Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Final Score 3-2 as Pride Win Second Straight NWSL Match
The Pride came back from two deficits to defeat the Washington Spirit in a high-scoring game in the nation’s capital.
The Orlando Pride (11-8-6, 39 points) won for the third time in the last four games, picking upa a 3-2 victory over the Washington Spirit (12-5-8, 44 points) at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. It was a back-and-forth game with Kerry Abello conceding an own goal and then equalizing on the other end. It looked like the Spirit might claim all three points when Sofia Cantore gave the hosts the lead just before halftime, but a Narumi Miura own goal and Marta’s penalty conversion gave the Pride all three points.
Orlando has won two straight in the league for the first time since June and is unbeaten in four straight NWSL matches (3-0-1) with three wins over teams above the playoff line — two of those on the road — in that span.
Seb Hines deployed the same lineup from the two previous league games — a 1-1 draw against the Houston Dash on Oct. 3 and a 1-0 win over the Portland Thorns on Oct. 10. Anna Moorhouse started in goal behind a back line of Abello, Rafaelle, Emily Sams, and Oihane. Haley McCutcheon and Angelina were the defensive midfielders with Carson Pickett, Ally Lemos, and Jacquie Ovalle in the attacking midfield and Ally Watt up top.
The two teams came into this game in completely different situations. The Spirit have already secured the second position and are unable to finish in first or third. As a result, they have little to play for. Meanwhile, the Pride entered the game in fourth place after Seattle’s win Friday night, just three points ahead of eighth. A win was essential to have a chance to finish in the top four and host a playoff game.
Nearing halftime, it looked like this would be a low-scoring affair, but it quickly escalated. Abello put the ball in her own net in the 35th minute, only to equalize in the 38th minute. Cantore’s backheel in the 42nd minute made the impression that this would be a disappointing result for Orlando fans, but Hines’ halftime addition of Marta changed the game. She created a goal less than a minute after coming on and converted a penalty in the 72nd minute to secure the win.
The Pride got the first chance of the game in the second minute when Kysha Sylla knocked the ball away from Watt and out of play for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece fell to Rafaelle, whose shot was blocked by Kate Wiesner, and Brittany Ratcliffe blocked the follow-up.
The Pride created another chance in the sixth minute when Ovalle lifted the ball into the box from the right. McCutcheon was open just outside the six, but the defensive midfielder jumped a split second late and got under it, sending it over.
The hosts got their first shot in the 10th minute when Ratcliffe cut inside to create space from Oihane. The attacker took a right-footed shot from outside the box, but it was right to Moorhouse for an easy catch.
The Spirit nearly converted in the 20th when Miura found Paige Metayer on the right, and the midfielder sent a dangerous ball into the Pride box. The ball was over Cantore’s head and almost fell to Croix Bethune but went beyond her and out for a goal kick.
The Spirit took the lead in the 35th minute through a set piece. Abello intercepted the ball from Bethune, but Pickett unnecessarily fouled the midfielder behind the play, giving the hosts a free kick. Wiesner sent the ball into the box, looking for Metayer at the near post. Abello got to it first, but headed the ball into her own net to give the Spirit the 1-0 lead.
“As a defender, an own goal is the biggest nightmare,” Abello said. “But as professional athletes, we have to have a short memory. So I was like, forget it.”
The Pride responded quickly from the same player. In the 37th minute, Deborah Abiodun fouled Lemos after the midfielder received a short throw-in. The ensuing set piece was headed out to the top of the box, where Abello controlled and sent an excellent shot past Aubrey Kingsbury to even the game at 1-1.
“My role in the set piece was just to be that kind of second layer for second balls,” Abello said. “And the ball popped out, and I knew I had enough time to get one quick touch on it before a shot off. And I did, and it went in. But I honestly kind of blacked out, because I was just like, I’m gonna score. But it bounced out really well to me, and I was glad I hit it well.”
“There’s no better way to have an effect on the game. You know, by scoring a goal like she did,” Hines added. “It was a hell of a goal, and credit to her, because it’s very tough when she scores an own goal not to go internal. But she made a difference by scoring the equalizing goal. We expect that from all our players. You have to move on quickly. There’s the amount of time in the game to do that sort of resilience, and she showed it in the best way.”
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the hosts to retake the lead. In the 42nd minute, Kysha Sylla sent Metayer toward the end line. The midfielder burned past Pickett and reached the ball justt before it crossed the end line. She sent a low cross to the near post, where Cantore beat Rafaelle to the ball and used a backheel to push it inside Moorhouse’s near post, giving the Spirit a 2-1 lead.
The Pride created a pair of opportunities in stoppage time. In the second minute, Sams and Abello combined on a give-and-go to set up Angelina at the top of the box, but her shot was over the target. A minute later, Pickett’s ball into the box was blocked, going straight to Lemos just outside the 18. The midfielder put her attempt on frame, but Kingsbury got down to make the stop.
That was the final attempt for either team as the Pride went into the half down a goal.
While the Spirit had more first-half possession (53%-47%) and better passing accuracy (80%-79%) in the first 45 minutes, the Pride created more chances. However, the hosts were more efficient. The Pride had more shots (6-2), but both teams put two on target. The teams had the same number of corner kicks (2-2).
Hines made two halftime changes, both on the left side of the field, replacing Abello and Pickett with Marta and Cori Dyke.
“She wants to get forward, she wants to score goals, make an immediate impact off the bench,” Hines said about Marta. “We have to manage her and her loads, because she played high minutes on Wednesday night against Pachuca. We felt we needed a bit of a spark, and she certainly brought that.”
It didn’t take the Pride captain long to make an impact, getting her team back into the game in under a minute. The Brazilian dribbled into the box from the right and cut to lose Wiesner before crossing it through the area. Her shot deflecte off Miura and went past Kingsbury to tie things up at 2-2.
The Pride continued to attack, looking to take their first lead in the 51st minute when an Ovalle cross was blocked out of play by Wiesner. The ensuing set piece found Watt at the top of the six-yard box, but her header was over the crossbar.
The Spirit had a chance in the 53rd minute when Cantore’s cross into the box found Gift Monday, who laid it off for Stainbrook. The midfielder’s first shot was off Ratcliffe, who was on the ground. The ball bounced right back to her and she shot again, but Angelina got in the way of her follow-up attempt.
Free kicks had been dangerous in this game and the Spirit got another one in the 56th minute after Watt gave up possession in her own third of the field. Stainbrook found Abiodun, who won the ball and was fouled by Lemos. Wiesner sent the free kick towards goal with Metayer making a run, but it was right at Moorhouse.
Ovalle sent a cross to the back post for Watt’s run in the 62nd minute for Watt, but the ball was a bit long and Watt couldn’t get around it, sending it wide.
Hines made his third change in the 69th minute, replacing Lemos with Simone Charley.
Right after the substitution, the Pride took their first lead of the day. Oihane sent Watt down the right and into the box between Sylla and Wiesner. Sylla made contact with Watt from behind and the forward went down. Referee Jeremy Scheer pointed to the spot, awarding the Pride a penalty.
Marta stepped to the spot when the video review was complete. The Pride captain stuttered as she approached the ball, forcing Kingsbury to commit to her right, and passed it into the corner to give the Pride the 3-2 lead.
“Showing that sort of composure in front of goal with the penalty. You know, she’s been in those moments many of times,” Hines said. “She’s obviously faced Aubrey many of times in that position as well, and she calmly slots it away. So, really pleased with her. Really happy that we’ve got her back firing in such a pivotal moment in the season.”
“I think the only thing I can say is, don’t forget who she is,” Abello added. “I think we have those moments still constantly of like, that is the GOAT. And she is still very much that. And people love to talk about her age and stuff, but she is still Marta. She can create that magic, and we know that. And we hope the world keeps knowing that. And that was just what she does, and she continues to do it. So, I’m just glad she’s on my team.”
The Pride have struggled offensively this year, so it was a breath of fresh air to see them score three goals. It’s the first time they’ve reached that number since May 23 when they defeated the Utah Royals 3-1 thanks to a Barbra Banda hat trick.
“It’s something that’s been in the works for a long time now, even though the results haven’t been shown with our performances,” Hines said. “We went on that run of not winning in nine games. We’ve sort of turned that around with a couple of wins and draws. But we knew the process, we trusted the process, and now it’s starting to show in such an important time of the season.”
Hines made a defensive change in the 76th minute, lookeing to see out the game. Zara Chavoshi came on as a fifth defender, replacing Watt.
In the 77th minute, Dyke grabbed Gabrielle Carle, pulling back the attacker just before they entered the box. Leicy Santos took the set piece, sending her attempt off target.
The Pride won a free kick on the left in the 80th minute when Charley tapped the ball around Esme Morgan and was fouled by the defender. Angelina and Marta stood over the ball with Angelina taking the set piece. The midfielder’s ball into the box was easily caught by Kingsbury.
Hines made his final change in the 88th minute, replacing Oihane with Julie Doyle.
Monday dribbled into the box from the right in the 88th minute. Rafaelle blocked her shot. Ratcliffe tried to follow up, but the ball took a friendly bounce for Moorhouse, allowing her to collect.
Two minutes later, the Spirit nearly connected for an equalizer in what would’ve been an excellent goal. Miura got down the left before playing it back for Santos. The attacker sent a cross into the box that nearly found Cantore’s head, but the ball was just beyond her reach.
The fourth official showed eight minutes of stoppage time, and the hosts came close to converting in the second. Cantore received the ball on the right and sent it towards the near post, where Monday and Dyke were converging. Dyke got to the ball first, sending it out of play. The Pride cleared the ensuing set piece to maintain their lead.
A Rafaelle injury added more time, and the Spirit tried to take advantage. In the 10th minute, Monday shielded two defenders near the corner flag, earning a free kick when Chavoshi unwisely fouled her from behind. Moorhouse punched away the ensuing set piece into the box. It fell to Carle just outside the 18. The second-half substitute shot, but she couldn’t get much on it and sent the ball well wide of the target.
That was the final chance of the game as the Pride came away with a crucial — and quite surprising — three points away from home.
Washington ended the game with the edge in possession (59%-41%), shots (13-11), crosses (25-17), and passing accuracy (82%-76%). However, both teams put three shots on target and the Pride had more corner kicks (5-4).
“Great game, great result,” Hines said. “We were disappointed with the goals that we conceded, but we showed a lot of resilience to come back and win the game. Credit to all the players and staff. It’s been a journey to get here. We now hold our own destiny, trying to reach that top four spot. I think anytime we play Washington, it’s always an emotional game. It’s very competitive. Both teams are going after it. So, for the neutrals, it was a good game today.”
“It’s a huge win for the club, top win nearing playoffs,” Abello added. “This was a huge test for us going into the playoffs, and obviously we have a lot to play for still. We’re trying to clinch that home spot for the first playoff game. So this was important and a huge test against a top team and a team who knows we might see again in the playoffs. So really happy with the result.”
The back-to-back league wins couldn’t come at a better time for the Pride. After going nine games winless following the summer break, the Pride take a four-game unbeaten run into the final game of the season.
The three points ensure the Pride will finish the penultimate weekend of the regular season in third place, regardless of what other teams do this weekend. But if the Thorns, San Diego Wave, or NJ/NY Gotham FC win this weekend, it will come down to the final day to see if the Pride host a playoff game.
That final game is scheduled for Nov. 2, when the Pride welcome the fourth-place Seattle Reign to Inter&Co Stadium.
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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