Moments after scoring one of the most iconic goals in NWSL history in her team’s most important game to date, Orlando Pride forward Marta clutched her fist and unleashed a passionate scream before beating her chest and then, with her two thumbs, pointing to the famous No. 10 on the back of her purple jersey.
Even at 38, the six-time world player of the year was still the otherworldly star making defenders helplessly fall to the ground as she figuratively gestured: “Are you not entertained!?”
Marta was celebrating what turned out to be the winning goal of the top-seeded Pride’s 3-2 semifinal victory over the No. 4 seed Kansas City Current on Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando to punctuate the most captivating semifinal playoff round the NWSL has seen.
Now, the two best teams in the league will square off in the final on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri, where the Pride will face the No. 2-seeded Washington Spirit. Everything about this NWSL postseason has been entertaining — and deviated from the league’s unpredictable norm.
The higher seed has won every game of the playoffs, an obvious statistic in a vacuum but a shocking fact for a league whose unofficial brand is chaos. When Orlando and Washington meet on Saturday, it will…
