ORLANDO, Fla. (June 21, 2024) – The Orlando Pride (9-0-5, 32 points) set two club records in its 6-0 victory over Utah Royals FC (2-11-1, 7 points) on Friday night as the team remains unbeaten and at the top of the NWSL table. The six goals by the Pride were the most scored in a single game by the Club and also marked the largest margin of victory in team history.
Barbra Banda scored the first of her two goals in the first half on a header, her club-record fifth header of the season. Her second goal on the night came late in the second half and Banda now leads the NWSL for most goals on the season with 10.
Marta also notched a brace of her own, extending her lead for most goals in Club history with 35 all-time. Summer Yates picked up her fourth goal of the season in first-half stoppage time and Ally Watt scored her second goal in second-half stoppage time.
With four saves, goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse and the Pride defense picked up the sixth clean sheet of the year, and it is the third occasion this season they have had back-to-back clean sheets. Moorhouse is also one clean sheet shy of tying her own club record for most in a season which she set last year.
INTER&Co Stadium hosted 9,656 fans on Friday night to watch the match, the highest attended game of the year and the third largest in Club history. The match also served as Pride’s “Pride in Our City” night which celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community of Orlando. The Pride wore limited-edition rainbow numbers on the back of their jerseys.
The game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off at a later date to raise money for The Center, a local non-profit whose goal is to promote and empower the LGBT community and its allies through advocacy, education, information and support.
Scoring Summary
27’ Barbra Banda (Kerry Abello) – ORL 1, UTA 0
About midway through the first half, the Pride broke the scoreless draw on Barbra Banda’s fifth header of the season. Defender Kerry Abello took the ball deep into the Utah box before sending in a cross to the far post where Banda headed in her ninth goal of the season.
45+3’ Summer Yates – ORL 2, UTA 0
The Pride extended their lead during first-half stoppage time on Summer Yates’ fourth goal of the season. Yates intercepted a would-be Royals’ pass along the back line that left her one-on-one with goalkeeper Mandy Haught before she slipped in a shot for the goal.
47’ Marta – ORL 3, UTA 0
It didn’t take long for the Pride to score coming out of halftime with Marta knocking in her third goal of the season. Adriana took control of the ball and sent a cross into the box that was deflected off a Utah defender. The ball landed at Marta’s feet at the top of the box and she sent in a shot that squeezed in between the near post and goalkeeper.
86’ Barbra Banda – ORL 4, UTA 0
The Pride continued to put the pressure on Utah with Banda scoring her second goal of the night. Banda ran onto a bad pass from a Utah defender and found herself with just the goalkeeper to beat. After making a move deep inside the box, Banda put a goal in on the empty net for the brace.
88’ Marta (Barbra Banda) – ORL 5, UTA 0
Just two minutes later, Banda set up Marta for her own brace on the night. Banda caught up to a long pass that took her deep into the Utah defensive third. After dribbling into the box, Banda gave a centering pass to Marta, and she was able to beat the Royals’ defense and put a shot in the back of the net.
90+5’ Ally Watt (Barbra Banda) – ORL 6, UTA 0
Second-half substitute Ally Watt joined in with a goal of her own in second-half stoppage time. Marta controlled the ball on the outside of the field and dropped off a pass to Banda towards the endline. Banda crossed the ball into the box to Watt who beat a defender and notch her second goal of the season.
Head Coach Seb Hines:
“It was an outstanding performance, flawless really, [with] the amount of goals the players scored and to get a clean sheet. I think most importantly it was for the fans tonight. When you look at the [big] picture and look at days like today, it means a lot for the community, and so we had to do our job tonight. The players fully did that and put on a real show for the fans and the supporters who stood by us and [have] gone through moments of adversity over the eight years. That performance epitomizes what this team is about and the determination, their grit and their relentlessness to go after it and get a comprehensive win.”
Match Notes:
- With the win, the Pride extended their unbeaten streak to 14 games to start the year and 15 dating back to last season.
- Banda scored her ninth and 10th goals of the season making her the first NWSL player to double-digit goals this season and is the current league leader in goals.
- Banda’s first half finish also counted as the fifth headed goal she has scored, which sets a Pride record for most headed goals in Club history.
- Banda is also just the second player in Club history to score 10 or more goals in a single season after Marta had 13 in 2017.
- Banda became the first player in NWSL history to score 10 goals in 10 appearances.
- Banda recorded her fourth brace of the season breaking another Pride record for most braces in a single season.
- Banda also had two assists on the night, becoming just the second player in Club history alongside Marta to post two goals and two assists in the same match, with Marta doing so on June 17, 2017. The two assists bring her to five on the season so far.
- Summer Yates earned her fourth goal of the year, which is tied for the second most from a Pride player this year.
- Marta netted her third and fourth goals of the season, which served as her first brace of the year.
- After coming in as a second-half substitute, Ally Watt scored her second goal of the season in stoppage time.
- The six goals scored are the most scored in a single match by the Pride. The four goals scored in the second half were also the most scored in any half by the Pride in Club history.
- The 6-0 win was the largest margin of victory in Orlando Pride history and ties the league record for largest margin of victory all-time.
- The 32 points earned so far this season are the second most the Pride have ever had in a season, only behind the 40 they had in 2017, surpassing the 31 points totaled over the entirety of the 2023 season.
- The 9,656 attendance is the highest of the year for the Pride and the Club’s third highest all time.
- For the first time this season, Head Coach Seb Hines made zero changes to the Starting XI from the team’s last match against the North Carolina Courage.
Next Match: The Pride will travel across the country and take on Angel City FC at BMO Stadium on Sunday, June 30. The match is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on NWSL+ and locally on Bally Sports Florida.
