The Orlando Pride (15-0-6, 51 points) continued their unbeaten run and extended their lead atop the NWSL standings with a 1-0 win over Bay FC (8-12-1, 25 points) tonight at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA. Barbra Banda’s 84th-minute goal was the difference as the Pride continue their undefeated season, picking up the club’s fifth consecutive shutout. Orlando swept the season series with the expansion side with a pair of identical 1-0 scorelines.

Pride Head Coach Seb Hines made three changes to the team that played to a scoreless draw with the Kansas City Current on Sept. 13. Kylie Strom was out of the starting lineup for the second time this season and the first time since March 22 — the second game of the season — and was replaced by Carson Pickett. It was Pickett’s first start since returning to the Pride on Aug. 16. Additionally, Julie Doyle and Morgan Gautrat replaced Summer Yates and Haley McCutcheon.

The back line in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse changed for the first time since the Olympic break, consisting of Pickett, Kerry Abello, Emily Sams, and Cori Dyke. Gautrat and Angelina were in the defensive midfield behind Doyle, Marta, and Adriana, with Banda up top.

“We decided to give Kylie a well-deserved rest. Obviously, she came on towards the end of the game,” Hines said about the change. “But moving Abello into center back, you know, Abello’s been brilliant for us also. And it allowed us to play Carson at left back.”

Despite this game being the first-place team against the eighth-place team, it was very even for most of the 90 minutes. Far from the Pride’s best performance of the year, the hosts were the better side for much of the game. However, as they’ve done throughout this season, the Pride found a way to win, getting the winning goal with six minutes left in regular time.

The Pride created the first chance of the game in the third minute when Pickett found Banda making a diagonal run to the top of the box. The striker used a good first touch to flick the ball around Emily Menges for a shot on goal. However, it also created a tight angle, causing the shot to go straight to Bay FC goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland.

Bay FC created its first chance in the eighth minute when Racheal Kundananji beat Sams on the right and found Rachel Hill in the box. Abello did well to get a touch to the ball, but Hill regained control. The forward turned and shot, sending the attempt wide of the far post.

Hill was involved in another chance in the 10th minute when she sent Asisat Oshoala forward. Sams was on Oshoala’s hip and had the inside position. As a result, the Nigerian international’s shot was directly to Moorhouse, creating no trouble for the Pride shot stopper.

Bay FC had a third consecutive chance in the 12th minute when Caprice Dydasco lifted the ball into the box for Kundananji. Dyke got to it first, but her header went to Oshoala at the top of the box. The forward attempted to volley the ball on goal, sending it well over the top.

The Pride had a pair of chances in the 19th minute when Dyke sent Banda down the right. The striker used her body to turn Menges and get into the Bay FC box. The Zambian sent a strong shot on goal, but it was right to Rowland who pushed it away. Adriana was the first to the loose ball and backheeled it for Pickett. The left back shot’s attempt went off the head of Dydasco and the Pride couldn’t create anything from the ensuing corner kick.

Katelyn Rowland standing tall against Barbra Banda's rocket 🧤 pic.twitter.com/UJFwlMcXCy

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 21, 2024

Bay FC had its own pair of chances in the 21st minute when Kundananji sent a dangerous ball over Moorhouse to the back post. Hill was making a run with Pickett on her and the Pride left back was able to keep Hill from being able to get a shot off.

Marta initially took possession, but the hosts won it back. It ended up with Dorian Bailey on the right and the midfielder attempted a cross with her right foot. While it didn’t appear to be a shot, the ball curved towards goal, going over the outstretched arm of Moorhouse and off the crossbar.

The Pride were trying to send Banda behind the Bay FC back line several times, but she struggled to get in on goal. In the 37th minute, Marta played the striker into the box. She tried to create space from Abby Dahlkemper and got a shot off. However, the veteran defender did well to stay in front and Banda’s shot hit the outside of the net.

In the 41st minute, Kundananji found Oshoala at the top of the box. With too many defenders between the forward and goal, she played Alyssa Malonson between the back line instead of shooting. The left back turned and shot, forcing Moorhouse into a diving catch. However, Malonson came back from an offside position to receive the ball, so it wouldn’t have counted anyway.

It looked like the hosts might open the scoring in the 43rd minute when Kundananji turned Sams to get in on goal. As she wound up to shoot, Abello came over to challenge the attacker. It was enough to put Kundananji off and the shot was wide of the near post.

The Pride had more possession (55%-45%), crosses (8-5), and corner kicks (1-0) in the first half, but Bay FC created more shots (7-6). Both teams put two chances on target and completed 83% of their passes.

The Pride had the first decent second-half attack in the 52nd minute when Doyle dribbled to the end line while being defended by Malonson. The midfielder crossed the ball before it crossed the end line and Menges knocked it out before Rowland could grab it. Pickett sent the ensuing corner kick into the box, but it was too close to Rowland.

Bay FC took the first shot of the second half in the 56th minute. Abello intercepted a pass from Kiki Pickett to Oshoala at the top of the box. It went to Gautrat, who was unprepared to receive it. As a result, she couldn’t get anything on her clearance. It went straight to Bay FC’s Pickett, who shot from distance, sending it wide.

Dyke challenged Kundananji in the 60th minute, sliding in to win the ball. The Bay FC striker’s knee hit Dyke on her back, forcing the right back to receive attention. After being evaluated by the medical staff, it was determined that she couldn’t continue.

In addition to withdrawing Dyke, Hines made two additional changes in the 63rd minute. Angelina and Doyle also came out of the game, replaced by Strom, Yates, and Carrie Lawrence. Strom joined Sams as a center back, while Lawrence came in at right back and Abello moved over to left back. Pickett, the starting left back, moved forward into the midfield.

Kundananji found Maddie Moreau making a long run into the box in the 70th minute. Lawrence blocked Moreau’s cross attempt with a slide tackle and Sams got to the Bay FC defender before she could send a second ball across the box. Moreau felt she earned a corner kick from the play, but the referee gave a goal kick.

Less than a minute later, Bailey played the ball to her left for Kundananji. The attacker took a touch inside to create enough space for a shot, but it was right at Moorhouse.

After making defensive changes earlier in the half, Hines went more attacking with his fourth change in the 75th minute as Evelina Duljan came into the game for Gautrat.

The Pride nearly found the opening goal in the 78th minute when Pickett beat Dydasco to the far post and met a Marta cross. Pickett got her head to the ball but couldn’t get enough power on it. Still, Rowland had to dive to her left to push it away.

Moreau received a pass on the left in the 79th minute and played it to Bailey making a run to the six-yard box. Nobody in purple was on the midfielder and she tried to slip it past Moorhouse. However, the Pride number one did well to keep the ball out of the net and near her, gathering it and ending the attack.

How did Anna Moorhouse stop this?! 😱 pic.twitter.com/ppQaLe96aY

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 21, 2024

Hines made his final change in the 80th minute, replacing Marta with Ally Watt.

In the 81st minute, Watt’s cross to Adriana beyond the far post was headed to Banda in front of the goal. It was a little behind the striker and she tried an acrobatic shot but couldn’t get much on it, enabling Rowland to collect.

Bay FC nearly took the lead two minutes later when Kundananji nutmegged Sams twice before sending a cross into the box. It was a good cross that found Hill, who tried to redirect the ball inside the post. Fortunately, it traveled just wide.

The miss by Hill loomed large as the Pride took the lead in the 84th minute. Pickett sent a beautiful ball into the box, where Banda was waiting between three defenders. Menges and Dahlkemper were in good positions, but it was a perfect cross that met the head of Banda, who redirected it in to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.

Hop on the Banda-wagon 🚂 pic.twitter.com/mcoyZIWvNG

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 21, 2024

“A quality show towards the end of the game with a great ball for Barbra,” Hines said. “And a great finish to win us the game.”

Banda had been flying since joining the team early in the season and had four goals in three games in the Olympics. However, this was her first goal since rejoining the Pride following the Olympic break.

“Well, for her, of course, it means a lot because it’s been like, four games, five today. And for the team too, because we need her feeling good to do her best for the team,” Martra said about Banda scoring. “And I think it was really important that she scored tonight.”

“It’s massive, a massive confidence boost,” Hines added. “I’ve said all along, she’s getting in some really good positions. It’s that final touch and, you know, grateful for us, she managed to put the ball in the back of the net. She needed that.”

Banda’s goal was her 13th of the season, tying the club record for most goals in a single season. Marta previously set the record during the 2017 season, the only other time the Pride made the playoffs.

Hill tried to make something happen again in the 87th minute when she received the ball outside the box. The attacker turned and took a shot from long distance, but it didn’t cause any problems for Moorhouse.

Two minutes later, Kundananji made a run into the center of the field before sending the ball wide for Moreau on the left. The defender volleyed it towards goal, but it wasn’t a hard shot and Moorhouse made the easy catch.

With a goal lead, the Pride put 10 players behind the ball as the game entered stoppage time. However, they nearly scored a second in the third minute of added time from a counterattack. Watt slid in to win the ball from Moreau and Duljan took possession. Duljan immediately sent it long for Banda behind the Bay FC back line. She had time and space to place the ball behind Rowland but sent it directly to the goalkeeper instead.

In the final minute of stoppage time, Duljan was called for a foul on Tess Boade, giving the hosts one final chance in the final third. Rowland came up as everyone from Bay FC was in the Pride box. The free kick by Bailey was punched away by Moorhouse and cleared by Adriana as the final whistle blew.

However, it wasn’t quite over yet, as the video assistant referee took a long look at the final play to determine if there was a penalty. While there was some contact between Watt and Dahlkemper, it was determined that it was mutual and the game was over.

It was a very even game as the Pride had more possession (55%-45%), but both teams accumulated 13 shots and each put six on target. The Pride also had more crosses (22-13) and corner kicks (4-1), and slightly better passing accuracy (81%-80%). Most importantly, they scored the lone goal and came away with a 1-0 win away from home.

“I don’t think we played to our best,” Hines said. “I don’t think we were threatening as much as I would have liked us to be. But, you know, to come away from a difficult environment, Bay FC have done really well the last couple of games. Have shown what they are capable of doing. But yeah, 1-0 win away from home I’ll always take. You know, three points, it’s so critical at this stage in the season that we continue to pick up valuable points. But yeah, obviously there’s still a lot of things that we can continue to work on. I said to the players before the game, it’s important that we still learn, even though we’re unbeaten and still winning games, that we still have so many learning moments within that to continue to progress towards the postseason.”

The win extends the Pride’s unbeaten run to 21 games in the regular season, 22 games in the league going back to last year, and 25 games in all competitions. More importantly, the Current beat the Washington Spirit 3-0 earlier in the night, so the Pride extended their lead atop the NWSL standings to seven points.

Additionally, the win guarantees the Pride a top four position at the end of the season. They’ll host a playoff game for the first time in club history.

“We are really happy to know that,” Marta said about securing a home playoff game. “It was, like, our first goal in this year. To come back to the playoffs and play at home. It’s the best with our support and in the atmosphere that we have every single game at home. So, yeah, I’m happy with that. And then we’re going to go for more. Of course, our second goal is to win the shield, and then keep working hard to win the next games.”

The Pride also continued their record breaking with Moorhouse’s 12th shoutout of the season. That breaks the NWSL record for most shutouts by a single goalkeeper in a season.

“It’s a great feeling to have it just be me. It’s not a tied record. It’s Orlando Pride, it’s me, all up front. So, yeah, that’s a great feeling,” Moorhouse said. “It’s something, like I said before, I wanted it. It was one of my goals before the season to kind of see if I could get that record. It probably only became, not a determined effort, but it became more of a reality as the season went on. I’m like, yeah, I can actually do this. And now we have, I think it’s five games left to go. So, I just want to extend that record as much as I can and hopefully it stays for many years.”

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She’ll have that opportunity when the Pride return home for a two-game homestand, beginning on Sept. 28 against the Houston Dash.