1. It was a gritty, gutsy performance for the Orlando Pride to open the NWSL Playoffs, but ultimately the team in purple came up with the win as they took down the Seattle Reign 2-0 to advance to the Semifinals on Friday night.
2. The win secures the Pride's fourth consecutive playoff win dating back to last season, as they continue their journey towards a repeat championship.
3. "Playoff McCutcheon." That's how Haley McCutcheon described herself after the match tonight, scoring in yet another playoff game. After some great interplay between Marta, Julie Doyle and McCutcheon, Marta fed Doyle with a perfectly weighted ball to then one-touch to McCutcheon in the box, as she redirects the ball to the far post and in. With the goal, McCutcheon has now scored in three of her last four playoff games, with her first being the opener of last year's NWSL Quarterfinals.
4. There's just something about the Pride scoring first in matches. This season, Orlando are 5-0-1 when scoring the opening goal at home in the NWSL this year, as this team continues to be a dominant force at Inter&Co Stadium. Seattle only had a few clear-cut chances throughouth the match, but the defense and goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse came up with some huge stops to keep the visitors off the scoreboard. It's defensive performances like that that helped Orlando become such a dominant force last year, and what a perfect time for that dominant force to come up again.
5. There wasn't much action for the rest of the match, until the last 15 minutes. Orlando were defending for their lives as Seattle continued to put on pressure, looking for the equalizer. In the last mintue of stoppage time, the ball fell to Marta, just outside of her own penalty box. What happened next can only be described as vintage Marta magic.
6. The Brazilian, at 39 years old, having played a full 90 minutes already, took the ball 75 yards down the other way, defenders trailing behind her as she sprinted into the opposing penalty area, before stepping over the ball and forcing a foul in the box to earn a last-second penalty for Orlando. After the game, she said in her postgame press conference, "It's nice to show that I still can do that."
7. Rather than stepping up and ending the game herself, Marta unselfishly gave the ball to her friend and fellow Brazilian, Luana, to take the game-sealing penalty. After making her comeback from Hodgkin's lymphoma back in September, she stepped up tonight to bury the penalty past Claudia Dickey to mark a special moment for her and her team, sealing the game in front of their home fans. Mike Watts, the play by play broadcaster on the night, put it best: "Marta ran 100 yards, so that Luana could score from 12."
8. The win for the Pride, making it four straight wins in playoffs, also ties the NWSL record for most consecutive playoff wins, alongside North Carolina, Washington Spirit and Gotham FC.
9. Now the Pride will await the result of the Kansas City Current and Gotham FC match on Sunday to see who they will face in the NWSL Semifinals next weekend. If Kansas City win, the Pride will play there. But, if Gotham pulls off the upset, Orlando will host the Bats next weekend with a trip to the NWSL Championship on the line.
