November 16 | 3:00 PM ET | ABC
The champs are mad. The challengers are heated. Someone has to give.
The 2024 NWSL Champions are back in the semifinals for the second year in a row, fueled by defiance and the belief that, even after lifting the trophy last year, no one is taking them seriously.
“I like when people talk so much [expletive] about Pride and don’t give credit because it makes me feel good,” Marta said last week, in their post-quarterfinal victory press conference. “It makes me feel like I want to go and play and prove they’re completely wrong. I think we proved [it] tonight.”
On the other side, Gotham FC just pulled off the biggest upset in NWSL Playoffs history, taking down Shield winners Kansas City on the road in a stadium that hasn’t tasted defeat since the summer of 2024. They’ve reached the semifinals for the third straight season and they’re done being called the “underdogs.”
But both teams can’t advance. Someone’s going home, and whoever loses is heading into the offseason wondering what could have been.
WHAT NEEDS TO GO RIGHT FOR ORLANDO PRIDE
Let the fire fuel but not blind them.
There is power in feeling counted out, but too much focus on outside noise can also leave a team sputtering. Mad Marta is a Marta opponents should fear, and there is something about the playoffs that elevate her play even more. At 39, she’s playing like she’s still got something to prove and she remains the heartbeat of a Pride largely unchanged from their successful 2024 campaign.
It’s no secret Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger plays aggressively and likes to live dangerously by playing higher up than most goalkeepers would. It could take just one misstep and one mad dash down the field to change the game for the home team. Marta proved she’s still up for major breakaways just last week, and now the lightning fast Jacquie Ovalle is in the mix for Orlando. She was still running the show in Liga MX Feminina the last time Gotham was in town.
Haley McCutcheon was the hero in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row, scoring her third playoff goal and her first-ever game winner. Add Emily Sams and Kerry Abello’s defensive stability and you have a well-rounded Pride team, but the question is will it be enough?
And one more thing the Pride could do to punch their ticket to the semis: creat scoring opportunities.
Despite being out for weeks, Barbra Banda still leads the Pride in goals (8) meaning the answers have had to come from other players on the field. The team struggled to find a rhythm in their offense after the summer break, but there have been glimpses of brilliance since. Gotham has already proven they can capitalize on a team missing their main goal scorer (re: the Current and Temwa Chawinga), so Orlando’s supporting characters will have to be efficient offensively and defensively, especially in the transition where Gotham thrives.
All this to say, Orlando is led by the 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year, Seb Hines. He’s undefeated in the playoffs and knows how to win big games. If his team can enact his gameplan, history has a strong chance of repeating.
WHAT NEEDS TO GO RIGHT FOR GOTHAM FC
Stay calm, present, and keep setting each other up for big plays.
The Pride will be coming in hot, but that’s no matter for the cool and assured players of Gotham. Once you conquer CPKC Stadium, it’s hard to get rattled. And like their opponent, they’re playing with a vengeance.
Statistically, this is a fairly even match. The one big difference is in big chance conversions. Gotham is second in the league with 57.5% and the Pride are second to last with 28.8%. If Jaedyn Shaw and Midge Purce can keep up pressure on the wings and Rose Lavelle can continue to control the midfield and draw in defenders, they can keep doing what they’ve been doing: closing the deal.
Things change if Esther González is back in the lineup. After missing Decision Day, González was available for selection for the quarterfinals but didn’t see game action. Whereas the Pride struggled to find their footing with Banda out, Gotham found ways to win without their leading goal scorer. Add her back into the mix and they’re all the more dangerous.
Another not-so-secret weapon Gotham has in their arsenal: Ann-Katrin Berger. The 2024 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year has had a similarly excellent season, ensuring her team is second in the league in least number of goals scored against. She may live dangerously by advancing high up the pitch but it’s an effective strategy to stifle a team such as the Pride that likes to press up. With their offense silenced long before it can begin, the Pride would need to rely more on their fullbacks to width and service into the box.
Both times the Pride and Gotham met, the away team came home with a win. In fact, this matchup belongs to the road warriors. All but two matches have been won by the visitors in 16 contests. That’s great news for Gotham should the pattern hold.
DUEL OF CHAMPIONS
This faceoff between the 2024 NWSL Champions and the 2023 NWSL Champions is almost certainly going to be one to remember. They have never faced off in the playoffs before so the results are sure to set the tone for the history of this matchup. One team is defending their title and the other is making up for a 2024 season that fell short. Pride is on the line for both sides, and only one can walk out with their heads held high.
Don’t miss any of the action! Tune in Sunday, November 16 at 3:00 PM ET on ABC.
