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Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 2-2 as the Pride Pull Out a Late Draw

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3 years ago

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The Orlando Pride (1-1-1, 4 points) drew the Kansas City Current (0-2-1, 1 point) 2-2 at Exploria Stadium tonight in a game with a pair of stoppage-time goals. After going up 1-0 in the 51st minute, the Pride fell behind 2-1 before Toni Pressley converted a penalty with nearly the last kick of the game. Gunny Jonsdottir scored the other Orlando goal, while Elyse Bennett and Kristen Hamilton scored for the visitors.

Orlando is now on a modest, two-game unbeaten streak (1-0-1).

For the first time this year, the Pride had the same starting lineup in back-to-back games. This is partly due to the availability list being the same as it was last week when the Pride beat Angel City FC 1-0 in Los Angeles. Regardless, it provided some consistency to the lineup as the team looked for its second consecutive win.

The Pride got off to a good start, creating all of the chances in the first 15 minutes. In the eighth minute, Sydney Leroux was looking to feed Courtney Petersen with a through ball but the defender didn’t seem ready to make the run.

Two minutes later, the Pride got a great chance. A Jonsdottir free kick went toward the back post and was sent back across the six by the head of Carrie Lawrence. Leroux was right in front of goal to redirect it on frame but her header was right at Kansas City goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, who made the easy save.

In the 12th minute, Leah Pruitt sent a long ball for Darian Jenkins on the left. She initially got behind the defense but Jenna Winebrenner did well to recover and deflected Jenkins’ shot, allowing Franch to simply pick it up.

After spending the first 15 minutes defending, the Current made their way into the game. In the 18th minute, Victoria Pickett chipped the ball behind the Pride back line for Addie McCain. The left back got behind the defense but Erin McLeod did well to come out and collect it before McCain could shoot on goal.

Just a minute later, Kansas City had another chance when quick passing allowed for another ball over the top, this time for Pickett. McLeod came off her line again but this time Pickett used her first touch to get a shot off. Fortunately for the Pride, the ball rolled wide right of the post.

The best first-half chance for the Pride came in the 23rd minute when Hailie Mace fell, allowing Pruitt to take control of the ball in the Kansas City third. Franch forced Pruitt to the outside, but the Pride striker was able to get a shot off. Unfortunately, the ball hit the post and the Current were able to clear.

In the 27th minute, Jenkins had a chance on goal when Pruitt played her the ball at the top of the box. The midfielder’s first touch was a shot but it sailed well high of the target.

While the Pride had some chances on goal, they also squandered some opportunities for additional shots. In the 26th and 30th minutes, balls into the box by Jenkins were behind Jonsdottir in the box. Both would’ve been opportunities for the Icelandic international to shoot from a close distance.

The Current nearly opened the scoring just before the half when Lo’eau LaBonta’s shot was tipped over the crossbar by McLeod. The ensuing corner kick by Alexis Loera was headed down into the six by McCain. However, McLeod did well to collect it before any Kansas City players could get to the ball.

The Pride had more chances in the first half than the Current but the inability to put those shots on target cost them. At the break, the Pride had more shots (7-3) and crosses (11-6). This was despite having less possession (51.1%-48.9%) and fewer passes (177-164). What kept the Pride from leading after 45 minutes was that they only put two of their first-half shots on target.

Kansas City was the stronger team immediately after halftime. In the 47th minute the Current had an early breakout, but Lawrence did well in defense to keep them from getting a shot off. After a short clearance, the Current sent a cross into the box but it was too close to McLeod, allowing her to catch it.

While the visitors got off to a better second-half start, it was the Pride that struck. In the 51st minute, Jenkins sent a cross toward the back post. The ball landed at the foot of Leroux, whose beautiful first touch played it back to Jonsdottir. While the midfielder didn’t get all of the ball, she got enough of it to put it past Franch into the far corner.

“She has a nose for the goal,” Head Coach Amanda Cromwell said about the Icelandic international. “I mean, she’s committed to get in the 18, she’s committed to get on the end of crosses, and you’ve seen it, and she’ll sacrifice her body. So we’ve told her — I’ve told her many times — look for the goal. Be dangerous.”

The Pride made a couple of early second-half changes, which Cromwell attributed to heavy legs and minor injuries. At halftime, Kylie Strom came on for Celia and Kerry Abello replaced Pruitt in the 63rd minute.

Just after the second change, Winebrenner sent a ball into the box. LaBonta attempted a diving header after losing Petersen, but the attempt went just wide of the target.

The Current had another good opportunity in the 67th minute when Desiree Scott sent a low ball into the box. It got to the middle of the six but only Lawrence was there and she sent it away.

In the 71st minute, Scott sent another cross into the box, this time looking for Kristen Hamilton. A good first touch by the midfielder allowed her to turn Strom and volley the ball on goal. However, McLeod was once again up to the task, tipping the shot over the crossbar.

In the 76th minute, an Isabel Rodriguez corner found LaBonta, who put a shot on goal. It went through several players, but was deflected out of play for a corner kick. Once again, the Pride narrowly escaped and were able to clear.

A minute later, Elyse Bennett got behind Petersen on the right.  As she wound up to shoot, Petersen stuck her leg out in desperation and got enough of it to send it out of play.

The ensuing corner went all the way across to LaBonta, who sent it toward the Pride’s far post. Bennett beat Petersen to the ball again, but this time got her head to the ball and put it past McLeod for the equalizer.

Following the goal, Kansas City continued the attack and pushed for a second. In the 82nd minute, Hamilton received a ball from Pickett and did well to turn Pressley. Her first touch flicked the ball up, forcing her to volley the ball towards the far post. Fortunately, it went just wide of the target.

In the 83rd minute, Chardonnay Curran’s cross was headed back down into the box for oncoming attackers. However, McLeod got to it first.

In the 86th minute, Hamilton found herself one-on-one with McLeod in the Pride box after a bad giveaway by Petersen. The Canadian goalkeeper came off her line well and made herself big, forcing Hamilton to shoot right into her body for the save.

Hamilton attempted to be the facilitator in the 89th minute when she darted down the left with two teammates charging into the box. It should’ve been the visitors’ second goal but her cross was a little too far in front and the ball went harmlessly out of play.

It seemed as though it was only a matter of time before the Current would take the lead and they did a minute into injury time. Bennett beat Petersen again and sent a low cross towards the top of the six-yard box. The ball went through the legs of second-half substitute Kate Del Fava, who left it for Hamilton to put in for what appeared to be the game-winning goal.

In the dying minutes, the Pride desperately pushed forward looking for an equalizer. Two minutes into injury time, Strom fired on target but Franch tipped it over the crossbar.

About a minute later, Strom was tripped up near the edge of the box. Initially, referee Alex Billeter indicated that the foul occurred outside the box. However, fourth official Alejo Calume said it was inside and Billeter pointed to the spot.

“Scott recklessly charged an opponent in the back,” the official word was about the incident. “The referee received information from a crew member to determine that the foul was inside the penalty area.”

“I didn’t see the replay,” Cromwell said about the call. “Apparently the replay was on the big screen and the fourth saw that it was I think in the ear. That’s my take on it.”

With Leroux having already departed the game, Pressley stepped up to take the kick. The center back powered the ball past Franch and into the roof of the net for the last-minute equalizer.

“Honestly, I was thinking just get this in the net for the team so we can get a point,” Pressley said about taking the penalty. “At least, we never want to drop points at home. We want three but to come and get the tie in the last minutes of the game. I think that’s what I was really thinking about and focusing on.”

Following the early second-half goal, Kansas City dominated the remainder of the game. As a result, the Current had more possession (52.1%-47.9%), shots (12-10), shots on target (8-5), and corners (6-2).

“The first half, I thought we played well,” Cromwell said about the game. “I thought we should have controlled the tempo more. We were hitting too many long balls, were getting too stretched, and I think wasting energy to be quite honest. And then you can see that energy that was wasted in the first half kind of come around in the second half with some tired legs, some knocks. So we were trying to protect some players with little minor injuries knowing we have a three-game week as well and hoping we could see it out.

“In hindsight, there were some decisions we could have made differently. We wanted to keep possession better and we just lost. We got overrun the last 20 minutes and we need to be better with seeing it out and being more condensed because we got way too stretched.”

While the Pride would like to have gotten three points out of this game, a draw will be a satisfying result. The Current dominated the last 20 minutes and could’ve put the game away on several occasions.

With four points in their last two games, the Pride will now travel north on short rest to take on the North Carolina Courage Wednesday night.

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Orlando Pride

Top 10 Moments of 2024: Orlando Pride Rewrite Club, League Record Books

The Orlando Pride set so many club and league records in 2024. We collected them as one truly special No. 4 “moment” for the club this year.

Published

2 days ago

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December 28, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

As we count down to the new year of 2025 — which will be Orlando City’s 11th in MLS, the Orlando Pride’s 10th in the NWSL, and OCB’s third in MLS NEXT Pro — and say goodbye to 2024, it’s time to look back at the club’s 10 best moments of the year as selected by The Mane Land staff via vote.

It seems odd to lump a whole heap of record-setting accomplishments into one “moment” of 2024, but the Orlando Pride set and/or tied so many new club and league marks that it’s impossible to separate them all out and give them each their own due. For the purposes of this “moment,” we were originally considering it to be the Pride setting new NWSL records in three vital categories — consecutive wins, consecutive games unbeaten, and consecutive shutout minutes. However, where’s the fun in limiting yourself? We ended up just throwing all the records we can think of at you, not only because it’s more fun that way, but also because it truly illustrates how remarkable this season was in terms of club and NWSL history.

The Pride struggled out of the gate to three consecutive draws to open the season and then really got going. By midseason, it seemed like Orlando was setting a new club or NWSL record every game — sometimes both in the same match. After a lot of thought about it, we decided not to break out individual records, putting them together as one shining example of what the Pride was able to accompish this season. Given that none of the records alone were bigger than the team achievements of winning the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship double, the combined records should simply stand up and be their own collective thing.

The first record the Pride set was a dubious one for two reasons. First, it was merely an extension of the team’s own mark. Second, it wasn’t good. The Pride began the season with a 2-2 draw at Racing Louisville on March 16, which extended Orlando’s streak of never having won on opening day. The club is 0-5-3 in regular-season openers since its inception. Because there was no regular season in 2020, that’s one fewer game than seasons of existence, but if you include the 2020 NWSL Fall Series — the only competition Orlando competed in that year — the Pride are 0-5-4 in their competitive openers across nine seasons. That’s not a good record. However, almost all the rest of the ones they set are either neutral or positive.

Orlando set a new club record and tied another one on March 29 in a 1-1 home draw against the Chicago Red Stars. When a corner kick from Angelina went in off Chicago’s Taylor Malham for an own goal in the 21st minute, it extended the Pride’s consecutive games streak of scoring on a set piece to three games, establishing a new club record. The draw itself was Orlando’s third in a row, tying a club record set from July 17 through Aug. 7, 2022. The Pride equaled that draw streak later in 2024 by tying each of their three NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup games.

On April 26, the Pride went to Audi Field and beat the Washington Spirit 3-2. That set a new club record for most consecutive games scoring at least one goal, extending the streak to 10 games dating back to Sept. 17, 2023. That streak eventually stretched out to 16 games, where the new club record now stands after a 1-1 draw at San Diego on June 7. The streak was snapped in a scoreless draw at North Carolina June 15.

On May 1, Barbra Banda appeared in just her third match since joining Orlando. It was her second start and she starred, scoring a brace and adding an assist. She becamse the first player in NWSL history to record both a goal and an assist in each of her first two starts as the Pride defeated the Courage, 4-1. It was the eighth consecutive result with a point (a win or a draw) in NWSL play for the Pride dating back to the 2023 season finale, another club record streak.

Just one match later, the record book expanded even more. The 1-0 home win over Racing Louisville on May 5 established a new club record for the longest streak of results from the start of an NWSL season (8), which continued to grow for nearly the entire season. It broke the old Pride mark of seven, established in 2021 when Orlando began the season 4-0-3 to kick off the NWSL schedule.

The Pride won a club-record sixth straight game May 11, beating Bay FC 1-0, thanks to an Adriana penalty drawn by Banda. That record also got extended before the streak ended.

The Pride broke its old mark of nine consecutive results across all competitions (set in 2021 with two in the NWSL Challenge Cup and the first seven games of the regular season) in Game 10 of the 2024 season, a 3-2 road victory over the Seattle Reign May 19. It was Orlando’s first road victory in the series against the Reign.

Just one game later, the Pride defeated the Portland Thorns 2-1 at home on May 24. The win was the last of eight consecutive by Orlando, setting new NWSL and club records. That streak came to an end in the next match June 7 at San Diego, but the team continued to get results, and after a pair of road draws, the winning and the records continued to pile up.

On June 21, the Pride piled up the goals in a 6-0 destruction of the Utah Royals. The Pride set or tied multiple records in the match, including the club marks for most goals in a game (6), goals in a half (4, second half), largest margin of victory (six goals), and largest shutout victory. The six-goal margin of victory tied an NWSL record. Banda scored a brace in the match, becoming the first NWSL player to score 10 goals in her first 10 appearances and setting the Pride’s single-season record for braces with her fourth.

Two games later, the Pride met the Current in Kansas City and won 2-1 despite going a player down in the first half, claiming the battle of the only remaining two unbeaten teams in the NWSL. The win halted Kansas City’s league-record 17-game unbeaten run and Orlando tied that mark with the result, entering the Summer Cup and Olympic break riding plenty of momentum.

Orlando drew all three Summer Cup games, marking the first time the club had participated in a penalty shootout, doing so after all three matches. McKinley Crone was the goalkeeper of record for the Pride’s first shootout, which North Carolina won 5-4, despite Crone making two saves. Orlando’s first penalty shootout victory came in the second Summer Cup game, as the Pride capped a 2-2 draw against CF Monterrey with a 5-4 shootout win behind Sofia Manner, making her Orlando debut in the club’s first-ever competitive contest against international competition.

Returning to league play, Orlando set a new NWSL mark with its 18th consecutive game in the regular season without a loss, beating the Houston Dash 1-0 on the road on Aug. 23. The Pride set a team record for wins in a season with their 12th and a new record for points in a season (41), and Anna Moorhouse not only became the club’s career leader in clean sheets with her 15th, but she also set the single-season club record with her eighth. All of those numbers grew more by the end of 2024, starting with the very next game.

Seb Hines became the Pride’s all-time winningest coach Sept. 1 in a 2-0 home win over Gotham FC, passing Tom Sermanni by earning his 26th win as the Pride’s head coach. Orlando tied its single-season mark for home victories (7) in the match as well. The Pride picked up another shutout win at Chicago on Sept. 8 and then hosted the rematch against the Current, which ended in a scoreless draw. That 0-0 game Sept. 13 set a new Pride record for consecutive shutouts (4) as Moorhouse tied the NWSL record for most clean sheets by a goalkeeper in a single season with her 11th.

Every game continued to not only increase the Pride’s ongoing club- and league-record streaks, but also brought new marks in the process. Banda tied the NWSL record with her sixth game-winning goal of the season in the 1-0 win at Bay FC Sept. 20 and Moorhouse captured sole possession of the single-season NWSL shutout record with her 12th. The Pride clinched a home playoff game for the first time in franchise history and completed their fifth straight shutout, establishing a new club record for consecutive clean sheets while tying the NWSL’s all-time mark. It was Orlando’s eighth and final road victory of the regular season, setting a new club single-season record and tying the NWSL record. Banda, who scored the only goal of the match, tied the club record with her 13th regular-season goal of the year, equaling the record Marta set in 2017.

The Pride’s shutout streak ended in the 53rd minute of the next game when Yuki Nagasato scored for the Houston Dash in what was ultimately a 3-1 Orlando victory. The Pride established a new club Inter&Co Stadium attendance record with 17,087 fans in the stands to witness the victory. Those fans also saw Nagasato’s goal end Orlando’s new NWSL-record streak for consecutive shutout minutes (554). In addition, Moorhouse set the club’s new career record for goalkeeper wins (24).

It’s a bit of a shame Nagasato scored for Houston, because the Pride posted another shutout in the next game against Washington on Oct. 6. The Pride clinched the NWSL Shield with a 2-0 victory over the Spirit — the club’s first-ever trophy. Orlando equaled the league records for most wins (17) and points (57) in a season, which were obviously both new franchise marks, and those were extended in the regular-season finale. Moorhouse completed her 13th clean sheet of the season to set the NWSL single-season record. The victory turned out to be the final match of the team’s unbeaten streak, with the Pride setting the bar high. Orlando’s NWSL-record unbeaten streak finished at 24 matches (18-0-6) and the league record unbeaten streak from the start of a season was set at 23 games (17-0-6).

The Pride dropped their first games of the season on a two-game road swing against playoff qualifiers Portland and Gotham. Although an unbeaten season was spoiled, the players had achieved one of the goals they set out to accomplish at the start of the season, clinching home field throughout the playoffs. It’s understandable if there was a bit of a hangover afterwards, but more records were waiting.

Orlando hosted the Seattle Reign in the final game of the regular season, winning a hard-fought 3-2 match and establishing a new club record and tying the NWSL record for home wins in a season (10). The Pride’s 18th win set a single-season record for both the club and the league, as did the team’s 60 points earned across the regular season.

Playoff Record Epilogue

Orlando’s postseason included several records as well, which isn’t surprising since it was only the second time the club had reached the playoffs and the first time the Pride played in more than one playoff match in a single postseason. Banda set a league postseason record by scoring four goals. The Pride set new club single-season records for playoff matches (3), home playoff matches (2), wins (3), braces (1, by Banda), shutouts (1), penalty kicks (1), penalties conceded (1), and goals scored (8), as well as fewest goals conceded in a postseason (3). Orlando also established new club single-game playoff records for most goals scored (4), most goals by one player (2, by Banda vs. Chicago on Nov. 8), most penalties (1, Nov. 8 vs. Chicago), most penalties conceded (1, Nov. 17 vs. Kansas City), and fewest goals conceded (0, Nov. 23 vs. Washington). The Pride scored their latest goal in a playoff game with Marta’s 82nd-minute winner against Kansas City Nov. 17, however, Orlando also conceded the latest goal in NWSL playoff history with Vanessa DiBernardo’s penalty in the 13th minute of stoppage time in that same game.

The Pride also set a record for combined home wins in the regular season and playoffs (12) with the NWSL semifinal victory over the Current. Banda set a club record for most goals across all competitions (17).

The sheer number of club and league records that the Pride either set or tied in 2024 is astounding. Some of those may fall in 2025, while others may last for many years. Regardless of how long they last — and expansion will likely increase the number of games, making some of them more likely to fall — the 2024 Orlando Pride campaign was one of the most successful in the history of any team sport. Even those who took part in it could hardly have predicted the level of dominance and success the Pride achieved.

It simply made sense for us to honor the collective volume of the Pride’s firsts, records broken or tied, and history made into one of our top moments of 2024. We hope you enjoyed reliving all of the above, and we’re sure there were probably a few we missed.

Come back through New Year’s Eve as we count down the remainder of the top 10 moments of 2024 for Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and OCB.

Previous Top Moments of 2024

10. Orlando City’s massive second-half surge clinches top-four spot in Eastern Conference.

9. The Orlando Pride sign Zambian international striker Barbra Banda ahead of the 2024 season.

8. Facundo Torres scores his 47th goal for Orlando City, breaking the Lions’ all-time goal record.

7. Marta’s magical goal pushes the Orlando Pride past Kansas City and into the NWSL Championship.

6. Orlando City wins nervy three-game MLS Cup playoff series to advance past Charlotte FC.

5. Orlando Pride pick up the club’s first-ever playoff win in their first-ever time hosting a postseason match.

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    Orlando Pride

    Top 10 Moments of 2024: Orlando Pride Capture Club’s First Playoff Win

    In our No. 5 moment, the Orlando Pride make history twice by hosting a postseason match for the first time and getting their first playoff win.

    Published

    3 days ago

    on

    December 27, 2024

    By

    Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

    As we count down to the new year of 2025 — which will be Orlando City’s 11th in MLS, the Orlando Pride’s 10th in the NWSL, and OCB’s third in MLS NEXT Pro — and say goodbye to 2024, it’s time to look back at the club’s 10 best moments of the year as selected by The Mane Land staff via vote.

    It was 10 years in the making. A decade after the National Women’s Soccer League announced Orlando would become the league’s newest team, the Pride finally got to host a postseason game. It was only the team’s second playoff appearance ever, but the club left no doubt, going unbeaten until the NWSL Shield had been clinched, guaranteeing that every match in the postseason up until the final would take place at Inter&Co Stadium, where the team had become seemingly invincible in 2024. That remained the case in the playoffs, as Orlando kicked off its NWSL Championship run with a commanding 4-1 home win over the Chicago Red Stars.

    Once the Pride defeated the Washington Spirit on Oct. 6, it was just a matter of waiting to see which team Orlando would host in the first round of the 2024 NWSL playoffs. It seemed destined to be Bay FC for a few weeks, but the Chicago Red Stars found themselves in the No. 8 spot after the final weekend of the regular season. Mallory Swanson, Alyssa Naeher, and company headed to Inter&Co Stadium on Nov. 8.

    This wasn’t exactly the best possible news for the Pride, who have had their problems with the Red Stars since joining the NWSL. The Pride and Red Stars had played every season except the COVID-19 year of 2020. The teams had met 20 times in all, with the Pride going just 6-12-2 against Chicago. The Pride were even worse at home against the Red Stars, struggling to just a 1-7-2 home record in the all-time series.

    Even in a dominating 2024, the Pride could not beat the Red Stars at home in the regular season. In fact, Orlando couldn’t even score a goal for itself in the match, relying on an own goal by Taylor Malham on a first-half set piece to get a result, scratching out a 1-1 home draw against Chicago on March 29.

    That match — the team’s third consecutive draw to open the season — took place before Barbra Banda’s arrival. The Zambian striker was signed a few weeks earlier, but had to wait for international paperwork before traveling to the U.S. She then had to get acclimated to her new team and go through a few training sessions before eventually entering the lineup on April 19.

    By then, the unbeaten/winless streak of draws had turned into just an unbeaten streak.

    The Pride sometimes fought and sometimes cruised their way to an incredible 18-2-6 record and were never beaten at home. Still, as the Red Stars arrived for the first home playoff game in Pride history, there was that nagging fact that Orlando still had only beaten Chicago at home one time.

    Orlando wasn’t interested in that narrative. The players blasted out to a fast start, creating chances from the jump. Banda missed just wide of the far post early and Ally Watt similarly missed the target moments later. Angelina joined in the wide-shot parade in the fifth minute, but the Pride were creating great chances and not allowing the Red Stars to settle into the match.

    Banda, who had only scored one goal in 10 matches with Orlando after returning from the Olympics, turned down an opportunity to shoot on Naeher in the 10th minute, instead trying to thread a ball through traffic to Summer Yates. Chicago cleared the pass, which was behind its intended target. The option wasn’t a bad one for most players, but Banda turning down a scoring chance made it seem as if the striker’s confidence was starting to waver after her scoring drought to end the regular season.

    Whether that was the case didn’t end up mattering, because Banda’s teammates picked her up 16 minutes later, as Haley McCutcheon picked an outstanding time to score her first goal of the season. A shot by Angelina deflected to Watt off of Bea Franklin. The Pride forward tried a shot but didn’t get a clean hit on it, sending it sailing off line toward the back post. McCutcheon was in the right spot at the right time, redirecting it into the net with a well-placed header to open the scoring at 1-0 in the 26th minute.

    After nearly half an hour of domination without a goal, McCutcheon’s strike changed everything. The Pride seemed to relax and start playing their game. That helped in front of goal, as the team continued putting its chances away.

    A good tackle in the midfield by Angelina resulted in Emily Sams getting to the ball and sending a quick, long pass through the defense in the 39th minute. Banda blasted past the back line, picked up the pass, and calmly beat one of the league’s best and most experienced goalkeepers to double the lead.

    Banda fed off that goal, eventually scoring one more, but setting herself up repeatedly as the game went on, threatening to become the first Pride player to net a hat trick, but not quite getting there. Her 44th-minute try from the left beat Naeher but didn’t curl enough to find the inside of the back post. It seemed as if the Pride’s 2-0 lead would stand until halftime.

    But Banda had other ideas. Watt played Banda down the left with a long ball in first-half stoppage time. The Zambian turned on the jets, getting to her heavy first touch just before Naeher, and scored her second goal of the night, extending the lead to 3-0 just before the break.

    The big halftime lead, combined with a 13-0 halftime edge in shot attempts, had Pride fans feeling good. It was 45 minutes thoroughly dominated by Orlando.

    The Pride didn’t let up despite the big advantage. Marta smacked the crossbar with a free kick just moments after the restart. A minute after that, Banda had a gaping net into which to complete her hat trick, slipping past Naeher but firing off the left post. Banda managed to help the team score its fourth goal shortly after that anyway, but it was Marta that scored it.

    Banda blew past Hannah Anderson and into the penalty area. A helpless Anderson reached out and grabbed Banda’s shirt, pulling her back. Referee Alyssa Nichols played on but was sent to the monitor moments later by video assistant referee Ekaterina Koroleva. Upon reviewing the play, Nichols saw the clear infraction in the box and awarded a penalty. Orlando captain Marta stepped up to the spot and blasted her shot past Naeher to make it 4-0 at precisely the 56th minute.

    At that point, it was just a matter of the final score, and the rest of the game had a celebratory feel. Chicago, to its credit, fought hard to try to make a game of it. The Red Stars managed to score a goal, but even that came from a careless mistake by Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse as much as it did from the hustle of Chicago’s Jameese Joseph.

    When the final whistle blew, Orlando had out-shot Chicago 27-8 in a thoroughly dominant performance. The Pride made history with their first-ever postseason win, rewarding the 11,496 fans who came out to witness Orlando’s first home playoff match. The performance they saw was one for the ages, and it was echoed in the words of Pride Head Coach Seb Hines in his postgame comments.

    “Brilliant, brilliant from start to finish,” Hines said. “Started the game really well, created two opportunities within the first two minutes. You can see the hunger within the team. You can see the commitment and fully deserved. I think we were phenomenal today.”

    Banda’s brace reignited the Zambian’s threat, as she went on to score in each of the team’s playoff matches, leading the team to its first league title and historic double. Every postseason championship starts somewhere, and that 4-1 win over the Red Stars started it for Orlando. That, combined with it being the historic first postseason win and first home playoff match, makes the win over Chicago a worthy top-five inclusion in the club’s best moments of 2024.

    Come back through New Year’s Eve as we count down the remainder of the top 10 moments of 2024 for Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and OCB.

    Previous Top Moments of 2024

    10. Orlando City’s massive second-half surge clinches top-four spot in Eastern Conference.

    9. The Orlando Pride sign Zambian international striker Barbra Banda ahead of the 2024 season.

    8. Facundo Torres scores his 47th goal for Orlando City, breaking the Lions’ all-time goal record.

    7. Marta’s magical goal pushes the Orlando Pride past Kansas City and into the NWSL Championship.

    6. Orlando City wins nervy three-game MLS Cup playoff series to advance past Charlotte FC.

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      Orlando Pride

      Top 10 Moments of 2024: Marta’s Magical Goal Secures Pride’s Spot in NWSL Championship Match

      Our No. 7 moment of the year relives Marta’s semifinal stunner.

      Published

      5 days ago

      on

      December 25, 2024

      By

      Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

      As we count down to the new year of 2025 — which will be Orlando City’s 11th in MLS, the Orlando Pride’s 10th in the NWSL, and OCB’s third in MLS NEXT Pro — and say goodbye to 2024, it’s time to look back at the club’s 10 best moments of the year as selected by The Mane Land staff via vote.

      The Orlando Pride faced the Chicago Red Stars in the first round of the 2024 playoffs and were frankly not challenged by the NWSL’s No. 8 seed. The Pride may have struggled in their final few matches of the year, losing to the Portland Thorns and NJ/NY Gotham FC (after the Pride had already clinched the NWSL Shield), but it was a breath of fresh air to be dominating matches again, as two goals from Barbra Banda, one from Haley McCutcheon, and a penalty-kick goal from Marta left no doubt. After how well the Pride had played all season, it can be almost surprising to realize that the match was the first playoff victory in the club’s history.

      As reward for their victory, the Pride advanced to face the dangerous Kansas City Current in the semifinals. The first meeting of these teams in the regular season was billed as the battle of the unbeaten clubs and ended in a 2-1 Pride victory, courtesy of Marta’s penalty kick in the 63rd minute. Looking for a spark for the rematch, Current players took offense at the nature of Orlando’s celebrations and promised revenge in the return match at Inter&Co Stadium later in the season. The rematch ultimately ended without any fireworks, as Orlando’s league-leading defense and Kansas City’s new defensive acquisitions each held the other’s attack in check, leading to a 0-0 draw.

      After two close matches in the regular season, the Orlando Pride were well acquainted with the Kansas City Current and knew the playoff semifinal matchup would be much tougher than the quarterfinal win over Chicago. The Pride faced additional adversity early in the match. After a cagey opening third of the game, the Current found the back of the net first through Debinha in the 33rd minute. The assist came from a good cross from Michelle Cooper, but the goal was the sort that Orlando had prevented for most of the season. Kerry Abello and Emily Sams were both slightly out of position from stopping the cross. The Pride found parity just before halftime, as Ally Watt drove to the end line from the right wing and cut back a pass excellently to McCutcheon for her second goal of the year — both in the playoffs.

      The second half of the match started well for the Pride. In the 51st minute, Marta stepped up to take a free kick in shooting range. Her shot was on target but was saved by Current goalkeeper Almuth Schult. Barely two minutes later, Pride defender Kylie Strom played a teasing ball to the feet of Banda, who used her body to shield the pass from the Kansas City defense, turned, and rifled an emphatic finish into the net to make it 2-1. Throughout the season, Orlando was almost invincible with a second-half lead. However, facing NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga and the league’s most potent attack in a playoff game, the Pride knew they would need additional cushion to see the match out.

      Here is where Orlando captain Marta left her timeless mark on the match. Despite the lead, Orlando did not simply sit back for the final 40 or so minutes of the match and absorb pressure. The Pride continued to press Kansas City, hoping to generate turnovers and scoring chances for Banda and Marta, and that is exactly what happened.

      When Current defender Kayla Sharples got caught with the ball under her feet, Banda pounced. By stretching to poke the ball away from Sharples, Banda managed to push it right into Marta’s path. Sensing an opportunity might be on, the Brazilian had rushed forward, and she was rewarded by being in the right place to take possession of the turnover.

      The Brazilian star carried the ball in stride deep into Kansas City territory before Sharples, and her defensive partner, Alana Cook, caught up and positioned themselves between Marta and the net. Unfortunately for them, Marta has made a living off of making good defenders look silly on a soccer pitch. With one cutback, she sat down both defenders, sending them sliding past the play. Then, with a second quick move, she sliced past Schult, who had rushed out of her net. Finally, just before Hailie Mace could slide in from the side to block the effort, Marta toe-poked the ball into the net, finishing off one of the greatest solo goals in league history.

      Marta’s passion at scoring such an important goal was infectious for her teammates and fans in Inter&Co Stadium. The goal was her second of the playoffs and 11th of the season overall. Later in the match, Kansas City managed to pull a goal back off a penalty kick in the 103rd minute, but it did not alter the final result — a 3-2 victory for the Pride. Instead, it granted “match-winning goal” status to Marta’s electrifying goal.

      Marta and Orlando Pride history are so intertwined that the Pride as we know them would be completely different without the captain. The Goat. Marta. Now, after bringing an NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship to the City Beautiful, her legacy in purple is unimpeachable. The goal she scored to clinch the Pride’s spot in the championship match will go down as the cherry on top of an illustrious club career, whether she extends her time with Orlando this off-season or not. And that special goal in that special moment is certainly worth a spot in our list of the club’s top moments of 2024.

      Come back through New Year’s Eve as we count down the remainder of the top 10 moments of 2024 for Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and OCB.

      Previous Top Moments of 2024

      10. Orlando City’s massive second-half surge clinches top-four spot in Eastern Conference.

      9. The Orlando Pride sign Zambian international striker Barbra Banda ahead of the 2024 season.

      8. Facundo Torres scores his 47th goal for Orlando City, breaking the Lions’ all-time goal record.

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