FC Kansas City Win Streak Snapped

Lo’eau LaBonta nets her first NWSL career goal

KANSAS CITY (August 26, 2024) – FC Kansas City fell to the Orlando Pride 2-1 as the Blues’ three-game win streak was snapped in the Lifetime Game of the Week. The Pride scored first, but Lo’eau LaBonta netted her first-ever NWSL goal to tie things up. Orlando, however, scored late in the second-half. Despite a furious challenge in the final minutes of the game, FCKC was unable to find an equalizer and fell by the score of 2-1.
 
The match started out with both teams having several chances in the first five minutes. Orlando got their first good chance in the fifth minute when defender Yael Averbuch was called for a foul outside of the box on Pride forward Alex Morgan. Forward Marta stepped up to take the free kick, but bent it just to the right of the goal.
 
The Blues held possession and created a good chance when defender Becca Moros sent the ball to forward Sydney Leroux’s head who put it in the box, but Orlando goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris corralled the shot.
 
Orlando got on the board first in the 16th minute after Barnhart knocked the ball out for a corner kick. After, the ball bounced around in the box before falling to the feet of forward Chioma Ubogagu who put it in the back of the net to put the Pride up 1-0.
 
The Blues came out of the hydration break with an attack that saw Leroux put a shot on goal, but was cleared out for an FCKC corner. Averbuch then sent the ball in, but the Pride cleared it out. 
 
Kansas City evened up the match in the 42nd minute after forward Shea Groom crossed the ball from the right flank to LaBonta in the box who put it through Harris’ legs and into the back of the net for her first goal of her NWSL career. The assist was Groom’s fifth of the season.
 
The second-half started similar to the first with both teams trading possession. Barnhart came up with a big save in the 50th after a header back to her caught her off-guard, but the goalkeeper was able to knock it over the bar.
 
Orlando held most of the possession for the second-half, setting up chances, but the Kansas City defense held strong and kept the match 1-1. However, after a foul set up a free kick in the 87th minute. Marta hit the ball to Morgan to then flicked it past Barnhart.
 
The Blues kept fighting to find the equalizer into stoppage time, having five corner kicks in the final seven minutes to set up some chances that led to desperate defending from the Pride. After some controversial non-calls late in the game, FCKC lost for the first time in five-games.
 
FC Kansas City will try to bounce back at home again on Sunday, September 3 for their final meeting of the season with Sky Blue FC. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. CT and can be streamed at go90.com and on the go90 app which is available for download on IOS and Android devices. Tickets for the match are available to purchase here. 
 
 
NWSL Match Report
Match: FC Kansas City vs Orlando Pride
Date: August 26, 2024
Venue: Swope Soccer Village, Kansas City, MO
Kickoff: 2:50 p.m. CT, 3:50 p.m. ET
Attendance: 2,812
Weather: 90 degrees, sunny
 
Discipline
44’ ORL Camila (Yellow Card)
 
Scoring
16’ ORL Ubogagu (unassisted)
42’ FCKC LaBonta (Groom)
87’ ORL Morgan (Marta)
 
Scoring Summary

Goals                               1          2          F

FC Kansas City                 1           0          1

Orlando Pride                   1          1          2

Lineups:
FC Kansas City: Barnhart, Taylor, Averbuch, Sauerbrunn©, Moros, Gibbons, Scott, LaBonta (Newfield 90’), Bowen (Kelly 73’), Groom (Ratcliffe 75’), Leroux
Substitutes Not Used: Tymrak, Newfield, Miramontez, Flynn, Parkhill
 
Orlando Pride: Harris©, Catley, Krieger, Monica, Edmonds (Hill 69’), Camila, Kennedy, Weatherholt, Morgan, Marta, Ubogagu (Pressley 79’)
Substitutes Not Used: Fields, Evans, Driesse, Bledsoe