Preview: Spirit Looks to Keep Up Winning Ways with Trip to Orlando

Orlando, Fla. (01/05/2026) – Fresh off its third straight win, the Washington Spirit will journey to tackle its first east coast opponent of the season, visiting the Orlando Pride this weekend. Kicking off at 4 pm EDT on Saturday, May 2, the match will air nationally on ION.

The Spirit

Washington arrives in Florida coming off the facet’s third consecutive win in addition to fourth consecutive clear sheet, the latter being a brand new membership document. The Spirit defending third restricted Louisville to only one shot heading in the right direction throughout their midweek match on Wednesday as goalkeeper Sandy MacIver completed an ideal April with no objectives towards.

Star ahead Trinity Rodman scored the match’s successful objective within the fifteenth minute off a serve into the field from Sofia Cantore. Rodman buried a rocket into the highest proper nook of the body for his thirtieth profession common season objective and second in as many matches. The ahead additionally reached 60 complete objective contributions throughout all NWSL competitions. With the win, the Spirit remained unbeaten in its final six matches in addition to in its final 13 conferences with Racing.

The Spirit carries a 10-11-8 all-time document towards the Orlando Pride into this weekend’s matchup with the perimeters splitting final 12 months’s common season conferences, every successful on the street. In Washington’s final journey to Orlando in April 2025, the facet took a 1-0 upset victory, snapping the Pride’s 22-match unbeaten streak at residence within the course of. Saturday’s match would be the thirtieth all-time assembly between the perimeters, making Orlando the Spirit’s most-played opponent that wasn’t an unique NWSL membership.

Washington leads Orlando in objectives, possession and complete large possibilities to date within the common season. At slightly below 60% possession fee by seven matches, the Spirit is first within the NWSL within the class as nicely, having lately discovered its footing on the attacking finish. With seven objectives over its final three matches, the group is ending its possibilities within the ultimate third at a a lot increased fee than it was by its first 4 contests of the season.

Following Saturday’s match, the Spirit will proceed a streak of away matches because it heads west to Seattle for a matchup with Reign FC on Sunday, May 10. Kicking off at 7 pm EDT, the match will air on Victory+.

The Opponent

Orlando enters Saturday’s match with a fair 2-2-2 document, sitting tenth on the desk after a disappointing loss in Louisville final weekend. A brace from star Barbra Banda wasn’t sufficient because the Pride fell 2-3 to Racing on the street.

The Pride is led within the assault by Banda who has 5 objectives in six matches to this point this season, three with her proper foot, one with her left and one with her head. The standout ahead scored on every of the facet’s first two residence contests this 12 months earlier than offering the game-winner on the street towards Chicago for Orlando’s first win of the common season. Haley McCutcheon is second in scoring on the Pride with two objectives.

In an attention-grabbing be aware, each the Spirit and Pride attacking thirds have practically the identical scoring distribution on the season to this point. Washington and Orlando have every scored 5 right-footed objectives, three left-footed objectives and one header. The Spirit, nevertheless, has benefited from an opponent’s personal objective as nicely, having another complete objective than the Pride.

Neither the Pride nor the Spirit have received a match after conceding first this season although Orlando is an ideal 2-0-0 when scoring first by six matches. Washington has conceded first twice and battled again to earn a draw a type of occasions. If both group needs to take all three factors this night, it is going to possible have to discover the again of the online earlier than its opponent.

Since the Spirit snapped the Pride’s 22-match residence unbeaten streak final spring, the facet has not received a number of residence matches in a row. Orlando received its final residence contest towards Angel City. Since the beginning of the 2023 season, nevertheless, the Pride has received six of seven conferences with Washington throughout the common season and playoffs.

Following this weekend’s match, the Pride will keep residence for one more east coast conflict, internet hosting the North Carolina Courage on Friday, May 8 at 8 pm EDT.

All-Time Series History

The Spirit holds a 10-11-8 all-time document towards the Orlando Pride with a +1 objective differential (40-39) throughout all competitions. Washington took the Challenge Cup title over the Pride in Orlando in March 2025 after a penalty shootout earlier than the perimeters break up their common season sequence later that 12 months. The Spirit-Pride sequence is one in all Washington’s most-played in membership historical past, reaching the 30-match threshold this weekend.