Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride look to continue the strong start to their 2024 NWSL season as they welcome Bay FC to Orlando for the first time.
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Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (5-0-3, 18 points) look to continue their eight-game unbeaten run and five-game winning streak against NWSL newcomers Bay FC (2-6-0, 6 points). This is the first of two games the teams will play against each other with the other scheduled for Sept. 20 in San Jose, CA.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
Bay FC is one of two expansion teams to enter the NWSL for the 2024 season. However, while the Utah Royals previously existed and have some history with the Pride, Bay FC is in its inaugural season. As such, tonight’s opponents have yet to face off.
There’s also little connection between the two teams. When Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC entered the league in 2022 — the last expansion year — the teams had multiple former Pride players on their rosters. The only former member of the Pride on Bay FC is forward Rachel Hill, who played in Orlando from 2017 to 2019. However, she is injured and will miss the match.
Overview
The Pride are off to an excellent start to the 2024 NWSL season and their best since entering the league in 2016. The current eight-game unbeaten run is the second longest in club history and the longest to start a season in team history. After drawing their first three contests, they’ve won five straight, equaling the team’s longest winning streak set in 2017.
The run can be attributed to multiple factors, including the play of 2023 NWSL Draft fourth-round selection Summer Yates and the arrival of Zambian international Barbra Banda. Yates began the year with three goals in the first six games after minimal inclusion in 2023, and Banda has scored four goals in the last three games following her debut on April 19.
The team has also benefited from a strong defensive effort, despite missing multiple key players at times this season. The Pride have earned clean sheets in three games this year — including back-to-back shutouts in April — and have only conceded once in three games. Unsurprisingly, the three shutouts have all resulted in wins.
Tonight’s opponent has gotten its inaugural season off to a tough start. Bay FC currently sits on six points from its first eight games with only two wins and six losses. Their 13 goals scored is fourth in the league, but they’ve struggled defensively, conceding a league-high 19 goals. They started with a 1-0 win over Angel City on March 17, but have conceded multiple goals in each of their subsequent games.
While seven Pride goals have come from two players, conversions by Bay FC have been spread around. Tess Boade, Deyna Castellanos, Racheal Kundananji, Asisat Oshoala, and Kayla Sharples lead the team with two goals. Joelle Anderson, Dorian Bailey, and Alex Loera have also contributed with one goal each. The assists have also been spread around, with Anderson’s two leading the team.
The defensive struggles this year haven’t been due to inconsistent lineups. Lysianne Proulx has started in goal in all but two games so far, and the back line has usually included veterans Sharples, Emily Menges, and Caprice Dydasco, often joined by rookie Savannah King. Despite not being listed on the availability reports, Sharples has been replaced at times by Jen Beattie.
“Listen, they’ve recruited some really top, talented players, both domestically and internationally, and they’re a team that we’re going to have to be fully aware of and prepared for,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s opponent. “You know, their attack, they have some really dangerous players who can hurt you in any given moment. But I think we just approach it like we have approached every game. Knowing a few of their tendencies and what they like to do, but also focusing on ourselves and building on what we’ve achieved so far and just reinforcing that message that we have to stay hungry for more success and more points.”
The Pride continue to get healthier with Marta (lower leg) being removed from the availability list. Angelina (knee), Simone Charley (right leg), Luana (illness), Megan Montefusco (right heel), and Viviana Villacorta (left knee) remain out for this game. Bay FC will be without Jordan Brewster (lower leg), Maya Doms (ankle), Hill (leg), Alex Loera (knee), and
Melissa Lowder (knee).
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, Rafaelle, Kerry Abello.
Defensive Midfielders: Morgan Gautrat, Haley McCutcheon.
Midfielders: Julie Doyle, Summer Yates, Adriana.
Forward: Barbra Banda.
Bench: McKenzie Crone, Ally Watt, Marta, Ally Lemos, Mariana Larroquette, Celia, Carrie Lawrence, Bri Martinez, Cori Dyke.
Bay FC (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Katelyn Rowland.
Defenders: Savy King, Emily Menges, Kayla Sharples, Kiki Pickett.
Midfielders: Alyssa Malonson, Asisat Oshoala, Deyna Castellanos.
Forwards: Racheal Kundananji, Tess Boade, Scarlett Camberos.
Bench: Caprice Dydasco, Jen Beattie, Princess, Jamie Shepherd, Caroline Conti, Joelle Anderson, Dorian Bailey, Maddie Moreau, Lysianne Proulx.
Referees
REF: Danielle Chesky.
AR1: Zeno Cho.
AR2: Katarzyna Wasiak.
4TH: Daniel Gutierrez.
VAR: Shawn Tehini.
AVAR: Maggie Short.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.
TV: Ion.
Streaming: None.
Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow @ManeLandSean and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).
Enjoy the match. Go Pride!
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Sign Goalkeeper McKinley Crone to New Contract
The Pride have signed backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone through 2026.
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JRPRIDE130242055-scaled.jpg)
The Orlando Pride announced this afternoon that the club has signed backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone to a new contract. The deal runs through the 2026 NWSL season.
“Mac has played an important role in our goalkeeping corps, continuing to push our group each day while investing in herself both on and off the pitch,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “We are very excited for her to continue her career with us here in Orlando, where we can continue to support her development as a player. We believe she can become a competitive goalkeeper in this league, and we look forward to providing her with the resources and environment to reach her potential.”
Crone went undrafted in 2023 before joining the Pride as a non-roster invitee during preseason. The Maitland native continued with the Pride as a training player and was awarded with a National Team Replacement Player contract on June 27, 2023 when Marta and Adriana departed for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The 25-year-old signed a second National Team Replacement Player contract and was signed for the remainder of the season on Sept. 13, 2023.
Her play in training and during her call-ups earned Crone a NWSL contract for the 2024 season. She only made the team sheet once in 2023, but became the regular backup this year. Anna Moorhouse was called up to the England National Team when the NWSL went on break for the Olympics, opening a spot for Crone. She made her professional debut in a 1-1 draw with the North Carolina Courage on July 20 in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. The young goalkeeper made five saves on six shots while conceding once and helping the Pride maintain their unbeaten record this year in all competitions.
“To be staying here in Orlando, the place I grew up, means everything to me. Being given the chance to represent this city as well as this club has been a huge honor, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue living out my dream,” Crone said in a club press release. “What we are building here is really special and I can’t wait to continue to be a part of it for years to come. This club and this city mean so much to me and I will do everything I can to help bring championships to the City Beautiful. Roll Pride!”
Prior to joining the Pride, Crone played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Alabama. Her final three seasons for the Crimson Tide saw her make 66 starts, play 9,519.77 minutes, and concede 70 goals while making 229 saves. She had a goals-against average of 1.10 and saved 76.6% of the shots she faced. She finished her collegiate career with Alabama’s record for single-season wins (10), career shutouts (23), and career wins (41).
What This Means for Orlando
Crone has worked her way from a non-roster invitee last preseason to the team’s primary backup. When the club signed Finnish goalkeeper Sofia Manner during the off-season, it was expected the newcomer would be behind Moorhouse. However, Crone has been on the team sheet for every game this season, while Manner only appeared during the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.
During the summer break tournament, Crone’s five saves topped the Pride’s goalkeeping group, which saw Crone, Manner, and Moorhouse start one game each. In addition to equaling Moorhouse with a team-best one goal conceded, she saved two penalties in the shootout, more than Moorhouse and Manner.
Crone’s role as the primary backup this season and her play in the Summer Cup makes her the obvious choice for the same role next year. For this reason, it was a matter of when and not if the Pride would attempt to sign her to a new contract. With Moorhouse and Manner already signed through the 2025 season, the Pride now have their goalkeeping corps for next year.
Orlando Pride
Finding Glory? The Orlando Pride “Just Keep Winning”
As Orlando’s NWSL rivals stumble, the Pride have shown no signs of slowing down.
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Nearly two months ago, the Orlando Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 2-1 for a gritty road win to enter the Olympic break on top of the league table and favorites for the NWSL Shield. If any fans were anxious about the Pride’s form dipping in their return to action, they should now let go of those fears.
While Orlando has continued to rack up points with stingy defense and timely goals, the other credible contenders for the shield, the Current and the Washington Spirit, have both dropped points. Now, there are just eight matches remaining in the regular season, and the Pride have a six-point lead in the table. So, to paraphrase the ever-optimistic Dory from Finding Nemo (and also from the sequel, Finding Dory), “just keep winning.”
Since returning from the break, Orlando has won at the last-place Houston Dash and against fourth-place NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. The latter match featured 12 Olympians, and could have passed for a gold medal rematch due to Gotham’s U.S.-heavy squad and Orlando’s Brazilian contingent. Both the Dash and Gotham games were ones Orlando would be disappointed not to win, but winning is never a given in a league as competitive as the NWSL. Just ask the Current, who started the season unbeaten through 15 matches and set the pace at the top of the table, only to lose three straight and drop to third. On the other end of the table, both Utah Royals FC and Seattle Reign FC are on two-match winning streaks, showing just how quickly things can change for better or worse.
Orlando, however, leads the league and is not slowing down, because the Pride have avoided the trap games and off nights that can bite most teams. It is a testament to values instilled in the squad by Head Coach Seb Hines, now the winningest coach in Pride history, that the players have remained focused and ready for each match. Following the win over Gotham, Orlando’s fifth straight, center back Kylie Strom put it simply, “at the end of the day, we have to stick to our principles, and we did exactly that.”
Strom was referring specifically to the team’s defensive performance, but around the pitch, players are staying true to the other key principles that got them here. In recent matches, defense, as well as squad depth and versatility, have set this club apart from the competition.
Defensively, the numbers speak for themselves. Orlando now has five clean sheets in its past six NWSL matches and has only conceded 12 times in 18 matches. During the previous six matches, the Pride have started seven different players in the back four positions, and that does not include Rafaelle, who has been struggling with leg injuries this season. One of the players deputizing due to injuries to Rafaelle and Bri Martinez is Cori Dyke, who despite only starting three matches to this point in her debut season, is beginning to thrive in the environment the staff and other players have created.
Dyke exemplifies how squad depth has also been key to this defensive run. Despite a couple of injuries, the Pride still have not trailed in a match since the first month of the season, nor have they conceded a goal past the 75th minute. This stat could only be achieved because the roster is ready top to bottom to do the dirty work of defending, whether the players on the pitch are regular starters, or late game specialists. Also, it never hurts to be able to bring on Orlando’s newest addition, veteran defender Carson Pickett, to help see out games.
Orlando’s depth and versatility have also shown for the attack in recent weeks. While outsiders may wrongly view the Pride offense as a one-player “Barbra Banda show” due to her team-high 12 goals, the Dash and Gotham games demonstrated how lethal Orlando can be even without a goal from Banda. Against Gotham, it was Adriana who contributed two great goals within 20 minutes to put the game out of reach right after kickoff. Despite a slower start to 2024 following her electric debut campaign, Adriana now sits on five goals for the season. This tally brings her level with Marta, who has hit her highest individual goal mark since 2019, and Summer Yates, who subbed on and scored her fifth of season, a game winner, against the Dash.
Again, Yates’ goal highlights how the Pride players continue to perform well, whether they start or come off the bench. Goals are not the only way Pride attackers have contributed from the bench either, though Julie Doyle did almost have the goal of the season on Sunday if not for the offside flag. Doyle was also critical to seeing out the win and clean sheet because she drove the ball into the opposition half and toward the corner flag repeatedly to kill time and disrupt the flow of the match. Watt performed much the same role after her introduction as well, ensuring that Gotham did not have as many chances to score towards the end of the match.
At the end of the day, these are the types of contributions that Orlando will need to keep winning and maintain their lead at the top of the table. This includes the way the defense doesn’t let the opposition breathe, no matter who is playing. It includes timely goals from the entire Pride roster and not just Banda. And, it includes players in each position remaining focused and doing what they have done to be in the position they are in today. That position is one where they finally have daylight between them and their rivals at the top.
While there are still eight matches to go, the Pride will know that if they can take care of business against the teams outside of the top four in the NWSL, such as this weekend’s against the Chicago Red Stars, the path for other teams to catch them will get much trickier.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Loan Amanda Allen to Lexington SC
The Pride have sent Canadian international forward Amanda Allen on loan to USL Super League side Lexington SC.
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The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has sent forward Amanda Allen on loan to USL Super League side Lexington SC. The loan is for the 2024-25 USL Super League season, which runs through May, and includes a right to recall.
“Amanda has shown her potential and maturity during her time here in Orlando and we’re happy to find an opportunity for her to get more minutes on the field,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Amanda has played an important role so far this season and we are happy to be able to give her the opportunity to compete in Lexington. We look forward to watching her play and will continue to support her from afar during this loan spell.”
The Mississauga, Ontario, native joined the Pride on April 3, 2023 on a three-year deal running through the 2025 season. She made her debut on May 6, 2023 against Racing Louisville FC, becoming the youngest player to play for the Pride at 18 years, two months, and 15 days old.
In her two years in Orlando, Allen has made 17 appearances with two starts while recording 293 minutes with one assist in all competitions. That includes 11 NWSL regular season appearances, three Challenge Cup appearances, and three NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup appearances. Her assist came in this year’s season opener in a 2-2 draw against Racing Louisville when she found Summer Yates for the late equalizer.
Allen has spent time with the Canadian National Team and the youth squads. The 19-year-old forward is currently at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, where she started in the team’s first two group games.
What This Means for Orlando
The Pride have two primary forwards this season in Barbra Banda and Ally Watt, with the other forwards usually being left on the bench or out of the matchday squad. Even veteran and Argentina international Mariana Larroquette has found it hard to see the field. The club views Allen as part of the future of this team, but she was unlikely to see much more time this year in the regular season or postseason.
This loan gives the 19-year-old an opportunity to see first-team minutes at a high level, as the USL Super League is a first division league. The team was already heavy on forwards, resulting in the waiving of rookie Alex Kerr on Aug. 29. This move clears more space at the position while stating that Allen is part of the future of the team.
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