The Orlando Pride won a National Women’s Soccer League record eighth straight match on Friday with a 2-1 victory over the Portland Thorns FC.
Forward Barbra Banda scored both goals in the first half for Orlando to draw level for the league lead with Thorns forward Sophia Smith, who missed Friday’s match with a calf injury. Banda has scored eight goals in seven matches since arriving in Orlando in April.
Portland entered the match riding a six-game winning streak, one shy of the previous league record set in 2014. The loss was also Portland’s first under interim coach Rob Gale.
Orlando is now unbeaten through 11 matches this season and sits atop the NWSL table, the best start in club history.
The Pride has previously only made the playoffs once since its inaugural season in 2016, and the team has endured some humble lows, including a 2019 season with just four wins from 24 games and 53 goals conceded, which remains a league record.
“It’s something that we dreamed about from the beginning,” said Brazilian midfielder Marta, who joined the Pride in 2017.
“And we worked very hard. We never give up; I never give up in my life so I’m never [going] to give up dreaming about this situation. You look behind and see everyone running after us, so we just have to run…
