Copper Queens attacker Prisca Chilufya was on cloud nine after bagging her first home goal for Orlando Pride in a 1-1 draw with Utah Royals on Monday morning. She notched the equalizing goal for the defending champions, securing a vital point at the Inter&Co stadium.
Meanwhile, her compatriot Barbra Banda put on a clinic for Pride despite not making the scoresheet, setting a new seasonal record with her impressive attacking display.
Four minutes into the contest, the visitors stunned Orlando Pride by taking the lead with a jaw-dropping strike from Mina Tanaka. Spotting Anna Moorhouse off her line, the Japanese international dinked the ball over Pride’s shotstopper, finding the back of the net from over 30 yards.
Utah Royals nearly doubled their lead in the seventh minute when Claudia Zornoza’s direct freekick attempt deflected off the crossbar.
Banda was brought down in the box at 34 minutes, but match referee Jaclyn Metz did not award a penalty after consulting the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Just after the break, Banda made an explosive run into the 18 yard box but her shot went just wide of the goal.
Orlando Pride drew parity in the 72nd minute when substitutes Simone Jackson and Prisca Chilufya combined for a goal. Chilufya, who was introduced just eight minutes prior, demonstrated top notch composure in the box, guiding the ball into the right bottom corner.
Utah Royals were denied by the woodwork just a few moments later when Tanaka’s strike hit the crossbar in the 74th minute. Despite knocking on Utah Royals’ door late on, Pride failed to snatch a winner against the bottom-ranked side.
With Kansas City Current’s win against Racing Louisville a day prior, Orlando Pride’s NWSL Shield seems to be slipping away. They now trail their rivals by 10 points.
Banda, despite not scoring, proved to be a handful for the Utah Royals defence, breaking a seasonal record. With nine completed take-ons, Banda broke the record for the most successful dribbles in a single NWSL match this season, as per Sofascore.
Prisca Chilufya after the match
Speaking after the match, Chilufya admitted that the visitors gave Pride a run for their money, saying, “I knew it was not going to be an easy game; playing a team that’s like bottom of the table. Like they have nothing to lose, so they always come at you with everything they have.”
“In my mind, I had one thought: what can I do to change the faces of the fans? What can I do to give hope to my teammates? I wanted the opponent to feel something had changed. My focus was to give hope to the fans so they’d keep cheering us,” said Chilufya.
When quizzed about the lack of significant playing time, the Copper Queens’ striker responded, “Even if I go months without playing, with the spirit that is around me – the players, the staff – I feel like it helps me a lot to hit the ground running because I have good people around. I don’t really worry much about not playing for a long time.”
Orlando Pride now have to dust themselves off and prepare for their fixture against Racing Louisville on August 10. The match will be followed by a blockbuster clash with Kansas City Current.
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