Connect with us

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: Final Score 3-0 as Pride Drop NWSL Regular Season Opener

Published

4 years ago

on

The Orlando Pride (0-1-0, 0 points) began their 2022 NWSL regular season tonight with a 3-0 loss to NJ/NY Gotham FC (1-0-0, 3 points) at Exploria Stadium. The visitors scored three goals in 11 minutes late in the first half to seal the game before halftime. McCall Zerboni, Midge Purce, and Kristie Mewis accounted for the scoring and the Pride remain winless in NWSL regular-season openers (0-4-2).

Pride Head Coach Amanda Cromwell displayed almost the exact lineup that drew Gotham FC last weekend in New Jersey. The only difference in the lineup was the return of starting goalkeeper Erin McLeod, who missed the last four games of the Challenge Cup due to an injury. Sydney Leroux and Erika Tymrak also returned from injury but started the game on the bench.

The Pride won a corner in the seventh minute when Estelle Johnson cleared the ball out of play. But rather than creating a dangerous chance on the set piece, the Pride took a short corner toward midfield, which was quickly won by Ifeoma Onumonu. The Gotham striker appeared to have a breakaway into the Pride half, but Celia did well to catch her and clear it away.

Gotham got its first chance on goal two minutes later when Mewis found Purce to the left of goal. The dangerous attacker fired a shot but missed to the left. Purce had a chance to set up a chance in the 13th minute when she sent a dangerous ball into the box, but this one was cleared away.

A minute later, Imani Dorsey sent a cross into the box that ended up more like a shot. The ball sailed toward the Pride goal, forcing McLeod to tip it over the crossbar for another Gotham corner.

After about 10 minutes of dominant play by the visitors, the Pride started to find their way into the game. It started in the 17th minute when Angharad James found herself with the ball at the top of the box. She took a shot but it was blocked.

The ensuing corner ended up with Mikayla Cluff at the top of the box. The rookie took her own shot at goal but it rolled wide of the target.

In the 20th minute, Leah Pruitt sent a ball into the box from the right looking for Gunny Jonsdottir in front of goal. The midfielder slid into the ball, redirecting it towards the far post. However, it went just wide and another excellent Pride chance went by.

Two minutes later, Kerry Abello sent a low cross into the box looking for Jonsdottir. The ball just missed the midfielder and Gotham goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris was able to clear it away.

Then it was Darian Jenkins sending a dangerous ball into the box for Abello. The two midfielders were the best attacking players for the Pride in the first half and nearly connected for the first goal but it was just beyond Abello’s reach.

The Pride seemed to be the closest to scoring as the half hour mark neared, but that’s when Gotham took over. A bad giveaway by Cluff in the 28th minute allowed Onumonu to take a long distance shot. But McLeod was up to the task and made the save.

The ensuing corner kick resulted in the game’s first goal. Mewis took the set piece, sending the ball into the box. It found the head of Gotham captain Zerboni, who redirected the ball on goal, giving Gotham the lead.

It didn’t take long for the visitors to score their second. Off a throw-in, Dorsey sent a long ball behind the Pride defense. Purce beat Toni Pressley to the ball, gaining a breakaway on goal. The veteran kept her cool, dribbling around the oncoming McLeod, and placing it inside the far post.

The Pride did get a couple of opportunities following Gotham’s second goal. In the 35th minute, James sent a free kick into the box but it was over everyone. Three minutes later, quick passing by Jenkins and Pruitt allowed the latter to get off a cross. However, it was blocked away and the Pride were unable to get a shot.

Gotham effectively put the game away in the 41st minute. Purce sent a cross into the box that reached Mewis on the far side. The U.S. international’s second touch allowed her to avoid the coming Megan Montefusco and provided space to shoot. The shot was toward the far post where it beat McLeod and nestled into the net, making it 3-0 Gotham.

“It definitely is hard,” Pruitt added about the three quick goals. “I think I tried to just forget about it and move on and we had the momentum in the beginning, so it sucks to get a goal against and then to try to switch it and stay positive and keep going down their throats. But once you get another one it’s draining. And the third one really was a heartbreaker. But I think we did fine in the second half.”

The first half wasn’t as lopsided as the score line. Gotham had more possession (54.3%-45.7%), but both teams had six shots. The primary difference was that the visitors put four of their six shots on goal and the Pride only got one on target.

“We had some of our best building moments out of the back and created some chances early on the first 30,” Cromwell said after the game. “I think right before their first goal, we had some chances. Again, we can’t let one goal affect us.”

“I think it would have been a way different game if we finished those chances in those, like, first 30 minutes,” Pruitt added. “But yeah, we’ve just got to keep working on it and those finishes.”

With a 3-0 lead, Gotham didn’t push much as the second half began. The first chance of the half came in the 53rd minute when Jenkins did well to win the ball in the Gotham half. However, she took a long-distance shot on goal that never really had a chance. It was on target, but Harris had no trouble collecting it.

The Pride had another chance in the 57th minute when halftime substitute Carrie Lawrence sent a free kick into the box. It found the head of Pressley but the header was wide and caused no trouble for Gotham.

A scary moment occurred a minute later. A seemingly innocuous ball for James saw the midfielder reach her leg out for it. After touching the ball, James immediately went down holding her right ankle. While it initially appeared bad, she soon got up and was able to resume.

After an injury kept her out for the final three games of the Challenge Cup, Leroux entered the game at halftime for Cluff. She got her first good chance in the 65th minute when a long ball by Lawrence sent her toward the end line. Leroux pulled the ball back and fired but her first shot was blocked. She immediately gained control of the ball for a second shot, but that one was right at Harris.

The Pride got another good look in the 67th minute when a blocked cross was headed across by Pruitt for Courtney Petersen. The left back had plenty of time to take a shot but not enough accuracy to put it on goal.

The Pride had a great chance in the 76th minute to get their first goal of the season when Jenkins played the ball across for Leroux near the penalty spot. The forward quickly took a shot on goal but it was just over the crossbar.

The Pride’s final chance of the game was also their best. In the 87th minute, Pressley sent a low cross into the box that found Leroux near the penalty spot. It was a little behind the halftime substitute, who tipped it back to James coming across the field. The Welsh international was set up for a clear shot on goal and attempted to curl it around Harris. But the former Pride captain did well to get down and make the save.

With a 3-0 lead at halftime, Gotham was happy to sit back and defend. As a result, the visitors only took one shot in the second half and it was off target. They were outshot 10-1 in the final 45 minutes but were able to keep the Pride off the scoresheet.

In the end, the Pride led in shots (16-7), corners (7-4), crosses (31-12), passing accuracy (82.4%-74.9%), and possession (50.5%-49.5%). However, the most important stat was that Gotham put four of its seven shots on target and the Pride only put four of their 16 shots on frame.

Cromwell has spoken multiple times this year about the team’s inability to put together a full 90 minutes. It was the same tonight, as the team was strong at points but a brief 11-minute period cost Orlando dearly.

“Obviously some frustration with those 10 minutes again and I think Seb (Hines) said very well in the huddle at the end,” Cromwell said. “We can’t let parts like 10 minutes, five minutes of games dictate how our season’s gonna go. We have to play a 90-minute game and we get to do that.

“We’ve talked to sports psychologists. We’ve talked about what kind of resources do they have in the moment. They have to be able to, either as a team, as a cohesive unit, say things to each other. Whether it’s holding each other accountable, make sure we’re still motivated and positive reinforcement, but also have individual tools to keep yourself out of that because I can almost see it happening. There’s a spiral mentally and we just had someone come talk to them about what kind of exercises they can do to get out of those moments. And so I think things aren’t going to happen overnight. But if we’re going to have chances in games to get a result we can’t have one goal be our downfall.”

The Pride’s three goals conceded is the most allowed in a regular-season opener since the team started in 2016.

A positive from the night is that Viviana Villacorta made her professional debut. The 2021 NWSL first-round draft pick (ninth overall) tore her ACL during her final season at UCLA and it’s been a long road back for the 23-year-old.

“She’s worked extremely hard to get back and you can see probably just by her movement, she’s fit,” Cromwell, Villacorta’s college coach at UCLA, said about her return. “She only played 20 minutes, but she’s fit. She’s agile. She’s quick. I think she reads the game very well. So, she’s someone that I think has a sophistication in the midfield to come in and help us and in and out of possession. She’s very dynamic.”

The Pride will look to shake off the season opening loss as they travel west to play expansion side Angel City FC in Los Angeles next Sunday night.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

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.

Published

36 minutes ago

on

April 24, 2026

By

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.

Projected 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.

Racing Louisville FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Jordyn Bloomer.

Defenders: Courtney Petersen, Taylor Flint, Ellie Jean, Lauren Milliet.

Defensive Midfielders: Macey Hodge, Katie O’Kane.

Midfielders: Ella Hase, Kayla Fischer, Emma Sears.

Forward: Sarah Weber.

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!

Continue Reading

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

3 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.

Continue Reading

Orlando Pride

Orlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Pride return home looking to keep up their positive momentum after a strong road trip.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

April 3, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride (1-1-2, 5 points) welcome league-leading Angel City FC (3-0-0, 9 points). This is the first of two meetings between these two teams this year, with the return game in California scheduled for July 3.

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 eight times. The Pride are 4-2-2 in those games, all in NWSL regular-season play. While the Pride have a 3-1-0 record against Angel City in Los Angeles, they’re only 1-1-2 at home.

The most recent matchup between these two teams took place 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 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.

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 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, 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 return home tonight after a two-game road trip in which they claimed four points. They had a dominant performance in Chicago on March 25, defeating the Stars 3-0. Banda, Jacquie Ovalle, and Hannah Anderson scored in the first half and the Pride held onto that lead in the second 45 minutes to claim their first win of the season.

It was a quick turnaround as they played defending champion NJ/NY Gotham FC Sunday night in New Jersey. The hosts dominated possession in the game, but the Pride were able to keep the opposition from creating too many opportunities, pulling out a scoreless draw.

Sunday night’s draw saw Banda’s three-game goal streak come to an end. However, after conceding three goals in the first two games, the Pride recorded their second consecutive clean sheet, something Head Coach Seb Hines is very happy with.

Another positive was that Rafaelle played all 90 minutes. The Brazilian has had constant injury issues since joining the Pride in 2023, which seemed to return when she was listed as questionable for the game in Chicago. The center back came on in the second half of that game and started against Gotham, providing a solid performance.

While the Pride are pleased with their performances away from home, they need to play better at home. The team has now played four games with new players like Hailie Mace and Hannah Anderson, so they’ll be expecting better results than the first two games, although they dominated those matches and created lots of scoring chances.

That will be difficult tonight as the Pride welcome the league-leading Angel City. The California-based team had an eventful off-season, losing Thompson to Chelsea FC and Riley and Christen Press to retirement. Meanwhile, they added Ary Borges and former Pride center back Emily Sams.

Angel CIty has been terrific offensively this season, scoring multiple goals in all three games. However, tonight’s visitors have only played Chicago, Bay FC, and the Houston Dash, three of the worst teams in the league. Additionally, two of those three games were at home and the other was in California.

Tonight will be a much harder challenge. The Pride are widely expected to be a team challenging for at least a top four spot. They’re a stronger team offensively and defensively than the teams Angel City have played this year.

Angel City is led in the attack by Sveindis Jonsdottir, who has three goals in her first three games of the season. She’s the only player on the team with multiple goals. Tiernan, Gisele Thompson, Evelyn Shores, Maiara Niehues, Kennedy Fuller, and Ary Borges each have scored one goal. Jonsdottir and Fuller lead the team in assists with two each.

Defensively, Angel City has a solid center back pairing of Sams and Savy King, who returns after missing most of last season after suffering a cardiac issue on the field. They’ll line up in front of Anderson, who returns as the starting goalkeeper.

“I think with Angel City, they’re a team that’s got a lot of good momentum right now,” Hines said ahead of the match. “Obviously, sitting top of the table. Three wins after three games. They’ll come with the expectation that they’ll go four for four, and we want to stop that of course. We want to get off to a good start as well, being back at home in front of our own fans. We’ve had a good road trip as well, four points in two games. So, to finish this part of the season with a win at home is where our minds are at right now.”

The Pride are still without Kerry Abello (hip), Zara Chavoshi (lower leg), Cosette Morche (ankle), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), and Viviana Villacorta (knee). Angel City will be without Karsyn Cherry (thigh), Emslie (maternity leave), Jun Endo (knee), Leroux (excused absence), Rajanah Reed (ankle), and Hina Sugita (knee).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Cori Dyke, Rafaelle, Hailie Mace, Oihane.

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Angelina.

Midfielders: Jacquie Ovalle, Haley McCutcheon, Solai Washington.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: Cara Martin, Hannah Anderson, Reagan Raabe, Luana, Summer Yates, Seven Castain, Marta, Julie Doyle, Simone Jackson.

Angel City FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Angelina Anderson.

Defenders: Savy King, Sarah Gorden, Emily Sams, Gisele Thompson.

Defensive Midfielders: Ary Borges, Nealy Martin.

Midfielders: Riley Tiernan, Maiara Niehues, Kennedy Fuller.

Forward: Sveindis Jonsdottir.

Bench: Hannah Seabert, Faith Nguyen, Sophia Mattice, Evelyn Shores, Carina Lageyre, Taylor Suarez, Casey Phair, Prisca Chilufya.

Referees

REF: Jeremy Scheer.
AR1: Kendall McCardell.
AR2: Race Williams.
4TH: Stefan Perri.
VAR: Elijio Arreguin.
AVAR: Karen Coulson.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

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!

Continue Reading

Trending