KC Comets update: Florida Tropics prove too hot for Kansas City to handle in 5-3 loss

The Kansas City Comets have lost seven of eight Major Arena Soccer League road games this season after falling to the Florida Tropics on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday’s 5-3 defeat in Lakeland, Fla., was especially frustrating for the Comets because they scored just three goals on 38 shots. Florida goalkeeper Jorge Navarrete was only forced to make 11 saves.

The Comets opened the scoring in the first quarter when Lucas Sousa scored his 16th goal of the season. But Kansas City’s offense was dim for the rest of the half despite a dominant 14-shot second quarter that produced no goals for the visitors.

Down 2-1 at halftime, the Comets surrendered a third straight goal in the third period. That seemed to sound an alarm for the Comets, as 10 seconds later they pulled one back on Ramone Palmer’s third goal of the season.

Toward the end of the third period, Ray Lee scored the equalizer with a header assisted by John Sosa from a restart at the top of the arc. But the Tropics found the go-ahead goal 3:10 into the fourth quarter, scoring from a free kick just outside the box.

With nearly 12 minutes to find an equalizer of their own — an eternity in indoor soccer — the Comets were unable to do so. Sousa came close but smashed his effort off the crossbar. Sosa and Zach Reget also had potential game-tying efforts saved by the keeper.

Florida delivered the final gut-punch goal with less than three minutes to play to complete the 5-3 scoreline.

Playoff Picture

A Comets win would’ve moved KC to second place in the MASL East. Instead, the Comets are now looking to hold on to their third-place spot that guarantees a first-round bye in the playoffs.

The Comets (7-5-4) hold a one-point lead over the Baltimore Blast. There are now eight games remaining. Half of those are at home for KC, including a contest with the Milwaukee Wave on Sunday, Feb. 26. Tickets are available at www.kccomets.com/tickets.