ORLANDO (Nov. 17, 2024) — The No. 1 Orlando Pride took down No. 4 Kansas City Current 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Inter&Co Stadium and secured its place in the 2024 NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel. Orlando will face the No. 2 Washington Spirit on Saturday, Nov. 23, at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. The championship match is set to kick off at 8 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+.
Scoring Summary:
* 33’ - Debinha (Michelle Cooper) – KC 1, ORL 0 _ Late in the first half, the visiting Current broke the scoreless draw on a goal from Debinha. Kansas City pushed forward, and Michelle Cooper received a pass out wide deep in Orlando’s defensive end. Cooper got into the box and delivered a cross to the back post that Debinha was able to get a touch on and sent it into the back of the net.
* 41’ - Haley McCutcheon (Ally Watt) – ORL 1, KC 1 _ The Pride brought it all level just eight minutes later when Ally Watt broke down the right flank and got in behind the Kansas City defensive line. Watt then cut a low ball back to the center of the box where midfielder Haley McCutcheon broke free and ran onto the ball for the first-time finish past goalkeeper Almuth Schult.
* 53’ - Barbra Banda (Kylie Strom) – ORL 2, KC 1 _ Orlando took the lead shortly into the second half, with the Pride putting the pressure on Kansas City early on. Defender Kyle Strom got control around midfield and sent a long ball to Barbra Banda in the middle of the Current defensive line. Banda spun the defender around and ripped a powerful shot into the lower left corner of the net to send Orlando up one on the Current.
* 82’ - Marta (Barbra Banda) – ORL 3, KC 1 _ The Pride took a two-goal lead entering the last few minutes of the match as Barbra Banda made a tackle that Marta was able to pick up in open space. Marta got a full head of speed as two Kansas City defenders tried to close her down, sending both sliding as she cut the ball back in the box and then sent Almuth Schult sliding as she dribbled around the goalkeeper and fired the third goal home.
* 90+13’ - Vanessa DiBernardo (Penalty Kick) – ORL 3, KC 2 _ The visitors got one back after video review called a handball on Kerry Abello in the Orlando box, sending the Current to the line. Vanessa DiBernardo stepped up for the Missouri based side and sent the ball to the upper-right corner of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse’s net to bring the match within one.
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