Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. LD Alajuelense, Concacaf W Champions Cup: Final Score 3-0 as Pride Score Three Times in Second Half
The Pride began their Concacaf W Champions Cup campaign on the right foot, defeating LD Alajuelense at home.
The Orlando Pride (1-0-0, 3 points) were dominant in their first-ever Concacaf W Champions Cup game, defeating Costa Rican side LD Alajuelense (0-1-1, 1 point) 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. Second-half goals by Julie Doyle, Carson Pickett, and Simone Jackson lifted the Pride to all three points in their tournament opener.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made nine changes to the team that lost 2-0 to NJ/NY Gotham FC Friday night. Anna Moorhouse, Kerry Abello, Kylie Nadaner, Rafaelle, Emily Sams, Haley McCutcheon, Angelina, Ally Watt, and Marta were all replaced in the lineup. The only returning starters from Friday night were Ally Lemos and Prisca Chilufya.
The back line in front of goalkeeper McKinley Crone was Grace Chanda, Zara Chavoshi, Cori Dyke, and Oihane. Viviana Villacorta, Lemos, Summer Yates, and Doyle were in the midfield with Jackson and Chilufya up top. Since Marta and Nadaner were both out of the lineup, Oihane wore the armband for the first time as a member of the Pride.
Despite making nine changes to the starting lineup and playing some out of position, the Pride dominated this game from start to finish. The first half was a repeat of the previous games, creating numerous chances but failing to convert. However, things opened up in the second half when the Pride created even more opportunities and finally put some away. Most importantly, they got three points to begin group play.
The Pride got the first attempt of the game in the third minute when Chanda played the ball up the left for Jackson. The attacker used her speed to beat Gabriela Guillen into the box before firing into the outside of the net. Less than a minute later, Chavoshi found Yates making an open run up the middle of the field. As the attacker approached the top of the box, she took a long-distance shot that was blocked by Fabiola Villalobos.
Alajuelense’s first chance of the game came in the sixth minute when a long ball for Sofia Varela sent the attacker behind the Pride back line. Chavoshi caught up, blocking the shot out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was over everyone and the Pride were able to clear.
The Pride had another chance in the 17th minute when Villalobos took Yates’ feet out from under her, giving the Pride a free kick near the top of the Alajuelense box. Before the Pride could take the set piece, Crone went down just outside of her box, giving the players a chance for a hydration break. When the goalkeeper was back up and ready to continue, Lemos stood over the ball on her own. The attacker went for goal on the set piece, sending her attempt well over the target.
Jackson had her second shot of the game in the 22nd minute and put this one on frame. It forced Noelia Bermudez to push the ball away, right to the feet of Chilufya. But the Zambian didn’t appear ready for it, sending her shot over the crossbar from close range.
The visitors nearly took the lead in the 27th minute when Kenia Rangel sent Katheryn Arroyo behind Chanda. The forward’s first touch was a shot that was off the crossbar. Valera took possession, immediately losing it to Dyke. However, Dyke and Crone ran into each other, giving it back to Valera. Fortunately, Chanda won the ball and the Pride were able to clear without conceding.
In the 31st minute, Chilufya played the ball to the left for Jackson just outside the box. The attacker spun to beat her defender, shooting on goal. However, Bermudez got her hands to the ball, tipping it over the crossbar. The ensuing free kick went to Chilufya, but she wasn’t able to keep possession, allowing Alajuelense to clear.
Alajuelense had another chance in the 35th minute when Emilie Valenciano was sent long on the right. The midfielder played her cross to the center of the box where Varela was waiting with plenty of space. The forward got her head to the ball but couldn’t turn it on target.
A Jackson blocked shot in the 40th minute ended up with Chilufya on the left side of the box. She laid the ball off for Chanda behind her, who attempted a volley that sailed well high and wide of the target.
In the 42nd minute, Lemos took a shot from outside the box that Bermudez pushed wide. The Pride kept possession and recirculated the ball. Lemos ended up in the same spot, shooting again. This time, the ball was deflected by a defender to Doyle, making a run to the far post. It appeared to be a tap-in for the speedy midfielder, but she put it wide.
In first-half stoppage time, a Jackson cross glanced off the head of a defender for a Pride corner kick. While they couldn’t create anything off the set piece, they retained possession, playing it around for Chanda on the left. The defender went for goal from distance, sending her shot well off target.
After 45 minutes, the Pride had the advantage in possession (67.6%-32.4%), shots (15-5), shots on target (4-1), crosses (15-4), corner kicks (5-1), and passing accuracy (82.7%-63.9%). But they were unable to convert for the seventh consecutive half, keeping the game scoreless at the break.
“I think there was a bit of disappointment, but very optimistic,” Hines said about his team’s attitude in the first half. “They found the gaps that Alajuelense were presenting for us. We’ve managed to find Ally Lemos and Summer Yates in those pockets of space. And then we looked a little bit more direct once we got it in those positions, getting Simone Jackson isolated against the fullback as well.”
Hines made one halftime change, replacing Chilufya with Carson Pickett, who came on at left back and Chanda moved forward into a more attacking role.
“We moved Grace Chanda into a more familiar position. She was doing a job for us at fullback, but you could see that she was uncomfortable there,” Hines said about the change. “So moving her into a higher position was an opportunity for her to showcase her qualities.”
The Pride got the second half to an attacking start, creating multiple chances in the first few minutes. Just 20 seconds in, Yates received the ball from Villacorta near the top of the box. But her shot was blocked by Villalobos. A minute later, Chanda entered the box and took a shot that was blocked. It went straight to Oihane on the end line, who looked to cross, but it was blocked as well, and Alajuelense cleared.
The Pride quickly won possession back and stayed on the attack. Yates played the ball to the left for Jackson, who took Guillen one-on-one. The attacker found space for a shot, hitting it over the crossbar.
In the 49th minute, the Pride finally converted. Villacorta’s shot from outside the box hit Jackson’s leg and went to the left side. Pickett collected it, sending the ball into the center of the 18. Guillen got her foot to it, but it went right to Doyle, who redirected it past Bermudez to give the Pride a deserved 1-0 lead.
The goal was the first for the Pride since their 1-1 draw with Racing Louisville on Aug. 9 (320 minutes). It was the first goal by a Pride player since Chilufya’s goal in the 72nd minute in a 1-1 draw with the Utah Royals on Aug. 3 (428 minutes).
“I think we kind of can get out of our own way, and we know that we can do it because it fell tonight,” Jackson said about how ending the goalless drought will help the team moving forward. “So, there’s no difference between today or another situation where we get the same opportunities. So, it’s recreating the same situations in an NWSL match.”
Pickett played a long diagonal ball across the field in the 52nd minute that Chanda brought down well. The attacker created space from Maria Coto and fired for the near post, but Bermudez blocked it out of play with her left foot. Chanda got her foot to Lemos’ ensuing corner kick, directing it towards goal, but the shot was right into Bermudez’s arms.
The Pride won another corner kick in the 55th minute. This time it was Jackson getting her head to Lemos’ set piece. However, Bermudez got down to her right, blocking the ball wide and allowing her defense to clear.
Villacorta found Doyle at the top of the box in the 57th minute, and the goal scorer laied it back to Lemos with her first touch. After taking a couple of touches forward, Lemos fired from the top of the box, sending her shot just over the crossbar.
Hines made his second change in the 61st minute, replacing Oihane with Sams. It was a straight change, as Sams took over Oihane’s position at right back and Dyke stayed at center back. Shortly after the substitution, Lemos made a run to the end line and her cross was blocked out of play by Valenciano. The ensuing set piece found Jackson’s head at the far post, but she redirected it wide.
In the 63rd minute, the Pride scored a goal worthy of the competition. It started when Doyle dribbled into the box and her low cross was cleared. But Alajuelense couldn’t get it out of their own third before Sams took possession. The right back sent a short pass to Villacorta, who found Pickett on the left corner of the box. The left back hit a rocket past Bermudez and into the top corner on the right to give the Pride a commanding 2-0 lead.
Hines made his third change and used his second window in the 70th minute to replace Lemos with Luana, who accepted the captain’s armband from Sams, who had taken it earlier upon Oihane’s departure. The inclusion of Luana was a momentous one for the Pride. It’s been a long road back for the Brazilian since she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in April 2024. It’s her first appearance in a game since March 29, 2024.
It didn’t take long for Luana to get involved. In the 71st minute, she received a pass from Sams before lifting it into the box for Doyle in between two defenders. The attacker got her head to the ball, but flicked it wide of the goal.
In the 77th minute, Chanda won possession with a collision near the top of the Alajuelense box and Jackson took over. She played it to Luana as she went down and the Brazilian used some nifty footwork to keep possession. Jackson picked it up and played it to Sams entering the box. The right back fired from close range, hitting it well wide of the near post.
The Pride scored a third in the 81st minute when Jackson threw the ball in for Yates. After taking a couple of steps forward, Yates backheeled the ball to Jackson behind her. It was a tight angle for Jackson, but she beat Bermudez to score her first professional goal and give the Pride a 3-0 lead.
Immediately after the goal, Jackson and Yates were replaced by Watt and Elyse Bennett. It was a Pride debut for Bennett, who recently signed a deal through the end of the 2025 NWSL season.
Alajuelense finally created its first second-half attack in the 84th minute when Valera sent substitute Yeslim Alvarado behind Pickett, who fell trying to make the challenge. However, she couldn’t control the ball, allowing Dyke to win it back and knock it wide. Keeping possession, Villalobos sent a cross in for Alvarado, who put this one on goal. But, despite not having to do anything in the second half, Crone got down to make her first save of the half and second save of the game.
Pickett made a run down the left in the 85th minute before finding Luana with plenty of space. The Brazilian had time to put the shot on target, but sent it over the crossbar. A minute later, Pickett made another run down the left, this time finding Chavoshi making a run into the Alajuelense third of the field. The center back took a shot from about 30 yards out, sending it well over the target.
Chanda had a chance to score from distance in the 90th minute when she took possession in the Alajuelense third. The midfielder took her opportunity to shoot, but sent the attempt well off target.
Alajuelense had one last chance in the dying moments to get something positive from the game when Villacorta was called for a foul on Valera. Sianyf Aguero took the set piece, but Crone handled it well. The full time whistle blew immediately after the catch, ending the game.
The Pride ended the game with big advantages in possession (66.5%-33.5%), shots (36-7), shots on target (10-1), crosses (35-5), corner kicks (13-1), and passing accuracy (82.4%-63.8%). Most importantly, they finally converted some of their shots, scoring three goals for the first time since a 3-1 win over the Utah Royals on May 23.
“It’s a really pleasing result. A lot of positives out of the game,” Hines said. “First of all, getting a win, getting that feeling back. Secondily, scoring some goals as well, which we’ve needed. And then, I think the biggest highlight of tonight was getting Luana back onto the field. I think that was a real special moment for everyone. For her to go through what she’s been through, and then go into the field and show her class was so pleasing to see. So a lot of really good moments today.”
“I think with this different lineup, it was like, no pressure, no stress, nothing to lose,” Jackson added. “And that’s kind of like how we were training. We were just like, this is a great opportunity, and we were looking at it as a great opportunity. And I think that’s how we went into it, and we played. We just played. We played free, and it felt good.”
With these three points, the Pride move into a tie with Pachuca after one game. Club America and LD Alajuelense are two points behind, though Alajuelense has played two more games. Chorrillo FC — the Pride’s next opponent in the group stage — sits in last after losing its first game.
The Pride will now jump back into league play, facing the Chicago Stars away from home Sunday afternoon.
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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