The Orlando Pride (17-0-6, 57 points) secured the NWSL Shield with a 2-0 win over the second-place Washington Spirit (15-6-2, 47 points) tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. Marta gave the Pride the lead from the penalty spot in the 56th minute and a Tara McKeown own goal off an Adriana shot in the 73rd minute put the game away.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes to the team that beat the Houston Dash 3-1 on Sept. 28. Kerry Abello and Angelina entered the starting lineup in place of Julie Doyle and Summer Yates. The back line in front of Anna Moorhouse was Abello, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke, Morgan Gautrat and Angelina were in the defensive midfield behind Carson Pickett, Marta, and Adriana with Barbra Banda up top.

This was a dominant performance by the Pride. They took the game to the Spirit early and didn’t let up. There were some moments where it looked like the visitors might find a way through, but the Pride took a deserved lead when Marta scored from the spot in the 53rd minute. An Adriana shot in the 73rd minute was deflected in by McKeown and determined to be an own goal. The second goal ensured the Pride would take all three points and secure the shield.

The Pride were the aggressors early, creating chances in the Spirit third of the field. Inside the first minute, Adriana won a corner kick on the right. However, the ball into the box was caught by Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury. Banda created a chance in the seventh minute when she dribbled to the end line and was pulled down by Annaig Butel entering the box. Referee Danielle Chesky gave the Pride a free kick just outside the 18 and it was played back for Adriana, but the Brazilian couldn’t get around the ball to put the shot on target.

Marta was tripped by Andi Sullivan entering the Spirit third of the field in the 16th minute, earning a free kick. The set piece found Banda making a run behind the back line and her cross was blocked out by McKeown. Chesky delayed the corner kick while the video assistant referee took a look at the play as the ball went off of McKeown’s arm. However, they determined it wasn’t a penalty.

The ensuing corner kick was towards the back post but too high for Banda to get over it. As a result, the striker sent her header over the crossbar.

Paige Metayer played Rosemonde Kouassi forward in the 25th minute, giving the Spirit their best chance to that point. The attacker had a step on Strom and took a shot from distance that Moorhouse tipped over the crossbar.

The ensuing corner kick was cleared by the Pride and they broke on the counterattack. Banda dribbled over midfield and found Marta making a run. The Pride captain cut inside to lose Kouassi before playing it back for Banda. However, the striker was offside, ending the threat.

Dyke sent a long ball for Banda in the 31st minute that was a bit too far in front of the striker. However, the Pride continued to put pressure on the Spirit, making it difficult to get the ball out of their own end. Eventually, Marta won the ball back from Butel. It bounced perfectly for Adriana who took a long shot, but the attempt was straight to Kingsbury.

Pickett put pressure on Esme Morgan in the 33rd minute, creating another turnover. Abello sent the ball down the left for Banda, who used her speed to beat McKeown into the box. The striker took her shot from a tight angle but sent the attempt right at Kingsbury.

Dyke made an overlapping run in the 36th minute, and Adriana played her down the right. The defender sent a cross towards the back post for Banda, but it was over the striker’s head. Pickett received the pass instead and sent her shot well wide of the far post.

Pickett won possession from Sullivan in the 39th minute near the Spirit box and Marta was taken out by Heather Stainbrook. Since Marta had already lost possession, the Spirit argued the call and Stainbrook was booked.

Adriana stepped up to take the set piece and attempted to put the ball on goal. However, she hit the wall and the ball deflected high, falling harmlessly into the arms of Kingsbury.

In the first minute of first-half stoppage time, Dyke made a long run forward before cutting it back and laying the ball off for Gautrat. The midfielder sent a cross into the box for Banda, but the striker’s header went wide.

A minute later, Pickett played Banda forward into the box. The striker made a run towards the middle and it looked like she would get a free shot on goal, but Gabriele Carle came flying in from the opposite side to block the shot.

Courtney Brown made a run into the box from the left in the third minute of stoppage time and found space in the box. The midfielder tried to beat Moorhouse to her near post, but hit the outside of the net instead.

The final chance of the first half was for the Pride when Angelina won possession from Sullivan in the Spirit third and played her captain into the 18. Marta took a shot towards the goal that went just over the top. The Brazilian argued that Kingsbury got a touch to the ball, but Chesky gave a goal kick. That was the final play of the half as the teams went into halftime scoreless.

The Pride were the better side in the first 45 minutes with the advantage in possession (52%-48%), shots (9-2), shots on target (3-2), corner kicks (2-1), crosses (9-4), and passing accuracy (87%-83%).

The second half started slower than the first. In the 54th minute, Angelina sent a great ball forward for Banda behind the Spirit back line. As the striker entered the box, McKeown caught up to her from behind. Banda went down as soon as she felt contact and Chesky immediately pointed to the spot. McKeown was booked for the challenge and Banda required some medical attention. However, she was able to continue.

After a brief VAR check to confirm the penalty, Marta stepped up to take the spot kick. It wasn’t very well taken, and Kingsbury guessed correctly, getting her hand to the ball, but the strike was too strong, getting through the Spirit goalkeeper and giving the Pride a 1-0 lead.

“I was thinking that maybe she is going to wait and then think that I’m going to shoot as I did against Kansas. And I just used another technique,” Marta said about her penalty. “And then I put it in a good place. Because I used the technique, she jumped a little bit later. So there was luck to me. And I was happy we scored. So, yeah, I was thinking about that. I did. She knows me so good, you know, so you need to have some tricks in this moment.”

The Pride didn’t take long to push forward, looking for a second goal. In the 59th minute, Morgan tapped the ball away from Banda but sent it to Adriana. The Pride midfielder dribbled into the Spirit box before Morgan caught up and knocked the ball away. After regaining possession, she played it back to Gautrat, but her shot was blocked.

Pickett took possession after receiving an overlapping pass from Abello. She sent the ball towards the back post, where Carle got a slight touch to it, but not enough to keep it from reaching Adriana. The Brazilian wasn’t able to get much on the volley, sending the ball off target.

Again, the Spirit were unable to clear. However, Marta wasn’t able to control the ball and it went behind her to Abello. The right back took a shot from outside the box that went over the top.

Hines made his first substitution in the 63rd minute, replacing Gautrat with Yates.

In the 69th minute, Metayer took Abello one-on-one, beating her into the box. Pickett took possession but couldn’t keep control. However, Abello had recovered and Metayer sent the ball off of Abello and out for a corner kick.

The set piece was taken short to Kouassi, who sent a dangerous ball through the box. Moorhouse jumped for the ball and it went over her hands. Fortunately, nobody was at the back post to put it in, and the ball went all the way out of play for a Pride throw-in.

Hines took the stoppage in play to make his second substitution of the game, replacing Pickett with Doyle.

On the other end, the Pride’s pressure created problems for the Spirit again in the 73rd minute, resulting in a second goal. Marta’s pressure on McKeown forced a short pass to Stainbrook, which was taken away by Adriana. The midfielder took a shot from the top of the box and it looked like Kingsbury had it. But the ball took a deflection off of McKeown and snuck inside the near post to give the Pride a 2-0 lead.

The Pride nearly gave a goal right back in the 75th minute when Kate Wiesner sent Lena Silano into the Pride box. Silano sent a low cross in front of goal for Brittany Ratcliffe, but Abello got it first. She redirected it on goal, but it went off Moorhouse. Silano recovered the ball before it left the field and took a shot, but Strom was there to block it out. The ensuing corner kick was cleared and the Pride kept their 2-0 lead.

The Spirit had another great chance to find a goal in the 85th minute when Kouassi found Ratcliffe at the back post. The second-half substitute got behind Abello and put her foot on the ball, but she didn’t make clean contact with it and Moorhouse made a good save to keep it out.

In the 88th minute, Yates got by Sullivan to enter the box and the Spirit midfielder put her forearm into Yates face. Yates came down on Sullivan’s leg and both players went to the ground. While Yates got up quickly, Sullivan required medical attention. Eventually, she was stretchered off and replaced by Jenna Butler.

The fourth official showed eight minutes of second-half stoppage time and neither team created much before the final whistle. Marta dribbled into the middle in the seventh extra minute and shot but sent her attempt over the top. A minute later, Kouassi took a weak shot from the top of the box that gave Moorhouse little trouble. That was the final chance as the Pride came away with the 2-0 win.

At full time, the Pride had the advantage in possession (51.2%-48.8%), shots (16-11), and passing accuracy (83.6%-80.1%). The Spirit had more corner kicks (6-3) and both teams had four shots on target and 10 crosses.

“I thought, in terms of the game, we created a lot of good opportunities in the first half,” Hines said. “I thought in the second half, we still continued to create opportunities. There was a few moments where they played around our press, or played through our press, but, you know, they problem solve and they figure it out. And it might be that little bit more commitment into the press. And you can see moments where, if they’re committed, they win the ball and we transition to go to goal. And so, yeah, I’m just super proud of them, because it’s obviously a difficult position. A lot of pressure coming here, there’s a lot of hype around it. You’ve got the (NWSL) president here, you’ve got people here, and everyone is expecting for you to win the shield. And so, yeah, it does play a part in it, but I’m so glad that they stuck to who they are and they stuck to their identity and managed to get the job done tonight, because they deserve it.”

The win clinches the NWSL Shield for the Pride, giving them their first trophy in team history and clinching the top overall seed in the NWSL playoffs. The only playoff game they can play away from home is the NWSL Championship, which will be held in Kansas City.

“I mean, a lot of praise has to go to the players and what they’ve done. They’ve been incredible, their efforts and what they’ve put into this year,” Hines said. “And, you know, I said to them before, it wasn’t our time last year. They were bitterly disappointed how the season ended and it just wasn’t meant to be. And so they took that into fuel going into this year. And, you know, I can’t doubt them. They’ve been absolutely amazing from start to finish. And I’m so happy for them that they finally got the job done in front of our own fans.”

“Like I said on the field after the game, we worked so hard from the beginning and every single game,” Marta said. “And we looked to have this moment, especially here in our house. You know, in front of our fans and families and friends. It’s unbelievable. Something that I dreamed about. But, to be honest, like, never believe that was going to happen the way that we did it. And then I can tell you guys, I don’t think they’re going to have a game with this team or another team. I’m sorry, but it’s so special. And the way that we did it was incredible.”

Additionally, the Pride tied the record for most points in a single NWSL season (57) and the most wins in a single season (17). Both records were previously set by the 2018 North Carolina Courage. One win in their final three games would see the Pride hold both records on their own.

The Pride continue their unbeaten run, which now stands at 23 on the season and 24 dating back to last year. Including the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, the Pride are undefeated in 27 straight games. Their last loss was exactly a year ago when they fell 3-2 to Racing Louisville FC on Oct. 6, 2023.

While the Pride have clinched the top spot in the playoffs, they still have more to play for in the final three games. No NWSL team has finished an entire season unbeaten in the 12 years of the league’s existence. Avoiding defeat in the final three games would see the team be the first to reach that milestone.

The Pride will continue their quest for an unbeaten season on Friday night when they take on the Portland Thorns at Providence Park in Oregon.

Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (16-0-6, 54 points) look to secure the NWSL Shield as they welcome the Washington Spirit (15-5-2, 47 points) to Inter&Co Stadium. This is the second and final time these two teams will meet during the regular season, though both have already secured playoff spots.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

History

The Pride and Spirit have faced off 24 times since the Pride joined the NWSL in 2016. Orlando has a record of 8-9-7 in all competitions against Washington. This includes a 7-6-6 record in NWSL play and a 5-3-4 record at home.

The last time these two teams met was on April 26 in Washington, D.C. Angelina gave the Pride the lead early, before Ouleymata Sarr equalized shortly before halftime. A Barbra Banda strike and a Summer Yates penalty conversion in the second half seemed to put the game away, but Anna Moorhouse dropped an easy catch from Ashley Hatch, giving the Spirit a second goal. Fortunately, the Pride held on for the 3-2 win, extending their early-season winning streak to three games.

The first meeting of 2023 was on May 10 at Audi Field in the NWSL Challenge Cup. Tori Hansen gave the Pride a surprising early lead, but late first-half goals by Lena Silano, Sam Staab, and Marissa Sheva made it 3-1 Washington at halftime. Ally Watt scored off the bench early in the second half and Ashley Sanchez put the game away in injury time as the Spirit won 4-2.

The first regular-season matchup of 2023 was on May 20 in Orlando. Marta converted a first-half penalty, but Staab equalized five minutes later. Kylie Strom netted the winner late, and the Pride won 2-1. The Pride dominated the Spirit in the second regular-season matchup on July 1. Julie Doyle had a brace in the first 16 minutes and a Tara McKeown own goal put the game out of reach as the Pride won 3-0.

The final meeting in 2023 was in the Challenge Cup on Aug. 4 in Orlando. The game appeared to be headed for a scoreless draw until Mariana Speckmaier scored eight minutes into second-half injury time, lifting her team to a 1-0 win.

The first game between the teams in 2022 came on May 27 at Exploria Stadium. Trinity Rodman gave the Spirit an early lead and Hatch doubled the advantage after halftime. As the game entered second-half stoppage time, it appeared as though the Pride would fall for the second straight time, but a pair of late goals by Mikayla Cluff and Darian Jenkins stunned Washington with a 2-2 draw. The teams met again on July 17 at Audi Field and the Spirit dominated the game statistically. They had more possession, shots, and shots on target but couldn’t find the back of the net, resulting in a scoreless draw.

Prior to the draw in May, the Pride and Spirit played two games in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. The first was on March 19 in Orlando. The Pride had less possession and fewer shots, but a strong defensive effort allowed them to come away with a scoreless draw. The second Challenge Cup meeting came on April 3 at Audi Field. Gunny Jonsdottir scored the team’s first goal in four games. However, the Spirit already had a 3-0 lead. Rodman scored a late goal to put the game away as the Pride fell 4-1.

The two teams played four times during 2021. The first was on April 21 in the Challenge Cup. Sydney Leroux’s goal was the only scoring as the Pride won 1-0. Just two games later, the Pride opened their regular season by hosting the Spirit on May 16. Hatch gave Washington the lead, but Alex Morgan equalized to claim a 1-1 draw. The second regular-season meeting that year was on June 6 in Washington. Hatch opened the scoring, but Taylor Kornieck equalized minutes later, resulting in a 1-1 draw. The final meeting of 2021 came Aug. 22 at Audi Field. Marta gave the Pride the lead, but Hatch equalized just two minutes later. It looked like it would be a third straight 1-1 draw but Sanchez won it for Washington late.

Due to the pandemic, the Pride and Spirit didn’t play in 2020 but faced off three times in 2019. The first was on July 6 in Orlando. Marta scored a brace in the second half, leading the Pride to a 4-3 win. They played again on Aug. 24 in Washington. Crystal Thomas gave the hosts the lead and Marta equalized. But Hatch’s goal lifted the Spirit to a 2-1 win. The final game was supposed to be the following weekend but was postponed due to Hurricane Dorian. Instead, the game was played Oct. 9 in Orlando. The Spirit dominated the rubber match, beating the Pride 3-0.

The first of two meetings in 2018 was on March 31 at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Hatch scored a goal and added an assist in a 2-0 win for the Spirit. The Pride got their revenge in the second game in the same location. Alanna Kennedy’s goal was the difference as the Pride won 1-0. The final meeting that year was on July 7 in Orlando. Hatch gave the Spirit the lead, but Leroux scored just before halftime and Marta’s goal gave Orlando the 2-1 win.

The 2017 season was the first time the teams played three times in a year. Their April 22 meeting was the Pride’s first home game that year. Line Sigvardsen-Jensen gave the visitors the lead, but Danica Evans answered as the teams drew 1-1. They met for the second time that year in Maryland on July 8 when Marta and Mallory Pugh both scored braces in a 2-2 draw. The final game in 2018 was on Aug. 8 in Orlando. Marta, Camila, and Morgan all scored as the Pride ran away with a 3-0 win.

The Spirit swept the first two meetings in 2016, winning 2-0 in Maryland and 2-1 in Orlando.

Overview

With only four games remaining in the regular season, the NWSL’s first-ever unbeaten campaign remains within reach for the Pride. They’ve been as hot in recent weeks as they’ve been all year, winning eight of their last nine. The only game they didn’t win was a scoreless draw at home against the Kansas City Current on Sept. 13.

While the team wants to continue its unbeaten season, there’s even more on the line this weekend. The Spirit currently sit in second place, seven points behind the Pride, and no other team can catch Orlando. As a result, three points tonight would clinch the NWSL Shield, giving the Pride their first-ever trophy and securing their spot in next year’s Concacaf W Champions Cup.

There’s a lot on the line tonight for the Pride, but the second-best team in the league is standing in their way. It’s an interesting scenario, because the rebuild that led the Pride to their current success was modeled after tonight’s opponent. Now they have a chance to win the regular-season title against them.

Similar to the Pride, the Spirit have already clinched a playoff spot and are fighting to get the highest seed possible. In addition to chasing the Pride, Washington is tied on points with NJ/NY Gotham FC and sits just one point ahead of the Current. Three points away from home would be huge for the Spirit.

While the Pride have been the best defensive team in the league — conceding 13 goals in 22 games — the Spirit have been an offensive force. Their 44 goals scored this season is second behind the Current’s 49. They’ve also been strong defensively, but not quite at the Pride’s level. They’ve conceded 25 goals this year, fourth fewest in the league.

The team is led by French international Ouleymata Sarr and U.S. star Trinity Rodman, each with eight goals this year. Hatch and Croix Bethune are tied for third on the team with five each, and Brittany Ratcliffe has three. Bethune currently leads the league with 10 assists, followed by Rodman with six, and Casey Krueger with three. While Bethune has been key to the Spirit’s success this season, she’s out for the rest of the year after injuring your knee throwing out the first pitch at a Washington Nationals baseball game. Rodman and Sarr have also missed time recently with injuries, but the Spirit have kept winning anyway.

This will be a tough test for a Pride back line that is trying to set a new league record for fewest goals conceded in the season. They’ll need to avoid conceding four goals in the last four games to achieve that feat, but tonight they’ll face one of the three teams to score twice against them in a game this season. However, the defensive unit has been excellent recently, giving up its first goal in six games in the team’s most recent outing. The Pride haven’t conceded multiple goals in a game since May 19 away to Seattle Reign FC.

“It’s number one versus number two, so we expect a very competitive game,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s match. “Washington has been in a good run of form, as well as us, so I would expect both teams going out to get a win.”

There are no surprises on the Pride’s availability list for this game, with seven players out injured or ill, including Grace Chanda (thigh), Simone Charley (ankle), Luana (illness), Sofia Manner (concussion), Haley McCutcheon (foot), Megan Montefusco (heel), and Rafaelle (thigh). Washington will be without Bethune (knee), Lyza Bosselmann (wrist), Anna Heilferty (knee), Civana Kuhlmann (knee), Krueger (hip), Chloe Ricketts (knee), Rodman
(back), Leicy Santos (thigh), Sarr (back), and Hal Hershfelt (suspension).

Official Lineups

Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Carson Pickett, Kylie Strom, Emily Sams, Cori Dyke.

Defensive Midfielders: Morgan Gautrat, Angelina.

Midfielders: Kerry Abello, Marta, Adriana.

Forward: Barbra Banda.

Bench: McKinley Crone, Julie Doyle, Ally Watt, Carrie Lawrence, Summer Yates, Ally Lemos, Viviana Villacorta, Evelina Duljan, Celia.

Washington Spirit (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Aubrey Kingsbury.

Defenders: Gabrielle Carle, Annaig Butel, Tara McKeown, Paige Metayer.

Defensive Midfielders: Esme Morgan, Andi Sullivan.

Midfielders: Courtney Brown, Heather Stainbrook, Rosemonde Kouassi.

Forward: Ashley Hatch.

Bench: Nicole Barnhart, Jenna Butler, Kaylie Collins, Makenna Morris, Brittany Ratcliffe, Lena Silano, Kate Wiesner.

Referees

REF: Danielle Chesky.
AR1: Ricardo Ocampo.
AR2: Matt Trotter.
4TH: Jade Mallea.
VAR: Abdou Ndiaye.
AVAR: Brian Marshall.

How to Watch

Match Time: 5 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV: ESPN 2, ESPN Deportes.

Streaming: ESPN+.

Twitter: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).

Enjoy the match. Go Pride!

The Orlando Pride have already qualified for the playoffs. The club is undefeated in 22 straight matches this season — 23 straight matches going back to last season’s final game — and is breaking record after record while doing it. A match against the second-place Washington Spirit is looming Sunday. If the Pride can pull out a victory, they will win the Supporters’ Shield and be one step closer to an undefeated regular season.

What do the Pride need to do to get all three points Sunday against the Spirit?

Reignite Banda

Barbra Banda’s first appearance for the Pride came back in April against the San Diego Wave. She played 29 minutes off the bench and had some chances. She got her first goal for the Pride against the Spirit in the very next match. She then went on a goal-scoring tear with 12 goals in the next 11 matches before the Olympic break. She also added five assists in that same time period. Overall, she took 46 shots, putting 31 on target (67.4%), and scored 12 goals (38.7%).

After she returned from the break, she hasn’t been able to find the same form. In the last six matches she has 32 shots, with 14 on target (43.8%), and has scored one goal (7%). Banda also only has one assist in those six matches. I’m certain that plenty of you are worried about those numbers, but don’t press the panic button just yet. Teams are often double- and triple-teaming her when she is in the attack. Players also go through spurts, and Banda is no different.

There’s no better time for her to start scoring consistently than against the Spirit. Doing so started her career with the Pride, and big-time players step up in big-time matches. We can see from the numbers that she is getting chances. She just needs to be a bit more clinical, and the goals will come.

Close the Hatch (and Company)

The Washington Spirit have scored 44 goals so far this season, which is good enough for second most behind the Kansas City Current, and it’s four more than the Pride have scored. Most of those goals have come from three players — Trinity Rodman (8), Ouleymata Sarr (8), and Ashley Hatch (5). Of course, Rodman recently missed time due to back spasms, so her availability is unknown for the upcoming match, while Sarr has missed missed time with a lumbar injury.

That means the Pride defense will still need to deal with Hatch and the rest of the Spirit attack. The Pride have the best defense in the NWSL, allowing only 13 goals all season. Until Saturday, Orlando hadn’t allowed a goal in a record-tying five consecutive matches. Additionally, the Pride have not allowed a goal after the 75th minute all season. Compare that to last season, and you’ll get an idea of how good Orlando has been.

It’s the proverbial unstoppable force meeting an immovable object on Sunday. Stopping the Spirit from scoring is not an easy task. If the Pride can find a way to shut down their opponents then a trophy awaits.

Have Fun

After the 6-0 romping of the Utah Royals way back in June, Marta said in an interview, “Nobody’s allowed to come here and have fun besides us.” Since that match, the Pride are 2-0-1 at Inter&Co Stadium in NWSL play and have allowed only one goal. On the season, Orlando is 8-0-3 at home. So, why is having fun so important?

The Pride are chasing history this season. As I mentioned above, records keep falling or getting extended. Every team brings its “A” game against the Pride. The possibility of an undefeated season is so close you can taste it. All of that creates pressure on the club chasing those records and that undefeated season. If the Pride can deal with that pressure by “having fun,” it will be easier to achieve their objectives.

That is what I will be looking for Sunday night while sitting in the stands. If you see me, please say hello. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!