Amanda Gutierres stoppage-time penalty kick gives Legacy a win over Orlando, extend unbeaten run to four games

FOXBOROUGH — After starting its inaugural season with five consecutive losses, Boston Legacy FC has now gone unbeaten in four straight — and for the second time in three games, their victory came in the final seconds.

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Amanda Gutierres buried a penalty kick deep into stoppage time, and the Legacy extended their point streak with a 2-1 win against the Orlando Pride in front of a crowd of 8,182 at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday night.

The win is the Legacy’s second of their inaugural season after a 3-2 victory over Denver on May 4.

Gutierres’s winner was the first NWSL tally for the Brazilian striker, who came in as one of Boston’s most highly touted scorers but had yet to get on the scoresheet this season.

“In the moment that we needed her, she [said] ‘I’m here. I’m going to score this goal,’ ” Legacy coach Filipa Patão said. “I was not concerned, she was not concerned, and this is why she was so composed in the penalty.”

Gutierres was awarded the penalty kick after VAR ruled Orlando had committed a hand ball in the box following a Boston corner kick.

The Brazilian striker was also involved in the 72nd-minute equalizer. With the Legacy trailing, 1-0, Gutierres headed a long ball down to Aleigh Gambone at the top of the box, and Gambone buried a volley for her first NWSL goal.

Gutierres and Gambone were second-half substitutions — Gutierres in the 57th minute and Gambone in the 65th — and the fresh legs paid off for Boston, just three days removed from a high-intensity draw with Gotham.

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“We needed fresh players, players that can bring better decisions inside the game and better executions just because they’re not so tired like the other ones,” Patão said.

While the Legacy (2-5-2, 8 points) controlled the pace and largely kept Orlando out of the attacking third, the Pride scored first. Officials awarded Orlando a penalty kick after ruling that Aïssata Traoré committed a holding foul in the box, and Marta buried it past Legacy goalkeeper Casey Murphy to take a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute.

Marta, the Brazilian star, was replaced by the league’s top scorer, Barbara Banda, at halftime. The Legacy kept Banda, who has eight goals, scoreless in the second half.

When Banda entered the game, Orlando (3-4-2, 11 points) began playing a more transitional game, so Patão made five substitutions to adapt to Banda’s impact.

“We need to adapt, and we need to be ready for this type of game too,” the coach said.

Defender Nicki Hernandez saw her first game action since suffering a lower-body injury in the Legacy’s inaugural match on March 14, replacing Nichelle Prince in the 75th minute. She said it was noticeable how much the team had improved since her last appearance.

“It was a huge difference today, not only in the fight, but the intelligence that the girls are bringing — tackling, giving everything their all,” she said. “I’m really proud of coming back to a team like this.”

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