BARBRA BANDA CAN’T STOP SCORING!

 By Scoop Reporter

ORLANDO Pride and Zambia women’s national team prolific forward Barbra Banda has continued mesmerising football enthusiasts with her dazzling skills and pacey runs in the National Women’s Soccer League and was again on song yesterday when she rifled home a brace in her side’s 3-2 win over Seattle Reign FC.

Barbra’s team made their intentions known as early as the 9th minute when they found the back of the net. This was when Emily Sams slammed the opener after the ball rolled out of the top of the box and a well-placed Emily lofted it beyond the advancing goalkeeper, Laurel Ivory.

Nine minutes later, it was Barbra who stole the show with a glancing header after her teammate Leal da Silva Adriana was played down the right side of the field. The Brazilian international drew the ball to the by-line before sending in a cross for Barbra to nod home the second goal.

But Seattle Reign FC reduced the deficit in the first half additional time through Angharad James before levelling the scores with 48 minutes played through Bethany Balcer after the defenders were caught ball watching. The move was started by Jess Fishlock who sent a tantalising split pass to Balcer who in turn squeezed a shot which the goalkeeper could not stop despite getting a hand onto it.

But the leveller only motivated the visitors who orchestrated a wave-in-wave-out attack with Barbra proving a menace against defenders and it was long before her hard work paid off. Barbra again scored from a corner kick after the ball spiralled around the goalmouth before she blasted home the winner.

The win consolidated Orlando Pride’s grip at the summit of the table with 24 points while maintaining its unbeaten run since the beginning of the season, having won seven games and drawn three out of 10 rounds of matches. 

However, any loss by Orlando and an eventual win by KC Current will see a shift at the summit as the latter are only two points shy of the log league leaders.