The reigning champion Orlando Pride opened the National Women’s Soccer League season on Friday night with a 6-0 home field rout over the Chicago Stars.
Barbra Banda scored a pair of goals for the Pride, who tied the club record for most goals in a match.
In the other match on the league’s opening night, the Washington Spirit held off the Houston Dash 2-1.
It took just seven minutes for Haley McCutcheon to open scoring for the Pride, with a left-footed shot that got past Chicago keeper Alyssa Naeher. In the 36th minute, Ally Watt doubled Orlando’s lead with a glancing near post header from Marta‘s corner kick.
Chicago’s Hannah Anderson had an own goal 90 seconds after the restart, before substitute Julie Doyle coolly finished from the center of the Chicago box in the 65th.
Banda, Orlando’s top scorer in 2024 with 17 goals scored in the 80th and 87th minutes. Her second was the goal of the night: She ripped a shot from 25 yards out that went up and over Naeher.
The only sour note was Doyle departing with an injury in the 74th minute, just 11 minutes after she had entered the match.
It was the largest margin of defeat in Stars history, and…
