Sport
Pride and Spirit set for Kansas City 2024 NWSL Championship final showdown
The new CPKC Stadium will be the setting for Saturday's 2025 NWSL final as Orlando faces Washington.
After 26 games in the regular season, two more play-off quarter-finals and semi-finals to negotiate, two sides continue to battle to win the 2024 NWSL Championship as Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit face each other next Saturday in the CPKC Stadium in Kansas City.
An NWSL final is familiar territory for Washington Spirit, having won the competition in 2021 and avenging its 2016 loss. It's a different story for the Orlando Pride, with Saturday's final marking the first time Florida has made progress so far in their short eight-year history.
Both teams had to sweat on their way to their final ticket, with the Spirit needing a penalty shootout to get past 2023 champions Gotham FC, while Orlando left Kansas City behind. Current 3-2 on Sunday afternoon, with the Brazilian veteran scoring one of the most beautiful goals in 2024 sliding home after a maze, leaving KC players in her tracks.
The Florida team go into the match as slight favorites given their spectacular regular season, which secured top seeding, plus Seb Hines' side will be boosted by the outcome of both meetings this season, with the Pride securing a 2-3 away win in DC , along with a 2-0 home win in early October when both teams met in Florida.