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NWSL Orlando Pride

Rapid Reactions: Banda in the Bay

September 21, 2024 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Orlando Pride News Release


1. It didn't come until late, but the Orlando Pride picked up their 15th win of the season in dramatic fashion on the road, beating Bay FC 1-0 late Saturday night out in San Jose, California.

2. Back like she never left. Of course it was Barbra Banda who got the go-ahead goal in the 83rd minute of the match, breaking her scoring drought of four games. It's almost weird to call it a drought, but after scoring 12 goals in 12 games, she hadn't scored since the Kansas City Current game before the Olympics. Now, she's back on track and doing so en route to a big three points for the Pride.

3. The goal from Banda was also a milestone one. With her 13th goal of the season, she now ties Marta's single-season goals record for the Pride, which was set back in 2017. With five games still left to play, it's certainly looking like a new name will be written in the record books come season's end.

4. Anna Moorhouse: the new shutout queen. Recording her 12th shutout of the season, Moorhouse becomes the all-time leader in the NWSL for clean sheets in a single season. It's an unprecedented record for both her and the team, who have been as good as any defense in the league's history. With only 12 goals conceded this season, the team has set a precedent defensively and continue to want to improve. After the game, Moorhouse said, "It was one of my goals before the season, to kind of see if I could get that record. It probably only became more of a reality as the season went on. I'm like, 'Yeah, I can actually do this.' And now we have, I think it's five games left to go, so I just want to extend that record as much as I can, and hopefully it stays for many years."

5. It was the first start for Carson Picket since returning to Orlando just one month ago. While there were a few shaky moments, she proved why she was a two-time NWSL All-XI nominee with a few dimes into the box, including the game-winning assist for Barbra Banda. It just goes to show you how important a piece Pickett will be as the team heads into the playoffs.

6. A big shoutout to the swiss army knife herself, Kerry Abello, on her performance. With Head Coach Seb Hines saying after the game he wanted to get some rest for players like Kylie Strom and Haley McCutcheon, naturally he turned to the player that plays almost every position on the pitch. After starting the game at centerback, she moved up the field into the midfield to play the final 15 minutes alongside Angelina. Having played left back most of the season, this game is one of many examples of just how versatile Abello can be. A vital weapon for this Pride team, especially heading into the playoffs.

7. Home game secured! With the win over Bay FC, the Pride have locked in a guaranteed home game for the playoffs for the first time in team history. Back in 2017, the only other time Orlando made the playoffs, they had to travel out to Portland to take on the Thorns. This time around, however, the Pride will host a team in a place they have gone 7-0-3 in their last 10 matches. Head Coach Seb Hines always likes to call it a fortress, and come playoff time, Inter&Co Stadium will be rocking with purple.

8. Speaking of the friendly confines, the Pride will return home next weekend to play host to the Houston Dash. That game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 28.

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from September 21, 2024


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