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Orlando Pride vs. San Diego Wave FC: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Snap Nine-Game Winless Streak

The Pride finally tasted victory again, defeating the San Diego Wave FC for their first league win since June 13.

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11 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The streak is over. The Orlando Pride (9-8-5, 32 points) have finally won an NWSL game, defeating San Diego Wave FC (8-7-7, 31 points) 2-1 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA. Jacquie Ovalle scored her first Pride goal in the eighth minute, which was quickly erased by Dudinha two minutes later. But Carson Pickett came off the bench to score in the 54th minute, helping claim all three points for Orlando.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made one change to the team that lost 1-0 to the North Carolina Courage on Sept. 19. Marta was out with a back injury, replaced in the lineup by Julie Doyle.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Kerry Abello, Zara Chavoshi, Emily Sams, and Oihane. Haley McCutcheon and Angelina were in the defensive midfield behind Doyle, Ally Lemos, and Ovalle with Ally Watt up top.

Both teams came into this game needing a win, with the Pride winless in nine and the Wave winless in five. It looked like it would be a high-scoring affair with both teams finding the back of the net in the first 10 minutes. However, the game settled down after that. Both teams struggled to create a sustained attack, ending the first half even at 1-1.

The Pride jumped out to their second lead with a goal by the halftime substitute less than 10 minutes after the break. After being at fault for the Wave goal, Moorhouse came up with some huge saves in the second half to help earn all three points for her team.

The Wave created the first attack in the third minute when Trinity Armstrong made a long run into the Pride third of the field and played the ball forward for Hanna Lundkvist. The right back sent a cross to Kimmi Ascanio. The attacker took a shot on goal, but Lemos was there to block it. The hosts had another chance when Chavoshi fouled Adriana Leon in the Pride third of the field. Kenza Dali played the set piece short to Lundkvist, who fired from distance. However, her attempt was wide.

The Pride took immediate advantage of the miss, scoring off the restart. Moorhouse played the goal kick short to Sams, who played it to Oihane on the right. The Spanish defender sent a long ball for Watt on the wing, and the striker found Ovalle making a trailing run to the top of the San Diego box. The Mexican international fired past Wave goalkeeper DiDi Haracic for her first NWSL goal.

The goal was more significant than Ovalle’s first for the Pride. It gave the team its first lead in an NWSL game since June 13 when Barbra Banda scored in the 58th minute of a 1-0 win over Bay FC.

“You could see the relief that it gave the players after scoring the first goal,” Hines said. “It’s something that we’ve always spoken about. You know, getting off to a good start. And I think in previous games we have got off to a good start, but to actually reward ourselves is a fantastic goal. You know, it’s a great ball down the line, Ally makes a great run and a great decision-making moment to find Jacquie in that little pocket of space that we talked about, so she could finish with a left foot.”

Unfortunately, it didn’t take the hosts long to respond. In the 10th minute, Moorhouse received a pass back from Oihane and played it back to the same side. It was a poor pass with little chance of success. Dudinha easily intercepted the ball, and with the Pride goalkeeper off her line, the 20-year-old Brazilian chipped it in from distance to even the game at 1-1.

Lundkvist made a run down the right in the 17th minute before sending a cross into the Pride box. It was blocked by Chavoshi, but went off an unaware Abello and out of play for a corner kick. The set piece went to Watt at the top of the box, but her weak clearance went straight to Makenzy Robbe, who took a long-distance shot. The attempt was always rising and caused little concern for Moorhouse.

Haracic came off her line in the 21st minute to punch an Oihane cross away. Angelina was making a run to the top of the box and met the ball before it hit the ground, volleying it towards goal. Unfortunately, her attempt bounced wide.

Robbe laid the ball off for Dali in the 38th minute and the attacking midfielder sent Leon behind the Pride back line. As the striker entered the box, Chavoshi caught up and had to get the challenge right to prevent a penalty. Fortunately, it was a great tackle by the rookie center back, who even drew a foul.

While the first half started fast, it quickly slowed down. Neither team created a shot in the final 20 minutes of action as the game went into the break even at 1-1.

After 45 minutes of play, the Pride had more possession (56%-44%) and crosses (8-5). San Diego held the advantage in shots (6-4), corner kicks (2-1), and passing accuracy (85%-84%). The only shots on target were the two goals.

Hines made one halftime change, replacing Doyle with Pickett, an inspired substitution.

“We wanted to build up in a three tonight and have some width. Julie started off in that position on the left-hand side, giving us the width. And we had to make a change at halftime and bring Carson on,” Hines said. “And Carson’s very comfortable in that position as almost like a wingback.”

The Wave won a free kick in the 50th minute in their own half, taking it quickly to create a break. It ended up with Lundkvist, who played it off Pickett for a corner kick. Moorhouse came out to punch the ensuing set piece, missing the ball. After briefly bouncing around the six-yard box, it fell to Armstrong, who put her shot over the crossbar.

A giveaway in the back in the 52nd minute created another chance for the hosts. Dudinha created enough space from Oihane on the right to send a cross in. Abello was the first to the ball, but she mishit it out of play, resulting in another San Diego corner kick. Moorhouse got her fist to this set piece, sending it straight to Dudinha. The attacker’s back was to the goal, but she did well to turn Ovalle before sending her shot wide of the far post.

The Pride created their first chance of the second half in the 53rd minute when Oihane sent Ovalle down the right. The playmaker sent a cross to the back post, where McCutcheon was making a run. But the midfielder’s header was from a tight angle and Haracic made the easy catch.

A minute later, the Pride took their second lead of the game. This goal came from a great ball by Oihane, who had Watt and Pickett making runs into the Wave box. The pass was beyond the reach of Watt but landed perfectly for Pickett, whose first touch was a shot past Haracic to retake the lead.

“I mean, Oi, obviously one of our best servers of the ball, her and Jacquie on that side,” Pickett said. “So I just saw that she got it, and I saw Ally make a run, and I was like, you know what? I’m just gonna do everything I can to get there in case Ally doesn’t. And luckily, it fell right to me and (I) just hit a right-footed shot, which was a little bit of a shocker.”

“Carson takes the goal really well,” Hines added. “It’s a great ball from Oi to find her on that weak side. And yeah, scoring it with her right foot, which is something we haven’t seen often. But she takes the goal really well.”

The Pride had a chance to score a third in the 58th minute when Oihane sent a cross too close to Haracic. The goalkeeper fumbled the ball in her own six-yard box, but nobody in purple was close enough, allowing Haracic to jump on it.

Kristen McNabb’s pass to halftime substitute Jordan Fusco in the 60th minute was intercepted by Angelina. She played the ball to Pickett, who tried a quick touch to McCutcheon. It looked like Armstrong would intercept it, but she couldn’t control it, allowing McCutcheon to shoot from the top of the box. Unfortunately, her attempt skipped wide of the left post.

The Wave created an opportunity for an equalizer in the 66th minute when Armstrong sent a good ball forward for Leon, who quickly found Ascanio. The attacker fired before the defenders could react, but it was right into Moorhouse’s arms.

The Pride nearly conceded for a second time in the 74th minute when the hosts had three golden chances. Dudinha played the ball wide for Fusco, who sent the ball to the top of the six-yard box. It was just beyond the reach of Kyra Carusa, finding Lundkvist at the far post. The defender laid it back for Ascanio, who fired with space, but Moorhouse came up with a huge save. The rebound found Lundkvist, who laid it off again — this time for Carusa. However, Chavoshi blocked her shot. Laurina Fazer collected the ball at the top of the box, but her shot was also blocked. This time the rebound fell to Dali, whose shot forced Moorhouse to tip the ball wide of her post.

The first corner kick was knocked out for a second and the ensuing set piece was cleared away to end the threat, with the Pride narrowly keeping their lead.

Dudinha looked to make something happen from the left again in the 80th minute, twisting and turning Oihane before sending a cross into the box. She found Carusa just outside the six-yard box, but the redirection header was too close to Moorhouse.

McNabb sent a nice ball into the box in the 87th minute for Carusa. Unfortunately for the hosts, it was a little bit behind the attacker, who couldn’t get much on her header. As a result, Moorhouse made an easy save.

Lundkvist and Dali played a give-and-go in the second minute of stoppage time, almost creating a chance. Dali sent a dangerous ball into the box with Carusa making a run. But it was just a bit too far in front of the attacker, allowing Moorhouse to collect.

In the third minute of stoppage time, late substitute Quincy McMahon sent a ball into the six-yard box that should’ve been an easy stop, but Moorhouse tipped it right in front of her goal. Fortunately, nobody in white was there, and the Pride were able to clear away the game’s last chance.

At full time, possession was even, but the hosts finished with the edge in shots (16-9), shots on target (6-2), crosses (20-19), and passing accuracy (84%-81%). The Pride only led in corner kicks (7-6) and, most importantly, goals scored.

“Really hard-fought win. The players were terrific tonight,” Hines said. “We played some really good stuff as well. You know, we emphasized switching the point of attack to create opportunities to score. And I thought we implemented the game plan really well. Any time we’ve got a foundation by scoring the first goal gives us an opportunity to go on and win the game. And  we showed a bit of resilience after the goal that we conceded. But a lot of players stepped up today, and I’m really proud of them because it’s a win that we’ve been really wanting for a long time. So, yeah, it’s a group effort, really pleased, and we’ll move on to the next one.”

“I think it was long overdue” Pickett added. “Obviously, it’s been a while since we won and gotten a good result, so I think it kind of gave us that momentum moving forward. Last five games, hopefully we get five wins.”

The win is the first for the Pride in the league since June 13. Coincidentally, that win over Bay FC also came on the West Coast. Tonight’s victory ended a nine-game winless run in NWSL action and was the club’s first since the summer break. Orlando improved to 3-0-1 in road games at San Diego.

“We’ve been dying for three points for so long,” Hines said. “And again, we’ve had some really good results, and it’s come down to fine margins. Even tonight, San Diego clear one off the line and would have given us a bit more breathing space. But listen, I can’t say enough good things about the team. They’ve stuck to the plan, they’ve trusted the process. They’re all together in the sense of wanting to get the three points.”

“It means everything,” Pickett added. “We have worked day in, day out. We’ve never turned on each other. We’ve stayed strong, and we have done everything we possibly can to try and get results, and it hasn’t fallen our way. I feel like we’ve been a bit unlucky. So, yeah, it was a big sigh of relief when we won. The final whistle blew, I think everyone’s just like, okay, let’s go. We’re going to finish this strong.”

The Pride moved from seventh to fourth in the crowded NWSL standings, putting them in a much better position than two hours earlier. They’re not safe yet, since they’re only four points ahead of the final playoff spot and several teams now have a game in hand. However, they’re only two points behind NJ/NY Gotham FC for third and they still have everything to play for.

The team will stay on the road as they travel south of the border to face Club America in the Concacaf W Champions Cup Tuesday. Then they’ll head to Houston, TX, where they’ll take on the Dash in their next league game Friday night.

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Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns FC: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Fall on Late Goal

The Pride conceded a second-half stoppage time goal to lose their third consecutive game.

Published

3 hours ago

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August 16, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

The Orlando Pride (7-11-2, 23 points) lost their third consecutive game Saturday night, falling 2-1 to Portland Thorns FC (10-6-4, 34 points) at Providence Park in Portland, OR. Deyna Castellanos gave the hosts the lead in the 58th minute before Jacquie Ovalle equalized in the 63rd minute. But a second-half, stoppage-time goal by Caiya Hanks doomed the Pride to another defeat.

Seb Hines made four changes to the team that fell 3-1 to Racing Louisville FC on Aug. 8. Oihane, Haley McCutcheon, Solai Washington, and Barbra Banda re-entered the lineup, replacing Zara Chavoshi, Angelina, Nicole Payne, and Simone Jackson.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Hailie Mace, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Oihane. Ally Lemos and McCutcheon were the defensive midfielders behind Ovalle, Washington, and Julie Doyle with Banda up top.

This was a game of two halves. The Pride were the better team in the first 45 minutes and the Thorns dominated the second period of play. However, while the Pride were unable to convert on nine first-half shots, some poor goalkeeping and lackadaisical defending allowed Portland to claim all three points.

The Pride had a great opportunity to take the early lead in the third minute when Ovalle played the ball back for Mace and the left back sent a long ball over the top for Banda. The striker got behind the Portland back line and was in on goal but her first touch was a shot wide.

In the fifth minute, Nina Nijstad fouled Ovalle near the Thorns box, giving the Pride a second opportunity. Lemos lifted the ball into the box and Banda outjumped her defenders to redirect it on target. But the header was right into goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold’s arms.

Doyle made a strong run into the Portland third of the field in the 10th minute before finding Ovalle near the top of the box. The midfielder’s first touch was a shot on target, but — similar to the Banda chance — was right at Arnold.

Mace played Washington down the left in the 14th minute and the young attacker found Doyle making a run to the top of the six-yard box. Doyle attempted to redirect the ball on target with her first touch, sending the ball over the crossbar. Doyle had another chance in the 16th minute near the top of the Portland box. The attacker took a long-distance shot that again sailed over the target.

The Thorns finally created their first shot of the game in the 18th minute. Pietra Tordin made a strong run into the Pride third and cut inside to create space between two defenders. The attacker fired from outside the box and Moorhouse felt it was worthy of a dive. However, the ball curved wide of the far post.

Washington played Banda to the top of the Thorns box in the 23rd minute. The striker dribbled across the middle as she attempted to find space for a shot. It looked like she’d have a clear attempt, but Isabella Obaze made a last-ditch slide to deflect the ball wide. The Pride weren’t able to create anything from the ensuing corner kick, ending the attack.

McCutcheon fouled Castellanos in the Pride third of the field in the 29th minute, providing an opportunity for the attacker. Castellanos went for goal and was able to make the ball dip, but it wasn’t quick enough as the shot was over the top of the goal.

Washington forced Arnold into a good save in the 32nd minute. The play began when some quick passing gave Banda possession at the top of the Thorns box. The striker laid the ball off for Lemos, who sent it forward and to the left for Washignton. The attacker brought the ball down nicely and fired on target, but Arnold pushed the ball wide of her near post.

Oihane sent a low cross into the box for Banda in the 37th minute, but the striker got the ball caught in her feet. Four defenders quickly converged, forcing the ball to the top of the box. Both Lemos and Ovalle approached, attempting to shoot from outside of the area. Lemos was the one to take the shot, sending her attempt out of the reach of the diving Arnold but wide of the goal.

While possession was split in the first 45 minutes, the Pride created most of the chances. They ended the first half with more shots (9-2), shots on target (3-0), and corner kicks (6-0). However, a good save by Arnold — and some shots directly at her — kept the game scoreless.

The first chance of the second half was for the Thorns after Doyle fouled M.A. Vignola, earning a yellow card. Castellanos played the set piece to Marie Muller, whose shot from 35 yards out was over the target. Vignola then made a strong run past Washington and Doyle before sending a low cross into the box. Lemos blocked it, but Portland kept possession. Castellanos’ ball into the box found Muller, who took an off-balance shot that Rafaelle blocked. She had a second attempt but couldn’t get much on it, sending the ball wide.

Jessie Fleming carried the ball into the Pride third in the 58th minute, finding Tordin at the top of the box. McCutcheon defended her well, forcing her to play it wide for Castellanos. The attacker sent the ball towards the far post, lifting it over Moorhouse — who was off her line — to give the Thorns the 1-0 lead. Moorhouse seemed to have a shot at tipping it over at the last minute, but she never attempted a jump, continuing a trend of poor goals conceded by the Pride in 2026.

The Thorns had all the momentum in the game and attempted to use it to double their advantage. Castellanos dribbled into the Pride third of the field in the 60th minute before finding Sophia Wilson to her right. Portland’s leading goal scorer settled the ball and put it on target, but Moorhouse was there to block it away.

The Pride quickly went the other way, looking for an equalizer. McCutcheon played Ovalle over the midfield stripe and continued her run into the Portland box. In the meantime, Ovalle played the ball to Doyle on the right, and the midfielder sent a cross to the top of the six-yard box. McCutcheon got her head on the ball, but put it straight into the ground. It caused little concern for Arnold, who easily fell on the attempt.

Mace intercepted a poor pass in the 62nd minute and found Ovalle entering the Portland third of the field. Ovalle’s pass into the box was touched on by Banda behind Doyle. Banda followed the ball and took possession but lost it to Vignola, who was able to clear the danger.

The Pride regained possession, resulting in the equalizing goal. Lemos played it forward for Banda and the striker shielded her defender, allowing Doyle to take possession. Doyle played it wide for Oihane, who sent a lovely cross to the top of the six-yard box. As Arnold came off her line, the ball bounced off her, a defender, and Ovalle, rolling over the line to even the game at 1-1 in the 63rd minute.

“Jules gave me a great ball. I had a lot of time to think about it,” Oihane said. “I saw Jacquie going in and I just crossed it and it went in. So, that’s a good idea and we need to keep going and doing those things.”

Hines made his first two substitutions of the game in the 65th minute. Angelina and Summer Yates entered the contest, replacing Banda and Doyle.

“We would’ve liked for her to have played the whole game,” Hines said about Banda. “But we have to take the recommendations from the medical staff. It’s incredibly difficult becuase she’s such a high impact for us.”

The Pride head coach made his third change in the 76th minute, replacing Oihane with Chavoshi.

In the 77th minute, Ovalle attempted a back heel pass to Yates that Fleming intercepted. Tordin battled with the Pride defenders, resulting in the ball popping out to Fleming. With time and space to shoot, Fleming sent her shot just wide of a diving Moorhouse and the post.

Tordin won a battle with Mace for the ball in the 86th minute, playing the ball through a falling Rafaelle and into the Pride box. Wilson took possession and had plenty of time and space for a shot as Moorhouse came off her line to cut the angle down. The Pride goalkeeper did well to block the shot with her legs and fall on the rebound to keep the game even.

Hines made his fourth substitution in the 89th minute, replacing Rafaelle with Zoe Matthews.

The fourth official showed eight minutes of stoppage time, giving both teams an opportunity to find a winning goal. In the foruth minute, Vignola fouled Yates near the right sideline in the Portland third of the field. Lemos’ set piece found Matthews just inside the box. The new signing tried to head it on target, but she was unable to get over it, allowing Arnold to make the easy catch.

In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Portland found the winner. The Pride were unable to clear the ball out of their half, allowing Vignola to take possession on the left. The defender played the ball centrally for second-half substitute Hanks, who dribbled to the top of the box before curling the ball around Moorhouse and inside the far post.

Hines made an attacking change in the eighth minute of stoppage time, replacing Mace with Gabi Nunes. It was a Pride debut for Nunes, who joined the team on Aug. 4.

“We would’ve liked to enter (Nunes) in different circumstances,” Hines said. “She hasn’t trained with the team too much since she came in here. We’ve got to make sure we’re doing the right things, taking the recommendations from the medical staff.”

It was a desperate attempt to get something from the game. Unfortunately, the Pride were unable to create any more opportunities and lost a tough one away from home.

At full time, the Thorns had slightly more possession (51%-49%) and better passing accuracy (79%-77%). The Pride ended the game with more shots (12-10), shots on target (6-4), and corner kicks (6-0). But poor finishing and two long-distance conversions saw the Pride lose their third-straight game.

“I thought we were terrific in the first half. I thought we came to Providence Park with loads of intent. Put them under pressure. Didn’t create any clear-cut opportunities, but we had a lot of good momentum,” Hines said. “The first-half was terrific, and have to give the players the compliments because they were aggressive, they put Portland under immense pressure. And second half was fairly balanced. Obviously, they created some opportunities. So, disappointed with the first goal. Can we get a little more pressure? it’s a great strike from that distance. And then we get ourselves back in the game and stuff happens. It’s just not going our way with some of the calls, bounce of the ball, those kind of things. I’ve got to say, everyone is absolutely devastated. We put all the hard work into today’s performance and you hate to lose in that manner. You hate to lose, but to lose in that manner that we did is devastating.”

“Obviously, disappointed with the result. But I think we had a good game,” Oihane added. “We just needed to focus on the small details and score on the opportunities that we have.”

The Pride continue their string of poor results since returning from the FIFA World Cup break. They’ve now lost six of their last eight games, seeing them tumble from the top half of the playoff spots to 11th place. The teams around them all have games in hand, including the Houston Dash, who have played two fewer games and are only three points back. That means the Pride could fall even further in the standings.

The Pride will continue this tough road trip when they face the Washington Spirit on Aug 23.

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

The Pride head west for the daunting task of facing the Portland Thorns in Oregon.

Published

1 day ago

on

August 15, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (7-10-2, 23 points) travel west to take on Portland Thorns FC (9-6-4, 31 points) at Providence Park (8:45 p.m., ION). This is the first of two meetings between the two teams with the return game scheduled for Sept. 19 in Orlando.

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

History

The Pride have struggled historically against the Thorns, with a record of 5-15-2 in 22 games (5-14-2 in league play and 0-1-0 in the playoffs). Orlando is just 1-9-0 in Portland, with the only win coming in 2018.

The most recent meeting between the two teams came on Oct. 10, 2025, in Orlando. In second-half stoppage time, Mallie McKenzie redirected in a Marta corner kick for an own goal, lifting the Pride to a 1-0 win.  The previous game took place May 3 of last year in Oregon. The difference was a nice goal by Reyna Reyes, who made a turn to create space and put her shot past Anna Moorhouse to give the Thorns the 1-0 win.

The first game in 2024 took place May 24 in Orlando. It was the Barbra Banda show as the Pride striker scored two goals 10 minutes apart, giving her team a 2-0 halftime lead. Izzy D’Aquila got one back for the visitors, but it wasn’t enough as the Pride won 2-1.

The Pride secured the NWSL Shield the game before the Oct. 11, 2024 match between these teams, so several starters were given a break. It showed on the field as the Pride lost 2-0, ending a league-record 23-game unbeaten run. Morgan Weaver gave hosts the lead early and Christine Sincalir doubled the advantage in the second half.

The first game between the two teams in 2023 took place March 26 at Providence Park. Weaver opened the scoring early and Sophia Smith doubled the advantage a few minutes later. Hina Sugita made it three, and Michele Vasconcelos wrapped up the scoring as the Thorns won 4-0. On June 11, 2023, in Orlando, Smith gave the visitors the lead, but the Pride took over after that. Adriana scored a brace and Messiah Bright’s strike sealed a 3-1 Pride win. 

The teams met twice in 2022, with the first coming on Sept. 9 at Exploria Stadium. Yazmeen Ryan gave the visitors the lead and Sugita doubled the advantage as the Thorns won 2-0. That was the second meeting of the season after the teams met on June 19 in Portland. In Seb Hines’ second game as interim head coach, the Thorns smashed the Pride, 6-0.

The teams met earlier in the year during the 2021 season, playing on May 26 in Orlando. The Pride won for only the second time against Portland since the team’s inception — 2-1, with goals from Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux. The second meeting that year came on July 18 in Portland, and the home team won again. Smith gave the hosts the lead and Marissa Everett doubled the advantage. Marisa Viggiano got one back in second-half stoppage time, but the Thorns won, 2-1. They met a third time on Aug. 14. The Pride took an early lead when Courtney Petersen found Jodie Taylor for the opening goal. But Simone Charley equalized and the teams drew 1-1.

The Pride and Thorns didn’t play in 2020 after the season was canceled due to the global pandemic, and they weren’t in the same group for the NWSL Fall Series. As a result, the most recent meeting prior to 2021 was in 2019.

The teams opened the 2019 season against each other in Orlando, but the Thorns got the better of the clash. The game was decided on either side of halftime as Caitlin Foord scored just before the break and Tobin Heath scored minutes after the restart, lifting Portland to a 2-0 win. They met again in Orlando on May 11 and the Thorns won again. Toni Pressley gave the Pride an early lead, but it was all Portland after that. Dagny Brynjarsdottir equalized, Andressinha gave Portland the lead, and Foord finished it off.

The final meeting between the two in 2019 was a goal fest in Portland and another Thorns win. Hayley Raso gave Portland the lead early in the game and Midge Purce’s goal made it look like it would be a dominant performance by the hosts. But Marta got one back to make it 2-1. Sinclair made it 3-1, followed by a Thorns own goal by Emily Menges. It looked like the Pride would get a rare point through Erin Greening’s 90th-minute goal, but Tyler Lussi scored in second-half injury time, dooming the Pride to another loss in Oregon.

The teams faced each other three times in 2018, which featured the Pride’s lone win in Portland to date. The Thorns won the first game, 2-1 on April 15. But on May 12, goals by Morgan and Christine Nairn gave the Pride a 2-0 lead. Sinclair got one back for the hosts, but the Pride held on for their only result at Providence Park. The third meeting went back to usual, with the Thorns winning 2-0 through Lindsey Horan and Raso.

The teams started the 2017 season against each other in Portland with the Thorns winning 2-0. They met again in the penultimate game of the season in Orlando, ending in a scoreless draw. The most important game between the two teams was the Pride’s first playoff appearance. Unfortunately, it was all Portland, as the Thorns beat the Pride 4-1.

The first meeting of 2016 was the Pride’s first-ever game. Steph Catley gave the expansion Pride a surprising lead, but Brynjarsdottir equalized and Horan won it for Portland. They met again on June 26 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. Two second-half goals by Brynjarsdottir and Horan lifted the Thorns to another 2-1 win.

Overview

The Pride are in the middle of a rough stretch that dates back to end of the FIFA World Cup break. The team has lost five of its last seven games, dropping Orlando to 11th in the NWSL standings and out of the playoff places.

The biggest problem has been in the attack, where the Pride have only scored five goals in seven games and three of those came in a 3-0 victory over the Kansas City Current. However, the team has struggled defensively in the last two games, falling 5-0 to the North Carolina Courage and 3-1 to Racing Louisville FC.

A major reason for the lack of goals is the absence of Banda, who left for international duty at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Despite slowly returning from an injury and departing to play for Zambia, her 12 goals still lead the league, one ahead of North Carolina’s Ashley Sanchez.

Louisville appeared to be the right team to end their bad streak as Racing sits in 15th place and the game was in Orlando. But the Pride were outplayed once again and now head to one of the most difficult places to play in the NWSL.

The Thorns are currently fifth in the league table with 31 points and are undefeated at home (5-0-3). Their 32 goals scored ties them with the Coruage for the league lead. They’ve not been quite as good defensively, conceding 28 goals, which ranks 12th in the 16-team league.

The team’s defensive struggles have been on full display over the past two games. After a 5-1 loss to the Utah Royals on Aug. 2, the Thorns defeated Boston Legacy FC 4-3 on Sunday afternoon.

The Thorns are unsurpingly led in the attack by U.S. international Sophia Wilson. In her return from maternity leave, the striker has scored nine goals. Pietra Tordin leads the team in goal contributions with seven goals and eight assists. The other players with multiple goals for Portland this season are Reilyn Turner and Olivia Moultrie with five goals each.

The recent defensive problems can be attributed to substantial changes to the back line. While Mackenzie Arnold has remained in goal, the back line in front of her has changed each of the last three games.

Regardless of the Thorns’ current form, this will be a tough game for the Pride. They’ve only won once in their history at Providence Park, including the lone playoff meeting against tonight’s opponent.

“It’s always a tough environment to go play. Obviously the fans really get behind the team,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “We need to bounce back from two disappointing results. It hasn’t been good enough, and it gives us a week to really prepare for this game and change things around.”

The Pride will play tonight without Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), Hannah Anderson (lower leg), Marta (head), and Kerry Abello (thigh). The Thorns will be without Bella Bixby (knee), Julie Dufour (knee), Valerin Loboa (excused absence), Olivia Moultrie (knee), and Reilyn Turner (knee).

Projected Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Cori Dyke, Rafaelle, Zara Chavoshi, Oihane.

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Angelina.

Attacking Midfielders: Jacquie Ovalle, Haley McCutcheon, Solai Washington.

Forward: Julie Doyle.

Portland Thorns FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Mackenzie Arnold.

Defenders: M.A. Vignola, Sam Hiatt, Jayden Perry, Reyna Reyes.

Defensive Midfielders: Jessie Fleming, Nina Nijstad.

Attacking Midfielders: Pietra Tordin, Deyna Castellanos, Marie Muller.

Forward: Sophia Wilson.

Referees

REF: Brad Jensen.
AR1: Katarzyna Wasiak.
AR2: Sarah Gaddes.
4TH: Justin St Pierre.
VAR: Danielle Chesky.
AVAR: Seun Yinka-Kehinde.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8:45 p.m.

Venue: Providence Park — Portland, OR.

TV: None.

Streaming: Ion.

Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter (@ORLPride) or Bluesky (@orlpride.com) feed.

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride

Barbra Banda Continues to Make Offers Scoreboard Can’t Refuse

Barbra Banda’s scoring prowess in 2026 and a comparison of her performance against others in 2026-only competitions.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 14, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

We do not spend a lot of time writing about mafia movies here at The Mane Land, and I will not in this article either. But I am going to borrow Michael Corleone’s famous line from The Godfather Part III — “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in” — and paraphrase it to be “just when I thought I was out (of Barbra Banda topics), she pulled me back in.”

Sadly, she pulled me in via a four-goal, one-assist performance for Zambia, not the Pride. It was another reminder of Banda’s all around talent. It’s that talent that the Pride sorely missed while she was playing for her country in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). Stathead’s database lists out only eight instances in the last 10 years of a women’s player having at least five goal contributions in a single international tournament game, and Banda’s name is now on that list among legends like Sam Kerr and Alex Morgan.

Funnily enough, three of those eight players have ties to Orlando, as former Pride player Emily van Egmond joined Banda and Morgan on that list thanks to her four-goal, four-assist performance against Indonesia (the final score was 18-0, yikes) in the 2021 Women’s Asian Cup.

Zambia was eliminated after the group stage in this summer’s WAFCON, but in those three games Banda scored five goals, added one assist, and drew a penalty that was converted by one of her teammates. She has missed three Pride games while away, during which Orlando as a full team scored…two goals. For all intents and purposes, Banda contributed to seven goals in three games for Zambia, and the Pride have scored a total of five goals in their last seven games. As anyone who follows the Pride is well aware, Banda is the straw that stirs the drink here in Orlando.

Even after missing those games in July, Banda remains the NWSL’s leading goal scorer with 12, and even though Zambia was eliminated in the group stage, she is still the WAFCON’s leading goal scorer with five. That is a combined 17 goals scored for Banda, and with one assist in each competition, she has a total of 19 goal contributions thus far in 2026.

I looked at every top women’s competition that has taken place exclusively in 2026, and Banda’s 17 goals ranks third overall. Among Opta’s top ranked women’s leagues, many play fall-to-spring and are therefore excluded, but I included games from all of the following competitions (Opta’s global league rank is included in parentheses for the domestic leagues):

  • Africa Cup of Nations (international tournament)
  • Asian Cup (international tournament)
  • UEFA World Cup Qualifying (international torunament)
  • UEFA Champions League (club tournament)
  • USA: National Womens Soccer League (1)
  • Sweden: Damallsvenskan (8)
  • Brazil: Feminino A1 (9)
  • Mexico: Liga MX Femenil (13)
  • Norway: Toppserien (14)
  • Canada: Northern Super League (15)

There certainly are more domestic leagues that play spring-to-fall seasons, but the resources put towards tracking women’s soccer statistics remain far behind the men for sites that track player stats, so with help from fbref.com, FotMob, and Sofascore I pulled together as many as I could find that took place exclusively in 2026.

As mentioned earlier, Banda’s total of 17 goals ranks third overall, trailing only Diana Ordóñez from Tigres (25) and Eugénie Le Sommer (19) from Toluca, both from Liga MX Femenil in Mexico. Sadly, assist data was not available anywhere for that league, so for both of those women and everyone else from that league their goals scored are also their total goal contributions.

Banda’s 17 goals were scored in more than 300 fewer minutes than those other two players, however, so while Ordóñez still beats her on goals scored per 90 minutes, Le Sommer does not.

An obvious issue with ranking raw totals of any metric in soccer is that players rarely play the same number of games and minutes, and this is especially true with how I set this analysis up by blending tournaments with domestic leagues. Therefore, the fairest way to compare is standardizing goals (on the x-axis) and goal contributions (on the y-axis) on per-90-minute basis, which leads to the chart below for players with at least four goal contributions across all of the listed competitions:

A graph showing players' goals (on the x-axis) and goal contributions (on the y-axis) on per-90-minute basis.

Four Pride players made the list, three you are likely familiar with (Banda, Haley McCutcheon, and Jacquie Ovalle) with and one (Sanne Lekven) who the Pride just acquired on Wednesday. Lekven’s stats are from her time with Aalesunds FK in Norway’s Toppsieren, where she was off to a good start with five goals in only 759 minutes, for a goals-per-90-minutes value of 0.59, which is 71st among those on the chart above.

Banda’s goals per 90 of 1.11 ranks tied for 11th, and her goal contributions per 90 of 1.24 ranks 27th, but many of those ahead of her racked up their stats in lesser competitions (the two outliers on the chart — Kiko Seiki and Riko Ueki — both play for Japan and won their three group stage games in the Asian Cup by a combined score of 22-0). Banda ranks in fourth place in both metrics in the NWSL (Opta’s top-ranked league among all domestic women’s leagues), and hopefully hits the ground running at that same high level when she returns to action.

Perhaps she can match her four goals in a game for Zambia with a similar game for Orlando. I support this idea.

The Pride are desperate for offense, and hopefully the combination of Banda’s return and the recent acquisitions of Lekven and Gabi Nunes can turn the season around. Banda is undoubtedly a boss, and we will see shortly if she and her consiglieri can whack a few teams in the final portion of the season and leave them swimming with the non-playoff fishes.

Vamos Orlando!

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