The Orlando Pride continued to roll Saturday night as they defeated the Houston Dash 3-1, extending their unbeaten streak to 23 league games. Excitement around the team has finally started to catch hold, with the attendance of 17,087 setting an Inter&Co Stadium record for the Pride.

Orlando came out and dominated the first half, with several good chances. Eventually, Cori Dyke recycled an attack with a long cross into the box, where Carson Pickett was waiting in miles of space to head it over Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell. On the other end of the pitch, Houston did not get a shot off until three minutes into first-half stoppage time.

Angelina extended the Pride’s lead to 2-0 in the 51st minute with a laser shot from outside the area. The Pride then had a rare moment of lapsed concentration, finally conceding for the first time in six games, but not until after they had seized the league record for the longest scoreless stretch (554 minutes). Viviana Villacorta made her return to play late in the game after requiring a year to recover from a torn ACL. Marta showed she still has magic in her boots, scoring late on a Marta-esque solo effort in stoppage time.

With this victory and other results this weekend, Orlando can clinch the NWSL Shield if the Pride can defeat the Washington Spirit on Sunday.

We hope you enjoy these images from the Pride’s latest victory.

The Orlando Pride played host to the Kansas City Current on a humid and rainy Friday night, resulting in a well-played but scoreless draw. Both teams were wary of each other’s high-powered attacks, and clearly felt the effects of the heavy weather conditions. Despite the deliberate play, the game was far from boring though, with both teams playing precise and patient buildups, with most of the athletic passages of play occurring during the opening and closing stages of the game.

That does not mean there were not chances created, especially as Orlando dug deep to push for a late winner. In the last 15 minutes, the Pride were stymied by two excellent late-game Almuth Schult saves on the Current’s end on Marta, followed shortly after by a near miss by Haley McCutcheon. In general, the respective goalkeepers had good games. Schult had three excellent saves and one tricky “schross” that bounced off the goal line (causing consternation for the fans, but it clearly did not clear the line) among her five saves.

At the other end, the Pride’s defensive work effort smothered or directed Kansas City’s shots straight to Anna Moorhouse. The Pride goalkeeper contributed a good tip wide of the post in her three saves and forced a Temwa Chawinga break to a wide angle that was subsequently missed. Her best save didn’t count because the play was called offside.

After facing down one of the top teams in the league, Orlando extended its record-breaking unbeaten run. The Pride are now unbeaten in 21 straight league games (24 in all competitions), and have not conceded since the Summer Cup break.

The Pride next play on the road at Bay City FC Friday night.

The Orlando Pride further reinforced their claim as the team of 2024 on Sunday, defeating NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-0 in a late-season clash of NWSL heavyweights. The Pride left little room for debate, scoring early and holding Gotham to mostly distant chances to win the game and go six points clear at the top of the table at the end of weekend play.

Adriana was clearly Player of the Match, scoring a brace in the first 20 minutes. First she volleyed home Kylie Strom’s header stolen from Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger in the sixth minute. Then, in the 19th minute, she craftily put away a long diagonal after bringing it down at the corner of the 18-yard box and being afforded too much space. Angelina’s cross into the box on a recycled set piece helped create the first goal, while Summer Yates’ pinpoint switch in play turned into an assist on the second.

It seems that this season the Pride break records every weekend and Sunday’s win over Gotham was no exception. Records included:

• Extending Orlando’s single-season club points record (44).
• Extending Orlando’s two NWSL record unbeaten streaks (18 in a season, 19 overall).
• A new mark for managerial wins in club history (26) as Head Coach Seb Hines passed Tom Sermanni.
• A club record for the most players to score five or more goals in a season (Barbra Banda, Adriana, Marta, Yates) after Adriana’s brace helped her reach that total.

And, while not a record, as of Sunday, the Pride have held a clean sheet in half (!) of their games this season. The shutout against Gotham was the team’s fifth in its last six games.

The Pride will hit the road for their next match, visiting the Chicago Red Stars next Sunday at 6 p.m. The Red Stars are the only team the Pride have not yet beaten this season, after drawing Chicago at home 11 on March 24. Any points taken by the Pride or dropped by Angel City or Bay FC next weekend will clinch a playoff spot for the Pride for the first time since 2017.

We hope you enjoy these images from a signature win over the defending NWSL champions.