This Saturday in Kansas City, NWSL fans will witness one of the most compelling championship matchups in recent memory. The Orlando Pride are seeking a storybook ending to a captivating year. But they must get past an ascendant 2021 champions Washington Spirit, bolstered by a new manager and a sensational rookie class.
Saturday’s finale sets up a rare NWSL championship meeting between the regular season’s first and second-place teams. An exciting peculiarity of the American playoff system – prized by some, rued by others – is that anything can happen in the postseason. One-off upsets are always possible, and the regular season’s top team isn’t always crowned championship in the end.
Just look at Inter Miami in Major League Soccer: the star-studded Herons set a points record en route to the MLS Supporters Shield, then promptly lost in the first round of the playoffs. In NWSL, last year’s final saw the regular season’s fourth- and sixth-place teams vie for the championship trophy. The No 6 seeds, Gotham, took the crown. In 2022, the second- and fifth-placed teams made the final, with the second-placed Portland Thorns emerging victorious. In 2021, a contest between the third- and fourth-placed teams saw the No 3 seeds, Washington Spirit, win their first championship. You get the picture.
But this year NWSL fans yearning to see a clash between the teams with the best regular season records are in luck. And the No 1 seeds, Orlando, are among the most gripping sports stories of the year.
The Pride went 24 games unbeaten stretching back to last season, a new league record, on their way to the NWSL Shield. Led by NWSL’s coach of the year, Englishman Seb Hines, Orlando cruised past Chicago in the playoff quarter-final and dispensed with Kansas City last Sunday to reach the final for the first time in their history.
This season’s success comes after the team had struggled since entering the league in 2016. Before this season, Orlando had made the playoffs just once, in 2017, where they were easily beaten by the Thorns. That was the season Marta, one of the greatest players in history, joined Orlando. And even at 38, she can still provide moments of genius. In last week’s semi-final, she broke through multiple defenders to score a remarkable game-deciding goal.
Not that she is taking all the glory for herself. The Brazilian says that the difference in the team this year is the strong “mentality” running through the side.
“They give everything,” she said of her teammates. “They don’t think only about themselves. They think only about the team. And we bring this spirit every single game, no matter what.”
With nine goals and one assist in the regular season, Marta has had an incredible year. But a few additions have also been essential to the Pride’s success. Top of that list is Barbra Banda. The Zambian forward was the club’s top-scorer in the regular season with 13 goals in 22 matches. She hasn’t let up in the postseason either: despite extra attention from opposing defenders, she’s scored three goals in two playoffs games so far.
But, as Marta correctly emphasized, Orlando’s magic is their team dynamic. With four Orlando players in Brazil’s silver-medal winning Paris Olympic team (including alternate Angelina), the cohesion of As Canarinhas’ players has affected the Pride. And while goalscorers often grab the headlines, Orlando’s defense has been immense. The Pride’s 13 clean sheets are the most in the league. In 26 games in the regular season, they conceded just 20 goals, the joint-lowest total in the league. And they also set a league record by going 554 minutes without conceding.
Orlando’s laudable defense will be vital if they are to beat Washington this Saturday. The Spirit’s fluid, dynamic attack notched 51 regular season goals this year, second only to Kansas City Current, who set a league record with 57. Washington are led by former Barcelona boss Jonatan Giráldez, who took charge in the summer after winning a second Champions League title with the Catalans. Spirit’s revitalized style has plenty of Spanish influence: Adrian Gonzalez, who was interim manager until Giráldez arrived after the end of the European season, instilled principles in the first half of the season that laid the groundwork for a smooth transition midyear.
It’s not all been smooth sailing. Multiple season-ending injuries have rocked an exciting Spirit squad. Two key midfielders – veteran Andi Sullivan and Rookie of the Year winner Croix Bethune – were absent from the end of their season. The USWNT’s star winger, Trinity Rodman, whose eight goals and six assists make her Washington Spirit’s top goal contributor, left the field in a wheelchair after back spams in September, but is back in action.
Despite those hiccups, Washington have been among the most riveting teams in the league. Their second-place finish was deserved, as was their progress through the playoffs, which saw them win twice after extra-time (and penalties in the semi-final) in front of sold-out crowds.
Given the caliber of the teams, the final seems sure to be close, though Orlando Pride enter as favorites. Regardless of the outcome, fans can look forward to being entertained.
