Orlando Pride

Nov 23 (Reuters) - The Orlando Pride held off the Washington Spirit 1-0 to claim their first NWSL Championship title in Kansas City on Saturday, as Zambian striker Barbra Banda added one more lethal performance to a blockbuster year.

Banda, who had the second-most goals in the regular season with 16, slipped one past two-time NWSL goalkeeper of the year Aubrey Kingsbury in the 37th minute and a stout Orlando defence extinguished Washington's chances.

PURE BANDA-MONIUM!!!

Brazil legend, Marta, scored one of the best goals of the weekend as she sealed Orlando Pride’s ticket to the NWSL final on Sunday.

Marta amazing goal vs. KC Current

The 38-year-old picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch, sped through the defense, left two players in the dust and fooled the goalkeeper to score Orlando’s third and final goal in their 3-1 victory over KC Current. It’s just what legends do.

Marta really just sat down the entire defense.

Former United States women’s national team players Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris are getting a divorce after marrying in 2019. “Krashlyn” is no more after many years together. Harris filed for a divorce from Krieger last month with fans discovering the news this week.

Matchday 2 of the 2023 NWSL season came to a close Sunday with a crazy finish between the Orlando Pride and Angel City at Exploria Stadium.

The visitors took the lead in the 39th-minute from the penalty spot through Claire Emslie after Alyssa Thompson was fouled in the area.

It didn't make much sense when EA Sports announced that women's club soccer was coming to FIFA 23 before launching with only the Women's Super League (England) and Division 1 Féminine (France) while omitting the National Women's Soccer League, but that's reportedly about to be remedied with a free March update ahead of the league's new season.

As many states ban abortion across the United States, soccer fans could find more than their reproductive freedoms disappearing. They might also lose their ability to watch top-flight soccer.

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said this week full access to healthcare — including birth control, in-vitro fertilization and abortion — is one of the league’s values. As the NWSL seeks to increase by two teams up to 14 by 2024, states that deny women and those who may become pregnant full healthcare rights could find themselves left out of the growing women’s soccer party. 

NWSL side Angel City FC announced a completed a trade with the Orlando Pride for former USWNT forward and 2015 World Cup champion Sydney Leroux. The Leroux trade sees her move to Los Angeles following an almost five-year stint with the Pride during which she scored 16 league goals in 53 appearances. 

Welcome back to L.A., Sydney!

To say 2021 was a bad year for women’s soccer in the U.S. would be an understatement of epic proportions. In October, The Athletic detailed horrifying allegations of verbal abuse and sexual coercion by N.C. Courage coach Paul Riley, sending shockwaves through the NWSL.