Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Stars FC: Final Score 5-2 as Pride Get Thumped On The Road
The Pride played one of their worst games of the season, falling to bottom-dweller Chicago.
The Orlando Pride (8-7-4, 28 points) ended their four-game goalless run, but extended their winless streak in NWSL play to seven games, falling 5-2 to Chicago Stars FC (2-9-8, 14 points) in Evanston, IL. Sam Staab, Jameese Joseph, Bea Franklin, Julia Grosso, and Lumila were the scorers for the Stars and Carson Pickett and Haley McCutcheon netted goals for the Pride.
The seven games without a win is the club’s worst run since late summer of 2019 and present a worrying sign that last year’s champions may be headed out of the playoff spots by the end of the 2025 season.
With vice-captain Kylie Nadaner out due to an illness, the back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was Pickett, Rafaelle, Cori Dyke, and Emily Sams. McCutcheon and Angelina were in the defensive midfield behind Marta, Ally Lemos, and Oihane with Simone Charley up top.
The teams combined for only one shot on target in the first half, but both teams created chances they should have scored on. The first good chance came from Ludmila in the 11th minute, when the Chicago striker carried the ball into the Pride box. The forward had enough space between Sams and Dyke to get a shot off, but Moorhouse made the save with her legs at her near post.
Chicago had another chance in the Pride third in the 12th minute when Marta lost the ball to Franklin in her own third. The Pride captain was down for a couple minutes as she received attention but was able to continue. The ensuing set piece was too close to Moorhouse, who caught the cross.
Joseph had a dangerous chance in the 19th minute when she got behind the back line with Moorhouse way off her line. The Stars forward touched the ball around the Pride goalkeeper to get in on goal. Fortunately, Rafaelle did well to win it back in the box, clearing the ball out of play.
Marta sent a cross to the near post in the 23rd minute that appeared to be handled by Naeher. But the goalkeeper fumbled it over the end line for a corner kick. The ensuing set piece bounced around before falling to Charley from close distance, but the attacker sent the attempt over the crossbar.
There was a break in the action in the 27th minute when Ally Schlegel went down near midfield away from the ball. As the attacker received treatment on the sideline, the Pride created a chance when Lemos sent a cross to the back post. McCutcheon was there to get her head on the cross, but the defensive midfielder sent it wide.
The Pride created another chance in the 33rd minute when quick passing from Angelina and Sams sent Lemos to the end line. The midfielder sent a dangerous ball across the face of the goal that got past Naeher with McCutcheon making a back post run, but McCutcheon couldn’t get on the end of the cross, missing another chance to end the team’s goalless drought.
In the 37th minute, Pickett found Charley near the penalty spot. The attacker won the ball, but her header was wide. Marta nearly broke the Pride’s scoring drought in the 43rd minute from the left side of the box. The Pride captain fired for the far post, sending it past Naeher. The shot was inches from going in but went wide instead.
It looked like the Stars took the lead in the first minute of first-half stoppage time when Schlegel sent Joseph down the right. The attacker found Ludmila behind the back line at the far post and Chicago’s most threatening attacker tapped it in, but the flag went up for an obvious offside on the initial ball, saving the Pride from going behind.
The final chance of the first half came from the hosts in the dying seconds. Kathrin Hendrich carried the ball forward from her center back position and found Schlegel beyond midfield. Rafaelle stepped up to the challenge but couldn’t win the ball.
The Stars had a four-on-three advantage, but Schlegel decided to take it herself. The attacking midfielder fired from the top of the box, sending her attempt wide.
That was the last first-half chance for either team as the game reached halftime scoreless. It was a close half, with the Stars having the advantage in possession (56%-44%), shots (8-6), shots on target (1-0), corner kicks (2-1), and passing accuracy (81%-79%). The Pride had more crosses (14-3).
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes at halftime, replacing Charley and Oihane with Jacquie Ovalle and Julie Doyle. It was Ovalle’s first appearance for the team after arriving for a world-record transfer fee.
“She’s a quality player,” Hines said of Ovalle. “She came in at halftime. Obviously hasn’t been integrated with the team for too long. But you can see her quality and what she can bring. This was just the starting point, and hopefully she can play more minutes for the rest of the year.”
It didn’t take long for the hosts to take the advantage, doing so just five minutes into the second half. It started when Ludmila was taken down by Rafaelle near the top of the Pride box, drawing a yellow card. Staab stood over the set piece, sending the ball over the wall and into the top corner to give Chicago the 1-0 lead.
Chicago nearly doubled its lead in the 52nd minute when Grosso sent a low cross into the box. Dyke tried to clear the ball, but it popped up on her, allowing Schlegel to get her head to it. Fortunately, she put it off the crossbar and the Pride were able to clear.
The Pride took advantage of the miss, equalizing in the 53rd minute. Marta found McCutcheon on the left, approaching the end line. The defensive midfielder quickly played the ball to Pickett in the box and the left back chipped the ball over Naeher and into the far corner to even the game at 1-1.
Unfortunately, the Stars responded just a minute later. Receiving the ball on the right from Grosso, Joseph used quick feet to beat Pickett and cleared herself room to take a shot. The forward sent her low, hard attempt behind Moorhouse and into the far corner to give Chicago a 2-1 lead.
It looked like the Stars might extend their lead in the 56th minute when Joseph played a long, low ball to Ludmila on the right and behind the Pride back line. Rather than shooting, the striker attempted to dribble around Moorhouse. It was a mistake as the Pride goalkeeper did well to take the ball off her foot, keeping the deficit at one.
Marta had a chance to equalize in the 59th minute when she received a short pass from McCutcheon and split a pair of defenders. The attacker fired from inside the box, but Naeher was there to block it away.
The hosts extended their lead in the 65th minute and Ludmila was at the center of it again. This time it was a clear defensive mistake as McCutcheon lost track of Bea Franklin. As the cross came in, Franklin entered the six-yard box while McCutcheon stood flat-footed. It was a simple header from Franklin and not much Moorhouse could do as the hosts took a 3-1 lead.
In the 69th minute, the Stars’ lead grew. A long ball out of the back was over Ludmila to Grosso. Sams got her foot to the ball but couldn’t control it. Grosso took possession, dribbled around Dyke, and put it in to make it a 4-1 game.
Immediately after the goal, Hines made his third change of the game, sending Watt on for Lemos.
It looked like the Pride were dead in the water, but they didn’t give up. Doyle received a pass from Sams on the right in the 72nd minute and sent a dangerous ball into the six-yard box. McCutcheon beat the defenders to the ball, tapping it in to make it a 4-2 game.
“I just started driving at my outside back and saw that she was square, and saw that they had a very high line defensively and there was some space for the corridor,” Doyle said. “Haley, and there was even other runners that were doing such a good job of being there when the ball got there. So, really proud of Haley for scoring that goal.”
Ludmila sent Joseph behind the Pride back line just moments later, looking to respond. The forward took a shot before Rafaelle could catch up to her, but she sent the attempt over the crossbar in the 73rd minute.
Hines made his final two changes in the 76th minute as Luana and Summer Yates entered the fray for Pickett and Marta.
Ludmila played a great ball into the Pride box, sending Nadia Gomes behind the Pride back line in the 82nd minute. Moorhouse did well to come off her line, cutting down the angle and making the stop.
On the other end, Ovalle sent a cross to the near post where Watt was making a run. The forward was able to volley the ball on target, but the attempt was right to Naeher.
The back-and-forth battle continued a minute later when Joseph got behind the Pride back line. Moorhouse again came up big, making the stop with her legs to keep the deficit at two goals.
The Stars put the game away in the 89th minute when Grosso played Gomes forward on the left. The substitute’s cross to the back post found Ludmila, who attempted to volley the ball on goal. It wasn’t a clean hit, but she was able to knock the ball past Moorhouse and over the goal line to make it 5-2.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Leilanni Nesbeth took down Yates just outside the box, earning a yellow card. Luana sent the free kick into the six-yard box, but it was cleared away for a corner kick. The set piece found Rafaelle’s head near the penalty spot, but her header was into Naeher’s arms, ending the threat.
The final chance came in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Ovalle was pulled down entering the Chicago third of the field. Luana’s free kick found McCutcheon’s head, but the attempt went over the crossbar on the last play of the game.
While the possession was even and both teams completed 81% of their passes, Chicago had more shots (19-13), shots on target (8-5), and corner kicks (3-2). The Pride had more crosses (26-8).
“Disappointing result,” Hines said. “Credit to Chicago, they executed in the final third. And we move on. We’ll reflect, we’ll review. Apologize to the fans that were watching at home. Apologize to the fans that were here with their support. That wasn’t us today and we have to get it right. We have to stick together. We have to be a collective and move onto the next game.”
“It’s brutal to lose like that,” Doyle added. “There’s obviously some positives. I really feel like we did give it our 100%. We left everything out there. It’s tough when you’re down a goal. It’s the risk that you take when you’re pressing. And I think every single time we went down, we wanted to risk and we didn’t want to lose today. So we were sending numbers forward and they just caught us on that transition and that’s what got us.”
The Pride’s winless streak dates back to a 2-0 loss to Racing Louisville on June 20. They’ve yet to win a game since the end of the summer break. Making matters worse, this was only Chicago’s second win of the season, ending the Stars’ 14-game winless run since April.
The Pride return home Saturday, when they’ll face Bay FC.
Orlando Pride
SkoPurp Soccer Episode 132: North Carolina Rewind, Louisville Preview, and More
The Pride hit a new low for 2026 and must regroup for the upcoming Racing Louisville match.
Just when you think the Orlando Pride have bottomed out and things might start to turn around, the team shows you there’s a new, lower level possible. The Pride played an apathetic and inept brand of soccer on the road against a struggling North Carolina Courage team, which put Orlando on full blast. The 5-0 loss could have been even worse, and the attack rarely created much threat for the Courage back line to deal with. If this is what life is like without Barbra Banda, the Pride are literally a one-player team, and that’s simply not good enough.
We look back at a lopsided loss for as long as we could bear it, checked our score predictions, deferred our selections for Player of the Match to any fan who sat through the entire game, and pondered what the club’s general manager is doing, whether the players have tuned out Head Coach Seb Hines, and what exactly the plan is to fix the mess that the 2024 double winners have quickly become.
This week’s mailbagbox is understandably bitter and cynical, although we did get to reminisce about shopping for school supplies and Trapper Keepers. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We’d also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we’ll find them easily and read them on the show.
Finally, we looked ahead to Friday’s home game against Racing Louisville. Both of your hosts will be in the stadium as fans for that one (our first time seeing a match together), and we’re curious whether Orlando will show some…err…pride…after such a dreadful showing at North Carolina. We look at the series history, the teams’ relative positions in the standings, and who has been creating danger for Louisville. Then we provide our key matchups and score predictions.
If you’d like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we’d love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.
Here’s how Episode 132 went down:
0:15 – The Pride were awful on Friday against the Courage.
14:40 – The mailbagbox has had it.
33:47 – Orlando prepares for Racing Louisville at home.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Final Score 5-0 as Pride Destroyed Away From Home
The Pride lost their third in four games as they were dominated by the North Carolina Courage.
The Orlando Pride (7-9-2, 23 points) were completely outplayed by the North Carolina Courage (7-6-3, 24 points) tonight in Cary, NC, falling 5-0. Evelyn Ijeh led the way with a hat trick while Lauryn Thompson and Ashley Sanchez added to the scoring.
Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made one change to the team that beat Chicago Stars FC 1-0 on July 24. Rafaelle entered the lineup, replacing Kerry Abello.
The back line in front of Anna Moorhouse was Cori Dyke, Rafaelle, Zara Chavoshi, and Oihane. Ally Lemos and Angelina were the defensive midfielders behind Jacquie Ovalle, Haley McCutcheon, and Solai Washington, with Marta up top.
This game felt like it was over shortly after it started. The Courage took the lead in the fourth minute and could’ve been up 3-0 after 15 minutes. They added goals in the 26th and 35th minutes, taking a 3-0 lead into halftime. The rest of the game was a formality, with the hosts adding two second-half goals to increase their goal difference.
The Courage got off to a quick start, converting in the fourth minute after Erica Meg Parkinson sent a long ball into the Pride third. Dyke tripped as she attempted to clear the ball, allowing Thompson to take possession and beat Moorhouse for the opening goal.
The hosts continued on the attack, creating several good chances. In the sixth minute, Sanchez sent a ball behind the back line and into the box for Thompson, but it was too close to Moorhouse. Two minutes later, Riley Jackson took a shot from outside of the box that Moorhouse pushed wide.
Angelina was pushed off the ball in the eighth minute, allowing the Courage to break the other way. Ijeh played the ball wide for Sanchez, who lifted it to the back post. Jackson was making a run with Rafaelle on her hip, and neither was able to get on the end of the ball. It bounced off the pair, going right to Ijeh at the top of the six-yard box. The striker’s first touch was a shot that Moorhouse got her right foot to, keeping the deficit at one.
A long ball across the box by Washington in the 16th minute found Ovalle before it crossed the end line. The midfielder beat her defender and tried to find Lemos in front of the goal. However, Natalie Jacobs got a foot in to knock it away.
The Pride kept possession, and Oihane attempted a ball into the box that Sanchez blocked out of play. The ensuing set piece by Lemos was short to Ovalle, who found Marta further central. The Brazilian used a nice touch to get past Sanchez before taking a shot that sailed over the target.
A poor pass by Chavoshi in the 25th minute was collected by Riley, sending the Courage the other way. The attacker found Thompson making an overlapping run. Fortunately, she was leaning back on her shot, sending it off target.
A minute later, North Carolina doubled its advantage. Sanchez dribbled inside at the top of the box before cutting back and playing it wide left. Rauch backheeled the ball for Parkinson making a run towards the end line, playing it to Sanchez near the penalty spot. The attacker’s shot was deflected by Chavoshi, going to Rafaelle and Ijeh. The striker got her leg to the ball, redirecting it past Moorhouse to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.
Oihane blocked a Thompson cross in the 28th minute, giving the Courage a corner kick. It was taken short to Jackson, whose long-distance shot was over the target.
The Pride almost had a shot on target in the 29th minute when McCutcheon played the ball back for Marta. It initially appeared as though Marta would shoot, but she rolled it back to Angelina instead. The midfielder’s first-touch attempt was deflected by Jackson and landed on top of the net.
The ensuing corner kick found Marta outside of the box. The Pride captain lifted the ball into the six that Chavoshi tried to redirect on goal. The center back couldn’t get anything on it, but the ball went to Washington. Thompson blocked her shot, and the Pride was unable to create anything from two more corner kicks.
Sanchez made a strong run into the Pride box in the 35th minute, splitting Chavoshi and Oihane to get a shot off. Rafaelle got to the ball, but her touch was too far away, allowing Sanchez to get another chance. Rafaelle did well to get back to her feet and block the follow-up attempt.
Seconds later, North Carolina scored a third. As the Pride attempted to play out of the back, Rafaelle sent a weak ball to Dyke that was intercepted by Thompson. The attacker found Ijeh in the box, who spun to beat Chavoshi before playing it past Moorhouse to make it 3-0.
A Lemos chip forward down the right for Washington in the 43rd minute was headed over the end line by Rauch, giving the Pride a corner kick. The ensuing set piece was headed out to Marta, who attempted a volley from outside of the box. However, the Brazilian mishit the ball, sending it well wide of the target.
Washington took her defender to the end line in the second minute of stoppage time before sending a low cross into the six-yard box. Maycee Bell cleared it but only to Lemos at the top of the box. The midfielder didn’t get a lot on the ball, but she put it on target, forcing Sheridan to dive to her right and tip it wide. It was the Pride’s first shot on target.
The Pride had more possession (54%-46%) and corner kicks (9-2) in the first half, but North Carolina dominated the period. The Courage had more shots (10-7) and shots on target (5-1), taking a commanding 3-0 lead into the break.
Hines made one change during halftime as Hailie Mace came on for Rafaelle. Dyke moved from right back to center back — partnering Chavoshi — and Mace took over on the right.
The first chance of the second half came in the 56th minute, when McCutcheon brought down a short clearance by Williams. Carly Wickenheiser — who entered for an injured Shinomi Koyama in the 53rd minute — took out McCutcheon from behind, giving the Pride a free kick.
Lemos and Ovalle stood over the ball, with Lemos taking the set piece and going for goal. However, she couldn’t get over the ball, sending her attempt over the target.
The Pride created another chance in the 62nd minute when Marta made a strong diagonal run into the North Carolina box. She played it to the left for McCutcheon, whose shot was wide of the near post.
In the 63rd minute, Marta and Rauch collided, resulting in a head injury to the Pride captain. The Pride players surrounded her as she received attention, shielding the view of the cameras. Eventually, she got up and walked off the field on her own, holding a bandage to her forehead.
The injury forced Hines to make a concussion substitution, replacing Marta with Summer Yates. The injury and change meant both teams would receive a sixth substitution, and the Pride didn’t use a substitution window.
Shortly after play resumed, the Courage scored their fourth goal of the night. Rauch played the ball to the left, where Sanchez sent a cross into the box for Ijeh and Thompson making runs. Dyke got her foot to the ball first, knocking it off the far post. Unfortunately, the rebound went right to Ijeh, who scored her third goal of the night and gave the Courage a 4-0 lead.
Immediately after the goal, Julie Doyle — who Hines seemingly wanted to bring on with Yates — entered the game, replacing Washington.
Hines made another change in the 75th minute as Simone Jackson came on for Ovalle.
The Courage created a chance in the 76th minute when Ally Schlegel flicked on a throw-in for Ijeh. The striker found Parkinson, who used a touch to create space from Chavoshi and fired a shot that went just over the crossbar.
An injury to Jacobs in the 82nd minute allowed Hines to make his final two substitutions. Zoe Matthews and Luana came on for Angelina and Lemos. It was a Pride debut for the 19-year-old Matthews, who signed for the Pride on July 16.
“Obviously, I was nervous, really, really nervous, but really excited,” Matthews said about her debut. “Obviously, it was, again, not what we wanted, but I wanted to get in there, do my best, and hopefully just get out there and do something better.”
“It happened sooner than we would’ve wanted to. We needed her to get up to speed, but we needed options off the bench,” Hines said about playing the teenager. “And we felt Zoe was an option off the bench.”
Schlegel headed out a Mace throw-in in the 84th minute, but McCutcheon charged in and chested the ball down. The midfielder fired a low shot from just outside of the box, forcing Sheridan to get down to make the stop.
Seconds later, the Courage came close to a fifth when Sanchez created some space from Oihane and lifted the ball to the top of the six-yard box. Hannah Betfort was the first to the ball, flicking it towards the far post. Moorhouse wasn’t in position to attempt a save, but the ball went just wide.
The fourth official showed eight minutes of stoppage time and the Courage nearly scored a fifth in the first of those eight minutes. Betfort played Schlegel into the box, and the forward played a give-and-go with Jackson. Moorhouse came out to block Schlegel’s attempt with her legs, but Sanchez sprinted in from the opposite side for another shot. This time Luana got in front to block the attempt, and Chavoshi cleared it.
In the third minute, Jackson played a beautiful ball through the back line for Sanchez, who was making a run. The U.S. international was in on goal as she entered the box, spun as Oihane caught up, and calmly put the ball past Moorhouse to make it 5-0.
The final chance of the game came in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Sanchez flicked a cleared cross for Betfort. The Pride had nearly everyone forward, so it was a sprint for Betfort with only Chavoshi back. As the center back backpedaled, the forward dribbled around her before sending her shot wide.
Possession was split at full time, and the Pride had more corner kicks (10-2). But those stats don’t indicate how the game went. North Carolina had more shots (17-12), shots on target (9-2), and better passing accuracy (84%-80%) on their way to a dominating win.
“Frustrating game,” Hines said following the loss. “It’s always a tough place to come play in, but when we allow teams like North Carolina to get forward in the game. We killed ourselves in the first half with some individual errors that aren’t characteristic of us. We want to build as the game goes on, obviously. We got into some good areas, but we weren’t really threatening in those positions. Spoke to the players after the game about how we have to compete more. We have to have that intensity to everything that we do and be brave on the ball, but be clean on the ball as well. Teams like North Carolina will punish you in transition, and they did tonight.”
“Obviously not the result that we wanted, but we’ll come back stronger,” Matthews added. “Honestly, tonight wasn’t our night, but we did push through it. We have a couple of games coming up next, so they’re really important for us to win.”
This is the worst Pride loss since they fell 5-0 to the Courage on July 29, 2023, in the old version of the NWSL Challenge Cup. It’s their worst loss in league play since June 19, 2022, a 6-0 loss away to the Portland Thorns in Hines’ first game as interim head coach.
The offensive struggles continue since the World Cup break. They’ve now scored multiple goals in just one of their last six games and have been shut out in four of those six games.
The result sees the Courage jump the Pride, dropping Orlando to the eighth and final playoff spot. However, Angel City FC sits just one point back with three games in hand and plays tomorrow evening. So the Pride could end up out of the playoff positions when this weekend concludes.
The Pride have a week to brush this game off before they take the field again as they host Racing Louisville FC next Friday night.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride look to build on their win over Chicago as they travel to North Carolina to face the Courage.
Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (7-8-2, 23 points) head back out on the road to face the North Carolina Courage (6-6-3, 21 points). This is the second and final time these teams will meet during the regular season.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
The Pride and Courage have played 29 times since the Western New York Flash moved to North Carolina and became the Courage in 2017. The Pride are 7-11-3 in the all-time series in NWSL play and 7-14-8 in all competitions (0-0-2 in the Fall Series, 0-3-2 in the NWSL Challenge Cup, and 0-0-1 in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.). Orlando is 3-5-3 in North Carolina in league play and 3-7-6 in away matches against the Courage in all competitions.
The most recent meeting between the two teams took place on May 8 in Orlando. The game was scoreless just moments before stoppage time when Barbra Banda beat her defender and tucked the ball inside the far post to secure a late 1-0 win.
The first meeting in 2025 took place May 10 in Cary, NC. Feli Rauch scored in the first half to give the hosts the lead and it looked like they would hold on for all three points. But Prisca Chilufya’s equalizer in second-half stoppage time saw the game end in a 1-1 draw. On Sept. 19 in Orlando, the game appeared to be headed towards a scoreless draw until the end of normal time, when Shinomi Koyama converted to give the Courage the 1-0 win.
The first time the teams met in 2024 occurred on May 1 in Orlando. Banda set up Ally Watt for the opener in the first half, and Watt repaid the favor just over 10 minutes later, as the Pride went up 2-0. Julie Doyle added a goal just before halftime, giving the Pride a commanding lead. Emily Sams’ own goal was the only scoring for the Courage, and Banda’s second of the night gave the Pride a 4-1 win.
On June 15, 2024, the Pride were the better team with more possession, shots, and shots on target, but the game ended in a scoreless draw. While they were disappointed with the result, the Pride were the first team to take points in North Carolina in 2024. On July 20 in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup in North Carolina, Manaka Matsukubo gave the hosts the lead just before halftime before Celia equalized late for the Pride. The game went into penalties and the Courage won the shootout 5-4.
The first game between the Pride and Courage in 2023 took place April 19 in Orlando. The Pride took the lead after halftime when Summer Yates set up Watt for the opening goal, but Denise O’Sullivan equalized deep in second-half injury time in a 1-1 draw. On June 17 in North Carolina, it was all Courage. Kerolin and Meredith Speck gave the hosts a 2-0 lead before a Haley McCutcheon own goal made it 3-0 to North Carolina.
The Pride didn’t show up for the July 29 Challenge Cup contest in North Carolina, getting demolished by the Courage. Brittany Ratcliffe and Malia Berkely gave the hosts a 2-0 halftime lead before Frankie Tagliaferri made it three, and a late brace by Haley Hopkins completed the 5-0 beating. The Pride finally got a win over the Courage in 2023 on Sept. 17 at home. Watt scored inside the first minute. After assisting on the first goal, Adriana doubled the lead before halftime. Matsukubo got one back for the visitors, but the Pride won 2-1.
The first meeting in 2022 came on May 18 in North Carolina. Sydney Leroux scored early and Mikayla Cluff doubled the lead with her first professional goal. A late goal by Brianna Pinto got the Courage back within one, but the Pride took the 2-1 win. On Sept. 21, 2022, at Exploria Stadium, Debinha scored early, assisted Tess Boade in first-half injury time to double the lead, and later added another goal, dooming the Pride to a 3-0 defeat.
The Pride and Courage were placed in the same division for the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup, so the teams played twice before the regular season started. The first game took place March 26 in North Carolina. Merritt Mathias converted a penalty after Gunny Jonsdottir was called for a handball in the box, lifting the hosts to a 1-0 win. The return match in the tournament took place on April 16 in Orlando. The Courage scored three goals in the first nine minutes. Darian Jenkins netted a brace to make it 3-2, but a late Debinha goal put the game away and North Carolina won 4-2.
The teams played three times during the 2021 NWSL season. On May 22 in North Carolina, goals by Leroux and Alex Morgan gave the Pride a 2-0 lead. Jessica McDonald pulled one back late, but the Pride held on for a 2-1 win. On July 4 in Orlando, Debinha and Havana Solaun goals helped the Courage take home a 2-0 win. The final game was played July 31 in North Carolina. Leroux opened the scoring but Ratcliffe equalized moments later and the teams drew 1-1.
The two teams were also matched up in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup but they only played once in that tournament. Neither team was able to find the back of the net in a scoreless draw.
Similar to the Challenge Cup, the teams were in the same group in the 2020 Fall Series, meeting twice. The first took place Sept. 19 in North Carolina and ended in a scoreless draw. The second was held on Oct. 17 at Exploria Stadium. Led by a Debinha brace, the Courage went up 3-0. But the Pride came back with goals by Marisa Viggiano, Kristen Edmonds, and Ally Haran for an exciting 3-3 draw.
The Pride and Courage played three times during the 2019 season. The first happened on April 17 in North Carolina. The Courage took a 1-0 lead into halftime but scored four times in the second half to win 5-0. They played a second time on June 1 in Orlando. Again, it was a dominant performance by the Courage as the Pride fell 3-0. The final meeting that year was another thrashing by North Carolina as the Pride fell 6-1.
The teams also met three times in 2018. On May 23 in Orlando, goals by Alanna Kennedy and Rachel Hill saw the Pride come back from a 3-1 deficit. But McDonald scored a winner in the 90th minute and the Courage won 4-3. The Pride went down by three goals in the final two games that season, but were unable to come back and fell 3-0 in both contests.
The 2017 season saw the teams meet for the first time. The Courage took the first game 3-1 on April 29 in North Carolina. They played a second time two weeks later in Orlando when the Pride took the 3-1 win. The final meeting in 2017 came in the final game of the season on Sept. 30. Kennedy netted a late winner, leading the Pride to a 3-2 win.
Overview
The Pride are two games into the second half of the season and find themselves in a tough position. They currently sit in seventh place, one point ahead of Angel City FC for the final playoff spot.
The last two years, the team has competed for the top of the league. But this year, it’s been more like 2023, when the team was constantly fighting for a playoff spot. Coming out of the FIFA World Cup break, they lost to Angel City 2-0, followed by a 3-0 win over a red-hot Kansas City Current team at home. They followed that up with 1-0 losses to Boston Legacy FC and Utah Royals FC before beating Chicago Stars FC 1-0 a week ago tonight.
The Pride’s attack this year has largely depended on Banda. The striker leads the league with 12 goals in 15 games, three more than Temwa Chawinga and North Carolina’s Ashley Sanchez. Returning to action from the World Cup break, Banda was recovering from a thigh injury, resulting in three shutouts.
Banda departed the team following the loss to Utah for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Given the importance of the striker, the big question was where the goals would come from. And the question continued throughout the Chicago game as the Pride dominated possession and chances but couldn’t find the back of the net. That was until Doyle finally scored in the 88th minute.
The reason why the Pride were able to win that game was a stingy defense. The back line has been the team’s strength, especially since Seb Hines moved Cori Dyke to the center back position. Since then, the Pride have looked much more like they did in 2024 and 2025 when they were one of the hardest teams to score on.
While Rafaelle has struggled with minor injuries, Hannah Anderson and Zara Chavoshi have filled in well when needed. Dyke took over the left back position while Kerry Abello was out and made a strong partnership with Chavoshi when she moved back to the middle of the back line. That back line will be essential for the Pride as they play a huge game in North Carolina.
The Courage currently sit in ninth, just two points behind the Pride. A loss could see the Pride drop out of the playoff positions while allowing tonight’s opponent to jump them in the standings. The Courage haven’t been stellar offensively or defensively this year, scoring 21 goals and conceding 23 times. They have a .500 record of 6-6-3 and are slightly worse at home (3-4-1) than on the road (3-2-2).
It’s been a tougher return to action for the Courage than it has been for the Pride. After defeating the Seattle Reign 3-1, they lost 2-0 to the Washington Spirit, 3-0 to Bay FC, and 4-1 to the Utah Royals. All but the Bay FC game were at home. With the Pride needing a win, this seems like the perfect time to face North Carolina.
The team has been led in the attack by Sanchez (nine goals), Matsukubo (five goals), and Evelyn Ijeh (four goals). Dani Weatherholt, Ally Schlegel, and Riley Jackson are the other scorers, netting one goal each. Meanwhile, Matsukubo and Shinomi Koyama have the most assists, with four each, followed by Ryan Williams with three and Ijeh with two.
The recent defensive struggles are somewhat surprising considering the defensive unit. Kailen Sheridan has been one of the league’s best goalkeepers in the past and they have veteran starters in Williams, Maycee Bell, and Weatherholt. They’re joined by Japanese international Uno Shiragaki, who’s in her first NWSL season after joining the Courage from the WE League, Japan’s top division.
“We want to continue that momentum that we had on Friday,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said heading into tonight’s game. “We had a really good performance, really pleased. Obviously, would’ve liked a couple of more goals, especially early on. But we kept going, we kept challenging, and managed to get the goal that we fully deserved. So, going into this game against North Carolina, it’s always a tough place to go to play. They’ll be wanting to bounce back after a disappointing result against Utah, so, it will be a challenge. Every game is a challenge in this league. You can’t take anyone for granted. So, we just need to really focus on ourselves, put that performance that we know we’re capable of doing, and get the three points.”
The Pride will play tonight without Kerry Abello (thigh), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), Hannah Anderson (lower leg), and Barbra Banda (international duty). The Courage will be without Payton Crawford (knee) and Sydney Schmidt (knee).
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Cori Dyke, Rafaelle, Zara Chavoshi, Oihane.
Defensive Midfielders: Angelina, Ally Lemos.
Attacking Midfielders: Jacquie Ovalle, Haley McCutcheon, Solai Washington.
Forward: Marta.
Bench: Cara Martin, Hailie Mace, Simone Jackson, Zoe Matthews, Cosette Morche, Summer Yates, Julie Doyle, Nicole Payne, Luana.
North Carolina Courage (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Kailen Sheridan.
Defenders: Feli Rauch, Maycee Bell, Natalie Jacobs, Ryan Williams.
Defensive Midfielders: Shiomi Koyama, Erica Parkinson.
Attacking Midfielders: Riley Jackson, Ashley Sanchez, Lauryn Thompson.
Forward: Evelyn Ijeh.
Bench: Madi White, Chioma Okafor, Natalia Staude, Carly Wickenheiser, Dani Weatherholt, Uno Shiragski, Vilde Boe Risa, Hannah Betfort, Ally Schlegel.
Referees
REF: Trevor Wiseman.
AR1: Seun Yinka-Kehinde.
AR2: Alicia Messer.
4TH: Yannick Rothfuss.
VAR: Servando Berna.
AVAR: Jay Norris.
How to Watch
Match Time: 8 p.m.
Venue: First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park — Cary, NC.
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!
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