ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Pride ended its historic season with a 1-0 win over Washington Spirit in Saturday night’s NWSL championship game at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City.
The city welcomed home its soccer heroes with a parade down Orange Avenue Monday afternoon and a ceremony at City Hall.
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Orlando’s female pro soccer club had already won an avalanche of awards this season, even before the championship victory.
According to Orlando Pride, the club has become the first to win both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship since 2019.
The Pride also broke the league record for most points scored during a season and the most wins in a season.
In addition to the MVP award for Barbra Banda, Seb Himes also won the award for NWSL Coach of the Year.
MVP AWARD
Banda scored in the 37th minute and the Orlando Pride beat the Washington Spirit 1-0 on Saturday night to win their first National Women’s Soccer League championship.
Banda dribbled to the right side of the box and made a move past a defender before kicking the ball with her left foot past goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury. Banda earned the championship MVP award and became the first player in the NWSL to score in each round of the playoffs.
COACH OF THE YEAR
After helping lead the Orlando Pride to the most points and wins in a season, Hines was named the NWSL Coach of the Year on November 19.
Hines, who took over in June 2022 as interim head coach, helped the team reach its first playoff appearance since 2017, including a trip to the finals this season.
2024 NWSL SHIELD AWARD
The Orlando Pride won the Shield award in October after defeating the Washington Spirit.
The NWSL began awarding the Shield every year since 2013 to the team with the best record in the regular season.
Tiffany & Co. redesigned the Shield in 2023. It incorporates a blend of 24K gold vermeil and sterling silver.
In 2024, Orlando Pride’s Emily Sams won Defender of the Year and five members of the Pride were named Best XI winners. They are: Sams, Marta, Banda, Anna Moorhouse and Kerry Abello.