Coming off a 2-0 victory over Seattle Reign FC on Friday in the playoff quarterfinals, there was a noticeable chip on the shoulders of the defending champion Orlando Pride squad.
There was, and still is, a feeling among the players that the media and the rest of the league are overlooking them, and they are using that as fuel for what they hope will be a second consecutive NWSL championship as they head into Sunday’s semifinal at home against Gotham FC at 3 p.m.
“I mean, I love when people count us out. I feel like the only people that matter are the people in that locker room and the people who are with us every single day, working to achieve the goals that we set out to achieve,” midfielder Haley McCutcheon said after the quarterfinal. “And so while I try not to listen to the noise, it’s like I love it, because, you know, all three announcers are counting us out. Great. Look what we did tonight. So I think it adds fuel to our fire, and we’re a group of underdogs, and we like it that way.”
Repeating as champions in the NWSL is a feat that only FC Kansas City (2014, 2015) and the North Carolina Courage (2018, 2019) have accomplished. As Orlando seeks to add its name to that list, the Pride have faced an uphill climb heading into the postseason.
The Pride endured a nine-game winless streak in league play from June to September, leaving the club languishing in the standings and at risk of missing the playoffs. Part of that was due to the devastating loss of Barbra Banda, the club’s top goal scorer. Her hip injury on Aug.16 against Kansas City Current left the Pride without its most potent threat, with players like Ally Watt and Marta expected to step up and fill that void.
Orlando managed to right the ship, going unbeaten in the last five regular-season matches to secure fourth place in the standings. Performances improved, but the Pride still lacked a surefire finisher who could make the most of scoring opportunities. The signing of Jacquie Ovalle helped increase the number of chances created per match, but there was rarely anyone able to get on the end of those.
With all of that factored in, it is easy to see how others around the league could view Orlando as a team with plenty of quality but lacking the killer edge it had in its 2024 championship run.
But the Pride do not believe they are missing anything. Losing Banda and now Watt, who is out for the rest of the postseason with a knee injury, might leave the team shorthanded up top. However, McCutcheon showed her clutch goal-scoring abilities against Seattle, getting what ended up being the game-winner, before Luana added a penalty kick goal to seal the deal.
Marta, at 39, turned back the clock with an impressive performance as well. She is most vocal about this team’s chances of making a deep run despite any outside noise. She is clearly passionate about what drives the team and its drive to deliver for the fans and for each other, and silencing the critics is part of what fuels her.
“We want to play,” Marta said. “We want to play for the people who come here and support this team every single game. We want to play for our families, friends, for the amazing staff that we have here in this club, and, of course, for ourselves, because it seems like it’s only this kind of people who believe in us and who still believe that we can do it again.
“At the same time. I like it when I see people talk so much s— about Pride, and then don’t give us credit because it makes me feel good. Makes me feel like, yeah, I want to go and play and prove that they’re completely wrong.”
Orlando faces off against a Gotham team that took down NWSL Shield winners Kansas City last weekend, and there is plenty of talent on the Gotham roster. But the Pride aren’t worried about that. All they are focused on is bringing the fight on the pitch and earning a spot back in the NWSL Championship.
“We have such a strong desire to prove other people wrong and to prove ourselves right, to believe in ourselves. And so I think that this group is extremely resilient. We are blue-collar workers who are also amazing football players,” McCutcheon added. “You can’t get to the talent part without that hard work, and we really harp on that. So I am so privileged to be able to battle next to those women.”