This time the set piece was sent into the box, but too close to Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.
The visitors got their first chance of the game in the 11th minute when a Gabi Portilho cross was blocked by Nadaner. It went straight to Rose Lavelle, who tried to beat Moorhouse to her near post. But the shot was just wide.
Two minutes later, Gotham took the lead. Bruninha played the ball square to Lavelle, who played a one-touch give-and-go with Portilho. Lavelle outmuscled McCutcheon to win the ball, and her first touch was to Gonzalez with space in the box. After controlling the ball with a touch inside, the striker finished well to give her team a 1-0 lead.
The Pride went back into the attack in the 17th minute through Watt on the right. The attacker sent a low ball into the six, but it was too close to Berger, who easily collected it.
Shortly after, a ball into the box popped out to McCutcheon. The defensive midfielder fired from the top of the 18, but it was blocked.
In the 24th minute, Emily Sonnett slammed into Angelina near midfield. After shielding off the challenge, the Pride midfielder went down holding her abdomen. The Brazilian had to be helped off the field and went straight to the locker room in clear discomfort.
The injury forced Hines to make his first change much earlier than he wanted, replacing Angelina with Pickett in the 27th minute.
“We’ll just assess her. Obviously, she wasn’t able to continue the game, which is again, disappointing,” Hines said about Angelina’s injury. “We’ve had another injury in the first half, and it changes the momentum. So, hopefully it won’t be too severe for her.”
Right before the substitution, the Pride created another chance when Lemos took the ball off of Lavelle’s foot. The attacker quickly took an on-target shot from distance, but it was right into the arms of Berger.
Watt made another run down the right in the 29th minute before lifting the ball into the box. It looked like a cross, but the ball was too close to the goal, sailing just over the crossbar and out of play.
Gotham nearly doubled its lead in the 42nd minute when Lavelle sent Geyse behind the Pride back line on the right. The attacker tried to find an open Gonzalez near the penalty spot, but Moorhouse did well to get down and block the cross with her right hand.
Howell followed the block and took a shot on goal. It looked like she would double the lead, but Moorhouse did well to pop up and make a good save, blocking the shot wide.
Unfortunately, Gotham continued on the attack and found a second goal in the first minute of stoppage time. It started when Lavelle’s low cross was won by Sams. However, she was pushed off the ball by Geyse, who fired on goal. The shot was blocked by Nadaner, popping up into the air. Howell volleyed the ball past Moorhouse and inside the near post to give her team a 2-0 lead.
Marta made a swift move to reach the end line in the fifth minute of stoppage time, earning a corner kick. But the low corner kick by Lemos was cleared, and a follow-up shot by Marta sailed high and wide of the target, ending the first half.
After 45 minutes of action, Gotham had more possession (52%-48%), shots (5-4), and shots on target (3-1). The Pride had more crosses (12-5) and corner kicks (5-1). Both teams completed 79% of their passes.
Hines made one change during the break, replacing Abello with Simone Charley.
It didn’t take the substitute long to get involved, sending Watt to the end line in the 47th minute. Chilufya was making a run into the six-yard box and tried to volley the ball on target, sending it over the top instead.
Marta drew a foul in the 53rd minute about 35 yards from goal, giving the Pride a free kick in a dangerous position. The captain took the set piece herself, lifting it into the box. McCutcheon got her head to the ball, flicking it towards goal. However, the defensive midfielder sent her attempt wide.
The Pride nearly had a chance in the 58th minute when Sams won the ball near midfield and Lemos sent it long for Charley behind the Gotham back line. However, Berger came out of her box, beating the attacker to the ball and clearing it away.
Hines made his second change of the night in the 60th minute as Jackson came on for Chilufya.
Still unable to create anything in the attacking third, Hines made his final two changes in the 71st minute. Summer Yates and Oihane came on for Watt and Rafaelle.
While replacing Watt was a tactical move, Hines said Rafelle is still returning to full fitness. However, they want to be careful with the center back.
“We have to be very diligent with the amount of minutes that she can contribute,” Hines said. “Obviously, against Kansas, she played 45 minutes. Against Angel City, it was a quick turnaround with the travel and the amount of days that she had to build up for that game. Today, she got I think 70 minutes. So, that’s another good win for us, and hopefully now, if everything’s good and well, she can go and contribute maybe 90 minutes next week. But we’ll speak to the medical staff. We have to make sure that it’s in the best interest for the player as well, because as we get on into this back end of the season, we want to make sure that she’s available and continues to progress her abilities on the field for us.”
Gotham had a great chance to make it three in the 73rd minute when Gonzalez was sent out to the right. With Oihane pushed forward and Sams losing track of her mark, Katie Stengel was wide open near the back post. Gonzalez found her teammate wide open, but, fortunately, the attacker sent the short-distance shot over the crossbar.
Stengel took the ball off of Sams’ foot in the 82nd minute at midfield and sprinted the other way. Nadaner caught up to the attacker at the top of the Pride box, forcing her to cut back. She played it across the field for Gonzalez, who laid the ball back for an oncoming Midge Purce. That’s where the attack ended, as Pruce’s shot was blocked by Nadnaer and the Pride cleared.
In the 84th minute, Nadaner lifted a ball forward that Sams and McCutcheon both seemed to think the other was taking. Instead, Stengel stepped up and claimed possession. Making a move to lose Nadaner, the second-half substitute had a free shot on goal. But she sent the ball too close to Moorhouse, who blocked it away.
Jackson made a run into the box from the right in the 87th minute, shooting for the near post. Berger had the area covered, but she blocked the ball over the end line for a corner kick. The ensuing corner kick was headed up in the air by Howell, allowing her goalkeeper to claim it.
The Pride had a chance to get back into the game in the first minute of stoppage time when Reale headed the ball back and Sonnett sent it out of play for a corner kick. But Lemos’ set piece was too close to Berger, who had little trouble catching the cross.
Sonnett and Charley tangled in the third minute of stoppage time after a Jackson throw-in. The referee called Sonnett for the foul and issued her a yellow card. Marta sent the free kick into the Gotham box, which Nadaner got her head to. But she sent it straight to Berger, who made the catch.
At full time, the Pride had the advantage in possession (55.5%-44.5%), shots (12-9), crosses (17-4), corner kicks (8-1), and passing accuracy (79.7%-68.2%). Gotham put more shots on target (4-3) and, most importantly, scored the only two goals in the game.
“Obviously, disappointed with the result,” Hines said. “The players worked extremely hard. I thought we started really well and we’re just in this moment right now together. And we need to help each other get us out of this moment to go on to win games. But I can’t fault the players’ efforts. We’re going to continue to work hard, we’re going to continue to strive to turn it around, and we won’t give up.”
“It’s really unfortunate, the result,” Lemos added. “But I think there’s a lot of lessons that we can take from this and bring them into next week with a positive mindset. And we’ve just got to start getting wins and scoring goals.”
The Pride have been held scoreless in their last three games (270 minutes), dating back to an Ary Borges own goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time on Aug. 9 against Racing Louisville FC. The Pride haven’t scored a goal themselves in 378 minutes. The last one was a Chilufya goal in the 72nd minute against the Utah Royals on Aug. 3.
“Every team causes different problems, and so we have to assess it and look at what qualities we have within our group,” Hines said about the scoring problems. “Today, we could have probably created a little bit more opportunities to score. Put Berger under a bit more pressure. But it’s experimenting with the players that we have available. They all bring different qualities as well, so they have to continue to have confidence in themselves, and I think once that ball hits the back of their net, that they’ll have a lot of confidence going into multiple games after this.”
Defensively, the team conceded multiple goals for just the third time this season and the first time since a 2-0 loss away to Racing Louisville on June 20. However, while Gotham finished well, the Pride still lacks that goal-scoring threat in the attack.
“It’s come down to, again, fine margins,” Hines said. “I thought we started the game really well. I thought we put Gotham under immense pressure. And when we’ve got that good momentum, we can capitalize on it. They took their finishes really well. But yeah, it’s down to fine margins.”
The Pride remain winless since the summer break (0-2-3). The poor form has seen them fall from contending with the Current for the league lead to fourth. If not for some favorable results around the league, it could be much worse.
Despite the recent struggles, Hines believes his team can still turn it around and contend in the NWSL this season.
“We just have to keep positive. We have to keep going,” Hines said. “Like I said, we will turn this around. We’ll continue to work hard. We’ll continue to turn it around. That’s the main thing, really. Just continue to stick together, work together. You know, staff, players, everyone associated with the club will continue to try and turn this around. There’s still a lot of games yet to be played, so we still have belief in each other. And the new game is right around the corner.”
The Pride don’t have much time to sulk about this loss. They welcome Costa Rican side LD Alauelense to Orlando on Tuesday night in their first-ever Concacaf W Champions Cup game.
Orlando Pride
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.
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.
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.
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!
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Three Keys to Victory
What do the Pride need to do to earn all three points against Bay FC?
The Orlando Pride welcome Bay FC to Inter&Co Stadium this Friday night for the last match before the World Cup break. This is an opportunity to get a win over a team lower in the table and move up in the standings. What must the Pride do to earn all three points against Bay FC this weekend?
Keep the Chip
I have been asking all season on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for the Pride to play with the chip on their shoulder that they had when they won the double in 2024. We saw that against the San Diego Wave. My hope is that the players have now remembered what that feels like and will execute with the same level of intensity going forward.
The task is potentially a little easier against Bay FC, as the California-based side has scored less than half the number of goals that the Wave have this season. Of course, that is the trap. The Pride cannot slack off against Bay FC. Having Rafaelle anchoring the defense is a big help, and moving Hailie Mace out to right back has proven effective. In 2024, this team hated — with a capital “H” — conceding goals. They took it personally. That is the passion I want again. The chip on the shoulder.
Overwhelm and Outscore
As I mentioned above, Bay FC is not a prolific scoring team. Friday’s visitors have also given up 14 goals this season. That’s not the best or the worst in the league, but they haven’t faced Barbra Banda yet. The Orlando Pride don’t have any trouble creating chances, but they have had trouble getting anyone other than Banda to finish them this season. Banda leads the league in goals, and she has an opportunity to maintain or extend that lead against Bay FC.
What will truly make the difference for the Pride against Bay FC is if any of the other players can contribute a goal. We saw the space that Banda can provide her teammates when Nicole Payne scored her first goal against San Diego. Now I want other players to take advantage of that space to provide some goals for the Pride.
More Luana
Luana got her first start since coming back to the squad cancer-free. I think we’ve forgotten that she was a starter on the 2024 squad before her Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis. She was a starter on a team that won the double. Now she is back and she is a leader and an inspiration for her fellow players.
Given Marta’s limited minutes, having Luana out there as a stabilizing presence is important. Obviously, she brings a different skill set than Marta but still a critical one. Much like the defense, the midfield was better last match, and I feel she was a big part of that.
That is what I will be looking for on Friday night. The Pride can head into the World Cup break on a high with a victory. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!
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Orlando City1 week agoOrlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More