Orlando Pride had to settle for a point on Friday night, coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Denver Summit FC at Inter&Co Stadium in National Women’s Soccer League action.
Denver struck first in the 24th minute when Melissa Kössler (24′) put the visitors ahead, capping an efficient first-half spell in which Summit made the most of limited openings. That goal sent Orlando into the interval trailing 1-0 despite seeing plenty of the ball and asking more questions in the attacking third.
The second half belonged far more to the Pride territorially, and the pressure finally told just after the hour mark. Barbra Banda (61′) rose to head home the equalizer, bringing the home crowd to life and rewarding Orlando for a sustained push after the restart.
From there, the fixture had the feel of a side trying to force a winner and another trying to stay compact and disciplined. Orlando finished with 22 shots to Denver’s 8, held a slight edge in possession at 51.1%, and won a commanding 13 corners compared to 4. The Pride also put 9 shots on target, while Denver managed just 2, underlining how much of the late running belonged to the hosts.
Still, Denver showed resilience away from home. After taking the lead through Kössler, the visitors dug in and absorbed long stretches of pressure to leave Florida with a hard-earned draw. For an expansion side still building its identity, taking a result on the road against Orlando represented a composed and competitive showing.
The match also carried a physical edge. Denver picked up a yellow card in the 50th minute, while Orlando saw Ayo Oke (45+1′), Kaleigh Kurtz (56′), and Natasha Flint (85′) booked across the night.
In the end, Orlando may feel it left chances on the pitch after controlling many of the underlying numbers, but Denver’s defensive resistance ensured the points were shared. Banda’s 61st-minute header cancelled out Kössler’s opener, and the two sides finished level at full time in a competitive early-season NWSL fixture.
Final score: Orlando Pride 1-1 Denver Summit FC
Goals: Melissa Kössler 24′, Barbra Banda 61′
