Kansas City, Missouri. With a 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit on Saturday, the Orlando Pride won their first National Women’s Soccer League title thanks to a goal from Barbra Banda in the 37th minute.
Banda dribbled into the right side of the box, dribbled by a defender, kicked the ball with her left foot on the ground, and kicked it past the goalie. She scored in every round of the playoffs, becoming her the first player in the NWSL to do so.
The VAR ruled that the play was fair even though the Pride’s Angelina almost received a push call before giving it to Banda.
The Spirit (20-7-2) had two more shots on goal, outshot the Pride 25-9, maintained possession 58% of the time, and dominated the game. In the 47th minute, Rosemonde Kouassi headed a ball from a distance of roughly ten yards, giving Washington their best opportunity.
Brazilian sensation Marta won her first NWSL championship thanks to Orlando’s victory.
Orlando, the top seed (21-6-2) set a league record by going undefeated in their first 23 games. They won the championship at their home ground, CPKC Stadium, after defeating the Kansas City Current in the playoffs.
Orlando is the first team to win both the title and the Shield in the same year since 2019.
This defeat ended Washington’s five-game winning streak in the playoffs when trailing at the half.
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