Barbra Banda netted the decisive goal as the Orlando Pride triumphed over the Kansas City Current 3-2 on Sunday, securing their spot in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) championship game.
The Pride will face the Washington Spirit for the league title on Saturday at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. The Spirit advanced to the final after a penalty shootout victory against defending champions Gotham FC, following a 1-1 draw in the other semifinal on Saturday.
In a strong performance, Haley McCutcheon and the legendary Marta also contributed goals for the top-seeded Pride, who finished the season with only two losses and claimed the NWSL Shield. Remarkably, Orlando did not lose a single match at home this season.
The Pride reached the semifinals with an impressive 4-1 victory over the Chicago Red Stars last weekend, marking their first playoff win. Banda scored twice in that match, with Marta converting a penalty.
The Current, who entered the match as the fourth seed, were propelled to the semifinals by NWSL Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga, who scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over the North Carolina Courage. Despite concerns about a lingering knee issue, Chawinga started and played the full match against the Pride.
Kansas City took the lead in the 33rd minute when Brazilian forward Debinha scored from a tight angle, assisted by Michelle Cooper. However, the Pride equalized just before halftime when Ally Watt dribbled past a defender and set up McCutcheon, who scored in the 41st minute for her first goal of the season.
Banda put Orlando ahead in the 53rd minute with a powerful strike following a long pass from Kylie Strong. Having represented Zambia in the Olympics this summer, Banda finished the regular season with 13 goals.
Marta, a six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, extended the lead in the 82nd minute, skillfully maneuvering past two defenders before slotting the ball into an empty net. In celebration, she pointed to her name on the back of her jersey, delighting the crowd of 14,524 fans at Inter&Co Stadium.
In stoppage time, Vanessa DiBernardo converted a penalty for the Current, who set a regular-season record with 57 goals.
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