The Orlando Pride are returning to Inter&Co Stadium for the first home match since May 29, looking to rebound from a 2-0 road loss to Angel City FC.
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The Pride (5-6-2, 17 points) host the Kansas City Current (8-5-0, 24 points) Friday at 8 p.m. A win would move the Pride to 20 points and strengthen their grip on the eighth and final playoff spot.
“It’s always a good match against KC, whether it’s home or away. Two teams that have consistently been at the top of the table,” Orlando head coach Seb Hines said. “So we expect a competitive game. Both teams going after it.”
The loss at Angel City, Orlando’s first match after the June break, highlighted the Pride’s ongoing inconsistency. Orlando has scored 18 goals in 13 matches while conceding 19, a defensive vulnerability Hines must address against a Kansas City side averaging 1.62 goals per game.
A lingering concern for Orlando is the status of Barbra Banda. The Zambian forward has 11 goals and one assist this season, accounting for more than a third of Orlando’s offensive output, but she missed the trip to Los Angeles with a thigh injury. Without her, Orlando struggled to break down Angel City’s defense. If she remains sidelined, the Pride will rely heavily on Jacquie Ovalle and Marta to generate chances in the final third.
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“There was just a little bit of execution that maybe lacked a little bit in LA. So this week, we really just honed in on just trying to complete passes and keep possession, and then transition to do what we do best,” Pride defender Nicole Payne said. “I think we’ll be good for Kansas City, and we’ll be ready to bounce back.”
Kansas City features a potent attack. Temwa Chawinga has eight goals and one assist, remaining a direct, vertical threat. Attacking midfielder Croix Bethune, in her first year in Kansas City after being traded from the Washington Spirit, has six goal contributions and has emerged as the Current’s primary creator. Debinha and Michelle Cooper round out an offensive unit that has scored 21 goals through 13 matches.
Kansas City is a possession-heavy side, averaging nearly twice as many passes per match as Orlando (270-130), but the Pride remain effective in transition when Banda is healthy. Angel City exposed Orlando’s struggles to build through the central midfield, a vulnerability Kansas City can exploit if the Pride struggle to cleanly play out of the back.
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