The Orlando Pride suffered a disappointing 4-1 defeat to the Portland Thorns last time out, but the squad is confident it can head out West and earn three points against a Bay FC side it has never lost to in five meetings.

The Pride (9-13-3, 30 points) and Bay FC (7-13-5, 26 points) kick off at PayPal Park on Sunday at 5 p.m.

“Obviously it’s a long journey to make. We had a rough result, but really positive performance in some areas,” Orlando interim head coach Yolanda Thomas said. “So we’ve just built on what we did well and tried not to cry over spilled milk, fixed the little things, but we’re excited to have another opportunity.”

Orlando is 4-0-1 against Bay FC, with two wins in two attempts on the road. Bay FC is 4-6-2 at home this season, a disappointing campaign for a team that finished seventh in its debut season in 2024.

Barbra Banda remains the key to success for Orlando, despite not getting on the scoresheet against Portland. Her 16 goals make up half of the team’s total this season. Solai Washington, whose assist led to Orlando’s only goal against Portland, has shown an ability to deliver good balls in from the wings. Orlando needs to get these two on the same page if they want to exploit Bay’s defense.

Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz is averaging 4.3 saves per match, the third-best rate in the league. She helped lead Bay FC to a clean sheet last time out against Racing Louisville, but the team has allowed 34 goals this season in 25 matches.

Orlando needs a win to stay in the playoff race. They are currently eight points out of the last playoff spot with five games to play. While they would not be mathematically eliminated, anything less than a win would require Orlando to win all four of its final matches and hope for other helpful results around the league.

“We know we need to win, and if we’re gonna lose, we’re gonna go out fighting and trying, and I think that’s the mentality across the board, from the staff to the players,”  Orlando midfielder Summer Yates said. “No matter what, we’re there to get a result. We’re not here to tie. We need to win games.”

After Sunday, Orlando’s next match is a home game against San Diego Wave on  Oct. 2.