Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Final Score 1-0 as Pride’s Season Comes to an End
A last-minute goal in second-half stoppage time saw the Pride fall to NJ/NY Gotham FC in the NWSL playoff semifinals.
The Orlando Pride saw their 2025 campaign come to a crushing end in the NWSL playoff semifinals, falling 1-0 to NJ/NY Gotham FC at Inter&Co Stadium. Jaedyn Shaw converted a last-minute free kick for the deciding goal, the difference in a game that seemed destined for extra time with the final whistle just moments away.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines deployed the same starting XI for the third consecutive game. Anna Moorhouse was in goal behind a back line of Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke. Haley McCutcheon and Angelina were in the defensive midfield behind Jacquie Ovalle, Ally Lemos, and Julie Doyle with Marta up top, though it appeared to play more like a 4-4-2 most of the game.
“We kept the same team, but we moved personnel a little bit,” Hines said about his lineup. “We obviously played Marta as a nine, Julie as an 11, Jackie as a seven. We knew going into this game, Gotham are a very aggressive team. They want to win the ball in the opponent’s half. You know, players like Carter and Sonnett are very front-footed, so using Marta as an extra midfielder and trying to exploit that space that they left in behind was our game plan going into it.”
Chances were few and far between in this one with neither team seeming to want to move on to the NWSL Championship. Only three shots were on target in the entire match and two of those came in the final minute of second-half stoppage time. In the end, a dangerous set piece and a bit of luck were enough to send the eight-seeded Gotham FC to the final where they’ll face the Washington Spirit.
Gotham took the first shot of the game in the second minute when Rose Lavelle received the ball at the top of the Pride box. The defenders did well to stay in front, making it difficult for the attacker to find any space. As a result, Lemos easily blocked her shot.
The Pride created their first chance of the game in the fifth minute when McCutcheon found Marta entering the Gotham box. After spinning to create space from her defender, the captain sent a low pass to the near post where Ovalle was making a run. Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger blocked the shot wide as Ovalle went down after a hard challenge. When the midfielder got up, the Pride took a corner kick that didn’t cause any trouble for the opposition. It was a sign of things to come, as the Pride’s service on set pieces often served as catching practice for Berger.
Ovalle received a pass in the box again in the 10th minute. Once again, the attacker’s first touch was a shot at goal. However, Midge Purce got in front of this attempt, blocking it away and allowing the visitors to clear.
Doyle found McCutcheon making an overlapping run on the left in the 24th minute. The midfielder sent a cross toward the penalty spot that was knocked over the end line by Jaelin Howell. Lemos sent the ensuing corner kick cross too close to Berger, who punched it beyond the attackers to the far side. Marta took possession, creating enough space for a shot from outside the box. The attempt curled over Berger’s outstretched arms and just over the crossbar.
The Pride came within inches from taking the lead in the 33rd minute when Marta found Doyle on the right. The midfielder immediately sent a low cross to the back post, where Jess Carter lost Ovalle. It was almost a tap-in for the Mexican international, but she couldn’t get her feet set correctly as it deflected off a defender. Ovalle could only get a slight touch on it, sending it out of play in front of a wide-open net.
Gotham created one of its rare first-half chances in the 45th minute when Marta was put under pressure in her own box and lost the ball. Abello seemed to have time to keep the ball in play and avoid a set piece, but she didn’t pursue it and the ball slowly rolled over the end line for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece by Shaw found Emily Sonnett’s head, but she sent the free header well wide of the target.
In the second minute of stoppage time, Marta sent the ball into the box for Ovalle’s run. Carter got a piece of it, but the ball fell into the Mexican’s path. Berger did well to come off her line quickley to collect it before Ovalle could reach the ball.
That was the final dangerous attack for either team as the game went into the break scoreless.
After 45 minutes, Gotham had the advantage in possession (55%-45%), corner kicks (3-2), crosses (9-8), and passing accuracy (80%-77%). The Pride created more shots (5-3) and put more on target (1-0).
“I think in the first half we created probably the best chance of the game,” Hines said. “Some really good combination play, getting out wide, and then, unfortunately, just missing the ball. But I thought we created the better chances throughout the game, and it comes down to that last bit of execution. And, you know, some good defending and goalkeeping as well.”
Hines made one halftime change, replacing Dyke with Oihane in a like-for-like change at right back.
Less than five minutes into the second half, an injury forced another substitution. Doyle collided with Shaw on the right sideline, coming up limping. The next time the ball went out of play, the attacker wetn down and required treatment from the Pride medical staff. In the 54th minute, she was replaced by Simone Charley.
The Pride earned the first shot of the second half in the 60th mintue when a pair of crosses into the box for Charley were cleared. The second one landed at McCutcheon’s foot, but the midfielder’s shot slammed off Purce, allowing Gotham to clear. Charley found Ovalle on the left side of the box minutes later. The attacker cut inside and outside to create space from her defender before sending a shot that sailed over the crossbar.
Hines made his third change in the 75th minute. Carson Pickett came on for Lemos with the Pride looking for a late winner.
Angelina sent a cross into the box in the 79th minute that Carter headed on to the far side of the box. Pickett collected the ball and laid it off for Abello, who took a shot, but sent it straight into Purce, who was right in front of her.
Gotham had a good opportunity to open the scoring in the 83rd minute when Sams committed a foul in the Pride third of the field. Lavelle and Shaw stood over the ball with the latter taking the set piece. Lilly Reale flicked the ball on with Sonnett making a run behind. Rafaelle was on her hip and Moorhouse came out to collect it before Sonnett could tap it in.
A long ball into the Pride box in the 87th minute nearly created an opportunity for the visitors when Oihane was unable to knock it away from Shaw. The attacker kept the ball and looked to be in on goal, but Moorhouse did well to come out and collect it.
In the sixth minute of stoppage time, the Pride failed to clear the ball, creating an opportunity for the visitors. Oihane played it forward for Ovalle, who lost possession to Lavelle before pushing over the midfielder. Referee Alyssa Pennington gave Gotham a free kick near the top of the Pride box.
“We can’t give so easy free kicks like that, especially at the end of the game,” Marta said. “But honestly, my feeling, I’m sorry, I was feeling that the referee was looking to find something like that to mess up. I’m sorry, but that was a mess. That was not a foul. We should lose the game anyways but not in this way.”
Shaw sent the set piece over everyone in the box and just beyond the reach of a charging Purce. Moorhouse played for the Purce redirect, allowing it to bounce inside the far post to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
There was a brief stoppage as the video assistant referee reviewed the play to see if Purce was offside. While she didn’t touch the ball, Purce impacted the play by forcing Moorhouse to judge whether the ball would be redirected. However, the attacker was deemed onside.
The Pride had one last chance in the dying seconds when Ovalle headed the ball foward and was taken down by a charging Mandy Freeeman, winning a free kick in the final third.
Angelina faked the kick and Marta sent a cross into the box. Oihane got a head on the ball before her defender, sending her shot on target. Berger dove backwards and got a strong hand to the ball, sending it wide with a huge save.
Pennington blew the final whistle immediately after the save, bringing an end to the game. While Gotham moved on to the NWSL Championship in San Jose, CA, the Pride saw the end of another good season that came just short of reaching their goal.
At full time, Gotham had the edge in possession (52.5%-47.5%) and passing accuracy (78.9%-73.8%). The Pride had more shots (10-5), shots on target (2-1), and crosses (25-13). Both teams ended the game attempting four corner kicks.
“The result is, it’s a hard one to take. I don’t think it’s a reflection of the performance. I thought we were brilliant tonight,” Hines said. “I thought we, even towards the end, we were going to be the team that scores the first goal. But it wasn’t meant to be. This is a cruel game. You don’t always get what you deserve, but it’s going to be a motivator for us now. We’ve had so many highs in the last couple of years. Obviously, this is a disappointing result, but it will motivate us to move forward.”
It’s a devastating way to end the season for the Pride, who looked like they would have to spend the postseaosn on the road before things fell their way, allowing them to host the semifinal. The team was getting ready to play an extra 30 minutes and looking for a way to break through before Shaw’s late goal broke their hearts.
“At the end of the game, I was pretty sure that we were going to play 30 more minutes,” Marta said. “And I was talking to my players to be smart, not doing stupid things. Because they were tired. We were tired, but I thought they were more tired than us. So, for me, it was more comfortable to play 30 more minutes and take a risk and to go and score a goal.”
The Pride entered the season looking to defend their title, but a lack of offensive prowess made it more of a challenge than expected. It got worse when Barbra Banda suffered a season-ending injury and the team went winless for nine games after the summer break. But a late surge saw Orlando host a quarterfinal and semfinal before coming up just short of playing in their second consecutive NWSL Championship.
“It’s bittersweet because we’ve done so much great things this year,” Hines said. “We’ve faced so much adversity. One thing that I’ll speak highly of this team is we’ve got grit. We’ve got some grit about this team, and we have to continue that. That’s part of the culture, that’s part of the togetherness, and that will never end.”
With the season now in the rearview mirror, the team will look to the future. The Pride still have a solid nucleus and must shore up some of the team’s weaknesses to make a run at another title, and that will be the goal when they take the field again in the spring.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Final Score 2-0 As Pride Are Dominated In California
The Pride returned to action from the summer break, falling 2-0 to Angel City.
The Orlando Pride (5-6-2, 17 points) returned from their month-long World Cup break, falling 2-0 to Angel City FC (5-6-1, 16 points) at BMO Field in Los Angeles, CA. A first-half goal by Maiara Niehues and a second-half strike by Sveindis Jonsdottir was the difference, although the game was thoroughly dominated by the hosts.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines deployed his typical 4-2-3-1 formation in the team’s return to action. However, they were without Barbra Banda, who was out with a thigh injury. The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was made up of Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Hailie Mace. Angelina and Ally Lemos were the defensive midfielders behind Jacquie Ovalle, Haley McCutcheon, and Luana with Julie Doyle up top.
This was one of the worst performances by the Pride this year. With Banda missing, the team was unable to get anything going offensively, alhough that might not have mattered as Orlando couldn’t get the ball out of its own end. The 2-0 scoreline is a generous one for the Pride, who could’ve easily lost by more.
Ally Sentnor, who joined Angel City during the break, tried to make something happen early during her debut. Inside the first minute, the U.S. international made a run to the top of the box before dribbling inside. The attacker struggled to find space before finally shooting, but Dyke was there to block the attempt.
The Pride had their first chance in the seventh minute when Rafaelle played a ball forward to Luana over the midfield stripe. The Brazilian took the space the defense gave her, dribbling near the top of the box before unleashing a shot. It initially appeared to be on target, but began curving, hitting the outside of the post and going out of play. That was about as close to scoring as Orlando came all night.
The hosts threatened to take the lead in the 14th minute when Jun Endo sent a dangerous ball into the six-yard box. Sentnor got on the end of it, but Dyke, Mace, and Moorhouse were all in front of the goal to keep it out.
Evelyn Shores received a pass on the left in the 17th minute before playing it to Endo, who was making an overlapping run. The Japanese international took a hard shot from a tight angle, but Moorhouse had her near post covered, catching the attempt.
In the 25th minute, Luana slid to keep possession from an Abello clearance, trying to play it back to McCutcheon. Unfortunately, it went straight to Jonsdottir instead. Jonsdottir immediately played the ball to Sentnor, who dribbled into the Pride box before sending a low shot wide of the far post.
Shores fought through a pair of defenders in the 31st minute to get the ball to Niehues. The Brazilian attempted a low cross that McCutcheon cleared but only to Shores at the top corner of the box. The left back took a touch around Mace to create space for a shot, sending her attempt over the target.
The Pride struggled to clear in the 35th minute when Sentnor played a ball to Endo, who was making an underlapping run. Angelina chested down Endo’s cross in an attempt to clear, but it didn’t go far. Gisele Thompson was able to tap it to Jonsdottir, whose shot went wide.
A minute later, the Pride were unable to clear again, resulting in the game’s opening goal. Dyke got in front of Thompson’s ball into the box, but she knocked it to Ary Borges, who took a shot that Dyke blocked again, but she failed to get it out of the box. The rebound fell straight to Niehues, who curled a shot out of Moorhouse’s reach and into the corner to give Angel City the 1-0 lead.
“You’ve got to defend the cross, so stop the cross. And then you’ve got to defend the cross, and we don’t quite clear our lines,” Hines said. “We talk about clearing it out of dangerous areas. It lands at Ary Borges. She has a shot, it deflects, and then we don’t close the next shot from Niehues. We speak about that a lot. The closer you are, the less chance they are of scoring, and we stood off them. They took that opportunity really well, but we feel that with our standard and our level, we should be doing better.”
The Pride continued to play on the back foot, defending desperately as Angel City created chances. In the 38th minute, Borges picked out Niehues near the top of the Pride box. The attacker shot as McCutcheon closed her down, sending her attempt wide of the near post.
Angel City continued on the attack, keeping the ball in the Pride half as they struggled to clear. In the 42nd minute, Jonsdottir tried to chip Moorhouse from outside the Pride box, but the Pride goalkeeper made the easy catch.
Angelina took the ball away from Borges in the first minute of first-half stoppage time 30 yards from goal. The midfielder lifted an overly ambitious attempt toward Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson for her team’s second shot of the game. However, it didn’t cause any trouble.
It was a dominant 45 minutes for Angel City. While the Pride had more possession (54%-46%), most of it was in their own half. The hosts had more shots (10-2), shots on target (3-0), crosses (10-3), and corner kicks (2-0). Both teams completed 77% of their passes in the first half.
Hines made a pair of changes during the break as his team looked to get back into the game. Marta and Nicole Payne entered the contest for Luana and Mace. Despite the changes, it was Angel City that continued to be the more threatening team.
A poor Orlando clearance in the 47th minute allowed Shores to keep the ball in the Pride third. She found Carina Lageyre near the top of the box, but the shot was right at Moorhouse.
The Pride won a throw-in in the 55th minute that quickly turned into a disaster. McCutcheon played the ball back for Rafaelle, who was immediately put under pressure from Jonsdottir. The Icelandic international blocked the defender’s pass and sprinted to the end line before beating Moorhouse from a tight angle to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.
“It starts with a throw-in. So the ability to keep possession from a throw-in is really important,” Hines said. “You know, we have a couple of objectives from that, and it’s just details, right? Weighted pass, make your choice to the correct forward. If you’re going to go long, you’ll sort of take away the deflection from the forward. So yeah, another moment where we felt we’re in control, and we give them an opportunity to counter and go straight to goal from that.”
Hines made two more changes in the 62nd minute, replacing Abello and Ovalle with Zara Chavoshi and Solai Washington.
As the game entered the final 20 minutes, the Pride started to gain more possession and create more chances in the final third. However, they still were unable to create any clear-cut opportunities or cause Anderson any trouble.
In the 77th minute, a pass to Lemos hit the referee, causing a stoppage in play. Hines took the opportunity to make his final change, replacing Rafaelle with Hannah Anderson.
Neither team had taken a shot since the 55th-minute goal, when Angel City created a chance in the 78th minute. A long goal kick by Anderson bounced over Chavoshi’s head, allowing Endo to get into the Pride third. She shot from outside the box, forcing Moorhouse to dive to her right and make the stop.
The Pride finally got their first shot on target in the 80th minute when Washington flicked a long ball forward and fought through a pair of defenders. She dribbled into the box from the left and fired for the near post, where Anderson was waiting to block the ball out of play.
Anderson came out to punch away the ensuing corner kick, running over Chavoshi. The ball went toward her own goal, forcing Sarah Gorden to head it off the line. McCutcheon tapped the ball back to Angelina at the top of the box and the midfielder sent it back in. It fell for Anderson behind the back line at the top of the six-yard box, but Shores was able to stick a foot in and clear it over the end line. Angel City cleared the second corner kick and ended the threat.
As the game entered two minutes of stoppage time, Chavoshi sent a low cross to the top of the six, where Washington was making a run. The second-half substitute tried to backheel the ball on goal, not getting much on it and allowing Anderson to make the easy stop. That was the final chance for either team as Angel City saw out the victory.
The Pride ended the game with more possession (57%-43%) and better passing accuracy (79%-75%), but Angel City led in every other statistical category. The hosts had more shots (15-4), shots on target (6-1), crosses (18-11), and corner kicks (5-3).
“Never good enough to lose a game 2-0,” Hines said. “Two things in this league that you have to deal with, one is direct play. You have to deal with teams who are going to be really aggressive and try to get back to front really quickly. And you have to be prepared for transition. We can’t allow gifts in this league, and we gave Angel City two gifts. And they capitalized on those moments. We had some good possession, but didn’t create anything up until probably the last 10 minutes of the game.”
“Definitely frustrated, disappointed,” Dyke added. “We know that was nowhere near our best night, but we’ve just got to learn from it and then turn the page, because we know we have (another) big game coming up as well.”
The loss keeps the Pride in eighth, one point ahead of Angel City. To make matters worse, they’ve played a game or two more than all the teams around them, so they could fall down the standings in the near future.
The Pride will have to put this game behind them quickly as they return home to face the Kansas City Current on July 10.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride return to action tonight as they head back to the West Coast to face Angel City in Los Angeles.
Welcome to your match preview as the Orlando Pride (5-5-2, 17 points) return to action, facing Angel City FC (4-6-1, 13 points) in Los Angeles. This is the second and final time these two teams will meet during the 2026 NWSL regular season.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
Angel City was one of the NWSL’s two expansion teams entering the league in 2022. As a result, the Pride have only played tonight’s opponents nine times. The Pride are 5-2-2 in those games, all in NWSL regular-season play. While the Pride are only 2-1-2 at home, they’re 3-1-0 in Los Angeles.
The most recent matchup between these two teams took place on April 3 in Orlando. Haley McCutcheon gave the Pride the lead in the 84th minute, but the game appeared headed for a devastating draw when Gisele Thompson equalized two minutes into stoppage time. However, McCutcheon came to the rescue again, scoring in the eighth minute of stoppage time to secure a 2-1 win for the hosts.
The first game last year between the two teams occurred on April 25 in Orlando. The visitors got off to a great start with first-half goals by Riley Tiernan and Katie Zelem. But the Pride took over in the second half. Marta got one back midway through the second period, and Barbra Banda equalized four minutes later. An own goal by M.A. Vignola in the third minute of stoppage time gave the Pride a 3-2 win. On Aug. 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, the hosts dominated possession and the number of chances as the game appeared to be heading to a scoreless draw. But Alyssa Thompson converted in the 86th minute as Angel City took all three points.
The first of two meetings in 2024 took place on March 22 in Orlando. Former Pride attacker Claire Emslie gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot, and it looked as though the Pride would drop their first game of the season. But Marta volleyed home an equalizer from an Angelina corner kick late, pulling out a 1-1 draw. On June 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, Adriana gave the Pride the lead early and scored a second goal six minutes later. Banda netted a goal of her own six minutes into stoppage time, leading the Pride to a dominating 3-0 win.
The first meeting of the 2023 season took place April 2 in Orlando. Emily Sams took down Alyssa Thompson in the first half, giving the visitors a penalty. Emslie stepped up and converted to give her team a 1-0 lead. Messiah Bright responded just after halftime to make it 1-1, and the game appeared to be heading for a draw. But Katie Johnson scored the winner in the 10th minute of second-half injury time. On Oct. 2, 2023 in Los Angeles, an Adriana volley beat Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson to her near post for the only goal as the Pride won a crucial late-season game.
The first-ever game between the teams took place on May 8, 2022 in Los Angeles. In the third minute, Gunny Jonsdottir’s cross was tipped by Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haracic, but it went right to Sydney Leroux. The Pride striker fired right at Morgan Reid standing in front of goal. The ball bounced off the defender and went in to give the Pride an early lead. The hosts controlled the final hour, but the Pride held on for 87 minutes to claim their first win of the season.
The teams met again on Aug. 7 in Orlando. Former Pride defender Ali Riley opened the scoring with a wonderful strike from the left side. The Pride responded in the second half through Julie Doyle just three minutes after she entered the game to even it at 1-1. The visitors took another lead when Cari Roccaro beat Viviana Villacorta to a corner kick, putting it past Erin McLeod. The Pride equalized for a second time in the 90th minute when Doyle and Paige Nielsen raced for a Thais Reiss cross, with the defender reaching it first. But Nielsen’s attempted clearance went into her own net, allowing the Pride to claim a 2-2 draw and extend their unbeaten run to five games.
Overview
The Pride are in the middle of their most challenging season in three years. They’ve struggled defensively following the trade of Sams and an injury to Kerry Abello that’s kept her out for most of the season so far. They’ve also struggled to score outside of Banda, though that’s been the case the last couple of seasons.
The team hit its lowest point in mid-May, losing back-to-back games to expansion sides Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC. But the Pride bounced back strongly, defeating San Diego Wave FC 1-0 away and Bay FC 3-1 at home, creating some momentum heading into the World Cup break.
There were a lot of questions about how Banda would return this season after suffering a season-ending injury last year. But she’s been dominant, leading the league in scoring with 11 goals and in shots on target with 27. She has a commanding four-goal lead in the race for the scoring title.
Defensively, the team has struggled at times, notably giving up seven goals in two games as the calendar turned from April to May. But Head Coach Seb Hines made a good decision to switch Hailie Mace and Cori Dyke, moving Mace back to her natural right back position and Dyke to center back. In the five games since, the Pride have conceded three times once, twice once, and recorded two clean sheets.
Tonight, the Pride return to action as they head back out to the West Coast to face Angel City FC. The Southern California-based team sits 12th in the NWSL standings on 13 points, four behind the Pride for the final playoff spot. That makes tonight’s game crucial as we near the midway point in the season.
While the Pride come into this game on a two-game winning streak, Angel City has lost its last two. Tonight’s hosts fell 2-1 to the Houston Dash away and 2-1 to the North Carolina Courage at home. However, these teams haven’t played since the end of May, so it’s difficult to say how much that form will affect them tonight.
Unlike the Pride, Angel City has spread out its goals this year. While the club doesn’t have anyone challenging for the golden boot, Gisele Thompson, Maiara Niehues, and Sveindis Jonsdottir all lead the team with three goals. Kennedy Fuller is right behind with two.
The assists are also spread out, with Evelyn Shores, Jonsdottir, and Fuller all tied on two. Five other players are just behind with one each.
Defensively, Angel City has remained consistent with its back line, which consists of Shores, Sarah Gorden, Sams, and Gisele Thompson. Meanwhile, Anderson continues to be the team’s number one choice at goalkeeper.
However, Angel City has been busy since it last played. On June 17, the club traded Fuller to Bay FC for transfer funds and allocation funds. The same day, it fired Head Coach Alex Straus, handing the reins to Assistant Coach Leif Gunnar Smerud on an interim basis.
The following day, the LA-based side agreed to a trade with the Kansas City Current for U.S. international Ally Sentnor, sending $850,000 in intraleague transfer funds the other way.
“There’s a lot of unknowns with a new coach coming in, new feelings, new vibes. They’re not content about where they are in the league, so they’ll be wanting to move up,” Hines said about tonight’s game. “I think looking at personnel can tell you a lot about how they play. They have some great athletes in their team. They’ve got a very quick back line. When the availability comes out, that can also tell you a lot about how they’re going to play. They’ve got some key personnel missing out on the last couple of games. So that’s also important to take into account. They’ve got some players coming back from injury. So, we’ll analyze it when we get the availability report. But it’s also about ourselves. We’ve been working hard these last three weeks on being back to who we are, and it’s going to be great to be tested in LA in front of their own crowd. And I know everyone’s really itching to get back onto the field. So we want to set the tone early on in the game and hopefully we can set that out to the final whistle and come home with three points.”
The Pride will take the field tonight without Banda (thigh), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Oihane (lower leg), and Villacorta (knee). Angel City will be without Prisca Chilufya (knee), Savy King (foot), Leroux (excused absence), and Hina Sugita (knee).
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, Hailie Mace.
Defensive Midfielders: Angelina, Ally Lemos.
Attacking Midfielders: Jacquie Ovalle, Haley McCutcheon, Luana.
Forward: Julie Doyle.
Bench: Cosette Morche, Hannah Anderson, Solai Washington, Zara Chavoshi, Seven Castain, Summer Yates, Simone Jackson, Nicole Payne, Marta.
Angel City FC (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Angelina Anderson.
Defenders: Evelyn Shores, Sarah Gorden, Emily Sams, Gisele Thompson.
Midfielders: Ally Sentnor, Carina Lageyre, Ary Borges.
Forward: Jun Endo, Sveindis Jonsdottir, Maiara Niehues.
Bench: Karsyn Cherry, Claire Emslie, Nealy Martin, Sophia Mattice, Faith Nguyen, Casey Phair, Hannah Seabert, Taylor Suarez, Riley Tiernan.
Referees
REF: Mark Verso.
AR1: Bruno Rizo.
AR2: Alexandra Arita.
4TH: Trevor Wiseman.
VAR: Joshua Encarnacion.
AVAR: Melissa Beck.
How to Watch
Match Time: 10 p.m.
Venue: BMO Stadium — Los Angeles, CA.
TV: None.
Streaming: Prime Video.
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. Angel City FC: Three Keys to Victory
What do the Pride need to do to earn all three points against Angel City?
The Orlando Pride are back in action Friday night against Angel City FC at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. It’s been over a month since we’ve seen any NWSL regular-season matches, and I am excited for the season to resume. The Pride were on a two-match winning streak before the break and will want to regain that momentum. What must the Pride do to earn all three points against Angel City?
Shake off the Rust
The Pride last played a competitive match on May 29. That essentially makes this break another off-season. That is a good thing and a bad thing. It’s a good thing because the Pride definitely needed to work on some issues, especially on the defensive end. It’s a bad thing because the team had won two in a row. Getting back to full match speed after a month can be a challenge.
Fortunately, it’s a challenge that Angel City shares. Angel City was probably grateful for the break given the team was 1-3-1 in its last five matches and had dropped two straight before the break. Both teams will need to shake off some rust, and whichever team is able to do so more quickly and more effectively will have an advantage.
Banda-less Scoring
As we heard on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast, Seb Hines is being cautious when speaking about Barbra Banda’s availability for this match. That may indeed be the case, or Hines may be playing coy about the Pride striker’s availability. If it’s the former, then the Pride need to find goals without the league-leading scorer on the pitch.
There’s a good chance we’ll see Marta and Jacquie Ovalle on the pitch at the same time. While it would be better to have Banda out there for those two to feed, I’ll take defenses having to deal with them coming from either side of the box any day. It may be that they are able to play off each other to create and finish the chances the Pride need to win the match. Of course, I won’t argue with other Orlando attackers getting in on the fun.
Clean (Moor)house
The Pride have four clean sheets so far this season despite the defense not looking as solid as it has in the past. I’m hopeful that the team used the break to figure out the best back line with the available players. The Pride are still missing a true center back to pair with Rafaelle, though Cori Dyke has been adequate in recent matches. Angel City added Ally Sentnor to the roster and her first match for the club is against the Pride. It’s important for the defense to stop her, as she will want to put on a show in her debut.
Anna Moorhouse needs to switch back on. Statistically, she was one of the NWSL’s best goalkeepers during the 2024 season. That is not the case this season, as Andrew DeSalvo outlined in our subscriber newsletter. Moorhouse has a chance to get things back on the right track following the break, and it starts with a clean sheet against Angel City Friday.
That is what I will be looking for on Friday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!
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