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Orlando Pride vs. Sky Blue FC: Final Score 1-1 as Pride Can’t Hold Late Lead

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7 years ago

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The Orlando Pride played perhaps their best game of the season but old problems resurfaced to prevent a win in a 1-1 draw against Sky Blue in front of 8,314 fans at Red Bull Arena. Shelina Zadorsky gave the Pride an early lead that served as the game’s only goal until Carli Lloyd’s unchallenged header off a corner kick cross leveled the game late in the 88th minute.

The Pride (4-15-3, 15 points) ended up undefeated against Sky Blue (5-13-5, 20 points) on the season, finishing with two wins and a draw against the New Jersey side. Unfortunately (or fortunately if you want the top overall draft pick), it will make things difficult for Orlando to avoid finishing in dead last place in the NWSL in 2019. The Pride have two remaining home matches to Sky Blue’s one match, but trail eighth place by five points.

Marta returned to the lineup for Marc Skinner on the forward line, with Rachel Hill and Claire Emslie. Joanna Boyles, Marisa Viggiano, and Alanna Kennedy made up the midfield. Kristen Edmonds started at right back, making her 100th NWSL appearance alongside back line teammates Ali Krieger, Zadorsky, and Carson Pickett. Ashlyn Harris started in goal. Sydney Leroux made the 18 in her return from maternity leave.

The Pride started the match on the front foot and were dominant in the game’s first 20 minutes, out-shooting Sky Blue 9-1 in that span. Jo Boyles started things five minutes in with a shot from distance that trickled in easily for Kailen Sheridan to grab. Two minutes later, Viggiano made a nice turn and run into the Sky Blue penalty area, firing a shot that took a slight deflection and bounced off of the top of the crossbar.

Sky Blue cleared the set piece but Marta stole the ball on the left just outside the area and sent a left-footed shot just inches wide of the right post. In the ninth minute Hill sent a shot just wide to the left from outside the box. Sheridan was forced into a good diving save in the 10th minute to keep out Marta’s near-post effort.

Viggiano was one of Orlando’s best players in the first half, linking up well with her teammates, helping win back the ball from Sky Blue, and earning a dangerous set piece chance in the 13th minute. Zadorsky headed Emslie’s set piece cross just wide on the ensuing free kick.

Kennedy fired wide in the 15th minute from outside the area as the Pride continued to fire shots toward Sheridan’s net. In the 17th minute, Edmonds won a free kick near the right corner of the penalty area and it led to the opening goal. Emslie provided the service and it fell to the ground near the back post where Zadorsky swept it home for her first ever NWSL goal in the 18th minute.

Sky Blue looked to regroup after the goal and started building more patiently from the back, being more deliberate with the ball and keeping more possession, although it didn’t lead to many opportunities. The hosts were able to gain more confidence and stem the tide of Orlando chances by passing the ball more accurately and safely around their own half.

Still, Hill was able to win a free kick in a dangerous spot in the 27th minute. Emslie’s service was knocked down by the defense just behind the onrushing Krieger.

Sky Blue got their first transition opportunity in the 30th minute but Edmonds and Krieger combined to block a shot by Jennifer Hoy. Moments later, Marta stole the ball just outside the area and fired over the bar. Sky Blue came right back down the field and Paige Monaghan fired wide from long distance in the 32nd minute. A minute after that, Imani Dorsey sent in a cross that hit Lloyd and bounced toward goal but Harris got over to grab it.

Emslie sent in a deadly cross in the 40th minute that was just inches in front of Kennedy, who only needed the slightest touch to send it home.

Marta, making her first appearance since before the August FIFA break, nearly doubled the Pride’s lead in first-half stoppage time. Emslie won a free kick just outside the area after a hard challenge from behind by Dorsey. Marta took the set piece and curled a shot toward the upper 90 that didn’t quite bend enough and it smashed off the crossbar.

Although it didn’t take an inordinate amount of time for Marta to line up and take the free kick, for some reason the referee allowed quite a bit of play afterward — a theme that ended up repeating at the end of normal time as well. As a result, the hosts nearly — and should have — leveled in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage. Dorsey sent in a cross for Hoy who muffed her wide-open header and knocked it well over the bar just before the halftime whistle finally came.

Sky Blue saw more of the ball after the break and looked much more dangerous. The Pride started to get nervous in their own end as they’ve done throughout the season, gifting balls back to the opposition, failing to link up with teammates due to errant passes, and failing to deal sufficiently with routine balls into the area.

This resulted in more corner kicks for Sky Blue, and almost all of them seemed dangerous. The first warning bell of the half sounded after a corner was awarded in the 52nd minute and the cross in was headed by Boyles onto her own crossbar. In the 55th minute, an unmarked Lloyd sent a free header over the bar that she should have put on frame.

Viggiano sent a shot over the bar in the 58th when she had a teammate breaking through the defense. It was a mistake by the rookie in an otherwise solid game. Hill got into the box on a turnover seconds later but before she could shoot from about the penalty spot she stumbled and the chance evaporated.

In the 64th minute a good ball over the top found Hill who fired just wide as the Pride continued to squander opportunities to kill the game off.

A minute later Viggiano gave Hill another perfect ball. This time Hill scored but the flag was up for offside. Obviously the broadcast often doesn’t give a good view of the entire field but it appeared Hill needed to run past at least two Sky Blue defenders to get onto the ball and no good replay was shown, so whether the call was right or not…well, I can’t tell you. Hill didn’t argue it much so she must have thought so.

Marta stole another pass in the 68th minute and spied Sheridan off her line. She tried a shot from distance but didn’t elevate it and it was no trouble for Sky Blue’s goalkeeper. Moments later, Marta cut back a pass for Emslie at the top of the area and the Scottish international missed just wide on another wasted chance. A minute later, Marta again picked out Emslie — this time with a good ball over the top. Emslie brought it down and fired but the shot was blocked by Erica Skroski.

Harris parried away a Lloyd chance at the near post in the 76th minute as the hosts continued to press for an equalizer. Three minutes later, Pickett headed down an aerial ball perfectly for Sky Blue to start the transition but Monaghan sent a shot or a cross wide of goal.

Skinner put Camila in for Emslie and brought on Leroux for Viggiano. It was Leroux’s first appearance since Sept. 8, 2018. Neither sub made much of an impact on the game, except to waste a few precious seconds late. It wasn’t enough, as Sky Blue equalized just two minutes after Leroux was introduced. Lloyd was again free on a corner kick and this time the USWNT star didn’t miss, beating Harris to the far corner late in the 88th minute. Pickett — perhaps not the best player to be marking Lloyd — allowed the U.S. international to get inside of her and, like earlier, Kennedy tried to play the ball in the air rather than putting a body on the Sky Blue striker.

That was just about it, although Zadorsky fired a weak shot in easily for Sheridan to handle in the 90th minute on the recycle of a set piece. Lloyd then nearly won it for Sky Blue in the fifth (nearly sixth) minute of stoppage time of a game that was set to have three additional minutes and only a 45-second delay in getting Hill subbed off for Abby Elinski slowed the play after normal time had expired.

Harris came off her line to smother the initial shot and then knocked it aside as Elizabeth Eddy bundled over her. Harris knocked Eddy over on the play, which could have drawn a late penalty, but a foul had already been given for contact on the goalkeeper. Either way, it was nearly three minutes after the stated added time and it prevented an even worse fate for the Pride.

The Pride led in shots (17-16), shots on goal (5-2), possession (50.1%-49.9%), and passing accuracy (82.4%-76.7%) but managed to let the late lead slip away. Orlando was out-shot 15-8 after Zadorsky’s goal but the Pride got numerous quality chances and simply couldn’t put any of them away. That was obviously compounded by continued weak defending on set pieces. Lloyd is a great player but there’s no good reason not to ensure she’s marked on set pieces.

In the end, the Pride dropped two more points by allowing their 14th goal conceded after the 75th minute this season.

Next up for the Pride is a home date with the Washington Spirit next Saturday in a makeup game of a match that was postponed due to Hurricane Dorian’s approach.

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Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Final Score 3-1 as Banda Brace Leads Pride to Victory

Barbra Banda bags a brace and an assist but goes down injured late in the victory.

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3 days ago

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May 29, 2026

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Image of Barbra Banda celebrating her goal against Bay FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

After dropping two games to expansion teams and stealing a win in San Diego, the Orlando Pride looked to enter the summer break on a good note. The Pride (5-5-2, 17 points) had never lost to Bay FC (3-6-2, 11 points) and used a second-half burst to maintain that winning record and won 3-1 at Inter&Co Stadium.

Barbra Banda opened the scoring in the fourth minute and followed it up in the 51st minute with her second. She added an assist to Cori Dyke in the 55th minute to close out the Pride scoring. Caroline Conti scored the lone Bay FC goal at the seven-minute mark.

“No better gift than a 3-1 victory at home in front of our fans,” Pride Head Coach (and birthday boy) Seb Hines said after the game. “It feels good that we’re ending this period on a high. I think it’s the first time this season we’ve got back-to-back victories.”

The Pride made one change in the lineup, giving Kerry Abello her first start of the season over Julie Doyle. Anna Moorhouse started in goal with Abello, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Oihane on defense. Haley McCutcheon and Ally Lemos played midfield in front of them with Mace, Luana, and Nicole Payne attacking from the midfield. Banda and her leading-leading nine goals played alone up top.

After an hour weather delay, the Pride went with the in-vogue start these days by kicking the ball straight out of bounds deep on the start and pressing high. It led to an opening three minutes of play in which the Pride kept the pressure up and forced the ball to stay on the Bay FC side. In the fourth minute, Luana headed a ball towards the center which Banda controlled, bodied Bay FC’s Joelle Anderson off the ball, and slotted the opening goal with her left foot.

Bay FC fought right back in the seventh minute as the visitors didn’t have to fight through the press off their kickoff. Claire Hutton crossed the ball into the box, Abello deflected it wide but there was no Pride defender there and it fell to Caroline Conti. Abello tried to fight all the way over but Conti was able to put it past Moorhouse before any help arrived.

The entire back line got pulled to the right on the play and Mace could not get back to help out wide.

“Hailie Mace came into NWSL as a winger. She’s got some tendencies that fit a winger profile. We knew Bay FC had a high back line. How do we get behind that back line? Having someone to support Barbra and not just Nicole but add in another player who can get into the attack,” Hines said regarding the switch.

In the 16th minute, Rachael Kundananji beat Oihane and crossed the ball to Hannah Bebar, who headed it into the net, but Cristiana Girelli was in an offside position threatening the goal, so the assistant referee ruled that it put Moorhouse off enough to interfere with the play.

The teams settled down a bit and traded possession until the 27th minute when Oihane centered the ball to Payne, who scuffed the shot high. One minute later, Luana sent a through ball for Banda to run onto and she went down in the box in a collision with Brooklyn Courtnall. It was fairly evident, however, that Banda got her leg into Courtnall’s to either try to control the ball or draw a foul, and the referee, Jaclyn Metz, saw it the same way.

In the 33rd minute, Oihane was subbed out for Hannah Anderson. Oihane had been laboring a little and may have picked up a knock somewhere.

The Pride couldn’t re-establish the high press so they turned into a lot of possession by Bay FC. Any attack by the Pride ended in a turnover off a bad pass or ill-conceived long shots as Orlando’s attackers were impatient in building play. Turnover after turnover plagued the Pride for the remainder of the half as they did not threaten at all until the 45th minute, when Banda took on Maddie Moreau and Kundananji, shook them both loose, and then crossed the ball into an empty area at the back post with no one to finish.

It was a fitting final piece of sound and fury, signifying nothing, as the half wrapped without any plays of interest. The Pride weren’t able to lead any of the statistics, tying Bay FC in shots (4-4), while Bay FC led in shots on target (3-1), possession (53%-47%), and passing accuracy (85%-83%). Neither team was able to force a corner in the first half.

To start the second half, Hines subbed in Summer Yates for Abello, which pushed Mace back to the back line. In the 48th minute, Kundananji got behind when Anderson got caught out and was sizing up a one-on-one with Moorhouse. Dyke hustled back and blocked the shot.

“We started the game super strong, super intense, but I think we fell off towards the end of that first half,” Dyke said. “We got a little too stretched between the lines and weren’t getting enough pressure on the ball and we talked about that at halftime. We needed to stay more compact and then pick our moments to go.”

Go they did. Three minutes later, Yates sent a through ball angled behind Banda which allowed her to run onto the ball unopposed. She beat goalkeeper Emmie Allen, who came out of the box aggressively to defend, and then passed the ball into the net in the 51st minute.

Four minutes later, Banda pressured Allen, forcing the goalkeeper into a clearance out of play. On the ensuing throw-in, Banda held off Bebar in the box, spun, and crossed the ball to Dyke, who put the ball in off the crossbar. The ability of the Pride to retain possession and work the ball in against a lesser opponent opened up the scoring and turned the game on its head.

Bay FC didn’t have a lot to do over the next stretch of time and Taylor Huff went down with an injury in the 61st minute, prompting a change as she was subbed out for Karlie Lema. Dorian Bailey came on for Joelle Anderson in the same stoppage but at the 62nd minute.

The teams went back and forth for a bit until the Pride drew a corner in the 71st minute. It deflected off a Bay FC defender and fell to Rafaelle at the far post, who headed it just wide. Three minutes later, Jacquie Ovalle and Zara Chavoshi wrapped up the Pride substitutions by coming in for Payne and Mace. Bay FC also took the stoppage in the 74th minute to sub two players in, bringing on Keria Barry and Onyeka Gamero for Kundananji and Girelli.

Unfortunately, in the 81st minute, Banda was dribbling down the left side when she pulled up lame and went to the ground off the pitch. She stayed there until tended to and was obviously upset. We’ll have to wait for any injury news on her. Bay FC made its final substitution in the ensuing stoppage in the 82nd minute, bringing on Kelli Hubly for Conti.

The injury to Banda left the Pride playing with only 10 players for the remaining 15 minutes (including added time) due to using up all three substitution windows. They stayed fairly solid in defense and played a lot of keep-away ball to see out the victory while playing short.

“A great way to finish this part of the season with a win at home. I think we were consistent today and we took the chances we created,” Luana said. “We’ve been having highs and lows in this part of the season but we bounced back in these two wins and it brought us a lot of confidence.”

Orlando City was ahead in the only stat that matters, goals, but trailed in every other major stat. Bay FC finished ahead in shots (14-8), shots on target (5-4), possession (54%-46%), passing accuracy (85%-84%), and corners (4-1).

The Orlando Pride now will be off until early July for the NWSL World Cup break. The next match is scheduled for July 3 in Los Angeles against Angel City FC.

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

The Pride return home to face Bay FC in their final game before the FIFA World Cup break.

Published

3 days ago

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May 29, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to your preview and match thread as the Orlando Pride (4-5-2, 14 points) return home from a three-game road trip to take on Bay FC (3-5-2, 11 points). This is the first of two meetings between the two teams with the return game scheduled for Sept. 27 in San Jose.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

History

Bay FC is one of two expansion teams that entered the NWSL for the 2024 season. The teams have met four times, with the Pride holding a 3-0-1 record and a 1-0-1 mark at home in the series.

The most recent meeting took place on Sept. 13, 2025, in Orlando. The visitors took the lead just before halftime when Racheal Kundananji headed in a long pass by Caprice Dydasco. The Pride equalized in the second half, when Ally Watt headed a Jacquie Ovalle cross past Jordan Silkowitz to claim a 1-1 draw.

On June 13 of last year in San Jose, CA, Bay FC led almost every statistical category, but the Pride defense held strong until Barbra Banda scored shortly after halftime. The Pride withstood attack after attack, coming away with a hard-fought 1-0 win.

The teams met twice in 2024, with the first-ever game between the clubs occurring on May 11. Just prior to the half-hour mark, Banda dribbled inside and Deyna Castellanos attempted an ill-advised challenge, resulting in a foul in the box and a Pride penalty. Adriana put the ball into the bottom left corner for the only goal, lifting the Pride to a 1-0 win. It was the sixth win in an NWSL-record, eight-game win streak.

The teams met for the second time on Sept. 20, 2024. It looked like the game might be headed for a scoreless draw until Banda got her head on the end of a Carson Pickett cross, redirecting it past Katelyn Rowland to give the Pride the 1-0 win.

Overview

The Pride return home tonight after a difficult road trip that saw the team fall 2-1 to Boston Legacy FC and 3-1 to Denver Summit FC. Having already lost to both expansion teams, they headed west to face San Diego Wave FC, a team near the top of the standings. But Nicole Payne’s first professional goal lifted Orlando to a 1-0 win.

Despite not scoring in two of the last three games, Banda still leads the league with nine goals in 10 games this season. She has a two-goal lead on Ashley Sanchez, who is second in the league. Haley McCutcheon is the only other Pride player with multiple goals, scoring twice in the same game. Ovalle, Marta, and Hannah Anderson have the team’s other three goals. The assists have been spread out much more evenly with Ovalle, McCutcheon, and Rafaelle all sharing the team lead with two.

The clean sheet against San Diego was big for the back line as the team has conceded too many goals recently. Dating back to their 3-2 loss to Racing Louisville FC on April 24, the Pride have conceded multiple goals in four of the last six games. The only other game in which they didn’t concede at least twice was a 1-0 win over the North Carolina Courage on May 8, their last home game.

Tonight is the Pride’s last game before the league breaks for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After the game, they won’t play again until July 3 and won’t play at home until July 10. That makes getting a quality result tonight essential for momentum going through the remainder of the season.

If you’re looking for a team to win against, Bay FC is one of the most likely candidates. The Bay -area side sits 13th in the NWSL on 11 points, just four points ahead of Louisville for last place. Tonight’s visitors are currently on a four-game winless run (0-2-2) and a two-game losing streak. Their last win was a 1-0 victory against San Diego on May 3. The club’s most recent games are a 2-0 loss to Portland Thorns FC on May 20 and a 1-0 loss to Chicago Stars FC on May 24.

Bay FC has struggled this year on both ends of the field. Its eight goals are second fewest in the league and Bay is one of three teams with single-digit goals this year. Meanwhile, the team’s 14 goals conceded are sixth in the league. The California side has been better defensively overall than the Pride, who have conceded 16 goals, but worse offensively, as the Pride have scored 15 goals so far this year.

Bay FC has been led in the attack by Alex Pfeiffer and Dorian Bailey with two goals each. Kundananji, Taylor Huff, Keira Barry, and Joelle Anderson have one apiece. Pfeiffer also leads the team in assists with two, tied with Cristina Girelli. Huff and Sydney Collins are the only other players with assists this season.

It should help the Pride tonight that Bay FC will be missing two key players. Silkowitz and starting center back Aldana Cometti were sent off against Chicago Sunday, meaning they’ll miss tonight’s game.

However, the Pride have their own key absences. In addition to injuries that have accumulated this season, Angelina was handed an additional game’s suspension after being sent off on May 16 for pulling Delanie Sheehan’s hair.

“We’re looking forward to it. Looking forward to being back home,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “It’s been a long road trip. Excited to get in front of our own fans. Want to create that atmosphere, make it hostile for Bay FC. We know it’s a quick turnaround for both teams as well, so we want to make sure that we start off on the front foot, build on what we achieved last Sunday in San Diego, and finish this part of the season on a high.”

The Pride will be without Angelina (suspension), Cosette Morche (ankle), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Solai Washington (knee). Marta (thigh) and Ovalle (thigh) are listed as questionable. Bay FC will be without Cornetti (suspension), Abby Dahlkemper (maternity leave), Anouk Denton (lower leg), Dydasco (maternity leave), Heather Gilchrist (knee), Alyssa Malonson (knee), Emily Menges (maternity leave), Pfeiffer (knee), and Silkowitz (suspension).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

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

Defensive Midfielders: Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon.

Attacking Midfielders: Kerry Abello, Luana, Nicole Payne.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Zara Chavoshi, Hannah Anderson, Julie Doyle, Marta, Jacquie Ovalle, Summer Yates, Seven Castain, Simone Jackson.

Bay FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Emmie Allen.

Defenders: Sydney Collins, Joelle Anderson, Brooklyn Courtnall, Maddie Moreau.

Defensive Midfielders: Hannah Bebar, Claire Hutton.

Attacking Midfielders: Racheal Kundananji, Caroline Conti, Taylor Huff.

Forward: Cristiana Girelli.

Bench: Camryn Miller, Kelli Hubly, Jamie Shepherd, Dorian Bailey, Karlie Lema, Onyeka Gamero, Tess Boade, Keira Barry.

Referees

REF: Jaclyn Metz.
AR1: Art Arustamyan.
AR2: Adam Cook.
4TH: Edson Carvajal.
VAR: Anya Voigt.
AVAR: Katarzyna Wasiak.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: None.

Streaming: NWSL+.

Social Media: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @themaneland.bsky.social on Bluesky and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter (@ORLPride) or Bluesky (@orlpride.com) feed.

Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

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Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Pride need to do to earn all three points against Bay FC?

Published

4 days ago

on

May 28, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

The Orlando Pride welcome Bay FC to Inter&Co Stadium this Friday night for the last match before the World Cup break. This is an opportunity to get a win over a team lower in the table and move up in the standings. What must the Pride do to earn all three points against Bay FC this weekend?

Keep the Chip

I have been asking all season on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for the Pride to play with the chip on their shoulder that they had when they won the double in 2024. We saw that against the San Diego Wave. My hope is that the players have now remembered what that feels like and will execute with the same level of intensity going forward.

The task is potentially a little easier against Bay FC, as the California-based side has scored less than half the number of goals that the Wave have this season. Of course, that is the trap. The Pride cannot slack off against Bay FC. Having Rafaelle anchoring the defense is a big help, and moving Hailie Mace out to right back has proven effective. In 2024, this team hated — with a capital “H” — conceding goals. They took it personally. That is the passion I want again. The chip on the shoulder.

Overwhelm and Outscore

As I mentioned above, Bay FC is not a prolific scoring team. Friday’s visitors have also given up 14 goals this season. That’s not the best or the worst in the league, but they haven’t faced Barbra Banda yet. The Orlando Pride don’t have any trouble creating chances, but they have had trouble getting anyone other than Banda to finish them this season. Banda leads the league in goals, and she has an opportunity to maintain or extend that lead against Bay FC.

What will truly make the difference for the Pride against Bay FC is if any of the other players can contribute a goal. We saw the space that Banda can provide her teammates when Nicole Payne scored her first goal against San Diego. Now I want other players to take advantage of that space to provide some goals for the Pride.

More Luana

Luana got her first start since coming back to the squad cancer-free. I think we’ve forgotten that she was a starter on the 2024 squad before her Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis. She was a starter on a team that won the double. Now she is back and she is a leader and an inspiration for her fellow players.

Given Marta’s limited minutes, having Luana out there as a stabilizing presence is important. Obviously, she brings a different skill set than Marta but still a critical one. Much like the defense, the midfield was better last match, and I feel she was a big part of that.

That is what I will be looking for on Friday night. The Pride can head into the World Cup break on a high with a victory. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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