Angelina and Barbra Banda both scored their first career NWSL league goals as the visiting Orlando Pride defeated the Washington Spirit 3-2 on Friday night.
Banda scored six minutes into the second half in her second NWSL match to break a tie. About six minutes later, Summer Yates converted on a penalty kick to provide a two-goal cushion.
The Pride (3-0-3, 12 points) have a three-match winning streak, but in the first two outings of that stretch they scored one goal in each match. Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse made three saves.
Ouleymata Sarr posted a first-half goal and Ashley Hatch added the second goal for Washington (4-2-0, 12 points), which has scored multiple goals in a five-match stretch.
Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury stopped two shots.
Orlando’s Brianna Martinez received her second yellow card in the 90th minute, but the Pride closed out the victory with 10 players.
Banda’s go-ahead goal came on a header off a cross from Julie Doyle. The header came after the ball, delivered on a corner kick, bounced before reaching the cluster of players in front of the net.
Angelina’s goal came in the 22nd minute. The 24-year-old Brazilian came straight down the middle of the field into the box and Banda provided a pass that was so well timed that Angelina didn’t have to break stride to put the finishing touch on the play.
The Yates penalty kick was set up when Banda drew a foul on Annaig Butel in the penalty area. Kingsbury guessed wrong on Yates’ penalty kick, with the ball going into the left side of the goal.
Sarr’s second goal of the season came in the 40th minute. She received a pass from Croix Bethune and broke past the line of defense, chipping a shot over Moorhouse.
Spirit defender Casey Krueger passed the 10,000-minute mark in her NWSL career during the first half.
–Field Level Media
