The Orlando Pride battled back after an early deficit Saturday afternoon, but the Portland Thorns had too much firepower down the stretch.
Portland defeated Orlando 4-1 at Inter&Co Stadium, improving to 12-7-6 on the season while dropping the Pride to 9-13-3 and 30 points.
The Thorns wasted little time finding the breakthrough.
Just three minutes into the match, Sophia Wilson drove into the Orlando box before sending a diagonal ball back toward Nina Nijstad. Nijstad finished with her right foot to put Portland ahead 1-0.
Wilson then doubled the advantage in the 28th minute, converting from the penalty spot after drawing a foul inside the box.
Orlando answered quickly.
Just two minutes later, midfielder Ally Lemos gave the Pride a spark when she collected a cutback from Solai Washington at the top of the box and curled a right-footed shot into the right side of the net.
The goal marked Lemos’ first NWSL goal since joining Orlando in 2024 and her second goal for the club across all competitions. For Washington, the assist marked her second of the season.
With the Pride pushing for an equalizer, Portland managed to regain control after halftime.
Morgan Weaver added another goal for the Thorns before Renee Lyles found the net later in the second half, pushing Portland’s advantage to 4-1 and putting the result out of reach.
Orlando continued to battle, but the Pride couldn’t generate another breakthrough as Portland closed out the afternoon with a convincing road victory.
The Pride will now look to regroup and build momentum as the regular season enters its final stretch.
