Orlando Pride at Kansas City Current: Three Keys to Victory

The Orlando Pride are taking on the Kansas City Current this Saturday night in CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, MO. This is the matchup everyone has been waiting for as the two undefeated clubs finally face off to see who really is tops in the NWSL. It is the first of two matches between the the Pride and the Current, but it feels like a potential preview of the championship match.

What do the Pride have to do to earn all three points on the road and finally jump the Current in the standings?

Definitive Defense

Barbra Banda is in a battle for the Golden Boot with Kansas City’s Temwa Chawinga, with both just one goal ahead of Sophia Smith of Portland. Banda and Chawinga are each sitting on 11 goals heading into the first of two matches between the teams, though Banda has only played in 11 matches to Chawinga’s 15 matches. Chawinga holds the tiebreaker due to having an extra assist. The Pride’s defense can help Banda’s chances of winning the award if it can stop Chawinga.

The Pride have the No. 1 defense in the NWSL this season and will need to prove it against a Current team that has scored 39 goals in 2024. Anna Moorhouse must put in another good shift behind the Pride’s back line. The fullbacks also need to do better than they did against Angel City FC. How well the defense is able to deal with the Current’s attack will be a major factor in this match.

Break the Press

One of the reasons that the Current have scored so many goals, in addition to Chawinga, is their effective press. Fortunately, the Pride have shown the ability break lines and make opponents pay for playing too high up the pitch.

Of course, it isn’t going to be easy. The Pride will have to deal with a Current midfield that includes Debinha, Claire Hutton, and Lo’eau LaBonta. You can bet that Chawinga will also make things difficult if the Pride attempt to play through the press. The Pride will need to be quick and precise with their passing to get though the Current’s lines.

Goals Change Games

Banda might be tied for the Golden Boot lead, but it was Adriana that scored a brace last match. Marta has been scoring goals, and Summer Yates and Julie Doyle are good for one every so often. The point is that the Pride have plenty of players who can score goals, and the Current give up goals at a greater rate than the Pride. Given the Current’s penchant for scoring goals, it might take a few goals by the Pride to secure a victory.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!