Welcome to your match preview and live thread as the Orlando Pride (6-7-2, 20 points) head back out on the road to face Utah Royals FC (7-4-3, 24 points). This is the first of two meetings between the two teams with the return game in Orlando scheduled for Aug. 29.

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

History

The original Utah Royals first played in 2018 and 2019 before the team was purchased and relocated to Kansas City. The new owners of Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake bought an expansion side, so 2024 was the first season the two teams met since 2019, although this is an all-new side. After going 1-3-2 against the old Royals, the Pride are 4-0-1 against the current iteration of the club, with all games coming in the NWSL regular season. Orlando is 2-0-0 in Utah.

The last time the Pride met the Royals was on Aug. 3, 2025 in Orlando. The visitors led early through Mina Tanaka off an assist from Kaleigh Riehl. But Simone Jackson set up Prisca Chilufya for the 72nd minute equalizer, ensuring the Pride came away with a 1-1 draw. On May 23 in Utah. It was the Barbra Banda show, as the striker became the first Pride player to score a hat trick, doing so in just 38 minutes. Brecken Mozingo scored the only goal for the hosts early in the game, getting behind the back line. But a scoreless second half resulted in a 3-1 win for the Pride.

The first game between the two since this new version of the Royals began NWSL play took place on April 12, 2024 in Sandy, UT. Marta started on the bench and came on for Adriana in the second half. It didn’t take long for the Pride captain to make an impact, netting the game’s lone goal six minutes after entering the match, as Orlando left the Beehive State with a 1-0 victory.

On June 21, 2024 in Orlando, it was a dominant performance from start to finish as the Pride roared to a 6-0 win. Banda started the scoring, and Summer Yates made it 2-0 just before halftime. The Pride took off in the second half with goals by Banda and Ally Watt, along with a Marta brace.

Overview

The start to the second half of the NWSL season has gone about the same for the Pride as the whole year — up and down. They started with a 2-0 loss to Angel City FC, in a game where the Pride defended for nearly the entire 90 minutes. They followed that with a 3-0 win against a red-hot Kansas City Current team, playing possibly their best half of the season in the second 45 minutes. Then, Wednesday night, they fell to expansion side Boston Legacy FC, this time losing 1-0.

If the trend continues, it might bode well for the Pride tonight. They’ve tended to play up or down to their competition. While both Angel City and Boston sit behind the Pride in the standings, the Royals are above them. Given Utah’s current position in fifth place, the Pride seem destined to have a quality performance tonight.

In order to beat the Royals tonight, the Pride will likely need production from Banda. The striker leads the league in goals with 12 and has been the primary source of goals for the team this season.

They’ll also need a strong performance from the back line, but the players that will make up that group is much more of a question. The Pride’s defensive unit has been better since Rafaelle and Cori Dyke have made up the center back partnership. However, Rafaelle was out Wednesday night and Dyke had to move to the left back position, making the center back pairing Zara Chavoshi and Hannah Anderson.

Tonight’s opponent has seen success on both sides of the field this season. They’ve scored 21 goals so far, good enough to tie them for third most in the league. Defensively, they’ve only conceded 16 goals this season, fifth-least in the NWSL.

The Royals are led in the attack by Cloe Lacasse with five goals. She’s followed by Tanaka with four. Lara Prasnikar, Kiana Palacios, Tatumn Milazzo, and Cece Delzer have two goals each this year. Lacasse and Tanaka also lead the team in assists, though it’s the other way around. Tanaka leads the team with four assists and Lacasse has three. Palacios and Delzer follow with two assists apiece so far this season.

As you can see, keeping Tanaka and Lacasse from creating problems for the Pride’s back line will be crucial in keeping the Royals off the scoresheet.

Despite being a relatively new team, the Royals have plenty of veteran leadership in the back, which has been crucial in their defensive success. Mandy McGlynn is the starting goalkeeper in front of a center back pairing that has consisted of Kate Del Fava, Tatumn Milazzo, and Riehl. The three right in front of the goal has made Utah a difficult team to score against.

The Pride will play tonight without Hailie Mace (thigh), Marta (excused absence), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Summer Yates (ankle). Utah will be without DeAira Jackson (concussion), Alex Loera (knee), and KK Ream (knee).

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Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Cori Dyke, Hannah Anderson, Zara Chavoshi, Oihane.

Defensive Midfielders: Angelina, Haley McCutcheon.

Attacking Midfielders: Nicole Payne, Luana, Seven Castain.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: Cosette Morche, Zoe Matthews, Jacquie Ovalle, Simone Jackson, Ally Lemos, Kerry Abello, Rafaelle, Julie Doyle, Solai Washington.

Utah Royals FC (4-2-1-3)

Goalkeeper: Mandy McGlynn.

Defenders: Nuria Rabano, Tatumn Milazzo, Kate Del Fava, Miyabi Moriya.

Defensive Midfielders: Narumi Miura, Ana Tejada.

Attacking Midfielders: Mina Tanaka.

Forward: Cloe Lacasse, Kiana Palacios, Cece Delzer.

Bench: Paige Cronin, Kameron Simmonds, Lara Prasnikar, Brecken Mozingo, Courtney Brown, Kaleigh Riehl, Mia Justus, Alexa Spaanstra, Madison Hammond.

Referees

REF: Servando Berna.
AR1: Matthew Schwartz.
AR2: Fernando Fierro.
4TH: Brad Jensen.
VAR: Shawn Tehini.
AVAR: Kevin Huet.

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How to Watch

Match Time: 8:45 p.m.

Venue: America First Field — Sandy, UT.

TV: Ion.

Streaming: None.

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.

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Enjoy the game. Go Pride!

The Orlando Pride hosted expansion side Boston Legacy FC for the first time in Inter&Co Stadium, and it didn’t go as planned. The visitors defeated the home team 1-0 to sweep the Pride in the regular season. There isn’t much time to reflect before the Pride head west to take on the Utah Royals on Saturday, so here are my five takeaways from the match.

Speed Lacking

This team is slow without Barbra Banda. Jacquie Ovalle is good with the ball at her feet and can deliver good set pieces or crosses when in the right position, but she is not fast. Marta is 40, and as great as she is, she isn’t outrunning younger players. The fullbacks are not fast. Angelina isn’t particularly quick either.

The lack of pace means that even if the Pride get a transition opportunity, the defense can usually catch up to disrupt the play. Trying to win races to open balls often results in the opposition winning the ball. We saw plenty of this in this match.

VARious Decisions

Ovalle was involved in two controversial calls involving video review. The first was on a first-half Ovalle corner kick that she curled inside the far post and into the back of the net. It should have been a beautiful Olimpico, but Ally Lemos was backed up next to Boston goalkeeper Casey Murphy. She barely touched her and I disagree with the call, but the goal was waved off because Lemos was ruled to have interfered with Murphy.

The other call came on the other end, and also on a corner kick. Boston put the ball across the goal and out for a goal kick, but then the video assistant referee decided to take a long look. Ovalle was, in my opinion, absolutely holding onto the player she was defending, but inexplicably after review, the goal kick was confirmed. I’m not certain if it was intentional, but the call did effectively even things out.

No Banda, No Finishing

The Pride were able to create several crosses from the wide spaces before Banda entered the match in the 60th minute. Unfortunately, there was no one in front of goal for the Pride to even attempt a shot (see “Speed” above). The few shots that the Pride were able to get off either went wide, high, or straight to the keeper. Even Banda wasn’t able to finish any of her chances, though as you’ll read below there were some extenuating circumstances.

Banda Brutalized

It was clear that once Banda came into the match, Boston center back Jorelyn Carabalí was told to do anything short of shivving Banda to stop her. Banda was bumped, dragged, kicked, pulled, and all sorts of other things that should have been called as fouls with some worthy of bookings, but the referee wasn’t having it. This is nothing new for Banda and the Pride, as teams are often able to maul the Zambian striker without it being called because of her size and strength. It’s unfair whenever it happens, but it seemed to be more egregious in this match.

Reality Check

On Friday, we saw the Pride play to the top of their ability. The 3-0 win over the Kansas City Current was vintage 2024 Orlando Pride. It was also an illusion. That performance is not indicative of what this team is on any given day. I think the performance against Boston is much closer to the truth. The team looked better once Banda was on the pitch, but it wasn’t enough. The Pride are about to lose Banda to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and I don’t think the team has any answers or the personnel to implement those answers.

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That is what I saw in the disappointing home loss to Boston Legacy FC. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

The Orlando Pride (6-7-2, 20 points) fell 1-0 at home to Boston Legacy FC (4-7-4, 16 points) in front of a Wednesday night crowd of 6,004 disappointed fans. Boston struck early and the Pride laid on a relentless attack in the second half, but they lacked precision in the final third and couldn’t overcome the Legacy’s stubborn defense. Barbara Olivieri scored the game’s only goal.

Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines deployed his typical 4-2-3-1 formation for tonight’s match. The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was made up of Cori Dyke, Hannah Anderson, Zara Chavoshi, and Oihane. Haley McCutcheon and Ally Lemos served as the defensive midfielders, with Angelina, Jacquie Ovalle, and Solai Washington taking up the attacking midfield roles and Marta up top.

“Yeah, I mean they took their goal well. You know, some quick combination play, but I feel like every goal is preventable,” Hines said after the match. “You know, that’s just my mindset and how I think. And you know there was a couple of give-and-goes, and then you know getting close to people and affecting people wasn’t quite there in the first half.”

In the first minute, Oihane worked her way down the right and fed a ball through to Washington, who sent in a low cross that Casey Murphy collected easily.

In the sixth minute, Lilly Reale responded by sending a harmless ball over the crossbar.

Marta worked down the left a minute later and sent a high cross into the box, but it was too far in front of Washington and Angelina, who were trying to catch up to the play. The pass went harmlessly out the other side of the area, wasting a numerical advantage in transition.

In the 12th minute, Boston worked the ball down the right and sent in a cross that McCutcheon blocked behind for a corner. Jorelyn Carabali met the ensuing delivery with a free header, but it didn’t have much pace on it and popped up right to Moorhouse. Five minutes later, Moorhouse got over to gather a cross in from Reale.

Boston struck in the 17th minute, carving through the Pride midfield as Alba Caño found Ella Stevens, who tapped it centrally to Olivieri. The Boston attacker fired toward Moorhouse’s left. The goalkeeper dove but couldn’t make the save as the ball was able to sneak inside the post to make it 1-0.

Olivieri puts us on top 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Fd6QerxAGs

— Boston Legacy FC (@NWSLBoston) July 15, 2026

The Pride attempted to pull the goal back in the 22nd minute, working up through the middle, but could not break down the stubborn Boston defense.

In the 26th minute, McCutcheon turned the ball over to Olivieri, who muscled her way into the box and cut back a pass to Caño, who fired wide. McCutcheon was shown a delayed yellow card for trying — and failing — to hold back Olivieri on the play, with the referee playing advantage.

The Pride responded in the 28th minute, following a throw-in, working wide on the left. Dyke sent in a good cross to Angelina right in front of goal. The Brazilian did well to get a foot on it, but hit it poorly and sent the ball wide left.

In the 36th minute, the Pride earned a free kick following a foray into the Boston 18-yard box that was defended away. Murphy collected the ensuing ball in from Ovalle without difficulty.

Boston managed a shot in the 40th minute after winning the ball off an Orlando throw-in and working it out to Caño, who centered for Annie Karich. She fired a shot but sent it right at Moorhouse.

Orlando had its own chance seconds later when an Ovalle effort flew just wide, needing a touch from Murphy to put it out for a corner. It looked like the Pride had equalized on the corner, with Ovalle curling the ball directly in for an Olimpico, but the goal was called back for a foul by Lemos who lightly bumped into Murphy. It was a curious call, as Lemos stood her ground and Murphy had to move back toward her goal away from Lemos to try to get to Ovalle’s delivery, but the goal didn’t count and a free kick was awarded to Boston.

Aïssata Traoré fired over the crossbar in the 43rd minute after some buildup down the Boston left.

Washington managed a decent cross in the 44th minute, but it was just too far in front of an onrushing Ovalle. Oihane added a cross of her own in the 46th minute, but it again went right to Murphy.

Boston won another corner moments later from an attack down the right, but the delivery flew over everyone except Reale at the back post. She put it out for an Orlando goal kick. The Pride survived a penalty scare on the play, as Ovalle had tangled with Carabali in the box, with a lot of shirt pulling and no attempt to play the ball. Referee Cristian Campo went to the monitor after a lengthy delay waiting for the video assistant referee. Campo looked at the play and confirmed the call as no foul and a goal kick, evening out the game’s two most controversial plays.

The first half came to an end without another good look at goal and Boston leading 1-0.

The half finished with Orlando leading in possession (51%-49%) but Boston had the advantage in shots (7-4), shots on target (2-0), and passing accuracy (87%-81%). Both teams won two corner kicks in the opening half.

Orlando saw more of the ball in the second half and created more opportunities, but in the end, the Pride were wasteful with those chances and gave the ball away too cheaply in the final third.

Hines brought on Julie Doyle at halftime for her 100th appearance for the club. She replaced Oihane at right back.

“Yeah, I mean, just want to say how grateful I am too. I mean, not every single player gets to hit 100 — and hit 100 at the same team,” Doyle said. “I’m so grateful just for the staff and the organization for believing in me every single year and every single contract and have had some highs and lows, but winning a championship was the best soccer memory.

“We’ve got to figure out how to break down a low block. I think that’s probably the hardest thing to do in soccer. You see it even in the World Cup. But yeah, and just like having that grit and mentality, and doing whatever it takes to get another goal, and you know, for us, I think that’s something that we obviously need to figure out.”

Orlando put together some excellent buildup in the 50th minute between Washington and Angelina, following clever holdup play by Marta. The sequence led to a Washington shot that Murphy parried away. The resulting cross found Marta, but her touch deflected off a Boston defender and into touch for a Pride throw-in that led nowhere.

Marta got a shot off in the 55th minute, following buildup through the middle from Anderson and Dyke, but sent it straight at the goalkeeper.

Boston worked a cross into the Orlando box in the 59th minute, sent in by Bianca St-Georges, but McCutcheon cleared it.

Barbra Banda subbed on in the 60th minute for Ovalle, and Orlando immediately started to play more directly with the Zambian international on the pitch. The Pride threatened in the 62nd minute with a ball over the top to Banda out wide, but a good tackle by Carabali snuffed out the attack after Banda had worked her way centrally, trying to clear herself for a shot.

The Pride followed with a free kick that was sent in, recycled, and lobbed back in, glancing off Anderson’s head and over the end line. Washington fired a shot just wide of the left post in the 64th minute. Murphy got a touch to help it, but a goal kick was given.

In the 66th minute, Boston came close to doubling the lead following a scramble in the box. Caño’s free kick found Reale, who crossed it back in, but Dyke cleared the danger off the line.

Hines made a double substitution in the 68th minute, sending on Simone Jackson for Washington and Nicole Payne for Lemos.

In the 77th minute, Jackson fought hard to work the ball toward the center of the box for Banda, who took a swing at a difficult ball that sailed high and wide. Eight minutes later, Orlando nearly forced an own goal when a Doyle cross deflected off Carabali and rattled the post.

The Pride earned a corner in the 86th minute when Emerson Elgin cleared a McCutcheon cross for Banda over the end line. Boston defended two corners in the ensuing goalmouth scramble, with Olivieri prominent in clearing the danger.

Hines made his final substitution in the 88th minute, sending on Seven Castain for McCutcheon.

In the 90th minute, chaos reigned in the box as the Pride had shots from both Marta and Payne blocked. A minute later, a promising attack down the left was snuffed out when Doyle stepped on the side of the ball while trying to beat her defender, handing possession back to the Legacy, who used their possession to try to run out the clock.

In the 95th minute, Marta worked a nice ball over the top that gave Banda a fighting chance, but a slightly heavy touch — with Boston players closing in — cost her the ball.

The final whistle brought Orlando’s second loss to Boston to a close. The Pride took only one point from four matches against the two new NWSL expansion sides.

The match finished with Orlando having the better of the possession battle (52%-48%), shots (13-8), corner kicks (5-2), and passing accuracy (84%-83%) but both teams put two shots on target.

“It’s obviously challenging, especially when she had quite a significant injury leading up into the last couple of games,” Hines said of Banda’s contributions and readiness going forward. “I feel like we’ve managed her really well, but you have to be so cautious with players, especially when they have injuries the way that Barbra had, and she’s such an explosive player, you don’t want to lose her for many more games — we’ll assess where she’s at, how she feels after tonight’s game, and then make a decision on you know if she starts or she can be an impact off the bench again.”

It was a disappointing result and performance for the Pride — their second in the last three matches, sandwiched around one of the team’s best outings of the year on Friday against the Kansas City Current. But the only thing consistent about the 2026 Pride is the team’s inconsistency and inability to get everyone healthy. Both Hailie Mace and Summer Yates sat out the game with knocks.

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Things won’t get any easier for the Pride, who must now travel to Utah to face the Royals on Saturday night at altitude.