Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Preview, time, and how to watch
Washington Spirit are the only still thing standing between Orlando Pride and the 2024 NWSL Shield. In this evening’s top-of-the-table match, the number two Spirit could either cut down the points difference by nearly half or hand the Pride the Shield.
It will be no mean feat for the Washington Spirit (15-2-5), whose story in the late season has been one of injuries. Already missing stars like Trinity Rodman, Ouleye Sarr, and Casey Krueger, they have added midfielder Leicy Santos to the availability report for tonight. There’s some hope these injuries won’t be long-term – head coach Jonatan Giráldez said he didn’t want to take any risks with his players, preferring to work on getting them healthy for the playoffs – but it will mean they’re short-handed for tonight’s match.
Giráldez has been working to prepare the team for this possibility, rotating his Starting XI regularly to ensure everyone is prepared to play in big moments. Last week against Angel City, it was enough. The Pride will pose a bigger challenge.
Under head coach Seb Hines, the 2024 Orlando Pride (16-6-0) are one of the most complete teams the NWSL has ever seen. They have yet to lose a match this season, the first NWSL team to go unbeaten in so many games. In addition to attackers like Barbra Banda and Adriana, Orlando boasts a formidable defense, who’ve only allowed 13 goals in 23 games this season. (Compare that with Washington’s 25 goals allowed.) They conceded their first goal in months last weekend against Houston Dash, but don’t be too quick to take that as a sign. The Pride are determined to hang onto their undefeated status and will be unlikely to underestimate even a depleted Spirit.
Key Player: Andy Sullivan
Missing her partner Hal Hershfelt — out for card accumulation — will turn up the pressure on Andi Sullivan to control the midfield. But her performance this season shows she’s up to it. Under Giraldez, Sullivan has been at the top of her game, excelling at directing play and facilitating ball movement, She’s also always good for a timely interception or dispossession, as she showed last weekend against Christen Press and Angel City.
Watch Out For: Barbra Banda
Barbra Banda does it all. She scores, she assists, she wins tackles, she blocks. Her first match against Washington was a big one, in which she scored, made an assist, and won her team a penalty kick, and she’ll be testing the Spirit’s back line, looking for a similar result today.
Challenges: As always with a team missing Rodman and Bethune, the challenge for the Spirit will be chance creation. The Pride’s defense will be ready to shut down most of Washington’s attacks, so they’ll need to be creative and quick-thinking in the final third to catch GK Anna Moorhouse and her defenders by surprise.
Previously: Orlando narrowly defeated Washington in a 3-2 match in April.
Orlando Pride Availability:
Out: Grace Chanda (SEI – thigh), Simone Charley (SEI – ankle), Luana (SEI – illness), Sofia Manner (concussion), Haley McCutcheon (foot), Megan Montefusco (SEI – heel), Rafaelle (thigh)
Questionable: None
Washington Spirit Availability:
Out: Croix Bethune (SEI – knee), Lyza Bosselmann (SEI – wrist), Anna Heilferty (SEI – knee), Hal Hershfelt (suspension), Civana Kuhlmann (SEI – knee), Casey Krueger (hip), Chloe Ricketts (knee), Trinity Rodman (back), Leicy Santos (thigh), Ouleymata Sarr (back)
Questionable: None
Location: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, FL
Kickoff time: 5 p.m. ET
Referee: Danielle Chesky
Available TV: ESPN2
Available streaming: ESPN+
Watch party: Dacha Navy Yard, 79 Potomac Ave SE, Washington, DC
Wow, that is an insane injury list in terms of talent and impact.
Well, it’s wise of Giraldez to be cautious regarding injuries. Otherwise, I think Santos would be starting (and she’s been a revelation by the way). Given Banda’s ability to strike so quickly on the counter, I’m thinking that Giraldez is going to take a different approach this match. Don’t overcommit on attack, don’t push forward, defend in depth, and seek to strike on the counter. I think with Koussami and Radcliffe and then Hatch as an outlet/target that would be a very different tactical approach but also one that could catch Orlando with their pants down.
Wow! This match will certainly be a big test of both the Spirit’s depth and Giraldez’s tactical acumen.
I’m thinking that probably a week ago, Giraldez circled this match and then went to Esme Morgan and basically said: “you came to American to get playing time so you be a candidate for the Three Lionesses. I guarantee you Sabrina Wiegman will be watching this match on satellite. Shut down Banda and there’s no way she can’t call you up.” Except he’d said all that with a Catalan accent.
I hope he didn’t frame it like that. It takes a group effort to deal with Banda. She’s dynamic enough and smart enough to drift across the backline until she finds the weak link, and blasts them. It’s gonna take the whole backline being great to keep her off the scoresheet, so Morgan’s got to not make it her solo mission
I have a friend from Zambia who likes soccer enough, but who tends to see games in black and white- one team is good, the other bad. I explained that Banda had a good game against the USWNT, even if she didn’t defend a ton. The US would have destroyed Zambia much more thoroughly had Banda come back and not pinned the defense- the US basically couldn’t afford to leave less than three defenders back there because of the Banda threat. That’s how good this player is. I hope the Spirit do well, but it’s gonna be a lot
Yellow cards are broken. Butel does too much shirt pulling on Banda 3 minutes in
Man, Butel has no answer for Banda but fouls.
An interception by Metayer leads to a decent Kouassi shot
Wow. How did Banda not get a shot off there?
Marta gets a shot off in the dying seconds of the half.
0-0. The Spirit will probably be enthused to be level, hard to see how they manage to survive another half with adjustments, but here we go
Mckeown takes out Banda in the box, pk
Marta, surprise surprise, puts it in, despite a correct dive from Kingsbury
Annnd the Pride get a second off the toughest of deflections
Banda receiving treatment. Wonder if this could be the most Pyrrhic of victories
Never mind, she seems sprightly again
And it looks like Sullivan needs a stretcher.
We’ve clinched a playoff spot with a skeleton crew.
The Pride win 2-0, seize the shield.
Sullivan’s season is likely done.
Hooboy