1. They've done it. After a season finishing agonizingly close to the playoffs last season, the Orlando Pride took the reigns of the NWSL and just kept on winning, securing a 2-0 win over the Washington Spirit to clinch the NWSL Regular Season Shield at Inter&Co Stadium.
2. It's hard to encapsulate this season, especially since there's still three regular-season games left, plus playoffs, but the Pride have defied all the odds, continuing this run while still remaining undefeated, breaking records left and right and finally winning their first-ever silverware in team history. For those that have been around this team since the beginning, special doesn't even begin to describe a season like this. Transcendent is more on the nose.
3. It's a massive moment for the team's captain, Marta, who scored the game-winning goal from the penalty spot. As she was presented with the shield, she told ESPN's Jordan Angeli, "I've waited so long for this moment." You could see just how much bringing a trophy to her adopted hometown team meant to her. All of her Pride teammates around her were getting emotional as she spoke, showing how much she means to them as well.
4. It was not only a milestone for the club, but for their Head Coach, Seb Hines. With the clinching of the shield, he becomes the first Black coach in NWSL history to win silverware. After the game, he said that the accolade meant a lot to him and, "Hopefully, I can be an advocate for many more Black head coaches around the world."
5. With the win tonight, the Pride also secured a tie for the most wins and most points in NWSL history, tying the North Carolina Courage with 17 wins and 57 points, having played one less game than them.
6. Exactly one year ago today was the last time the Orlando Pride lost a regular-season game. October 6, 2023, a 3-2 loss to Racing Louisville, was the last time the team did not win or draw a game. It's an incredible accomplishment that not many teams in soccer, let alone any sport around the world have been able to do.
7. With the shutout tonight, the Pride also tied the single-season record for most clean sheets in a season with 13. While Anna Moorhouse holds the most shutouts for a single goalkeeper in league history, the Portland Thorns had one extra team shutout in 2021. Now, Moorhouse and the Pride hold that record together.
8. The Pride can somewhat thank Washington's Tara McKeown for the win. She committed the foul that led to Marta's penalty and had the deflection on Adriana's shot that beat Aubrey Kingsbury on the second goal.
9. As Seb Hines says, "Job's not done yet." The Pride still have their undefeated record at stake, plus playoffs in a month's time. Before that, however, they travel to Portland this week to take on the Thorns on Friday night. It's a late 10 p.m. ET kickoff, with fans able to tune in on ION.
