Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Stars FC: Final Score 5-2 as Pride Get Thumped On The Road
The Pride played one of their worst games of the season, falling to bottom-dweller Chicago.
The Orlando Pride (8-7-4, 28 points) ended their four-game goalless run, but extended their winless streak in NWSL play to seven games, falling 5-2 to Chicago Stars FC (2-9-8, 14 points) in Evanston, IL. Sam Staab, Jameese Joseph, Bea Franklin, Julia Grosso, and Lumila were the scorers for the Stars and Carson Pickett and Haley McCutcheon netted goals for the Pride.
The seven games without a win is the club’s worst run since late summer of 2019 and present a worrying sign that last year’s champions may be headed out of the playoff spots by the end of the 2025 season.
With vice-captain Kylie Nadaner out due to an illness, the back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Pickett, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Emily Sams. McCutcheon and Angelina were in the defensive midfield behind Marta, Ally Lemos, and Oihane with Simone Charley up top.
The teams combined for only one shot on target in the first half, but both teams created chances they should have scored on. The first good chance came from Ludmila in the 11th minute, when the Chicago striker carried the ball into the Pride box. The forward had enough space between Sams and Dyke to get a shot off, but Moorhouse made the save with her legs at her near post.
Chicago had another chance in the Pride third in the 12th minute when Marta lost the ball to Franklin in her own third. The Pride captain was down for a couple minutes as she received attention but was able to continue. The ensuing set piece was too close to Moorhouse, who caught the cross.
Joseph had a dangerous chance in the 19th minute when she got behind the back line with Moorhouse way off her line. The Stars forward touched the ball around the Pride goalkeeper to get in on goal. Fortunately, Rafaelle did well to win it back in the box, clearing the ball out of play.
Marta sent a cross to the near post in the 23rd minute that appeared to be handled by Naeher. But the goalkeeper fumbled it over the end line for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece bounced around before falling to Charley from close distance, but the attacker sent the attempt over the crossbar.
There was a break in the action in the 27th minute when Ally Schlegel went down near midfield away from the ball. As the attacker received treatment on the sideline, the Pride created a chance when Lemos sent a cross to the back post. McCutcheon was there to get her head on the cross, but the defensive midfielder sent it wide.
The Pride created another chance in the 33rd minute when quick passing from Angelina and Sams sent Lemos to the end line. The midfielder sent a dangerous ball across the face of the goal that got past Naeher with McCutcheon making a back post run, but McCutcheon couldn’t get on the end of the cross, missing another chance to end the team’s goalless drought.
In the 37th minute, Pickett found Charley near the penalty spot. The attacker won the ball, but her header was wide. Marta nearly broke the Pride’s scoring drought in the 43rd minute from the left side of the box. The Pride captain fired for the far post, sending it past Naeher. The shot was inches from going in but went wide instead.
It looked like the Stars took the lead in the first minute of first-half stoppage time when Schlegel sent Joseph down the right. The attacker found Ludmila behind the back line at the far post and Chicago’s most threatening attacker tapped it in, but the flag went up for an obvious offside on the initial ball, saving the Pride from going behind.
The final chance of the first half came from the hosts in the dying seconds. Kathrin Hendrich carried the ball forward from her center back position and found Schlegel beyond midfield. Rafaelle stepped up to the challenge but couldn’t win the ball.
The Stars had a four-on-three advantage, but Schlegel decided to take it herself. The attacking midfielder fired from the top of the box, sending her attempt wide.
That was the last first-half chance for either team as the game reached halftime scoreless. It was a close half, with the Stars having the advantage in possession (56%-44%), shots (8-6), shots on target (1-0), corner kicks (2-1), and passing accuracy (81%-79%). The Pride had more crosses (14-3).
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes at halftime, replacing Charley and Oihane with Jacquie Ovalle and Julie Doyle. It was Ovalle’s first appearance for the team after arriving for a world-record transfer fee.
“She’s a quality player,” Hines said of Ovalle. “She came in at halftime. Obviously hasn’t been integrated with the team for too long. But you can see her quality and what she can bring. This was just the starting point, and hopefully she can play more minutes for the rest of the year.”
It didn’t take long for the hosts to take the advantage, doing so just five minutes into the second half. It started when Ludmila was taken down by Rafaelle near the top of the Pride box, drawing a yellow card. Staab stood over the set piece, sending the ball over the wall and into the top corner to give Chicago the 1-0 lead.
Chicago nearly doubled its lead in the 52nd minute when Grosso sent a low cross into the box. Dyke tried to clear the ball, but it popped up on her, allowing Schlegel to get her head to it. Fortunately, she put it off the crossbar and the Pride were able to clear.
The Pride took advantage of the miss, equalizing in the 53rd minute. Marta found McCutcheon on the left, approaching the end line. The defensive midfielder quickly played the ball to Pickett in the box and the left back chipped the ball over Naeher and into the far corner to even the game at 1-1.
Unfortunately, the Stars responded just a minute later. Receiving the ball on the right from Grosso, Joseph used quick feet to beat Pickett and cleared herself room to take a shot. The forward sent her low, hard attempt behind Moorhouse and into the far corner to give Chicago a 2-1 lead.
It looked like the Stars might extend their lead in the 56th minute when Joseph played a long, low ball to Ludmila on the right and behind the Pride back line. Rather than shooting, the striker attempted to dribble around Moorhouse. It was a mistake as the Pride goalkeeper did well to take the ball off her foot, keeping the deficit at one.
Marta had a chance to equalize in the 59th minute when she received a short pass from McCutcheon and split a pair of defenders. The attacker fired from inside the box, but Naeher was there to block it away.
The hosts extended their lead in the 65th minute and Ludmila was at the center of it again. This time it was a clear defensive mistake as McCutcheon lost track of Bea Franklin. As the cross came in, Franklin entered the six-yard box while McCutcheon stood flat-footed. It was a simple header from Franklin and not much Moorhouse could do as the hosts took a 3-1 lead.
In the 69th minute, the Stars’ lead grew. A long ball out of the back was over Ludmila to Grosso. Sams got her foot to the ball but couldn’t control it. Grosso took possession, dribbled around Dyke, and put it in to make it a 4-1 game.
Immediately after the goal, Hines made his third change of the game, sending Watt on for Lemos.
It looked like the Pride were dead in the water, but they didn’t give up. Doyle received a pass from Sams on the right in the 72nd minute and sent a dangerous ball into the six-yard box. McCutcheon beat the defenders to the ball, tapping it in to make it a 4-2 game.
“I just started driving at my outside back and saw that she was square, and saw that they had a very high line defensively and there was some space for the corridor,” Doyle said. “Haley, and there was even other runners that were doing such a good job of being there when the ball got there. So, really proud of Haley for scoring that goal.”
Ludmila sent Joseph behind the Pride back line just moments later, looking to respond. The forward took a shot before Rafaelle could catch up to her, but she sent the attempt over the crossbar in the 73rd minute.
Hines made his final two changes in the 76th minute as Luana and Summer Yates entered the fray for Pickett and Marta.
Ludmila played a great ball into the Pride box, sending Nadia Gomes behind the Pride back line in the 82nd minute. Moorhouse did well to come off her line, cutting down the angle and making the stop.
On the other end, Ovalle sent a cross to the near post where Watt was making a run. The forward was able to volley the ball on target, but the attempt was right to Naeher.
The back-and-forth battle continued a minute later when Joseph got behind the Pride back line. Moorhouse again came up big, making the stop with her legs to keep the deficit at two goals.
The Stars put the game away in the 89th minute when Grosso played Gomes forward on the left. The substitute’s cross to the back post found Ludmila, who attempted to volley the ball on goal. It wasn’t a clean hit, but she was able to knock the ball past Moorhouse and over the goal line to make it 5-2.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Leilanni Nesbeth took down Yates just outside the box, earning a yellow card. Luana sent the free kick into the six-yard box, but it was cleared away for a corner kick. The set piece found Rafaelle’s head near the penalty spot, but her header was into Naeher’s arms, ending the threat.
The final chance came in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Ovalle was pulled down entering the Chicago third of the field. Luana’s free kick found McCutcheon’s head, but the attempt went over the crossbar on the last play of the game.
While the possession was even and both teams completed 81% of their passes, Chicago had more shots (19-13), shots on target (8-5), and corner kicks (3-2). The Pride had more crosses (26-8).
“Disappointing result,” Hines said. “Credit to Chicago, they executed in the final third. And we move on. We’ll reflect, we’ll review. Apologize to the fans that were watching at home. Apologize to the fans that were here with their support. That wasn’t us today and we have to get it right. We have to stick together. We have to be a collective and move onto the next game.”
“It’s brutal to lose like that,” Doyle added. “There’s obviously some positives. I really feel like we did give it our 100%. We left everything out there. It’s tough when you’re down a goal. It’s the risk that you take when you’re pressing. And I think every single time we went down, we wanted to risk and we didn’t want to lose today. So we were sending numbers forward and they just caught us on that transition and that’s what got us.”
The Pride’s winless streak dates back to a 2-0 loss to Racing Louisville on June 20. They’ve yet to win a game since the end of the summer break. Making matters worse, this was only Chicago’s second win of the season, ending the Stars’ 14-game winless run since April.
The Pride return home Saturday, when they’ll face Bay FC.
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!
According to Math, Orlando Among Top Soccering Cities in North America In 2026
Orlando City So Far in 2026: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Lion Links: 6/4/26
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks agoBarbra Banda Keeps Scoring But the Orlando Pride Aren’t Winning
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks agoOrlando Pride vs. San Diego Wave FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoIntelligence Report: Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati
-
Lion Links2 weeks agoLion Links: 5/22/26
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Final Score 6-2 as Leaky Lions Suffer Another Heavy Road Loss
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Three Keys to Victory
-
Lion Links2 weeks agoLion Links: 5/21/26