Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Utah Royals: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride look to build on an impressive win in Washington, D.C. as they welcome the Utah Royals.
Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (8-11-2, 26 points) return home to face the Utah Royals (11-7-3, 36 points) at Inter.co Stadium (7 p.m., NWSL+). This is the second and final time these teams will meet during the 2026 regular season.
Here’s everything you need to know.
History
The original Utah Royals first played in 2018 and 2019 before the team was purchased and relocated to Kansas City. The new owners of Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake bought an expansion side, so 2024 was the first season the two teams met since 2019, although this is an all-new side. After going 1-3-2 against the old Royals, the Pride are 3-1-1 against the current iteration of the club, with all games coming in the NWSL regular season. The Pride are 1-0-1 vs. the Royals in Orlando.
The last time the Pride and Royals met was July 18 in Utah, with the lone goal in Utah’s 1-0 win coming in the first half when Narumi Miura caught Anna Moorhouse off her line, lifting the ball over the goalkeeper and into the far corner of the goal.
The first meeting of 2025 took place on May 23 in Utah. It was the Barbra Banda show, as the striker became the first Pride player to score a hat trick, doing so in just 38 minutes. Brecken Mozingo scored the only goal for the hosts early in the game, getting behind the back line. But a scoreless second half resulted in a 3-1 win for the Pride. On Aug. 3, 2025 in Orlando, the visitors led early through Mina Tanaka off an assist from Kaleigh Riehl. But Simone Jackson set up Prisca Chilufya for the 72nd minute equalizer, ensuring the Pride came away with a 1-1 draw.
The first game between the two since this new version of the Royals began NWSL play took place on April 12, 2024 in Sandy, UT. Marta started on the bench and came on for Adriana in the second half. It didn’t take long for the Pride captain to make an impact, netting the game’s lone goal six minutes after entering the match, as Orlando left the Beehive State with a 1-0 victory.
On June 21, 2024 in Orlando, it was a dominant performance from start to finish as the Pride roared to a 6-0 win. Banda started the scoring, and Summer Yates made it 2-0 just before halftime. The Pride took off in the second half with goals by Banda and Ally Watt, along with a Marta brace.
Overview
The Pride entered the last game on a three-game losing streak and having lost six of their last eight games. It looked like it would get worse as they faced the Washington Spirit away from home. But Haley McCutcheon’s third-minute goal was enough to escape with a slim 1-0 victory.
The Pride’s offense this year has been largely dependent on Banda, who sits second in the league with 12 goals, three behind Ashley Sanchez. McCutcheon’s goal in Washington was her third of the year, moving into sole possession of second on the team. Jacquie Ovalle, Marta, and Hannah Anderson are the only other Pride players with multiple goals, each scoring twice.
Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse has been inconsistent this season, resulting in Cosette Morche getting her regular-season debut for the Pride in Washington. While she only saw three shots on target, the 29-year-old made a huge save at the end of the game, tipping a potentially game-tying goal over the crossbar.
Utah enters the matchup in fourth place in the NWSL with an 11-7-3 record and 36 points. The Royals are tied with San Diego for third place but sit behind the Wave on the tiebreaker. The Royals have been one of the league’s most productive offensive teams, scoring 37 goals, which ranks first in the NWSL. They’ve conceded 27 goals, ranking eighth in the league, giving them a +10 goal difference, which ranks third in the NWSL.
Utah has struggled a bit recently, losing three of its last five games. That stretch started with a 5-1 victory over the Portland Thorns on Aug. 2 before a 2-1 loss to the Denver Summit on Aug. 8 and a 3-2 win over Bay FC on Aug. 14. The club’s most recent game was a 4-2 loss to the San Diego Wave, with Tanaka scoring both of Utah’s goals.
Cloé Lacasse leads the Royals with 15 goal contributions on six goals and nine assists, while Tanaka has eight goals and four assists. Tanaka’s eight goals rank among the league leaders, while her 12 goal contributions are second on the team. Lacasse’s nine assists are tied for the league lead, making the duo the primary offensive threats the Pride will have to account for.
The Royals have also had a consistent back line throughout the season, with Kate Del Fava and Ana Tejada starting the majority of games at center back. They have also had consistency in goal, with Mandy McGlynn starting 20 of Utah’s 21 games this season. That stability has helped Utah remain one of the better teams in the league despite some recent defensive struggles.
“We want to get back to winning ways. We want some level of consistency as well,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said ahead of tonight’s game. “With our last performance, bring it home in front of our own fans. It’s going to be important to create that momentum. Utah are having a good run of form (this season) as well, so we have to be aware of that. But I think the onus is on us to keep building on our last performance.”
The Pride will take the field tonight without Kerry Abello (thigh), Julie Doyle (knee), Marta (excused absence), Zoe Matthews (head), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Solai Washington (head). Utah will be without Alex Loera (knee), Mozingo (concussion), Narumi (hamstring), and KK Ream (knee).
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Cosette Morche.
Defenders: Hailie Mace, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, Oihane.
Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Angelina.
Attacking Midfielders: Jacquie Ovalle, Haley McCutcheon, Summer Yates.
Forward: Barbra Banda.
Bench: Anna Moorhouse, Cara Martin, Zara Chavoshi, Hannah Anderson, Luana, Nicole Payne, Gabi Nunes.
Utah Royals (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Mandy McGlynn.
Defenders: Nuria Rabano, Tatumn Milazzo Kate Del Fava, Miyabi Moriya.
Defensive Midfielders: Ana Tejada, Madison Hammond.
Attacking Midfielders: Cloe Lacasse, Mina Tanaka, Cece Delzer.
Forward: Kiana Palacios.
Bench: Mia Justus, Deaira Jackson, Kameron Simmonds, Kaleigh Riehl, Dayana Pierre-Louis, Courtney Brown, Paige Cronin, Alexa Spaanstra, Ali Swenson.
Referees
REF: Matt Thompson.
AR1: Brian Marshall.
AR2: Justin Fillmore.
4TH: Stefan Perri.
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!