NWSL 2024: Best of Brazil Boosts Orlando Pride
Sitting atop the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) right now, there’s a special team and place in Central Florida called “Orlando de Janeiro.” It’s not quite as spectacular as that marvelous Brazilian mecca known as Rio, complete with its crystalline beaches, spectacular scenery, and scintillating soccer games on almost every corner. But the Pride team boasts five brilliant athletes from Brazil who could take them far in the NWSL playoffs this November.
After finishing as the top dog in the NWSL East with a whopping club-record 18 wins and 60 points, Orlando is set to host the eighth-place finisher, the Chicago Red Stars, in a November 8 quarterfinal battle. Marta is still filling the nets at the tender age of 38, while Brazilian sidekicks Adriana, Angelina, and Luana, along with Zambian international Barbra Banda, are all capable of plenty more fireworks. At the same time, it’s the Pride’s first postseason showing since 2017.
Inter & Co Injects Florida Fans With Fun
Perhaps not quite as exotic as a Rio beach stroll in midsummer, the Inter & Co Stadium experience for fans has been nicely spruced up from a year ago. Back in 2022, the club started making improvements to the stadium itself by pouring $2 million into their food and beverage partners to fortify their local presence. The resulting program called “Orlando Made” now includes 15 homegrown food and beverage concepts that serve as community pillars in Orlando’s sparkling arena.
On top of that, the naming rights deal with Inter & Co allowed the NWSL club to take its enhancements one step further by setting up a new LED wall, added signage, and 150 TVs in premium spaces along with more concession stands for wide-eyed fans. Another hospitality area offering almost 145 seats with food and beverage service has also arrived.
“We wanted all of these things to take place at the same time to enhance the fan experience,” Jarrod Dillon, Club President of Business Operations, exclaimed to Forbes. “With our five Brazilian National Team members, it provides great opportunities for us to go and potentially play in friendlies there, or have clubs come here. This partnership with Inter & Co is really going to allow us, through both the NWSL and MLS, to be more intentional about what we want to do, and how we want to leverage that to help our teams be successful.”
Inter & Co is a financial and digital commerce app that offers banking, credit, insurance, and investment services to a cool 30 million customers or more. It’s also the first international partner for the NWSL Orlando club, and as a banking pioneer in Brazil is firmly founded on Latin-American roots, in the words of Jackie Guiterrez.
Ally Watt and Banda Blaze Past Opponents
But by no means is the Orlando Pride squad (or the NWSL) only about Brazilians. Blazing up front alongside Banda is Ally Watt from Colorado Springs. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines keeps it quite simple when he points out that the duo’s speed unsettles foes: “Something you can’t teach is the pace.”
What does Watt think about her current situation in Orlando?
“Just to know that I’m playing a role in this team, no matter if it’s on or off the field, and I take my opportunities on the field. Just to know that we all accept what our roles are on this team, and if it’s starting every game, coming off the bench, being a good practice player, whatever it is, you get to make sure you get to be 100 percent in your role to get to the team.
“That’s how we’ve got to where we are now. So, I just make sure I take the opportunity I get. I’m here for the girls. I’m here for this team. I’m here for Orlando. I’m going to put everything I have out there, no matter what happens,” Ally exclaims.
This NWSL quarterfinal showdown for the Orlando Pride at home against the Chicago Red Stars on Friday, November 8, could well separate the women from the girls. Let’s get ’em girls!
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