After a rough battle to assert dominance, the Washington Spirit succumbed to superior footing in the second half, losing 1-0 to Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League championship game. WTOP’s José Umaña was on the scene Saturday at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City as the team faced the Orlando Pride.
Final: @ORLPride defeat @WashSpirit 1-0 to win its first-ever @NWSL Championship. pic.twitter.com/mqy3lPpXio
— José Mauricio Umaña (@Jose_M_Umana) November 24, 2024
Related coverage: Washington Spirit embrace underdog role heading into NWSL championship
From the AP KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Barbra Banda scored in the 37th minute to give the Orlando Pride their first National Women’s Soccer League championship with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit on Saturday night. Banda dribbled into the right side of the box and made a move past a defender before kicking the ball on the ground with her left foot and past the goalkeeper. She became the first player in the NWSL to score in each round of the playoffs. The Pride’s Angelina was nearly called for a push before passing it to Banda, but the VAR determined that the play was fair. The Spirit (20-7-2) controlled the game and outshot the Pride 25-9, had two more shots on goal and held onto possession 58% of the time. Rosemonde Kouassi had Washington’s best chance in the 47 minute when she headed a ball from about 10 yards away. Orlando’s win gave Brazilian star Marta her first NWSL title. Top-seed Orlando (21-6-2) went unbeaten in its first 23 matches, a league record. They beat the Kansas City Current in the semifinals before hoisting the trophy at CPKC Stadium, their home field. Orlando is the first team since 2019 to win the Shield and the title in the same year. Washington had won its last five playoff games when trailing at the half, but that streak was broken with this loss. More from WTOP’s José Umaña This is the second time Spirit has made it to the championship in four years. Even after a strong 7-month regular season, Spirit were the underdogs in the match. Even though the temps were frigid for the big game, José was able to find D.C. fans warm and aglow with the Spirit vibe.
Like I mentioned on-air, @WashSpirit fans are out in full force, but quietly walking around the loud Orlando fans. I asked a group of fans to give their best cheer, and they obligated! #ThatsTheSpirit https://t.co/oycsia3kht pic.twitter.com/loKZ4nHkrb
— José Mauricio Umaña (@Jose_M_Umana) November 23, 2024
Arriving at @cpkcstadium. pic.twitter.com/BWS9ezfwzk
— José Mauricio Umaña (@Jose_M_Umana) November 23, 2024
Head coach Jonatan Giráldez and forward Trinity Rodman both acknowledged this week that Spirit didn’t have the leg up, but they were ready to prove their worth. The top-seeded Pride came out of the regular season with the best record (18-2-6). In the regular season, Orlando dominated Spirit. The last time Spirit won the NWSL was in 2021. Since then, there have been multiple significant changes to the team’s roster, as well as its management. This story will be updated. Stick with WTOP for the latest.