Venue Location: Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, Evanston, Illinois (capacity ~12,000; natural grass surface). This served as Chicago Stars FC’s home match in their relatively new venue.
Kickoff at 8:00 PM ET (7:00 PM CT).
Broadcast: Victory+ (national streaming); local Chicago options available. Referee: Matthew Thompson.
Weather Updates
Mild early-spring conditions in the Chicago area favored standard play with minimal disruptions. Temperatures at kickoff were in the mid-50s°F (around 12–14°C), cooling slightly into the low 50s by full time, with light winds and low precipitation risk. Partly cloudy skies transitioned to stadium lighting, creating comfortable conditions for fans and players without significant impact on passing or ball movement.
Injury Report / Player Availability
Orlando Pride:
OUT: Kerry Abello (hip), Zara Chavoshi (lower leg), Cosette Morche (ankle – D45), Kylie Nadaner (maternity leave), Nicole Payne (knee), Viviana Villacorta (knee).
QUESTIONABLE: Rafaelle (thigh).
Available: Forward Barbra Banda, recently cleared from the season-ending injury list, was available and featured prominently. The Pride traveled with a largely experienced group despite the absences.
Chicago Stars FC:
OUT: Kathy Hendrich (lower leg), Jordyn Huitema (hip), Natalia Kuikka (knee – SEI/ACL), Halle Mackiewicz (hand – D45), Mallory Swanson (maternity leave), Taylor Wood (knee).
Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher faced minor injury concerns or rotation in recent weeks, with depth tested in net. The Stars were significantly shorthanded defensively and in attack, relying on rookies and backups like Tessa Dellarose and Jameese Joseph.
Projected / Actual Starting Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1) – Head Coach: Seb Hines
GK: Anna Moorhouse
DEF: Cori Dyke, Hannah Anderson, Hailie Mace, Oihane
MF: Haley McCutcheon, Ally Lemos
AM: Summer Yates, Marta (or rotation), others
FW: Barbra Banda
Chicago Stars FC (4-2-3-1)
GK: Alyssa Naeher (or backup)
DEF: Michelle Alozie, Bea Franklin, Samantha Staab, Tessa Dellarose
MF: Manaka Hayashi, Maitane López
AM: Brianna Pinto, Julia Grosso, Ryan Gareis
FW: Jameese Joseph Orlando dominated early and built a commanding lead.
Key Player Matchups to Watch
Barbra Banda (ORL) vs. Chicago back line (Staab/Franklin/Dellarose): Banda’s pace, power, and finishing proved decisive as she contributed to the attacking output that led to the three first-half goals.
Marta & Summer Yates (ORL) vs. Chicago midfield (Grosso/López): Orlando’s experienced creators controlled transitions and set pieces, exploiting Chicago’s depleted roster.
Tessa Dellarose (CHI rookie) vs. Orlando attack: The young defender faced heavy pressure after her strong home opener performance but struggled against Orlando’s clinical finishing.
Anna Moorhouse (ORL) vs. Chicago counters: The Pride keeper maintained a clean sheet with solid shot-stopping in a low-event second half.
Midfield battle: McCutcheon/Lemos anchored Orlando’s control against Chicago’s makeshift unit.
Team Recent Form
Orlando Pride form: Entered 0-1-1 (1 point) after a 2-1 home loss to Seattle Reign and a 1-1 draw with Denver Summit. They had shown fight and quality chances but needed clinical finishing on the road. This result delivered their first win of 2026, improving them to 1-1-1 (4 points) and snapping an early winless streak.
Chicago Stars FC form: Entered 1-1-0 (3 points) after a heavy Week 1 loss followed by a gritty 2-1 home win over Kansas City Current (ending a long home unbeaten run in prior contexts). They dropped to 1-2-0 after this shutout loss, with defensive vulnerabilities exposed against a motivated Orlando side.
Series History
Historically competitive: Chicago Stars (formerly Red Stars) held a slight all-time edge entering the match (roughly 13 wins to Orlando’s 8, with 2 draws across 23 meetings; goal differential close). Recent encounters favored Orlando in some high-scoring affairs (e.g., playoff wins or dominant results). Orlando’s 3-0 victory here extended their strong form against Chicago in recent seasons. The return fixture is scheduled for later in 2026 in Orlando.
Betting Trends
Road teams with star forwards (like Banda) often bounce back strongly after draws; Orlando delivered a multi-goal performance.
Chicago’s home games showed goal involvement but vulnerabilities when facing experienced attacks.
Early NWSL matches with injury-depleted home sides frequently result in lopsided outcomes or high first-half scoring.
Orlando historically performed well in decisive road spots against Chicago, with clean sheets or dominant wins appearing in recent H2H.
MATCH ODDS
Orlando Pride + 120
Chicago Stars – 120
Draw + 240
Over 2.5 + 150 Under 2.5 – 135
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Tuesday, March 24, 2026
