(Photo Credit: Russell Lansford | Imagn Images)
There was nothing slow about the start to the NWSL postseason on Friday evening in Orlando, Fla., or the end of the match that kicked it off. The four-five seed matchup between Orlando Pride and Seattle Reign featured two contenders playing for the second time in as many weeks. But both had something different to play for: a title defense for the former and redemption after missing the playoffs the previous year for the latter.
After rallying at the end of the regular season to secure a playoff spot, the reigning champion Pride knocked the Reign out of the playoffs with a 2-0 win in a contest that felt palpably different from last week’s 1-1 draw.
“We played against them last week, but it was a completely different game tonight,” Pride captain Marta told reporters after the match. “It was kill-die, and we preferred to keep going alive.”
Despite more than 97 minutes of nuanced distinctions, the passion with which the game ended was perhaps most pronounced. Down by one and hungry for an equalizer, Seattle had ramped up the pressure in the final 15 minutes of play—but it was the Pride’s pair of Brazilian stars who stole the show for the victors in the final seconds of stoppage time.
After sprinting nearly the entire length of the field, Marta earned a penalty kick for Orlando. Luana, who was unsure if she would be able to take the pitch this season after a battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, converted the penalty and doubled the lead — smothering Seattle’s last embers of hope.
“I was looking to do something for Luana, not only in this game but before, too,” Marta said. “I had the opportunity to give the ball to her and let her take the penalty. I know she’s an amazing penalty kick[er]. She does it well. She did it tonight. I just came to her and told her, ‘Take it, and finish this f-ing game.’”
Friday night’s playoff clash started as a high-tempo affair that matched the energy of the ending, with plenty of players eyeing the back of the net on both sides of the pitch. Perhaps none appeared hungrier in the match’s earliest minutes than Orlando’s Lizbeth Ovalle, with Seattle’s Sofia Huerta responding in kind.
Even without star forward Barbra Banda, who suffered a season-ending hip injury in August, the Pride struck first. Midfielder Haley McCutcheon scored 21 minutes into the match after a seamless sequence that started with a no-look pass from Marta. The goal was McCutcheon’s third in four playoff games over the last two seasons.
Midfielder Jess Fishlock, the Reign’s leading goal scorer this season, slipped past defenders in the 53rd minute in what looked like an open opportunity for an equalizer. As Seattle fans held their breath, the shot went wide and Fishlock was called offside.
A free kick from Sally Menti rang off the crossbar shortly thereafter in another exhilarating opportunity for Seattle to get on the board. The Reign’s record of not scoring off a free kick all season continued as McCutcheon stepped up once again for the home team with a header that cleared the ball from a crowded box. Despite a final frenetic push, Seattle fell short in the end.
“It took a village to get three points tonight,” Orlando head coach Seb Hines said after the match. “We scored some really good goals. Obviously, the first one was a brilliant build-up play, and then Marta doing Marta-things in the 90-somethingth-minute. Handing the ball over to [Luana] epitomizes Marta as an individual, not putting herself above the team and giving the ball to Lu to have her moment. It was a really inspiring moment for the team and everyone associated with the club.”
In addition to ending the Reign’s postseason, the loss marked the end of an era for Seattle as team original Lauren Barnes played her final game as a professional. As Seattle looks back on over a decade of memories, the Pride look ahead to what’s to come in the semifinals. They will face the winner of Sunday’s quarter-final matchup between top-seeded Kansas City and No. 8 Gotham FC in the semifinals.
