Match Report: Orlando Pride Win 2024 NWSL Championship, Bringing First Professional Major-League Trophy to City of Orlando

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (23 Nov 2024) – The no. 1 Orlando Pride defeated no. 2 Washington Spirit by a 1-0 scoreline Saturday night at CPKC Stadium to win the 2024 NWSL Championship, the first in team history. The Pride will finish the 2024 season as NWSL Shield Winners and 2024 NWSL Champions, the first time since 2019 that a team completed the double and become the first professional sports team from Orlando to win a major league trophy.

The win caps a storybook season for the Pride, who broke the league record for most points in a season (60), most wins in a season (18) and most clean sheets in a season (13). The Pride also finished the 2024 season undefeated at home with a 10-0-3 record in the regular season along with wins at Inter&Co Stadium in the quarter-final and semi-final rounds. The Pride was also packed with End-Of-Year NWSL Award winners including Seb Hines as NWSL Coach of the Year, Emily Sams as Defender of the Year and five Best XI winners including Sams, Marta, Barbra Banda, Anna Moorhouse and Kerry Abello.

The Pride were buoyed by a goal from Barbra Banda, who scored her fourth goal of the NWSL Playoffs and was named playoff MVP. The four goals are the most scored in an NWSL Playoff in league history, while the team’s eight goals across the postseason tie for an NWSL record. Angelina provided the assist on the Banda finish, becoming the first international player to register an assist in the NWSL final.

The Pride got another clean sheet, their 14th of the season, after five saves from keeper Moorhouse as well as some great performances from the Pride backline in rookie Cori Dyke, Abello, Kylie Strom and Sams.

The 2024 NWSL Champions and its supporters will come together to celebrate the historic title on Monday, November 25. To celebrate the championship and to honor the team’s players, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer invites the local community to downtown Orlando for a parade and celebration. The parade goes down Orange Avenue, starting at Central Boulevard at 4:30 p.m., and includes Orlando Pride players, Walt Disney World’s Main Street Philharmonic, special guests and giveaways as it heads to Orlando City Hall.

37′ Barbra Banda (Angelina) – ORL 1, WAS 0
After a closely contested first half, the Pride got the breakthrough shortly before the break when Angelina gained control of the ball in midfield and quickly out-jumped Barbra Banda down the right flank with a lofted through ball. Banda beat his defender to the ball and cut back towards the box, picked out the Spirit defender and fired a left-footed shot low past goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury for the opener.