ORLANDO, Fla. (Nov. 17, 2024) – The No. 1 Orlando Pride took down No. 4 Kansas City Current 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Inter&Co Stadium and secured its place in the 2024 NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel. Orlando will face the No. 2 Washington Spirit on Saturday, Nov. 23, at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. The championship match is set to kick off at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.
The Current took an early 1-0 lead in the first half, but just eight minutes later, Haley McCutcheon scored her second goal of the 2024 playoffs off a feed from Ally Watt. It was the second-straight match that McCutcheon and Watt connected for a goal. Watt also recorded her third assist, tied for second-most playoff assists all-time in NWSL history.
Shortly after half, Barbra Banda scored her league-leading third goal during the playoffs. She became just the third player in NWSL history to score three goals in a single postseason. Banda then assisted on Marta’s game-winning goal that would send the Pride to Kansas City for a chance at their first-ever NWSL Championship.
The Pride advanced for a shot at the title after their most successful season in Club history, winning the NWSL Shield, presented by CarMax, and hosting their first-ever home playoff matches at Inter&Co Stadium.
Scoring Summary:
33’ Debinha (Michelle Cooper) – KC 1, ORL 0
Late in the first half, the visiting Current broke the scoreless draw on a goal from Debinha. Kansas City pushed forward, and Michelle Cooper received a pass out wide deep in Orlando’s defensive end. Cooper got into the box and delivered a cross to the back post that Debinha was able to get a touch on and sent it into the back of the net.
41’ Haley McCutcheon (Ally Watt) – ORL 1, KC 1
The Pride brought it all level just eight minutes later when Ally Watt broke down the right flank and got in behind the Kansas City defensive line. Watt then cut a low ball back to the center of the box where midfielder Haley McCutcheon broke free and ran onto the ball for the first-time finish past goalkeeper Almuth Schult.
53’ Barbra Banda (Kylie Strom) – ORL 2, KC 1
Orlando took the lead shortly into the second half, with the Pride putting the pressure on Kansas City early on. Defender Kyle Strom got control around midfield and sent a long ball to Barbra Banda in the middle of the Current defensive line. Banda spun the defender around and ripped a powerful shot into the lower left corner of the net to send Orlando up one on the Current.
82’ Marta (Barbra Banda) – ORL 3, KC 1
The Pride took a two-goal lead entering the last few minutes of the match as Barbra Banda made a tackle that Marta was able to pick up in open space. Marta got a full head of speed as two Kansas City defenders tried to close her down, sending both sliding as she cut the ball back in the box and then sent Almuth Schult sliding as she dribbled around the goalkeeper and fired the third goal home.
90+13’ Vanessa DiBernardo (Penalty Kick) – ORL 3, KC 2
The visitors got one back after video review called a handball on Kerry Abello in the Orlando box, sending the Current to the line. Vanessa DiBernardo stepped up for the Missouri based side and sent the ball to the upper-right corner of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse’s net to bring the match within one.
Head Coach Seb Hines:
“It's great; [I can] take a deep breath now, but it's great. You put all the hard work and effort into it, obviously, in the regular season, a 26-game group stage to then get into a three-game tournament. So, we've done two of it, and there's one more to go. Obviously, the spirits are really high right now, and we're ready to go on Saturday.”
Match Notes:
- Haley McCutcheon scored her second goal of the NWSL playoffs, also finding the back of the net in the previous quarterfinal match.
- Barbra Banda netted her third goal of the NWSL playoffs with the second half strike, which leads the NWSL in playoff play.
- Banda is just the third player in league history to score three goals in a single post-season.
- Ally Watt recorded her third assist of the NWSL playoffs, providing two helpers in the Pride’s win over the Chicago Red Stars.
- Watt’s three assists are tied for the second-most playoff assists in NWSL history.
- McCutcheon and Watt combined for the second playoff game in a row, connecting on the first Pride goal in last week’s quarterfinal win over Chicago.
- Kylie Strom tallied her second assist of the year across all competitions on the Banda finish.
- Marta scored her second goal of the 2024 NWSL Playoffs, 11th across all competitions.
- Barbra Banda picked up her first assist of the playoffs, the seventh of the season across all competitions on the Marta finish.
- Head Coach Seb Hines made one change to the Starting XI with Adriana reentering the fold.
Next Match: The Pride advance to the NWSL Championship in Kansas City, facing the Washington Spirit. That match will be played on Saturday, Nov. 23 at CPKC Stadium, with kickoff set for 8:00 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast on CBS and Paramount +.
