Orlando Pride vs. San Diego Wave FC: Final Score 2-1 as Pride Near Playoff Elimination with Loss

The Orlando Pride wasted some early chances and conceded two easy goals in the first half and weren’t able to fight back in a 2-1 loss to the San Diego Wave at Inter.co Stadium tonight. While other results will decide whether it was the end of the playoff chase for Orlando (10-14-3, 33 points), the Pride have no one but themselves to blame for some shoddy defending that gave the visiting Wave (16-8-3, 51 points) a lead that proved to be insurmountable.

Lia Godfrey and Gia Corley built San Diego a 2-0 lead on the road and Barbra Banda’s penalty kick pulled one back early in the second half, but the Pride could get no closer.

“Tough result for where we are. We gift them a goal early on, and then we’re kind of having to dig ourselves out,” Orlando Pride interim head coach Yolanda Thomas said after the match. “But I think there were some moments early in the game where we didn’t really control the momentum, or we weren’t given the opportunity to control the momentum. Really proud of the effort, the heart, the commitment to go get ourselves back in the game. Unfortunately, didn’t get us all the way back.”

Thomas’ lineup featured Cosette Morche in goal behind a back line of Hailie Mace, Hannah Anderson, Corey Dike, and Oihane. Angelina and Ally Lemos started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Solai Washington, Jacquie Ovalle, and Haley McCutcheon with Banda up top.

The Pride created the game’s first chance just seconds after the opening kickoff. Banda sent the ball left for Washington on a two-on-two break. Washington slowed, then cut inside her defender and shot, but her weak effort was straight at goalkeeper Sandra Panos.

“I think we need to capitalize on the chances we have, because we had really good ones early in the in the game,” Thomas said. “And if you do that, you build momentum and confidence, and probably execute a bit better in the final piece.”

It was a costly wasted opportunity, as the visitors scored just minutes later. The Pride turned the ball over in their defensive third, and Anderson knocked a cross attempt out of play for a corner. Orlando only cleared the ensuing set piece out for a throw on the left. San Diego scored off the throw-in with a simple toss in to Godfrey, who turned around Lemos, cut across the box left to right with on one on her, and fired a near-post shot past Morche.

“That first goal comes off of a throw-in that maybe individually doesn’t look like a dangerous situation, but being mentally present to to deal with with challenges, even in the moments that don’t look like the most dangerous, I think is is really key,” Thomas said.

San Diego continued to keep the pressure on after the goal for several minutes, but the Pride eventually were able to find a little rhythm. That led to a fantastic Washington cross from the left to McCutcheon entering the box on the right in the 11th minute. McCutcheon, sporting a mask to protect a broken nose from the last match, headed the cross toward goal but the Wave defense was well positioned and blocked the shot.

A minute later, Kenza Dali used her defender as a screen and fired toward the left post from outside the area but Morche picked it up in time to move over and make the save.

The back-and-forth play continued with Banda sending a weak shot from long distance hopping to Panos in the 13th minute. It was the Pride’s last shot on target of the half.

The Wave doubled their lead in the 22nd minute and it was a gift from Orlando that set it up. A poorly played and too-soft back pass by Anderson created problems and forced Morche to come off her line to make a sliding play to beat a San Diego attacker to the ball. Trinity Byars picked up the loose ball and Morche made a huge save from point-blank range. But the second rebound fell for Corley, who fired into the empty net to make it 2-0.

The Pride created a chance to pull that goal right back when Mace sent a terrific cross from the left to meet Oihane’s run on the right. The Spanish fullback had a free header but got under it and popped it well over the crossbar from just a few yards out in the 26th minute.

Banda turned and fizzed a shot wide of the right post a minute later as the Pride put together some sustained possession if not pressure.

Morche did well to scramble back to her far post to catch a dangerous deflected shot in the 31st minute.

Mace tried her luck from extreme range in the 37th minute and sent her shot well over the crossbar. The last half-chance of the half came in the 40th minute when Ovalle sent in a dangerous cross through the area from the left. It was just out of Banda’s reach, however, and went all the way through.

At the break, the Wave had the advantage in possession (58%-42%), shots on target (4-2), passing accuracy (88%-82%), and corners (1-0). Orlando attempted more shots (7-6).

Orlando pulled a goal back right after the restart. Banda got behind Kennedy Wesley in the 48th minute and the defender bundled her over from behind. Referee Alex Billeter thought about it for a couple of seconds and pointed to the spot.

Banda needed treatment from the trainers while the video assistant referee took a long look at it. The call was upheld, and although Lemos had held the ball at the spot, she turned it over to Banda to take the kick. Banda took a big run-up like she was going to smash it, but at the last moment she pulled up and placed a perfect shot just inside the right post to make it 2-1 in the 52nd minute.

The goal brought the visitors back to life, as the Wave kept a lot of sustained pressure on Orlando through the second half. San Diego, as a result, won a lot of set pieces, including a corner in the 57th minute when Morche saved a shot from Dali from just outside the area. Three minutes later, Perle Merroni fired from long range but sent her shot well over the bar.

“We had a bit of a lapse and couldn’t get a hold of the ball for a good 12-to-15-minute spell a few minutes into the second half, and we have to own that,” Thomas said. “Didn’t press the way we needed to.”

“Props to San Diego. They play really well, like really good soccer, really close connections,” second-half substitute Summer Yates added. “It makes it really hard to get pressure on the ball.”

The Pride finally got forward and won a corner moments later. Angelina sent in a good cross on the set piece but McCutcheon headed wide of the right post.

Laurina Fazer found herself in plenty of space on the left outside the area in the 63rd minute but fired just wide of the left post. Three minutes later, Byars smashed a shot toward goal and Morche made a great diving stop to push it wide. Fazer again was left alone in the 75th minute on the left side and sent a curling shot that crashed off the right post.

Neither team could do much with a few set pieces down the stretch and the Wave held on for the win.

At the final whistle, San Diego held the advantage in possession (61.1%-38.9%), shots (15-11), shots on target (6-3), passing accuracy (86.5%-78%), and corners (6-2).

“Obviously disappointing,” Yates said about the result. “I know we’re like trying to make playoffs, so we need every win we can, and this puts us in a little bit of a pickle of we don’t know if we’re going to make it or not, which is really disappointing because I think this group has worked their butt off all year.”

The Pride may be officially eliminated this weekend depending on results elsewhere around the league, but realistically, the 2026 playoff chase is over barring something truly remarkable.

The Pride are off next weekend for the international break, returning to NWSL play on Oct. 18 when they visit the Houston Dash.