Full Time Newsletter ⚽| This is The Athletic’s weekly women’s soccer newsletter. Sign up here to receive Full Time directly in your inbox.
Welcome back to Full Time, where we’re hoping your week is significantly less chaotic than this halftime interview. It’s Meg Linehan, Steph Yang, Jeff Rueter and Melanie Anzidei here, with Emily Olsen on a well-deserved vacation. Onward:
History: Orlando claims first NWSL Shield
The Orlando Pride won their first NWSL Shield with a 2-0 defeat of the Washington Spirit yesterday.
“It means so much,” said Marta, who scored a penalty in the win. “We worked so hard from (the) beginning. I waited so long for this moment.” (Related: Marta, 38, recently told us she wants to play “at least two more years.“)
Orlando won at home in the rain in front of 7,729 fans, and league commissioner Jessica Berman presented the club with the newly redesigned Shield trophy created by Tiffany & Co. 💎
The Pride (17-6-0) have gone on a remarkable undefeated run this year, but it was a long road to earning their first postseason appearance since 2017. Some key points:
- The team hit its lowest ranking in the standings ever in 2022, finishing 10th out of 12 teams.
- Orlando began a rebuild in 2023 under coach Seb Hines and new general…
