The Orlando Pride returned to their winning form and stretched their unbeaten streak to 14 games by defeating the Utah Royals 6-0 at Inter&Co Stadium. Barbra Banda and Marta each scored twice, with Summer Yates and Ally Watt adding one goal each. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines used the same lineup as the scoreless draw with North Carolina Courage.
Anna Moorhouse was in goal behind Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, and Bri Martinez in defense. Haley McCutcheon and Yates were the defensive midfielders, with Julie Doyle, Marta, and Adriana in attacking midfield. Banda played as the lone striker.
The Pride dominated the game from the start, constantly threatening the Utah goal and staying strong defensively. They were accurate with 21 of 28 shots on target, setting a team record with six goals. The first chance of the game came in the second minute when Abello passed to Doyle, who was stopped by Burns. McCutcheon’s header from Yates’ set piece went over the goal.
The Pride’s press led to another chance as Adriana’s pass to Abello was saved by Haught. In the 19th minute, Sentnor’s pass to Pogarch led to a deflected shot by Henry. The Pride created another chance in the 26th minute when Sams passed to Doyle, whose shot was saved by Haught. The Pride scored the opening goal in the 33rd minute as Abello’s cross found Banda’s head. Banda’s goal tied her for the league lead with Portland’s Sophia Smith.
In the 37th minute, Martinez headed away a cross from Fraser, and Moorhouse saved Tejada’s shot. The Pride nearly scored a second goal in the 45th minute, but Haught’s weak pass was intercepted by Yates, who scored. Following a late challenge on Adriana, the Pride had a set piece that went off the crossbar.
The first half ended with the Pride leading 2-0, dominating possession, shots, and passing accuracy. Seb Hines emphasized the importance of scoring a third goal at halftime. The Pride extended their lead early in the second half with a goal from Marta. The Royals had a chance with a long-distance shot from Henry, easily saved by Moorhouse.
The Pride almost scored a fourth goal through Banda’s pass to Strom. Doyle and Abello were substituted in the 59th minute, while Utah created a chance in the 64th minute. The match was delayed for Martinez’s injury, leading to two substitutions. Lawrence and Lemos came on for Martinez and McCutcheon, respectively.
In the 71st minute, Adriana played a through ball to Yates, but her shot was saved by Haught. Watt came on for Yates during a hydration break in the 79th minute. Banda and Marta added goals in the 86th and 88th minutes to increase the Pride’s lead to 5-0. Banda was aiming to score a hat trick but hit the outside of the net. Watt scored the sixth and final goal in the 90th minute, giving the Pride their largest win in team history.
