Orlando Pride win a historic NWSL title for Marta; Bayern Munich host PSG in Crucial Champions League showdown

Hello there! A champion was crowned in the NWSL over the weekend, while European action heats up this week with the latest batch of UEFA Champions League action. I’m Pardeep Cattry with the latest.

Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Monday, Nov. 25
Serie A: Venezia vs. Lecce, 2:45 p.m. Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
EPL: Newcastle vs. West Ham, 3 p.m.  

Tuesday, Nov. 26
UCL: Bratislava vs. Milan, 12:45 p.m. Paramount+
UCL: Bayern vs. PSG, 3 p.m. Paramount+

The Forward Line

Orlando Pride win first NWSL title

The Orlando Pride capped off a historic season with their first NWSL title, beating the Washington Spirit 1-0 on Saturday courtesy of a first half goal from MVP candidate Barbra Banda.

Saturday’s NWSL Championship was a clash of tactical approaches, with the Spirit opting for an attack-minded approach. The Pride were totally fine with absorbing the Spirit offensive onslaught, keeping a clean sheet despite conceding 26 shots. Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse only had to make five saves along the way, a result of her defense’s ability to limit quality shots out of the Spirit. The eventual NWSL champions were more strategic about their attempts at goal, with Banda’s 37th minute strike coming off a breakaway.

The Pride are now the first NWSL team since 2019 to win the Shield and the Championship in the same season, completing a remarkable transformation after spending most of their history as one of the league’s bottom-dwellers. Their rebuild under general manager Haley Carter and head coach Seb Hines, the first Black coach to win the NWSL Championship, saw them rely on some of women’s soccer’s unsung heroes like Goalkeeper of the Year nominee Moorhouse and Defender of the Year contender Kylie Strom. They were also strategic in recruiting young talents like Banda and Defender of the Year winner Emily Sams but Saturday’s victory was also a chance to reflect on Marta’s legacy.

The six-time world player of the year was the only person remaining from the Pride’s last playoff run in 2017, sticking around long enough to enjoy the Pride’s greatest achievement and playing a big part in it herself. At age 38, she enjoyed a career-revitalizing season that saw her score 10 goals and earn a nomination for the MVP award. Marta admitted this year’s Championship was her biggest triumph at the club level, revealing in an exclusive interview with CBS Sports that this season answered the years-long question of why she was still in Orlando.

• Marta: “No matter what happens in the final, this season, for me and for the team, has been the best season so far. Orlando never had played a consistent game as we have done in this season from beginning to end. It’s crazy sometimes to find an explanation, like ‘How?’ I think for me, it’s special because it’s the answer that I try to find every single year because from 2017, I am the only player that is still on the team. I ask myself ‘Why? Why am I still looking to do something special here, you know?’ Eight years. In my life, there was always something crazy. The first time I won [FIFA World Player of the Year], of course, I was much younger than I am now, but I did it for five times [in a row], then took a break and won it after eight years. It’s been eight years here with Orlando, and it’s the first time that we go to a final. It’s a coincidence, but I don’t know. It’s some answer for me, for myself. Why am I still here? Why am I looking to build something special for this team? I don’t know if I’m going to be here next year, but I’m already so happy with what I have given to the club and the players.”

While Marta will remain the one of the most memorable players on the Pride’s title-winning team, her future in the game is up in the air. The Brazil international admitted that this year might be her last one at the Pride, with her contract expiring at the conclusion of the season. Her next move is entirely unclear, though retirement does not seem like it’s imminent – she said in October that she wants to play at least two more years, in Orlando or elsewhere, per The Athletic.

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  Midfield Link Play

Pressure’s on for Bayern, PSG

The business end of the UEFA Champions League’s league phase kicks off on Tuesday, and that reality is clear as day for Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain ahead of their meeting at the Allianz Arena.

They may be two of Europe’s heavyweights but the league phase has not been particularly kind to them, though in different ways. Bayern have two wins and two losses to begin their European season, stringing together a patchwork of performances and results in Vincent Kompnay’s first season in charge. The scoreline of their 1-0 win over Benfica on Matchday 4 did not reflect their otherwise dominant performance, while their 9-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Matchday 1 had a surprisingly nervy few moments before Bayern’s attacking might was on full display. Their 1-0 loss to Aston Villa on Matchday 2 and particularly their 4-1 loss to Barcelona on Matchday 3 offer some real signals that there’s plenty of room for improvement, demonstrating a surprising defensive vulnerability that can sometimes obstruct their ability to just outscore the opposition. They still remain within touching distance of a spot in the top eight, though, with just three points separating them and eighth place Villa.

Bayern’s struggles are perhaps nothing compared to PSG’s, though. The French champions have just four points from four games so far in the Champions League and currently sit outside the top 24. That could change with even a point against Bayern, but losses to Arsenal and Atletico Madrid and a draw against PSV raise plenty of questions about the state of their post-Kylian Mbappe rebuild. They have scored just three goals in four European games, though manager Luis Enrique may have someone new to count on this week – Joao Neves. He scored in their 3-0 win over Toulouse on Saturday, with Jonathan Johnson noting his increasing importance to a new-look PSG.

• Johnson: “Neves is now on two goals and six assists so far this campaign since his arrival in Paris over the summer from SL Benfica with his other goal coming away at bitter rivals Olympique de Marseille in Le Classique with the 20-year-old arguably one of the performers of this term so far. The midfield schemer started his Parisien career with a glut of assists against Havre AC and Montpellier HSC which have since turned into goals which have enabled him to continue establishing himself as an important emerging figure for Portugal under Roberto Martinez.”

With games against Bayern and Manchester City still on the calendar for PSG, though, the results will need to start swinging in their favor soon in order to begin rising up the table. Their remaining schedule will likely serve as a major progress report on the status of their project, which does not need to be the finished product just yet but could use a few noteworthy performances to convince many that they are on the right track.

  Top Stories

NWSL Championship rewind: Here’s more on Marta’s legacy as described by herself and her colleagues around the league, plus her emotional post-game celebrations with her mother. Plus, some plaudits for the Washington Spirit, who look like they are only at the beginning of an ambitious project.

UCL lookahead: Here are predictions for this week’s Champions League games, plus a look at the surprise strugglers so far this season.

Vinicius injury: Vinicius Junior picked up a hamstring injury and will miss several weeks for Real Madrid, blaming the issue on fixture congestion.

Salah on his future: Mohamed Salah said he is “probably more out than in” as it pertains to his future at Liverpool, raising questions about whether or not he will still be with the club next season.

Dispatch from England: Liverpool and Arsenal notched wins over the weekend, while Ruben Amorim’s first game at Manchester United ended in a draw with Ipswich Town and Manchester City suffered a historic defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

MLS Cup Playoffs: It’s down to a surprising final four in the MLS Cup Playoffs, with the LA Galaxy set to face the Seattle Sounders and Orlando City to host the New York Red Bulls in the conference finals.

  The Back Line

Best bets

• UEFA Champions League: Slovan Bratislava vs. AC Milan, Tuesday, 12:45 p.m.
  THE PICK: AC Milan to win 2-0 (+550) – AC Milan’s seasons of ups and downs has not steadied, going winless in their last two games. That’s not necessarily a reason to count Milan out, though, especially in a game that they are heavily favored. Expect them to get the job done in Slovakia, especially with the likes of Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao in strong form.
• UEFA Champions League: Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint-Germain, Tuesday, 3 p.m.
  THE PICK: Jamal Musiala to score (+210) – Harry Kane might be the main man at Bayern Munich, but he’s not the only one with goals in his game. Jamal Musiala has nine goals and three assists this season, so expect him to play a big role in Tuesday’s most anticipated Champions League matchup.

For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.   

What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network

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