ORLANDO, Fla. (May 24, 2024) – The Orlando Pride (8-0-3, 27 points) defeated Portland Thorns FC (6-4-1, 19 points) 2-1 on Friday night at INTER&Co Stadium to earn its eighth-consecutive victory, setting a new record for the longest winning streak in NWSL history. The Pride also extended their unbeaten streak to 11-straight games to start the season and stay atop the league standings.
The Pride were backed by two first-half goals from Barbra Banda which were good for her seventh and eighth goals of the season. Her first goal was headed into the back of the net, counting as her fourth header scored on the year, which is more than any single NWSL team has as a collective.
Her second finish put her into a tie for the Golden Boot race alongside Thorns forward Sophia Smith. Banda’s brace is also her third of the season, which tied the Club record for most braces in a single season.
The visitors cut the lead to a single goal in the second half, but the Pride defense was able to stymie them off to preserve the win, with three saves from goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse.
Scoring Summary:
30’ Barbra Banda – ORL 1, POR 0
The Pride struck first in the 30th minute on Barbra Banda’s fourth header of the season to open the first-half scoring. Marta sent a corner kick in front of the Thorns’ goal when Rafaelle sent a shot that was initially saved by goalkeeper Shelby Hogan. The deflection bounced right to Banda who headed in her seventh goal of the season.
40’ Barbra Banda – ORL 2, POR 0
Orlando extended its lead just 10 minutes later on another Banda goal. The Pride gained control of the ball near midfield and Marta sent in a perfectly-placed lead pass to Banda down the middle of the Thorns’ defense. After her first shot was blocked by a Portland defender, Banda regained control before making a move on the goalkeeper and punching in her second goal of the night.
71’ Izzy D’Aquila (Olivia Moultrie) – ORL 2, POR 1
Portland got one back on a goal from second-half substitute Izzy D’Aquila. The Thorns got deep into the Orlando defensive zone and Olivia Moultrie received a pass on the left side of the Pride goal. Moultrie sent a sliding cross to D’Aquila in the middle of the box, where she sent in a shot to cut the Orlando lead down to one.
Head Coach Seb Hines:
“It’s a great feeling. I'll be honest, it'll probably be short-lived because we have bigger goals we’ve set this season and objectives that we want to reach this season. But of course, it’s a nice feeling. It’s great to do it in front of our fans, our home fans who supported us through the tough times and we’re rewarding them for their support by having this record, setting a record for the NWSL. A lot of the credit has to go to the players and the support staff because, without them, we wouldn't have achieved this today. It’s a great feeling, but we have other things we want to aspire to.”
Match Notes:
- Barbra Banda netted her seventh and eighth goals of the season in just her sixth start of the season. She is now tied with Portland’s Sophia Smith for the most goals scored in the NWSL.
- Banda’s brace is her third of the season, which ties the Club record for most braces in a single season by a Pride player.
- The win is the Pride’s eighth straight win, setting a new NWSL record for most consecutive wins.
- The victory also extends the Pride’s unbeaten streak to 11 games to start the season, having scored at least one goal in each match.
- Head Coach Seb Hines made two changes to the Starting XI from the win against the Seattle Reign FC, with Morgan Gautrat and Julie Doyle reentering the Starting XI.
Next Match: The Pride will enter an international break and then travel cross country to take on the San Diego Wave on Friday, June 7 at Snapdragon Stadium. The match is set to kick off at 10 p.m. ET and will be broadcasted on Prime Video.
