Orlando Pride (17-0-6, 57 points) at Portland Thorns (8-11-4, 28 points)
When: Friday, October 11, 10:00 p.m. ET
Where: Providence Park, Portland, Ore.
TV: Prime Video
As the Pride take on the Thorns on Friday, here are five things to watch for:
2024 NWSL Shield Winners
The Orlando Pride won the 2024 NWSL Shield after a 2-0 victory over the Washington Spirit at Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride earned the Club’s first trophy in their history, clinching the NWSL Shield with three games remaining in the regular season. The Pride are the sixth different team to win the Shield and the first team to clinch it while being undefeated. Orlando is also the fifth different team to win the NWSL Shield in the last five regular seasons.
Records Are Meant to be Broken
The 2024 Orlando Pride team continues to cement themselves in the NWSL record books as the season winds down. With the win over the Spirit, the Pride tied the NWSL record for most wins in a single season with 17 as well as most points in a single season with 57. They also earned the 13th clean sheet of the season which breaks the NWSL record for team clean sheets in a campaign. The Pride remain unbeaten in the 2024 season, going 23 games unbeaten this year and 24 overall dating back to the final match of the 2023 season.
A Thorn in My Side
Providence Park has not been friendly to the Pride in the series history between the two sides. The Pride have managed just one win in the team’s history at Portland that came back in 2018. The Pride also traveled to Portland for the Club's only playoff game in its history and fell to the Thorns in a 4-1 decision. The last two matches the Pride have played at Providence Park, they have been shutout in both matches and lost by a combined 10-0. More recently, the Pride have held the upper hand in the series entering the match having won the last two games against the Thorns, both of which were in Orlando including a 2-1 win earlier this season thanks to a brace from Barbra Banda.
GOAT Doing GOAT Things
Marta scored her eighth goal of the season with a second half finish from the penalty spot in the match against the Spirit. The goal served as the 39th of her career as she continues to extend the Pride record for most goals scored all time. The penalty kick was also her second finish from the spot this year and her 11th converted penalty of her career, which is now tied for the third most all time in regular season play. Marta also recorded her fourth game winning goal of the season, which is the second most on the team this year.
Rio De Orlando
Marta’s goal on Sunday was the 58th regular-season goal scored by a Brazilian player for the Pride, including the 15th goal scored this season. No team has had more goals scored by players from a single country outside the United States and Canada in NWSL history.
Milestone Tracker
- Marta is one assist away from 20 in her NWSL career.
- Barbra Banda’s next goal will break teammate Marta’s record for most goals scored by a Pride player in a single season (13).
- The Pride’s next win will break the NWSL record for most wins in a single season (17).
- The Pride’s next point will break the NWSL record for most points in a single season (57).
