ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Pride beat the Washington Spirit at home on Sunday afternoon 2-0 guaranteeing home-field advantage through the semi-finals of the 2024 NWSL playoffs.
With the win, the Pride are the 2024 NWSL Shield winners. The team secured the best regular season record determined by the NWSL points system with three games lest to play on the season.
The win also extended Orlando’s league-record unbeaten streak to 23 games.
Pride captain Marta got on the scoreboard first with a penalty in the 56th minute followed by a 73rd minute own goal off Spirit defender Tara McKeown.
2024 @NWSL SHIELD WINNERS 🏆 pic.twitter.com/DdUcEyqHUW
— Orlando Pride - x (@ORLPride) October 6, 2024
“A lot of praise has to go to the players and what they’ve done, they’ve been incredible,” Pride coach Seb Hines said. “Their efforts and what they’ve put into this year, and I said to them before, it wasn’t our time last year. They were bitterly disappointed with how the season ended, and it just wasn’t meant to be, so they took that as fuel going into this year. I can’t doubt them, and they’ve been absolutely amazing from start to finish. I’m so happy for them that they finally got the job done tonight, in front of our own fans.”
The Pride also tied the league record for points in a single season with 57 and wins with 17.
Orlando next play Portland Thorns on Oct. 11.