NWSL teams are trying to avoid the Orlando Pride stan curse

Both the Chicago Red Stars and the Houston Dash blocked the Orlando Pride on Twitter to improve their chances in the NWSL Challenge Cup final.

The Orlando Pride were forced to bow out of the NWSL Challenge Cup after a COVID-19 outbreak on the team, so they dubbed their Twitter account the “Challenge Cup Stan Account” and have chosen a team to enthusiastically support each game. Unfortunately, the account has a reputation for picking the loser, so both teams in the Challenge Cup final have blocked the Pride leading up to Sunday’s game.

Even though the Pride went 2–0 on their stan choices in the semifinals, there’s too much bad history built up. In the quarterfinals, every single team they chose ended up with a loss, most notably the No. 1-ranked North Carolina Courage, who were massively upset by the Portland Thorns. The Dash and the Red Stars aren’t taking any chances with the curse this weekend.

Luckily, the Pride’s social media team has maintained their spirit despite being blocked by other NWSL teams as well, including Sky Blue FC and the Portland Thorns. The team has joked about using a burner account to view content from the teams they stan, and they’ve turned countless iconic movie scenes into Challenge Cup-related GIFS.

Both the Red Stars and the Dash are chasing their first-ever NWSL trophy, so fans of both franchises are practically begging the Pride not to stan their team in the final. The Dash took down the tenacious Thorns to make the final, and the Red Stars are looking to redeem themselves after they lost to the Courage in last year’s championship game, so bringing home a win is a huge deal for both squads.

The Pride’s loyal followers will vote on Twitter for the team’s last stan of the Cup on Saturday, so we’ll see if blocking the Pride works out for the finalists. If fans want to support their team, the best bet is to vote for the other squad as soon as that poll goes up.