Copper Queens captain Barbra Banda scored her first brace of the year for Orlando Pride who unfortunately suffered a 3-2 defeat to Racing Louisville in the United States National Women’s Super League.
Orlando set the tempo early on, applying pressure with multiple looks at goal, including a Haley McCutcheon effort that rattled off the post, but it was Louisville who opened the scoring with their first shot of the match. In the 19th minute, Lauren Milliet drove toward the 18-yard box before unleashing a powerful long‑range strike that curled into the upper corner to give the home side the lead.
The Pride kept an equalizer just before halftime on a well-worked counterattack. Anna Moorhouse made a diving save on a headed effort from Sarah Weber before Hailie Mace collected the ball and played it to Marta. The Brazilian squared a pass to Angelina, who immediately lofted a perfectly weighted pass behind the Louisville back line where Barbra Banda outmuscled her defender to calmly slot past the keeper and level the match heading into the break.
Louisville responded just minutes after the restart, scoring two goals in a span of three minutes to retake and double their lead, first Sarah Weber, and then Milliet with her second of the match.
Banda would score her league-leading fifth goal of the season in second-half stoppage time after finishing off a header from Hannah Anderson, but the Pride were unable to find another equalizer before the final whistle.
The Pride will look to bounce back next week as they return home on Saturday, May 2, to host the in-form Washington Spirit.
The Zambian international has now scored 5 goals in 6 league games and she is the leading scorer in the NWSL.
