The Orlando Pride snapped a two-game skid with a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Stars on Friday, and now they look to build on that with a trip to North Carolina.
The Pride (7-8-2, 23 points) take on the North Carolina Courage (6-6-3, 21 points) at First Horizon Stadium on Friday at 8 p.m.
“It’s always a tough place to go and play. They will be wanting to bounce back from a disappointing result against Utah. It’ll be a challenge,” Orlando head coach Seb Hines said. “Every game is a challenge in this league, and you can’t take anyone for granted, so we just need to really focus on ourselves. Put in that performance that we know we are capable of doing, and get the three points.”
Orlando is without star forward Barbra Banda, who is away on international duty with Zambia for WAFCON. The Pride had 23 shots against Chicago, including 10 on target, but were sorely missing that clinical touch that Banda provides. Julie Doyle scored the winner, and her energy off the bench is helpful for Orlando. However, Hines needs to get more out of his stars Marta and Jacquie Ovalle.
Despite the scoring struggles, Hines believes his team is on the right path and can continue building as the season progresses.
“It might be that level of composure in front of goal, or that little bit of desire to finish the play. And sometimes you need a bit of luck, which we’ve been on the wrong side of as well this season,” Hines added. “So it’s just having the right mindset, going after it, being structured within our build-up shape and also defensive shape, and not giving them any opportunities that they feel like they can capitalize on.”
North Carolina is led by forward Ashley Sanchez. She leads the Courage with nine goals this season, but she has been held scoreless in the past three games. If Orlando’s defense can shut her down, they will still need to keep an eye on Swedish forward Evelyn Ijeh, who has four goals in 2026.
Orlando has not won in North Carolina since 2022, drawing three and losing two of those matches. Historically, the Pride are 3-8-6 on the road against the Courage, and they face another tough test here.