The Orlando Pride are on the road this week, looking to make it two consecutive victories under interim head coach Yolanda Thomas. Orlando visits Kansas City on Friday as each contest increases in importance with only seven matches remaining in the regular season.
After Orlando beat the Houston Dash 3-1 on Sept. 6, the club (9-12-2, 29 points) turns its attention to the Kansas City Current (11-8-4, 37 points), with kickoff at CPKC Stadium set for 8 p.m.
“It’s really about getting the message across clearly and quickly this week, and the players taking that on,” said Thomas, who was promoted after the firing of Seb Hines on Aug. 31. “But I think the bigger picture is we’ve gone to Kansas City many a time, and we’ve found a way to get a result. So it’s embracing the difficulty and knowing that we can do hard things.”
Orlando has an all-time record of 5-3-4 against Kansas City, including an impressive 2-1-2 record on the road. The teams last met in July — a 3-0 home victory for the Pride — with Marta, Hannah Anderson and Barbra Banda all on the scoresheet.
Banda was involved in all three goals against Houston and leads the team with 14 goals this season. She is averaging 2.1 shots on target per match, the best on the team. She will come up against a Current defense that has not kept a clean sheet in 10 matches, making this an excellent opportunity to add to her seasonal tally.
Kansas City boasts plenty of attacking talent of its own, led by Temwa Chawinga (nine goals and two assists), Croix Bethune (four goals and 10 assists) and Debinha (one goal and five assists).
Bethune, an offseason acquisition from the Washington Spirit, leads the league with 15 big chances created. Cosette Morché has shown promise in goal for Orlando, but Kansas City will be her toughest test yet.
“(Chawinga is) just such a good player. I think just not getting touch tight to her, and if you’re touch tight, she’s just gonna beat you with speed every single time,” Pride defender Hailie Mace said.
“Finding the balance of not letting her have too much time on the ball, but they also have a bunch of other really good players, too, so it’s kind of hard to just focus on one player. We have to be ready in all areas.”
Yolanda Thomas was named interim head coach of the Orlando Pride on Aug. 31. She is trying to lead the club on a push toward an NWSL playoff spot. (Orlando Pride)
Orlando currently sits five points behind the eighth and final playoff spot with only seven games remaining, so a victory is crucial. The Pride are prepared to push, but they know there is no room for error.
“We’re daring to dream,” Thomas added. “We’re winning the day, and I think as we go into this, respecting the opponent and the location, we embrace the hard things.”
After this match, Orlando returns home to face the Portland Thorns on Sept. 19.
Banda nominated for 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or
Banda has been nominated for the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or, France Football announced, her third consecutive nomination. The Zambia international has enjoyed a record-setting 2026 campaign with the Pride, scoring a single-season club-record 14 goals while adding three assists across all competitions.
On the international stage, Banda captained Zambia at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, finishing as her nation’s leading scorer with five goals and one assist in three matches.