Orlando Pride vs Kansas City Current
When: Sunday, November 17, 3:00 p.m. ET
Where: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Fla
TV: ABC
Radio: Fox Sports Radio 810 AM
As the Pride host the Current on Sunday in the Semifinals, here are five things to watch for:
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The Pride are the only NWSL team that Kansas City has not beaten this year across all competitions. The Pride earned a win in the first meeting between the two sides at CPKC while the return leg in the regular season ended in a 0-0 stalemate at Inter&Co Stadium. That draw is the only clean sheet an opposing team has had at Inter&Co Stadium against the Pride in all competitions during the 2024 season.
Rocking the Cradle
The Pride enter the match having won 11 of its last 12 league and playoff matches at home, with the only other result being the draw against Kansas City earlier this season. The streak stretches back to April as the Pride finished the season unbeaten in the fortress they have built and call Inter&Co Stadium.
BandaWagon
Pride forward Barbra Banda bagged a brace in her NWSL playoff debut in the last match against the Chicago Red Stars. She is just the third player to score multiple goals in her first career NWSL playoff match. Both her goals came in the first half which made Banda just the second NWSL player to score multiple times in a single half of an NWSL playoff match.
Shining Stars
The match against the Red Stars also saw Haley McCutcheon and captain Marta find the scoresheet. For McCutcheon, it served as her first goal of the season and for Marta it was her 10th across all competitions during the 2024 campaign and her first NWSL playoff goal. Marta’s strike also came from the penalty spot after Barbra Banda was brought down in the box. For Banda, it was her fourth penalty earned in all competitions this season, all of which have resulted in goals for the Pride.
NWSL End-of-Year Finalist
Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda and Marta have both been named a finalist for Most Valuable Player while Emily Sams and Kylie Strom have both been named a finalist for Defender of the Year. Anna Moorhouse, who broke the NWSL single season record for most clean sheets has been named a finalist for Goalkeeper of the Year. Captain Marta has also been named a finalist for Midfielder of the Year. Finally, Seb Hines has been named a finalist for Coach of the Year after leading the Pride to being the 2024 NWSL Shield Winners.
