The Orlando Pride capped off an historic season by winning the 2024 NWSL Championship, defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0 on Saturday night in front of a sell-out crowd at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. Zambian international Barbra Banda scored the game’s only goal in the 37th minute and 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year Emily Sams helped the Pride keep the clean sheet while winning the club’s first-ever NWSL Championship. The 2024 NWSL Shield Winners, the Pride became just the third team in NWSL history and the first since 2019 to complete the double. NWSL Best XI selections Hal Hershfelt, Casey Krueger and Trinity Rodman all started for the second-seeded Spirit, who made their third appearance all-time in the championship match and first since winning the title in 2021.
In Europe, Arsenal, Chelsea and Olympique Lyon all booked their spots in the quarterfinals of the 2024-25 UEFA Women’s Champions League with midweek victories. The action kicked off on Wednesday, Nov. 20 as Chelsea downed Celtic 3-0 at Stamford Bridge to make it four wins in four group stage games. Catarina Macario made her first start of the 2024-25 Champions League campaign for the Blues and assisted Lucy Bronze’s opening goal in the second minute.
Lyon also remained perfect in group stage play, clinching its spot in the knockout rounds with a 4-1 victory over Roma. Lindsey Horan started and went the full 90 minutes for OL, which is in pursuit of its ninth Champions League title.
After opening Group C play with a loss the Bayern Munich, Arsenal responded with three consecutive group stage victories, the third coming in a 1-0 win over Juventus on Thursday at Emirates Stadium. Emily Fox went the distance for the Gunners, who were lifted into the quarterfinals by a goal in the 89th minute from Swedish international Lina Hurtig.
Chelsea carried its midweek momentum into league play over the weekend, building its lead atop the FA Women’s Super League standings with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday. Macario came on for Chelsea in the second half while goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who received her first call-up to the U.S. Women’s National Team for the upcoming matches against England and the Netherlands, made five saves for Manchester United in the defeat.
While Horan got a well-deserved rest in Lyon’s 3-0 win over Le Havre on Saturday, Korbin Albert and Eva Gaetino both started for Paris Saint-Germain in the club’s 6-1 victory over Dijon. Gaetino, who made her USWNT debut on Oct. 30 against Argentina, played full minutes while Albert came off in the 70th minute after helping PSG to its eighth victory in nine league matches.
