The Orlando Pride made it through their historic 2024 regular season with a thrilling 3-2 win over Seattle Reign FC. On the back of this, they finished atop the standings, going 18-2-6 and setting two NWSL records-most wins and most points in one season. With this in their pocket, the Pride are in a great position going into playoffs, since expectations are high for them to win.
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Record-Breaking Year
Under the tutelage of head coach Seb Hines, the Pride recorded a season with the most wins and points any team has ever recorded in a single NWSL season. Unbeaten at home, the team was consistent throughout this season but dominantly so at Inter&Co Stadium, recording 10 wins and 3 draws. "It was big for us to have some sort of response after those last two games," Hines said, putting into words the motivation within the team. He went ahead to say that the achievement goal of 60 points and 18 wins was more than a goal; it was a mission to stamp their signature in the league. "We emphasized with the most points in NWSL history, most wins. We want to, hopefully, have a record that's going to be tough for somebody else to break.
Offensively, Pride set records, too: 46 goals scored this season is a new club record. The leading players are Marta with nine goals and two more club records: she reached her 40th goal in regular seasons and scored her 12th game-winning goal, both club records.
Another milestone to remember was Anna Moorhouse, who played well enough to earn her place as the first Pride goalkeeper to be called an "Ironwoman," a title bestowed upon players that have played every minute of the regular season. She became the first Ironwoman for the Pride since Ali Krieger in 2017 and has underlined how very crucial she is to the Pride's tactical setup.
Ally Watt's Impact on Victory
Ally Watt played a key role in the victory against Seattle Reign, having been inseparable from the Pride's success this season. "Something you can't teach is the speed with Ally and Barbra .Ally was phenomenal in that first half, causing a lot of problems," head coach Seb Hines said after the match, once more showing how the presence of Watt ramps up the performance of the team. "She really set the tone for the rest of the game.
That consistency is something many teams wish they could get, but more than anybody, the Pride needs it as the squad goes into the playoffs. Hines explained that when Watt plays at the top of her game, she is almost unstoppable and also a nightmare for any kind of defense. "She has to do this consistently every game because when she's playing at that level, she's very hard to stop," Hines said, pointing out how she must be consistent at this high level of play.
The Pride's Defense
Surely, the match against Seattle Reign showed some points that Pride needs to improve upon before the playoffs. Having said this, twice the team allowed the opponent to score due to poor concentration and poor organizing of the defense line -which, according to Hines was an avoidable circumstance. "You're more vulnerable after you score, so a level of concentration is very important," the coach said after some plays when his players seemed to react late. We need to cut that out. We can't afford for teams to get back into it."
These lapses in defense mean that as strong of an attack that the Pride have, their defense needs to sharpen up to avoid surprises. This indeed will be key for them come playoff time if they hope to maintain such a competitive edge on the pitch.