Orlando Pride vs Chicago Red Stars
When: Friday, November 8, 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Fla
TV: Prime Video
Radio: Fox Sports Radio 810 AM
As the Pride host the Red Stars on Friday, here are five things to watch for:
WIN(dy) City
This match will serve as the Pride’s second-ever playoff game in Club history and the first playoff game that the Pride have hosted. They welcome the Chicago Red Stars into Inter&Co Stadium, a team they have not lost to in the three previous matchups. During the regular season, the two sides played to a 1-1 draw in Orlando early on in the year. More recently, the Pride went to SeatGeek Stadium and battled to a 1-0 victory thanks to a game-winning goal from Marta scored in the 37th minute. The Pride’s only other previous playoff game came back in 2017 and was a 4-1 loss to the Portland Thorns at Providence Park.
Al Cap-Own the Competition
The Pride finished the 2024 regular season with a record-breaking 60 points. The 60 points are the most points earned in a single season in NWSL history. The Red Stars finished the season in eighth place with 32 points. The 28 points separating two sides are the most ever between two playoff opponents. The previous largest gap was the 20 points that separated the Courage (57) and Red Stars (37) in 2018. Chicago lost that match 2-0.
Digging Deep-Dish
Orlando finished the regular season going unbeaten at home in all competitions this season with 10 wins and five draws. If the Pride were to win the next two playoff games at home, they would be the first NWSL team to finish the year with an undefeated home campaign while playing more than 13 games across all competitions. Dating back to last season, Orlando is on a 17-game unbeaten streak at home, seven games longer than any other run in team history.
The Tree > The Bean
Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse became the first Pride goalkeeper to earn ‘ironwoman’ honors in Club history, an honor given to players that played every minute of the regular season. She is also the first Pride ironwoman since Ali Krieger achieved the honor in 2017. Moorhouse finished the season leading the NWSL in clean sheets and breaking the NWSL record for most clean sheets in a single season with 13. She also finished the season second for most saves with 87.
The Best Duo Since Jordan and Pippen
Barbra Banda tied regular-season Pride records for both goals and assists with 13 finishes and six helpers this season. Those marks match Marta’s 2017 season in both categories. Marta finished the 2024 regular season with nine goals, the most she has scored since that 2017 season and tying Alex Morgan (2017) for third most in a season in team history.
