LAKE MARY, Fla. — After back-to-back results have left points on the table, Friday night's match for the Orlando Pride at Inter&Co Stadium is what the team needs to find a result. Hosting the North Carolina Courage before a long road trip, playing in front of their own fans is crucial.
"We want to get our home form going again," Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said on Wednesday at Orlando Health Training Ground at Sylvan Lake Park. "We have to do our job as a team. The importance of getting three points at home, we go on a three-game away trip coming up, which is always difficult. The cross-country travel is tough on the body and mentally it's tough as well. But we're locked in. We've got to handle our business this Friday, and it's going to be a collective effort from everyone."
The Washington result last weekend, specifically the start to both halves of the match, was one that caused concern. Barbra Banda, continuing her form, scored two to help the Pride come back from an early deficit, but the two second-half goals conceded without a reply ended in a 4-2 defeat that left the group frustrated. The Pride have now conceded seven goals across the last two matches, something that is in the forefront of the team's mind.
"That's not good," Hines said on the goals conceded. "We always feel like we're going to create good chances and opportunities, but the organization needs to be better. The communication needs to be better. Staying switched on and keeping that concentration and focus throughout the whole game is important."
North Carolina now comes to Inter&Co Stadium looking for a response of their own after dropping a result last weekend to Kansas City. Despite that, the team remains dangerous with Ashley Sanchez leading the front line and 2025 NWSL Midfielder of the Year Manaka Matsukubo in the middle of the pitch.
"They've always had an identity, regardless of who the coach has been," Hines said. "They like to keep possession, they like the little passes and try and exploit spaces in behind, push a lot of numbers forward. We're aware of that, and we have to stop that. But I think we can be very dangerous in transition — allowing them to have possession at times, but also wanting to possess the ball, bring them out of danger, put them into dangerous positions and exploit the spaces. It could turn into a chess match at times."
With both sides sitting in the middle of the table and looking for a result, the match this week adds a bit more urgency to the match,
"Every game you play in this league, you have to treat it like a final," Hines said. "A moment of complacency and a team can punish you. Whether it's North Carolina or it's this past weekend against Washington, we need to be in the right frame of mind to go after it and want it more than the opponent."
Kickoff on Friday night is set for 8 p.m. ET at Inter&Co Stadium and will be broadcast on Prime Video.
