Boston Legacy FC will face the Orlando Pride Tuesday night and is hoping to continue its unbeaten streak. BLFC started the season with five consecutive losses but finished with a win and two draws in its last three matches to finally earn some points.
Head coach Filipa Patão credits the recent results to time. She says the team has been playing the exact same way as the first games, with the only change being the players’ confidence. The club’s dynamics have been more present, and understanding of the game and decision-making has improved.
Boston had its worst game in terms of possession (40%) against Gotham FC last weekend. This will need to be the team’s biggest strength heading into Tuesday’s game, according to Patão.
“If we want to manage better our efforts, we need to keep the ball more time,” she said. “We need to be more composed, more comfortable, and more focused in the moments that we have the ball to [not] lose the ball so fast [and] keep the rhythm of the game.”
A good result against Orlando will be critical for the club, says Laís Araújo.
“All the [past] results, all the losses that we had, have made us stronger,” the defender said. “We have learned and grown along the journey, and I think what we’re most looking for now is to get some momentum, get some wins, and hopefully, you know, getting those three points will be so, so important for us.”
Tuesday will also serve as Brazilian Heritage Night at Gillette, and the match will be a reunion of sorts. Boston’s Kaká (who’s currently injured), Araújo, Amanda Gutierres, and the Pride’s Marta, Angelina, Rafaelle, and Luana have all previously been called up to represent Brazil on the international stage.
Gutierres is honored to be able to represent her country alongside her teammates and opponents and is looking forward to having Marta on the pitch.
“It's truly special to play against one of the best players in the world, especially since she is also a player from my own country,” Gutierres said Monday. “I think the key is to seize the moment and truly enjoy the experience of playing against such a great player like Marta.”
The Pride (3-3-2) has seen mixed results in its last games, but will be a tough team to beat. The club currently leads the league in shots (102) and is second for shots on target (53). The seventh-ranked team has scored in all but one game (against Gotham FC). Barbra Banda is mostly to thank for those statistics (35 shots, 21 on target over eight games) and will be the biggest threat on the field.
After sustaining a season-ending injury in August, the Zambian was taken off the list in time for the 2026 season and is already on a complete tear. She has scored eight goals in eight matches and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Availability
Boston defender Nicki Hernandez remains questionable, and Fauzia Najjemba is still out with a thigh injury. Kaká continues to recover from an ankle injury.
Many fans have been wondering why Ella Stevens has not had any playing time in the last three games despite being available for selection. She appeared in the first four games of the season, but her 54 minutes against Utah are the longest she’s been on the pitch.
Patão told The Blazing Musket Monday that her absence has been a matter of load management.
“[She's] another player that we need to manage in the best way,” the coach said. “We are working a lot on her body, the way that she recovers, the way that she win muscle to allow her to have less pain and more performance. … The player knows the expectations that she has [are] exactly the expectations that we have. So we are managing the better way, and when she feels better and okay, of course, we're going to give more minutes.”
The Orlando Pride will be without the following players:
Kerry Abello (Hip), Zara Chavoshi (Lower Leg), Cosette Morche (Ankle - D45), Jacquie Ovalle (Thigh), Kylie Nadaner (Maternity Leave), Viviana Villacorta (Knee), Solai Washington (Knee)
This will be the last game at Gillette Stadium before the team moves into its summer home at Centreville Bank Stadium in Rhode Island. The Legacy will return to Foxboro at the end of August.
