Coming off a 2-0 victory over Seattle Reign FC on Friday in the playoff quarterfinals , there was a noticeable chip on the shoulders of the defending champion Orlando Pride squad.

There was, and still is, a feeling among the players that the media and the rest of the league are overlooking them, and they are using that as fuel for what they hope will be a second consecutive NWSL championship as they head into Sunday’s semifinal at home against Gotham FC at 3 p.m.

“I mean, I love when people count us out. I feel like the only people that matter are the people in that locker room and the people who are with us every single day, working to achieve the goals that we set out to achieve,” midfielder Haley McCutcheon said after the quarterfinal. “And so while I try not to listen to the noise,

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