For the first time in their history, the Orlando Pride has advanced to the NWSL Championship Final following a 3–2 win over the Kansas City Current in the semifinals on Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, FL.
In the 33rd minute, Debinha got the Current off to the perfect start when she opened the scoring with a rocket from point-blank range. But less than 10 minutes later, Haley McCutcheon leveled things with a trouble-free slot from the middle of the six-yard box.
Eight minutes after the interval, Barbra Banda put the hosts in front for the first time when she rolled defender Kayla Sharples and blasted the ball emphatically into the corner. In the 82nd minute, Marta doubled Orlando's lead with an outrageous solo goal assisted by Banda.
What a GOAL by Barbra Banda 🔥
— ESPN (@espn) November 17, 2024
Orlando Pride leads 2-1 in the NWSL semifinal 👀 pic.twitter.com/6eOjFb8yAx
In the seventh minute of stoppage, VAR awarded Kansas City a penalty after the ball struck Kerry Abello's elbow. Current midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo cooly stepped up to make it 3–2, but it was too little too late as the game eventually ended after 16 minutes of injury time had been played.
Orlando will now meet the Washington Spirit, who overcame NJ/NY Gotham FC on penalties in their semifinal, at CPKC Stadium next Saturday, Nov. 23.
The Pride are the first No. 1 seed to advance to the NWSL Championship final since the North Carolina Courage in 2019. The NWSL has had a history of upsets, but in '24 it is the two top seeds that will now face off for the title.
Here are five takeaways from Orlando's dramatic semifinal victory over Kansas City:
Magical Marta
Where were you when Marta scored that goal? The Brazilian legend didn't need to add anything else to her already sparkling résumé, and yet she scored one of the greatest NWSL playoff goals of all time.
Marta's ludicrous dribble beat three defenders and the goalkeeper. The most unforgettable moment was the faked shot followed by a touch to cut the ball back inside, which left center backs Alana Cook and Sharples on the turf.
The duo fell for the feint and threw themselves in front of nothing in perfect symmetry. The sheer audacity of Marta to then jink past the Current goalkeeper and take on one more defender before slotting into an open goal epitomized the 38-year-old's enduring greatness.
"I just saw all the defenders were down," Banda remarked after the game. This semifinal match will forever be remembered for the Marta goal.
There will never be too many angles of this Marta goal 🤩 pic.twitter.com/HSzgamZ9Nv
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) November 17, 2024
LaBonta Not 100% Fit
Current captain Lo LaBonta had to be removed at halftime with the score at 1–1, with Nichelle Prince coming off the bench to replace her. LaBonta had been listed on the league's injury report as suffering from a leg issue during the week.
Prince is a very different type of player from LaBonta—more of a winger or pressing threat than a deep-lying passing playmaker. The sudden personnel shift midway through the match disrupted Kansas City's passing rhythm. It also meant the visitors were missing a leader in the heart of their lineup.
Without LaBonta, it was hard to find those smart, weighted through balls behind the Orlando defense. Her absence was compounded by the Current conceding early in the second half, which meant the Pride could defend deep, play it long and counterattack.
The 'Great Wall of KC' Comes Down
A notable aspect of Sunday's semifinal was the Current conceding multiple goals for the first time in over two months (the last time was a 2–1 defeat to the North Carolina Courage on Sept.1).
For 10 consecutive matches in all competitions, Kansas City allowed just one goal or fewer. Only three goals were conceded in 900 minutes of soccer, which was the same amount of goals Orlando scored against Kansas City on Sunday in just 90 minutes.
The Current's impressive defensive streak coincided with Almuth Schult becoming the starting goalkeeper for that match against the Courage 11 games ago. Coincidentally, the last time Kansas City had lost a match of any kind was also the last time they conceded multiple goals.
Sams and Dyke Contain Chawinga
Orlando has been kryptonite for the seemingly unstoppable force that is Temwa Chawinga. The Current forward has scored in 14 of her past 16 matches, drawing a blank in both meetings against the Pride.
Containing Chawinga Sunday were defenders Emily Sams and Cori Dyke. Combined, the duo won six of their seven defensive duels and made 11 clearances, three recoveries and three interceptions.
"We wanted to respect what they can do with Chawinga, and that meant eliminating the space in behind," Sams said. "I came in with the mindset to do whatever it takes to not let her score, if we let her turn back and find a teammate, that's a win in our case ... it feels great to limit her chances and not get on the scoresheet."
In 2024, Chawinga averaged 4.3 shots, 2.3 shots on goal and 0.75 xG per match. On Sunday, she attempted just two shots, both of which failed to hit the target and generated just 0.23 xG.
The Shield Is Not Enough
While in many world soccer leagues topping the league standings is viewed as the ultimate prize, the NWSL—like many U.S. leagues—views the playoff championship as the most revered title.
For Orlando, who finished first and broke the record for the most points ever in a NWSL regular season when they won the Shield this year, there was never any doubting the team's greatness. Even so, head coach Seb Hines, who is half-English and half-American, opened up about the reality of how being successful in these playoffs will be viewed by many.
"It's a 26-game group stage," Hines said coyly after the semifinal win. "This is America, you have to go out and win the championship."
Pride head coach Seb Hines talking with us now. Says he can finally take a breath.
— Alex Walker (@AlexWalkerTV) November 17, 2024
No. 1 team all season and he leads Orlando to the NWSL final. Incredible. pic.twitter.com/R8tTfEKs6B
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Pride Advances to First NWSL Championship Final After Beating Current.
