Orlando Pride
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.
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.
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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