Connect with us

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Final Score 1-1 as Pride Score Late To Claim a Point

The Pride matched Houston’s second-half goal with a late one of their own to claim a road point.

Published

7 months ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

The Orlando Pride (9-8-6, 33 points) ended their road trip with a 1-1 draw against the Houston Dash (7-10-6, 27 points) at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, TX tonight. Malia Berkely gave the hosts the lead with half an hour to go, but Simone Charley scored late to claim a valuable point for the Pride.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes to the team that beat San Diego Wave FC 2-1 away from home a week ago tonight. Rafaelle and Carson Pickett came into the lineup for Zara Chavoshi and Julie Doyle.

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

The Pride really had no business being in this game. Houston desperately needed three points, and the Pride were a tired team that had been on the road for over a week. It showed as the hosts dominated the first 45 minutes and were unlucky not to be ahead. Charley’s inclusion in the second half was a difference maker, as she was the team’s biggest threat and ultimately scored the goal.

The Dash created the first attack of the game and earned a pair of corner kicks in the third minute, but it was the Pride that took the first shot. Angelina sent the ball down the left in the fourth minute for Watt, making a run behind the Dash’s back line. Berkely and Paige Nielsen caught up to apply pressure, but Watt spun to get a shot off, sending the ball directly to Houston goalkeeper Abby Smith.

The hosts created their first shot in the 12th minute when Berkely sent a cross into the box for Messiah Bright. Oihane headed it out, but only to Kiki van Zanten just outside the 18. The midfielder tried to lift her long-distance shot over Moorhouse, who tipped it wide of the post.

Two minutes later, Yazmeen Ryan got in the box, twisting and turning to create space from Sams. That allowed Rafaelle to get back into position and block the shot. The ball went to Bright making a trailing run and the former Pride striker sent her attempt wide.

The Pride turned over the ensuing goal kick, allowing the Dash to create another opportunity. Ryan was sent towards the end line on the right and Abello got back to knock it out of play. The corner kick ended up with van Zanten near the top of the box and the Jamaican international attempted a volley. However, she couldn’t get much on it, allowing the Pride to clear.

Michelle Alozie played a wonderful ball for Bright in the 17th minute, sending the forward behind the Pride back line. Moorhouse came off her line to block the shot, but the flag went up for offside. In the 28th minute, van Zanten found Bright on the right side of the box. It looked like the striker might get a shot at goal, but Abello knocked it off her foot for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was over everyone but Ryan on the far side of the field. The playmaker sent a low cross that found Avery Patterson’s head, but Oihane blocked it out for another corner kick.

The Pride struggled to clear the ball, allowing Berkely to get off a shot that was blocked by Rafaelle. After Patterson’s ball in was blocked, Delanie Sheehan laid it off for Berkely, who sent her shot off target.

Despite Houston dominating the first half hour, the Pride nearly took the lead in the 35th minute when Lemos sent Watt behind the back line. The forward had enough space for a shot and put it on target, but Smith blocked it wide. The flag went up anyway, indicating Watt was offside.

Pickett lifted the ball over the Dash defense as the game entered the 37th minute, again sending Watt behind the back line. As Smith came out to cut down the angle, Watt sent her shot over the crossbar. The flag went up for offside again, though replays appeared to show that Watt was onside. It was irrelevant since her shot was off target.

Angelina played the ball forward for Watt — who was kept onside by Nielsen — in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, and the forward used her speed to outrun Berkely. The striker got into the Houston box and took a shot, but it was from a tight angle and right at Smith, who made the easy save.

After 45 minutes of action, Houston had more possession (52%-48%), shots (8-2), crosses (18-4), and corner kicks (6-0). However, despite taking 80% of the first-half shots, Houston could only match the Pride’s two shots on frame.

“Just raising the intensity a little bit,” Hines said about his halftime message. “Doing everything a little bit quicker, both in possession and out of possession. But we’re doing all right so far. We just could raise our level. Hopefully get that first goal and it should settle us going into the rest of the game.”

The Pride had a flurry of opportunities in the 52nd minute when McCutcheon sent the ball into the box for Pickett. Nielsen blocked the midfielder’s shot, which fell for Ovalle, who put her shot on target but Smith blocked it away at the near post. The ball went to Ovalle again and she turned Berkely to cross. Smith collided with Patterson as she punched the ball away and McCutcheon was there to head it back in. This time Smith caught the ball as the flag went up for offside.

Sams sent Watt long in the 54th minute and the forward used her speed to reach the ball before Berkely. The striker entered the box and had enough space to shoot, but her attempt was wide of the far post. The Pride had another opportunity in the 59th minute when Lemos and van Zanten fought for the ball and the latter was called for a foul near the Houston box. Ovalle sent the ensuing set piece into the wall. It went right back to her and her second shot was into the wall again.

Alozie used her speed to dribble around Abello and reach the end line in the 61st minute. The left back took her out from behind, earning the game’s first booking.

Patterson took the set piece, sending the ball bouncing off a couple of players in the six-yard box. It fell for Berkely, who put it in to give the Dash the 1-0 lead.

Alozie made a run into the Pride half in the 65th minute before playing a ball to Ryan on the right. The attacker lifted the ball into the box, and it traveled through without taking a touch. Van Zanten picked up the ball with space on the far side. Her first touch was a shot that sailed over the crossbar.

Ryan made a run down the right in the 68th minute and sent in a cross that Sams cleared. Berkely collected the ball well outside the box and shot, but her attempt went just over the crossbar.

Hines used the stoppage in play to make his first two changes of the night, replacing Pickett and Oihane with Charley and Cori Dyke.

Charley looked to put her mark on the game, creating dangerous chances for the Pride with about 15 minutes left. She took a low shot that was well wide in the 75th minute. However, Watt was making a far post run, and she probably would’ve met the ball if she hadn’t pulled up after the shot. A minute later, Ovalle made a run down the left and sent a cross to the top of the six-yard box. Charley was there and tried to get her head on the ball, but it was just out of her reach.

Sams lifted the ball forward and across the field in the 79th minute where McCutcheon was making a run. The defensive midfielder went up with Danielle Colaprico, heading it back and towards the center of the box. Lemos ran onto the ball and took a first-touch shot, but it was right at Smith.

The Pride found their equalizer in the 85th minute, and it was the team’s most impactful player —Charley. Ovalle received the ball in the box with her back to goal. She laid it back for Lemos, who sent it left for McCutcheon. The midfielder sent the ball into the center of the box where Charley beat Berkely, heading it past Smith to even the game at 1-1. It was her first goal in three years as she’s dealt with a pair of longterm Achilles injuries.

“McCutcheon played a beautiful ball in, and I just threw my body across it and headed it.,” Charley said. “And when I saw it go in, I just fell out. And honestly, I just thought about the journey and how hard it’s been. And I’m just really grateful. It’s been a long time coming.”

“You can see her qualities in and around the box, getting across defenders,” Hines added. “And we do get a lot of crosses, so there’s a lot of opportunities for her to score more goals moving forward.”

Charley last scored a goal on Sept. 21, 2022, when she was a member of Angel City FC. This is the first season she’s been able to contribute since her last goal. The ability to play again is something not lost on the 30-year-old forward.

“It’s been so hard these past two and a half years. I think there’s so many times I wanted to quit,” an emotional Charley said after the game. “Honestly, there’s a lot of times I didn’t think I’d ever come back to play again, and I’m so grateful for the people in my corner, on the team, the medical staff, coaching staff, everyone. They’ve been with me every step of the way, and they’re the ones who kept me going and encouraging me when I didn’t think I’d be out here again, let alone scoring and doing what I love. And so, for me, that just kind of flashed in my head of just how grateful I am. I feel like this is the most joy and gratefulness I’ve had playing. And I just thank God for the strength that he’s given me, and the grace to just play, and to play is such a blessing. Playing is such a blessing. So, I’m just grateful.”

“It’s massive. I think, having experienced long-term injuries myself, waiting for that opportunity, just getting back into the field is a goal,” Hines said. “But actually contributing in the way that she did, she should be very proud of herself. As well as the medical team, as well, to put her in that position. She’s progressed really well from the start of this period right now, in the second half of the season. Credit to her and her determination.”

Houston needed three points much more than the Pride and looked to claim a late winner in the final minute of stoppage time. Anna Heilferty sent a high ball across for Ryan, who flicked it to the corner. Lisa Boattin was the first to reach it, knocking it off Dyke for a corner kick.

The Dash brought everyone up into the Pride box, including Smith. The set piece sailed into the six, where Moorhouse got a fist to it, knocking it away. A foul was called on Houston, and the referee blew the final whistle.

The Pride ended the game with more possession (51%-49%). While Houston had more shots (13-12), the Pride put more on target (6-3). The Dash had more crosses (29-9) and corner kicks (7-0), and both teams completed 80% of their passes.

“Hard fought draw. I think we’re disappointed that we didn’t come away with the three points,” Hines said. “Disappointed with the goal that we conceded. But showed a lot of grit, determination to get ourselves back into the game. Well taken goal from Simone as well. She’s been working hard to get that opportunity, so she took it well. And yeah, I think with the week that we’ve had, been on the road for 10 days, any points that you get away from home is a good point. So, overall, pleased with the performance. We move on. We look forward to the next week, being back home in front of our fans.”

“I think it was a hard-fought game,” Charley added. “We’ve had three games back to back, one internationally as well. And so I think for us, it was just about mentality and grit and digging deep. And I think you saw that with how we were able to fight back and get a tie. Obviously, we want three points, and that’s what we were heading for. But at the end of the day, I feel like we showed our grit, and I’m proud of us for that.”

The point moves the Pride up to fourth in the standings, even on points with the Seattle Reign and one point behind NJ/NY Gotham FC. However, this was the only Friday night game, so the rest of the league has a game in hand.

The Pride return home for the first time since Sept. 19 on Oct. 10 as they welcome the Portland Thorns to Inter&Co Stadium.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville FC: Final Score 3-2 as Pride Fall On The Road

The Pride dominated in every statistical category except goals as they remained winless on the road at Racing Louisville.

Published

5 days ago

on

April 24, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride (2-2-2, 8 points) fell to previously winless Racing Louisville FC (1-3-1, 4 points) 3-2 this evening at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, continuing their winless streak in Kentucky. The hosts took the lead through Lauren Milliet in the 19th minute before Barbra Banda equalized just before halftime. However, early second-half goals by Sarah Weber and Milliet were too much for the Pride to overcome. Banda scored a consolation goal in stoppage time as the Pride come away with a difficult loss.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made just one change to the team that beat Angel City FC 2-1 on April 3. Jacquie Ovalle was out injured and replaced by Marta.

Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse started before a back line of Cori Dyke, Rafaelle, Hailie Mace, and Oihane. Angelina and Ally Lemos were the defensive midfielders behind Marta, Haley McCutcheon, and Solai Washington with Banda up top.

If you looked at the statistics of this game without knowing the score, you’d think the Pride had the game won by halftime. But poor finishing and some excellent goalkeeping by Jordyn Bloomer had the game even at 1-1 at the break. The team then fell apart defensively for a brief three minutes, allowing Louisville to take a 3-1 lead. The rain began to fall as the second half progressed, dampening more than the field. The game lost the intensity it had in the first half, limping towards the final whistle. The Pride surged in an attempt to come back in stoppage time but could only find one goal — not enough to get something from the game.

Shots too close to the goalkeeper or off target were Orlando’s biggest problem in the match, and it started early. In the fifth minute, McCutcheon dribbled to the end line before playing the ball behind her for Marta. The Pride captain went down after contact from Katie O’Kane in the box, but referee Alyssa Pennington determined it wasn’t enough to point to the spot. McCutcheon took possession and laid it off for Angelina who fired straight at Bloomer.

McCutcheon intercepted a poor Louisville pass in the ninth minute and played it forward for Marta. After dribbling outside to find space, the Brazilian sent Banda behind the back line. It looked like it would result in the opening goal, but Bloomer did well to get down and make the stop. It wouldn’t have counted anyway as the flag went up for offside.

Moorhouse nearly made a costly mistake in the 13th minute when the Pride goalkeeper came out of her box to field a ball. Instead of clearing it up th field, Moorhouse tried to turn and take it into the box to recover it, however, she misplayed it, allowing Kayla Fischer to challenge her. The Pride were lucky Fischer didn’t make them pay as the ball went off her and out of play for a goal kick.

McCutcheon and Marta combined for a chance again in the 14th minute when a short pass back to the top of the box gave Marta some space. Unfortunately, she was leaning back and sent the attempt over the crossbar.

The Pride almost opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Banda made a run to the end line before playing it central for Washington. The rookie’s shot was blocked, but she got it over to McCutcheon. The second shot was too close to Bloomer again, allowing her to get her fingertips to it, sending it off the far post and keeping the game scoreless.

On the other end, Louisville took the lead in the 19th minute from an unlikely source. Milliet dribbled to the top of the box and no one closed her down. She fired a rocket of a shot toward the upper left corner that was past Moorhouse before the goalkeeper could get to it, giving Louisville the 1-0 lead.

The Pride had another good chance to score in the 21st minute when Banda made a run down the left before playing it back for Lemos at the top of the box. The near-post effort was again toward the Louisville goalkeeper, who did well to block it away.

The Pride won the ball back from Louisville at midfield in the 28th minute, with McCutcheon taking over. The midfielder immediately played the ball to Banda on the left, and the Zambian international beat Milliet to get a shot off toward the near post. However, the attempt was just wide.

Washington had a chance in the 38th minute, when a long pass across the field gave her the ball in space. Opting not to take a long shot, she went one-on-one with Milliet. The attacker beat the right back into the box and shot toward the far post, but Bloomer had only to shift slightly to her right to make the save.

A minute later, Rafaelle sent Banda down the right. The striker outran the back line before laying it off for McCutcheon in space entering the box. McCutcheon’s first touch was a shot over the crossbar, wasting a big chance.

Lemos’ shot from outside of the box in the 41st minute forced Bloomer to dive to her right for the block. The ball went into the center of the box, but nobody was there to put the rebound in, allowing Louisville to clear.

Banda had another chance in the first minute of stoppage time, turning to create a shot toward goal. Her attempt went between center back Ellie Jean ‘s legs and behind Bloomer but wide of the far post.

In the sixth minute of stoppage time, a Pride clearance landed at the feet of former Pride defender Courtney Petersen, who sent a beautiful cross to the top of the six-yard box. It went straight to Weber, who put it on target, forcing Moorhouse into a quality one-handed save.

The Pride immediately went the other way, with Mace sending the ball forward for Marta. The Brazilian’s second touch led Angelina making a run forward. The midfielder quickly sent a ball over the top that put Banda behind the Louisville back line. The striker shot early, placing the ball past Bloomer and just inside the right post to even the game at 1-1 just before the break.

The hosts created one last chance when a poor clearance attempt allowed O’Kane to play it forward for Weber. The striker did well to shield Rafaelle and get a shot off, but it was wide.

At halftime, the Pride had the advantage in possession (61%-39%), shots (15-7), shots on target (6-3), crosses (11-5), corner kicks (3-1), and passing accuracy (84%-64%). But some good saves by Bloomer, wasteful shooting, and wide-open misses had the game scoreless at the break.

It didn’t take Louisville long to retake the lead after the restart, doing so in the 48th minute. Ella Hase made a strong run down the left and attempted to cross, but Oihane blocked it out for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece found Weber’at the back post. The striker put her header off the hands of Moorhouse and in to give her team the lead.

Moments later, the lead grew to 3-1. Dyke blocked Taylor Flint’s long ball from the right in the 49th minute, but it went right to O’Kane, who immediately sent the ball out wide for Emma Sears. The attacker dribbled to the end line before sending a low cross into the box. Milliet got a touch on it, putting it past Moorhouse and in for the right back’s first-ever brace.

“We were very complimentary of the first half,” Hines said. “I thought we’d create some really good opportunities. We felt we’re back into the game, just getting the goal just before halftime, and it’s just been a moment where we just switched off, and then we concede another one, and we just can’t allow that to happen. I do feel like it’s the start of the second half. As soon as that whistle goes, we’ve got to be straight at it. And we were very passive in that moment, and so we got punished for it.”

Washington received a long ball on the left in the 51st minute, taking Milliet one-on-one. The rookie cut inside to create enough space for a shot, sending her attempt over the crossbar. In the 55th minute, Washington received a pass from Banda, but her heavy touch allowed Milliet to take possession. Out of frustration, she pushed Milliet down with an extended arm, getting called for the foul.

Hines used the stoppage to make his first change of the game, replacing Marta with Summer Yates. Looking for a way back into the game, Hines made three more changes in the 63rd minute. Hannah Anderson, Seven Castain, and Simone Jackson came on for Washington, Lemos, and Oihane.

“The message was, the game’s not over yet,” Anderson said. “And lock it down in the back, but also create any chances we can up front.”

The Pride’s best buildup came in the 68th minute, when pressure forced Louisville into a turnover in its own third. Angelina played it forward for Mace, who played a quick give-and-go with Yates. Mace’s first touch was a shot that was blocked out of play by Arin Wright. Flint won the ensuing corner kick, and Louisville cleared the danger without Bloomer having to do anything.

Hines made his final change in the 75th minute, replacing Dyke with Julie Doyle.

In the 81st minute, Yates made a run into the Louisville third of the field before being taken down by O’Kane. Angelina took the set piece, which was too far in front of Banda for the striker to get on the end of it. Instead, it went straight to Bloomer.

Louisville won a pair of corner kicks in the 84th minute, resulting in a good chance to put the game away. The first set piece was a near-post ball that was knocked out of play. The second found Makenna Morris with space. The second-half substitute didn’t get much on the ball, sending it wide.

Banda received the ball in the 87th minute and dribbled into the box before laying it off for Castain. After briefly settling the ball, the young attacker sent a shot straight to Bloomer, causing the goalkeeper little concern.

In the second minute of stoppage time, Angelina found Banda at the top of the box. The striker turned and fired, but her shot was deflected just wide.

Angelina’s ensuing corner kick found Anderson, who headed it down and into the six-yard box. Shielding her defender, Banda got a toe on the ball, sending it off Bloomer’s hands and in to make it a 3-2 game.

“Ang has such great service. So, I told her I would find it,” Anderson said. “I told her, just to find the middle of the box and I would get on it. Thankfully, Barb was in there just to redirect it in the goal.”

Yates had a chance for an equalizer in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Rafaelle touched the ball forward. The substitute fired from the top of the box but didn’t get much on it, sending it straight to Bloomer.

A minute later, Angelina saw her shot from outside the box blocked. The ball ended up with Castain, who tried to put the ball over Bloomer, but she again sent it over the crossbar.

The Pride won a pair of corner kicks in the dying moments, but neither resulted in a shot on goal. The final touch was a header over the crossbar and would have been another Pride corner, but the referee blew full time and the Pride came away with a disappointing loss.

At full time, the Pride had the edge in possession (62%-38%), shots (27-11), shots on target (11-5), crosses (26-14), corner kicks (10-5), and passing accuracy (79%-66%). But a poor three minutes at the beginning of the second half was the difference.

“Frustrated, obviously. Never like losing games, especially in the way, or the manner, that we lost today,” Hines said. “I thought we did well in the first half, created a lot of opportunities. They scored a great goal from the edge of the box, but we get ourselves back into the game going into halftime, and then we just came out flat. You know, allowing a team like Louisville to go two goals up after five minutes into the second half. We can’t allow teams to do that. And so we built momentum into the second half, created some decent opportunities, got one right at the end. And it just didn’t land for us to get that equalizing goal. And it really did come down to those five minutes in the second half. We talk about it a lot. How do we get that intensity? How do we start the half how we finished? And that’s going to be a real reflection point for us going into the next game.”

“I think we kind of talked about it. Last 20 minutes or so, we were on fire,” Anderson added. “So, we kind of just need to have that leading into all minutes of the game, being present the whole game, however many minutes it is, on offense and on defense. It’s a tough one, but I think there’s definitely lessons to be learned.”

Being the first team to lose to Louisville this season will be a tough pill for the Pride to swallow, especially with how they dominated the possession and chances. It leaves Boston Legacy FC as the only team in the NWSL without a win.

The Pride will have to bounce back from this one as they return to action on May 2 when they host the Washington Spirit.

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride return to action after an extended break as they face Racing Louisville in Kentucky.

Published

5 days ago

on

April 24, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride (2-1-2, 8 points) travel to Kentucky where they’ll play Racing Louisville FC (0-3-1, 1 point) in a late afternoon affair (5:30 p.m., Victory+). It’s the first of two meetings between the teams this season, with the return game in Orlando scheduled for Aug. 7.

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

History

This is the fifth season of existence for Racing Louisville, and the Pride have played the Kentucky-based side 13 times in that span, with Orlando going 3-4-4 in NWSL games and 3-4-6 in all competitions (0-0-1 in both the NWSL Challenge Cup, and the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup). The Pride are winless in Louisville all-time in league matches (0-4-1) and in all competitions (0-4-2).

The most recent meeting between the two teams occurred on Aug. 9, 2025, in Orlando. Marisa DiGrande scored against her old team just before halftime to give Louisville the halftime lead. It looked like the visitors would claim all three points until an Ary Borges own goal in second-half stoppage time resulted in a 1-1 draw. On June 20 last year in Louisville, Arin Wright gave the hosts the lead at the half-hour mark and former Pride midfielder Taylor Flint doubled the advantage in the second half as the Pride fell 2-0 to end the first half of the season.

The first game in 2024 between the two took place on March 16 in Louisville. The season opener for both teams looked like it would be a long day for Orlando, as Elexa Bahr and Uchenna Kanu gave the hosts a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes. The Pride got on the board in the 24th minute with an own goal by Elli Pikkujämsä, but the task was made more difficult when Kylie Strom received her second yellow card in the second half. However, Amanda Allen and Summer Yates combined on a late goal by Yates, as the Pride pulled out an unlikely 2-2 draw.

On May 5, 2024, in Orlando, an Emily Sams cross in the 17th minute found Barbra Banda’s head at the back post, and she nodded home the game’s only goal in a 1-0 Pride win. On Aug. 1, 2024, in the Summer Cup, Evelina Duljan scored her lone Pride goal to give the Pride the lead. However, Reilyn Turner equalized, sending the game into penalties. The Pride took the early shootout lead when Jaelin Howell missed, but saves by Jordyn Bloomer on Morgan Gautrat and Ally Watt saw Louisville take the extra point.

The first game of 2023 was held on May 6 at Exploria Stadium. Messiah Bright gave the Pride an early lead, and the hosts held on for 69 minutes for the 1-0 win. It was the first home win of 2023 for the Pride and their second win of the season. The second meeting took place on Oct. 6, 2023, in Louisville. The Pride got off to a great start with goals by Marta from the spot early and an excellent individual effort by Kerry Abello to make it 2-0. However, Bright took Savannah DeMelo down in the box just before halftime and Nadia Nadim converted the penalty. A five-minute swing with a goal by Kristen Davis and an own goal by Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse resulted in the Pride losing the critical game 3-2.

The first meeting between the two teams in 2022 took place Sept. 16 in Louisville. Racing struck first when Nadim was left open in front of goal for a tap-in. The hosts doubled their lead on a great strike by DeMelo from outside the box, and the Pride fell 2-0.

The first meeting of 2022 was in a unique setting, taking place at Daytona International Speedway on July 3. The game was a part of the 2022 Daytona SoccerFest and was the first time a professional soccer game was played at a racetrack. Emina Ekic gave Louisville a halftime lead and DeMelo doubled the lead shortly after the break. However, the Pride fought back with goals by Strom and Darian Jenkins, pulling out a 2-2 draw. The game launched a seven-game unbeaten run that pulled the Pride back into the playoff race.

The first year the two teams met was in 2021 during the NWSL Challenge Cup in Louisville. CeCe Kizer gave the hosts the lead early, but Taylor Kornieck equalized just before halftime. It looked like the Pride would win when Abi Kim scored late, but Brooke Hendrix equalized in second-half injury time and the teams drew 2-2.

The teams played three times in the 2021 regular season, with the first meeting coming on July 9 in Orlando. Ebony Salmon gave Louisville the lead, but Sydney Leroux scored to force a 1-1 draw with a goal in second-half injury time. The second meeting was held Sept. 11 in Orlando. The Pride took a 2-0 lead into the break with goals by Leroux and Marta. Kizer got one back, but Alex Morgan’s conversion sealed three points for the Pride.

The final meeting of 2021 came in the penultimate game of the year for both teams. The Pride needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive and they got off to a good start when Jodie Taylor scored in the third minute. However, the game slipped away as Salmon and Katie McClure scored on either side of halftime and Yuki Nagasato made the final 3-1.

Overview

The Pride got the season off to a tough start, claiming just one point from a two-game, season-opening homestand. However, they turned things around away from home, defeating Chicago Stars FC 3-0 and playing to a scoreless draw against NJ/NY Gotham FC. They kept that momentum going by defeating Angel City FC 2-1 at Inter&Co Stadium on April 3, just before the international break, when the league halted for two weeks.

While some teams welcomed the two weeks to regroup, the Pride likely aren’t one of them. The team was playing much better than it had in the first two games and the new players were getting acclimated to their new club.

However, the break comes after a flurry of games. Since the start of the season, the Pride haven’t gone more than five days between games. The rest was surely welcomed by the players before they get back into the run-up to the FIFA World Cup break.

The back line has been a strength for the Pride, which has only conceded multiple goals in the season opener. Hailie Mace and Rafaelle have been the primary center backs and have gotten better since the first homestand. When Hannah Anderson was inserted while Rafaelle was injured, she performed well, netting her first goal for the Pride and helping the team to a clean sheet.

After looking unfamiliar with each other in the season opener, Banda and Jacquie Ovalle connected for the lone Pride goal in the team’s 1-1 draw against Denver Summit FC. They followed that up with a game in which both scored and Ovalle added an assist on Anderson’s goal. Unfortunately, Ovalle is out for this game with a thigh injury. As a result, the Pride will be looking elsewhere to provide service for Banda.

The most recent scoring threat has been an unlikely source. After the team played to a scoreless draw in New Jersey, Haley McCutcheon scored twice against Angel City, including the winning goal in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time.

Tonight, the Pride take on a team that’s struggled to open the season. Louisville has claimed just one point in its first four games, a 2-2 draw at home against the Washington Spirit. Racing is coming off a 4-3 defeat to the Houston Dash in Texas.

Louisville is led from the back by veteran goalkeeper Bloomer, who’s been with the club since 2022. The back line features two former Pride players in Flint and Courtney Petersen. While Petersen has been primarily a left back throughout her professional career, it’s a new role for Flint, who was previously a midfielder. The team’s leading scorers are striker Sarah Weber and Flint, each with two goals. Meanwhile, Emma Sears, Kayla Fischer, and Macy Blackburn each have scored one.

Sears has been the leading provider with two assists, while Weber and Fischer each have one.

“It’s always a tough environment to go play (in). Bev (Yanez) has done a great job in the last couple of years, really installing an identity,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about today’s opponent. “They’re physical, they’re fast, they’re direct, and we’ve got to face those challenges whilst also trying to play our own game. We want to build on the first five games. We’ve had a nice break and just start to kick on now.”

The Pride will take the field today without Kerry Abello (hip), Zara Chavoshi (lower leg), Cosette Morche (ankle), Ovalle (thigh), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), and Viviana Villacorta (knee). Louisville will be without DeMelo (illness), DiGrande (maternity leave), and Olivia Sekany (knee). Erynn Floyd (hand) and Mirann Gacioch (quad) are listed as questionable.

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Cori Dyke, Rafaelle, Hailie Mace, Oihane.

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Angelina.

Midfielders: Solai Washington, Haley McCutcheon, Marta.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: Cara Martin, Luana, Julie Doyle, Nicole Payne, Summer Yates, Seven Castain, Reagan Raabe, Hannah Anderson, Simone Jackson.

Racing Louisville FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Jordyn Bloomer.

Defenders: Courtney Petersen, Arin Wright, Ellie Jean, Lauren Milliet.

Defensive Midfielders: Taylor Flint, Katie O’Kane.

Midfielders: Ella Hase, Kayla Fischer, Emma Sears.

Forward: Sarah Weber.

Bench: Maddie Prohaska, Makenna Morris, Macey Hodge, Taylor White, Quincy McMahon, Maja Lardner, Avery Ciorbu, Macy Blackburn, Audrey McKeen.

Referees

REF: Alyssa Pennington.
AR1: Jacob Little.
AR2: Jackson Krauser.
4TH: Thomas Snyder.
VAR: Anya Voigt.
AVAR: Karsten Gillwald.

How to Watch

Match Time: 5:30 p.m.

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium — Louisville, KY.

TV: None.

Streaming: Victory+.

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!

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs Angel City FC: Final Score 2-1 as McCutcheon’s Brace Lifts Pride to Win

Three goals in the last 15 minutes thrilled the crowd in Orlando as the Pride picked up their first home win of the season and ended Angel City’s perfect start.

Published

4 weeks ago

on

April 3, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Orlando Pride shut down March NWSL Player of the Month Svendis Jonsdottir and got a brace from Haley McCutcheon in a 2-1 win over Angel City in front of 8,040 fans at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. Orlando (2-1-2, 8 points) picked up its first home win of the season, extended its unbeaten run to four games (2-0-2), and snapped the perfect start to the season for Angel City (3-1-0, 9 points)

“If we have a good defensive structure, that makes us have more possibilities of winning games, of having more chances in the front,” midfielder Angelina said after the match. “We’re going to be confident on the back and gaining the ball high up the field. The last few games, we’ve done a good job of that — lowering the chances of the opponent to just hit the target.”

The Pride came out the aggressors in the first half but it wasn’t enough to put anything on the scoreboard. The second half was heading toward a scoreless draw until the last six minutes of normal time, when the teams engaged in a mad scramble to see who could put the decisive winning goal in after trading opening goals in an eight-minute span.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines rolled out the same lineup as Sunday in the scoreless draw against NJ/NY Gotham FC. This was the first time this season the Pride were able to put together a grouping that had played together in a match in 2026.

Anna Moorhouse started in goal behind a back line of Cori Dyke, Hailie Mace, Rafaelle, and Oihane. Ally Lemos and Angelina lined up in the defensive midfield behind an attacking midfield line of Jacquie Ovalle, Haley McCutcheon, and Solai Washington. Barbra Banda started up top looking to add to her total of three goals.

“Chemistry is always helpful” McCutcheon said. “It helps to be able to get that communication and trust that people are going to do their jobs.”

Both teams traded empty possessions for the first 10 minutes of the game until Angelina turned Banda loose on a long ball for the first shot of the game. The Zambian got behind the back line but did not make good contact on her shot, sending it at Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson. McCutcheon got on the end of an Ovalle cross but headed it over the bar one minute later. There was a scramble off a free kick that Lemos fired off a defender and, on the rebound, Banda put it well wide in the 13th minute.

Angel City had its first significant offensive chance when Rafaelle fouled Jonsdottir in the 20th minute, leading to a free kick from 30 yards out. However, Kennedy Fuller sent it into the defense.

Savy King was booked holding back Ovalle in the 21st minute, giving the Pride a 30-yard free kick, but Angelina sent it straight into the wall. It was into the head of Maiara Niehues, who needed a couple of minutes after to recover.

Shortly after that, Dyke was fooled on a dummy by Gisele Thompson that turned Fuller loose into the box. However, Rafaelle blocked Fuller’s attempt on goal. Banda won a corner kick in the 30th and Ovalle sent the ball across the goal mouth to Rafaelle, who put the header on goal, but Anderson made a big save, deflecting it out for another corner. Angelina took the next corner, which Rafaelle put into the net but the Pride center back was called for a push on the play, nullifying the goal.

The Pride left Jonsdottir alone at the top of the 18 in the 35th minute, but she shot the ball well high. In the 41st, McCutcheon fouled Thompson on the right side, leaving a 25-yard free kick, which Fuller sent long and it turned into nothing.

Banda worked herself free outside the left corner of the box in the 45th minute, but she wasn’t able to get anything on the attempt to Anderson. The two teams closed out the half without any significant action and headed into the locker room scoreless.

Even though Angel City dominated possession in the first half (66%-34%), the Pride were certainly the more dangerous team. The Pride attempted more shots (9-3), with seven of those from inside the box but couldn’t score on any. Banda continued to prove to be her dangerous self with four shots (two of them forcing a save) and had support from her teammates, yet nothing ended up on the scoreboard. On the other side of the matchup of league-leading forwards, Orlando limited Jonsdottir’s touches in dangerous areas.

After a long kickoff out of bounds by Angel City to open the half, McCutcheon put Banda through on goal, but she was on the right from a difficult angle, and her shot was straight at Anderson. Oihane won a corner a minute later, but Ovalle sent it too long and over the goal line. In the 49th minute, Ovalle crossed the ball to McCutcheon, but she couldn’t put it on frame, sending it well wide.

Lemos sent a dangerous pass forward in the 52nd minute to Banda, who put it across the goal mouth and McCutcheon put it into the goal, but the flag came up immediately as the ball went in, as the Pride midfielder was a step offside. Washington was held by Thompson on the left side of the box at the 55-minute mark, leading to an Orlando free kick. Angelina sent a hard cross to Banda in the box on the set piece, and it deflected out to Dyke, who saw her shot easily blocked, igniting the Angel City counter.

Jonsdottir picked up the loose ball and sprinted down the field, muscling her way past Ovalle and then nutmegging Mace before turning a shot loose that went wide of the right post. It was a disastrous play for the Pride, as Ovalle remained down for a while after grabbing her hamstring. She was carried off the field by trainers and replaced by Summer Yates.

In the 60th minute, Oihane and Jonsdottir banged heads, leading to a long free kick by Angel City, which turned into a harmless header over the end line.

Angelina received a yellow card in the 62nd minute 40 yards, out but Kennedy Fuller wasn’t able to connect with anyone on the set piece. Banda picked up a booking of her own in the 65th trying to swim past Sarah Gorden.

Both teams brought on a sub in the 66th minute, with Marta taking Washington’s place and Taylor Suarez subbing in for Nealy Martin.

Shortly after the restart, Oihane worked her way into the box and King knocked the ball out for a corner in the 70th minute. Marta had her first significant contribution with the corner delivery, which sent the ball pinging around, leading to an open shot at the penalty spot by Angelina, who was wide open but put it over the bar, wasting a golden opportunity to open the scoring.

Jonsdottir floated a ball from deep left that almost caught Moorhouse off her line, but she scrambled back and just got a hand to it. It came off yet another deep throw-in, where Angel City interestingly has Jonsdottir take, even though she’s clearly the team’s most dangerous attacker.

Oihane went down injured in the 75th minute, leading to an eventual substitution with Hannah Anderson replacing her. It was deemed a concussion substitution due to the previous contact, sparing Orlando a sub.

At this stage of the game, Orlando was getting sloppy with its passing and struggling to keep possession, and all the attacking pressure started to come from Angel City. However, it was the Pride that broke the scoreless deadlock.

Banda worked in from the left side and put the ball across the goal mouth where it bounced around and ended up in front of McCutcheon, who put one in that counted. It was a team effort as Lemos, Rafaelle, Marta, and Hannah Anderson all moved the ball around and kept Angel City from escaping with it. McCutcheon’s 84th-minute strike was reviewed for a possible offside, but the replay was inconclusive and the goal stood.

“We brought in Marta, put her at the 9, and shifted Barbra wide,” Hines said about his late-game tactics, which led to the goal. “Get her directness dribbling at people, receiving the ball facing forward, taking players on. A great cross into a dangerous area with her left foot. We discussed as a staff that it’s a great idea to put her more on that left side to receive it and get away from players like Gorden and Emily (Sams).”

Dyke picked up a booking in the 89th minute for a tough challenge that the referee let play on and came back to give her the caution. Angel City then subbed Evelyn Shores on for King and Prisca Chilufya for Fuller.

Rafaelle was given a yellow card for a handball near the left sideline in the first minute of added time, leading to a free kick from next to the sideline. Shores put the kick in front of the goal, which Tiernan passed out to the top of the box. Thompson then blasted the ball off the underside of the crossbar and just over the goal line to even the score up. It was Angel City’s only shot on target, tying the game in the second minute of stoppage time.

Angel City stayed on the front foot after the goal, looking for a late winner. But again, it was Orlando that went the other way and found the back of the net.

The Pride won a corner on a drive into the box. Marta put the corner on the far post, where Hannah Anderson kept it alive, knocking it back in front. The ball pinged off a couple of bodies before falling to McCutcheon again, who poked it home in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

There were 10 minutes of stoppage time originally added, but the game went 14 minutes beyond the 90th. However, the Pride were able to see out one final scramble in front of goal, in which Moorhouse came off her line but was beaten to the ball by former Pride striker Chilufya. Angel City could not work through the traffic in front, and Orlando held on for the win.

At full time, Angel City held the advantage in possession (63%-37%) and passing accuracy (83%-77%), but the Pride had more shots (17-15), shots on target (6-1), and corner kicks (5-3).

It was a big win for Orlando, which finally sent the supporters at Inter&Co Stadium home happy. The Pride continue to play standout defense, limiting Angel City to one shot on target and only a few threatening looks at goal for a team that entered with a top-tier attack.

The Pride are off for three weeks for the international break before traveling to Kentucky to take on Racing Louisville on April 24. Orlando has never won at Louisville.

Continue Reading

Trending