NWSL Shield winners are unbeaten at Inter&Co. Stadium in 2024
By Official Florida FC
The Orlando Pride will play the biggest match in club history Sunday afternoon within the lines of its home fortress.
Orlando hosts the Kansas City Current in the NWSL semifinals. A win would send the Pride to Kansas City for the Nov. 23 NWSL Championship.
Orlando is 11-0-5 in all competitions at home this season. The Pride drew with the Current at home in September, but beat Kansas City 2-1 in Missouri in July.
Before Orlando can make plans for the Midwest, the Pride must first slow down Kansas City forward Temwa Chaŵinga. She was the most prolific professional soccer player in the world in 2023 and brought that form with her to Kansas City.
Chaŵinga set a NWSL record with 21 regular season goals and scored the only goal of the game in the Current’s 1-0 victory over the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL Quarterfinals.
Chaŵinga showcased her strength, speed and finishing when scored when the two clubs met in Kansas City in July. Orlando won that match 2-1 as part of a record-setting unbeaten run during league play.
The reason Kansas City couldn’t beat Orlando at home was because both the Pride’s match-winners scored. Barbara Banda opened the scoring and Marta gave the Pride the win with an impeccable finish from the penalty spot.
However, the strength of the Pride is in the back. The consistency of the four players in front of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse has helped Orlando hold the top-scoring team in the league to one goal over 180 minutes.
Orlando has the best defense in the NWSL this season, conceding just 20 times in 26 matches. The only thing that kept the Pride from a clean sheet in the NWSL Quarterfinals was an uncharacteristic mistake from goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse.
Moorhouse led the NWSL with 13 clean sheets. She is a finalist for Goalkeeper of the Year.
Orlando has four players who are finalists for NWSL awards this season. Marta and Barbara Banda are two of the top four candidates for MVP while central defender Emily Sams is a candidate for Defender of the Year.
As exciting as the individual awards are, the Pride have their sights on additional silverware.
They must first see off Kansas City.
