Spirit Looks to Keep up Winning Ways with Trip to Orlando
NWSL Washington Spirit

Spirit Looks to Keep up Winning Ways with Trip to Orlando

Published on May 2, 2026 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Washington Spirit News Release


Orlando, Fla. - Fresh off its third straight win, the Washington Spirit will travel to take on its first east coast opponent of the season, visiting the Orlando Pride this weekend. Kicking off at 4 p.m. EDT on Saturday, May 2, the match will air nationally on ION.

The Spirit

Washington arrives in Florida coming off the side's third consecutive win as well as fourth consecutive clean sheet, the latter being a new club record. The Spirit defending third limited Louisville to just one shot on target during their midweek match on Wednesday as goalkeeper Sandy MacIver finished a perfect April with no goals against.

Star forward Trinity Rodman scored the match's winning goal in the 15th minute off a service into the box from Sofia Cantore. Rodman buried a rocket into the top right corner of the frame for her 30th career regular season goal and second in as many matches. The forward also reached 60 total goal contributions across all NWSL competitions. With the win, the Spirit remained unbeaten in its last six matches as well as in its last 13 meetings with Racing.

The Spirit carries a 10-11-8 all-time record against the Orlando Pride into this weekend's matchup with the sides splitting last year's regular season meetings, each winning on the road. In Washington's last trip to Orlando in April 2025, the side took a 1-0 upset victory, snapping the Pride's 22-match unbeaten streak at home in the process. Saturday's match will be the 30th all-time meeting between the sides, making Orlando the Spirit's most-played opponent that wasn't an original NWSL club.

Washington leads Orlando in goals, possession and total big chances thus far in the regular season. At just under 60% rate of possession through seven matches, the Spirit is first in the NWSL in the category as well, having recently found its footing on the attacking end. With seven goals over its last three matches, the team is finishing its chances in the final third at a much higher rate than it was through its first four contests of the season.

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

The Opponent

Orlando enters Saturday's match with an even 2-2-2 record, sitting tenth on the table after a disappointing loss in Louisville last weekend. A brace from star Barbra Banda wasn't enough as the Pride fell 2-3 to Racing on the road.

The Pride is led in the attack by Banda who has five goals in six matches so far this season, three with her right foot, one with her left and one with her head. The standout forward scored in each of the side's first two home contests this year before providing the game-winner on the road against Chicago for Orlando's first win of the regular season. Haley McCutcheon is second in scoring on the Pride with two goals.

In an interesting note, both the Spirit and Pride attacking thirds have nearly the same scoring distribution on the season so far. Washington and Orlando have each scored five right-footed goals, three left-footed goals and one header. The Spirit, however, has benefited from an opponent own goal as well, having one more total goal than the Pride.

Neither the Pride nor the Spirit have won a match after conceding first this season though Orlando is a perfect 2-0-0 when scoring first through six matches. Washington has conceded first twice and battled back to earn a draw one of those times. If either team wants to take all three points this evening, it will likely have to find the back of the net before its opponent.

Since the Spirit snapped the Pride's 22-match home unbeaten streak last spring, the side has not won multiple home matches in a row. Orlando won its last home contest against Angel City. Since the start of the 2023 season, however, the Pride has won six of seven meetings with Washington across the regular season and playoffs.

Following this weekend's match, the Pride will stay home for another east coast clash, hosting the North Carolina Courage on Friday, May 8 at 8 p.m. EDT.

All-Time Series History

The Spirit holds a 10-11-8 all-time record against the Orlando Pride with a +1 goal differential (40-39) across all competitions. Washington took the Challenge Cup title over the Pride in Orlando in March 2025 after a penalty shootout before the sides split their regular season series later that year. The Spirit-Pride series is one of Washington's most-played in club history, reaching the 30-match threshold this weekend.

Check out the Washington Spirit Statistics

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