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Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Final Score 2-1 as the Pride Win Their Second Game of the Season

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4 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (2-1-1, 7 points) used an early goal by Sydney Leroux and a late first-half goal by Mikayla Cluff to beat the North Carolina Courage (0-2-0, 0 points) 2-1 in Cary, NC. Brianna Pinto scored a consolation goal late to give the hosts a chance, but the Pride held on for their second win of the season, extending their unbeaten streak to three games (2-0-1).

With the North Carolina Courage losing several key players to injury and COVID protocol, Pride Head Coach Amanda Cromwell made some significant changes to the lineup. Kylie Strom, Viviana Villacorta, Jordyn Listro, Abi Kim, and Julie Doyle all entered the lineup, replacing regular starters Darian Jenkins, Gunny Jonsdottir, Courtney Petersen, Toni Pressley, and Leah Pruitt. Additionally, Angharad James returned from an ankle injury and started the game on the bench.

While the lineup changes can be somewhat attributed to Courage absences, Cromwell spoke last week after the game about the team’s tired legs. This game was an opportunity to give some of the most used players some much-needed rest.

This game got off to a similar start as the Pride’s 1-0 win against Angel City FC. In the fourth minute, Cluff got on the end of a cross but it was saved by Casey Murphy. The Courage goalkeeper wasn’t able to block it far away, sending it right to Leroux, who put it into an empty net.

“The ball just happened to kind of pop out to me,” Cluff said about her involvement in the opening goal. “I was waiting for the second ball and I was able to get good contact on it. She made a great save and then Syd was there to bail me out and put it away for us.”

The Pride have now scored inside the first five minutes of both regular season road games. In Los Angeles, Leroux scored a similar goal in the third minute, giving the Pride a very early lead against the NWSL newcomers. Tonight, they did the same thing, just a minute later.

“It’s huge,” Cluff said about scoring early on the road. “We talked about the big moments in the game and the times that we let them get shifted. The first five minutes of the game is some of the biggest parts. So it’s nice when we’re able to come out and get a strong start.”

“Scoring that early allows us to just play and be calm,” Listro added. “Sometimes at the start of the game it’s super frantic. But when we get that first goal, we can take a breath and then just play our style of soccer.”

The Courage got their first chance in the ninth minute when Diana Ordonez found Rylee Baisden at the top of the box. The midfielder took the host team’s first shot at goal, but it was blocked and the Pride began to head the other way.

The Pride had a great chance to double their lead in the 20th minute. Kim’s cross made it through the box for Ryan Williams, whose poor clearance went right to Cluff. The rookie quickly shot on goal but it was going wide the whole way and didn’t cause any trouble for Murphy.

They had another chance in the 22nd minute when Strom sent a long ball into the box for Doyle. The forward got her head to the ball but it was too soft and Murphy made an easy save.

North Carolina got one of its best first-half chances in the 24th minute from a smart play by Debinha. Meredith Speck played the ball to her right and Debinha, knowing that Ordonez was making a run behind her, let it go. Ordonez took the ball towards the end line and sent in a cross. However, Megan Montefusco did well defensively and blocked the cross. It went out for a corner but McLeod punched the ball away on the ensuing set piece and the Pride were able to clear.

Kim created another chance in the 27th minute when a run to the end line saw the midfielder lift a short cross to the front of the six-yard box. The ball appeared to be a little behind Cluff as she attempted to put it on goal. As a result, she didn’t get much on it resulting in an easy save for Murphy.

In the 30th minute, a misplayed goal kick was won by Listro. She immediately was able to get the ball to Leroux, who took a couple of dribbles and fired on goal from the top of the box. However, the shot was a little wide.

Three minutes later, the Courage had a great chance when Williams sent a cross into the box. Ordonez received the low pass and laid it back for Baisden, who was a couple of yards behind her. Baiden’s first touch was a hard shot, but Carrie Lawrence did well to get in front and block it away.

The Courage got another good chance two minutes later when Taylor Smith got sent in behind the Pride defense. Fortunately, the ball was a little too far for her and McLeod came well off her line to clear it.

Debinha continued her dangerous play from the left with a pair of crosses in the 37th and 41st minutes. The first one was cleared away by Lawrence but the second found a teammate at the back post. Ordonez and Jorian Baucom were charging at the post and Ordonez was first to reach the ball. It was a little high so she wasn’t able to get much on the header that went wide. It was fortunate for the Pride, as Baucom was right behind her and seemed in a good position to get a better shot on target.

While North Carolina looked more dangerous as the game neared halftime, it was the Pride that scored. In the 44th minute, Celia sent a long ball for Doyle. It looked as though the ball would go out of play but Doyle didn’t give up and slid to save it. The ball went back to Leroux who looked to redirect it towards goal but Williams came across to block it. The ball went right to Cluff near the penalty spot who put the ball past Murphy, doubling the Pride lead. It was her first career NWSL goal.

“I can’t remember who crossed it, but I saw the ball getting crossed in and I’m just trying to get into the box,” Cluff said about her goal. “And luckily Syd kind of put her body on the line for us, got the deflection, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

After being a part of the buildup for the second goal, Celia took her own shot three minutes into first half injury time. The shot looked to be going just inside the far post, but Murphy did well to get down and tip it wide of the goal.

The Pride were the better team in the first 45 minutes, with more shots (7-4) and shots on target (4-0). The Courage did have plenty of chances, with more possession (55.6%-44.4%), corners (4-2), and crosses (12-7), but the Pride took advantage of their chances, ending the half with a 2-0 lead.

The Pride made a few changes at the end of the first half and early in the second half. A surprising substitution was Kerry Abello coming on for Doyle a minute into first-half injury time. Jenkins and James both came on at halftime for Kim and Viviana Villacorta, and Pruitt replaced Cluff in the 61st minute.

After the team’s 2-2 draw with the Kansas Current over the weekend, Cromwell spoke about the team not being aggressive enough after taking the lead in the 51st minute. That wasn’t a problem as the second half began with the Pride pushing forward. They weren’t able to create any shots in the opening minutes of the half, but did win a corner kick in the 54th minute.

Both teams had several chances in the first half, but the first good second-half chance didn’t come until the 73rd minute. After winning the ball back inside her own box, Lawrence sent a long ball for Leroux, looking for a fast break. Leroux tried to play it through the legs of Kaleigh Kurtz but the ball bounced off her legs and right back to the forward. Leroux continued on, beating Kurtz and Malia Berkely to find space for a shot. Unfortunately, the shot was just wide of the post, stopping what would’ve been one of the goals of the season.

Playing from two goals behind, the Courage didn’t get their first shot of the second half until the 75th minute. After coming on at halftime, Havana Solaun had to come off due to an injury and was replaced by Pinto. The new addition to the game took a shot seconds after coming on but it was well high of the goal.

The Courage had another chance in the 82nd minute when Jaelene Daniels made a long run into the Pride box after a short pass by Carson Pickett. She did well to find some space but ran out of energy, sending the ball well wide of the target.

As time wound down, the Pride fell into more of a defensive shape, looking to see out the win. But the hosts got one back in the 85th minute. Pinto got a chance from the top of the box but her shot was blocked. The ball went back to Williams on the right who quickly played it back to Pinto. A slick spin opened up some space for the attacker to get a shot on goal. The ball was heading right to McLeod, but took a slight deflection off Montefusco, going inside the near post.

Up a goal and with time winding down, the Pride just wanted to hold onto the lead. Cromwell made one defensive change in the 89th minute, bringing Courtney Petersen on for Abello. The head coach said she would’ve liked to have made one more defensive change near the end. However, the Pride did well to hold onto the one-goal lead.

“North Carolina has a great attack, especially in transition. So we just tried to communicate as much as possible and keep our shape for the last 30 minutes,” Listro said about the final defensive effort. “And I think we worked really hard as a team and tried to win all our one-v-one battles and that showed and we came out with a win.”

The Courage continued to push hard for an equalizer as the game entered injury time and came very close. Three minutes into injury time, Berkely sent Ordonez through behind the Pride defense. She put the ball past McLeod and into the net but was judged to be offside.

While Ordonez was clearly offside, the second one was close. Five minutes into added time, Pickett sent a long ball into the box for Brittany Ratcliffe. Her first touch was over McLeod and in for what North Carolina thought was the equalizer. However, the linesman’s flag was up and, again, the Courage player was judged to be in an offside position.

Shortly after the offside call on Ratcliffe, Pinto tried to send Daniels through but she was the third offside call in injury time for the Courage. The final whistle final blew and the Pride were able to hold on for a 2-1 win.

After being held to four shots in the first 75 minutes, the Courage had six shots and three offside calls in the final 15 minutes plus injury time. They ended the game with more shots than the Pride (10-8) but, while the Pride put four shots on target, North Carolina only put one on frame. The final 15 minutes also allowed the Courage to end the game with more possession (54.4%-45.6%), corners (4-3), crosses (22-10), and passes (454-390).

“Very exciting. My adrenaline was going from those last six minutes of injury time,” Cromwell said after the game. “Obviously North Carolina is a very good team. They won the Challenge Cup. They have a lot of great attacking pieces. So holding on to a lead was really, really hard but important to do and I was just really proud of our efforts.”

“What we’ve been working on is a little bit of mentality, a little bit of having courage,” Cromwell continued. “And one of the quotes I said to them at the end tonight is, ‘Fortune favors the brave.’ And I thought we were brave tonight. I think some players have stepped up to be brave in communication, to be brave on the ball.”

The win pushes the Pride all the way up to second place, just two points behind San Diego Wave FC atop the NWSL standings. However, the Pride have played more games than anyone else and two more than some teams.

After securing seven points in their last three games, the Pride will return home Sunday night to face the Chicago Red Stars in the final match of the three-game week.

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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.

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5 days ago

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April 24, 2026

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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.

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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.

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6 days ago

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April 24, 2026

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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!

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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.

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