The Orlando Pride earned a 3-1 victory over the Houston Dash on Sunday night at Inter.co Stadium in its first match under interim head coach Yolanda Thomas.
Read more The ‘nightmare days’ of Minnesota’s 1946 polio epidemic
Barbra Banda was involved in all three goals as Orlando (9-12-2, 29 points) stayed above Houston (7-11-5, 26 points) in the NWSL standings.
“I’m so proud of what this group was able to accomplish on a really difficult week,” said Thomas, who took over the team Monday after Seb Hines was fired toward the end of his fourth season in charge. “So, not very tactical, but the commitment to pour everything we absolutely had in us and leave it on the field and get three points was amazing to watch.”
Banda helped create Orlando’s opening goal in the 14th minute. She drove deep into the penalty area and sent a cross in from the left of the goal. Houston keeper Jane Campbell parried the low cross into the path of defender Leah Klenke.
Klenke was unable to avoid the ball and it deflected off her foot for an own goal, giving Orlando an early 1-0 lead.
Summer Yates was taken down in the box on a breakaway, earning a penalty for the Pride. Banda stepped up to take it, firing a shot low and to the left for an easy goal to make it 2-0 in the 45th minute.
The goal, Banda’s 14th on the season, was her first penalty kick goal for the Pride. It also gave her the club’s single-season record for goals scored, breaking the previous mark of 13 that she tied in 2024. Marta was the original record-holder, scoring 13 goals in 2017.
Defender Haley McCutcheon made it 3-0 in the 65th minute with a spectacular goal, her fourth of the season. Banda passed the ball in toward McCutcheon who caught the ball on the bounce. Her left-footed shot curled past the outstretched hand of Campbell to put the game to bed.
Read more Jake Burger homers twice as Rangers beat Rays 8-6 to split 4-game series
“I saw Barb drag her defender, played her into the space,” McCutcheon said. “I know she’s always going to get there first, and then just followed the ball and made my run inside and screamed for the ball. So maybe not the best first touch, but I think the finish made up for it.”
Houston would pull one back in the 72nd minute when Kiki Van Zanten scored to make it 3-1. She beat Zara Chavoshi in the air and headed it past Orlando keeper Cosette Morché, who was otherwise stellar with six saves in her third start.
The Pride have won six of their last eight meetings with Houston Dash, including each of the last five in Orlando, marking the club’s longest home winning streak against a single opponent.
Norwegian forward Sanne Lekven made her first appearance for the Pride, coming on in the 78th minute. Orlando hopes she will become an important part of the attack. She looked comfortable alongside her new teammates in her limited time on the field.
“It will take some time to get used to the heat and getting to know all the players and how they want to play on the field and getting that connection, but it’s been a very nice week,” Lekven said. “It’s a little different than back home, the physique and very fast players, strong players. So it was tough, but I hope I get some more minutes.”
The Pride’s second match under Thomas, as Orlando tries to climb back into the NWSL playoff picture, is Friday on the road against the Kansas City Current. The Pride defeated Kansas City 3-0 on July 10.
Read more US envoys Witkoff and Kushner hold talks in Ukraine after meeting with Putin