The Orlando Pride finally won the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Shield, beating the Washington Spirit on October 7 to guarantee the best regular season record in the North American setup. In the meantime, Orlando remains undefeated with three games to go in their campaign while getting their hands on the franchise’s first glittering hardware ever. To top the party off, the world’s reigning soccer queen, 38-year-old Brazilian whiz Marta, banishes some of her demons by winning a big trophy before she retires.
Marta Scores First
Marta scored the first on a penalty kick to help her team to a 2-0 win over Washington and bring home the silverware. The Orlando Pride have waited eight long years since their inception for some kind of meaningful cup. The diminutive samba striker, who’s played for seven of those, was overcome with emotion just after the game. Marta wiped tears from her eyes as she exhaled a huge sigh of relief while speaking to reporters:
“Wow, it means a lot! Like I said on the field after the game, we have been working so hard from the beginning and every single game. And we looked for this moment, especially here in our house, in front of our fans and families and friends. It’s unbelievable. Something that I dreamed about, but to be honest, never believed that it was going to happen the way that it did [going undefeated]. And I can tell you guys, I don’t think that’s going to happen again with this team or another team. I’m sorry, but it’s so special, and the way that we did it was incredible.”
It’s hard to imagine that Marta sits proudly as the all-time goals leader in World Cup history, men or women’s (ahead of some mighty impressive company like the unrivaled king Pelé, the Brazilian Ronaldo, the German Klose, as well as Americans Mia Hamm and Michele Akers), with 17. She also became the first player to ever score in five different World Cup tournaments with a strike against the Aussies on June 13, 2019, while managing to win the FIFA Women’s Player of the Year on six different occasions. Yet, this was the first time she helped her humble team in Orlando to a significant award.
Hines Becomes First Black Coach to Secure NWSL Cup
Besides all the records the Orlando Pride have broken during this year’s unbeaten streak (including most shutouts with 13, mainly due to the fast, reliable hands of goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse), head coach Seb Hines played a major part in the run. In addition, he became the first Black coach to take home silverware in NWSL history. Hines added, “Hopefully, I can be an advocate for many more Black head coaches around the world,” as reported by Austin David for orlandocitysc.com.
On the other side of the ball, Washington Spirit defender Tara McKeown had a tough night as her foul led to Marta’s spot kick, and she also deflected an Adriana shot that snuck by keeper Aubrey Kingsbury into the Spirit net to seal the deal for the Pride. But we all know that every goal in a team sport is the result of a group effort, right?
Amazingly, the Orlando Pride have steamrolled their way this season through a league renowned for its parity. Its 2023 champ dropped seven of 22 regular-season games. The NWSL’s tight salary cap and even distribution of talent previously guaranteed that Pride-like superiority was “almost unheard of,” and an undefeated season was “almost impossible,” said defender Carson Pickett, a nine-year league vet.
Orlando Pride: Laughing Stock No More
For almost 10 years, it appeared undoable in Orlando as well. “The Pride has been the butt of many jokes for many years,” chuckled sporting director Haley Carter, according to Henry Bushnell at yahoo!sports. The club hired numerous stars—Marta, Ali Krieger, Sydney Leroux, and Alex Morgan among them.
Nonetheless, they still wallowed in the NWSL’s bottom three during those comedic years. The Orlando Pride hadn’t reached the playoffs since 2017 either, the most severe active drought in the league up to now. Let’s see who has the last laugh this year.
Get More Great Content:
Craving top-tier content that covers it all? From electrifying sports highlights and
insider entertainment news to expert gaming tips and sharp betting advice, we’ve got
you covered. Dive into our curated articles to stay ahead of the game with the latest
sports action, uncover the hottest trends in entertainment, and get the lowdown on
gaming strategies that could level up your play. Plus, our betting advice will sharpen
your edge and boost your chances of winning big. Whether you’re looking to stay
updated or gain a competitive edge, our content is your go-to source for all things
exciting and relevant. Don’t miss out—explore now and power up your knowledge!
Follow us on Twitter/X @TotalApexSports, to stay informed.
