‘Captain is back’: Kansas City Comets earned dramatic win. Now, ‘Red Friday’ approaches
The Kansas City Comets pulled off a comeback victory against Dallas before cruising past Harrisburg, extending their winning streak to three games and keeping pace with the Major Arena Soccer League leaders.
On Thursday, Jan. 30, the Comets pulled off their dramatic come-from-behind victory against the Sidekicks. Trailing 6-4 deep into the fourth quarter, the Comets were desperate for a hero. Their captain delivered.
Nacho Flores orchestrated the comeback effort, scoring two of the three goals in the final minutes, including the game-winner with 31 seconds left. The Comets won 7-6 on the road.
“We kept believing that we could have won that game,” Flores said. “Somehow, that ball ended up on my left foot and I just had to close my eyes and hit it.”
“He did a great job leading the team in the tough moments,” Comets coach Stefan Stokic said. “That’s what your leaders need to do. He got rewarded with two goals late. His mentality and his attitude — his belief in this team — he never gave up one second.”
Flores has now contributed 10 points from five goals and five assists in the last five games. When asked about Flores’ importance, Stokic simply responded, “Captain is back.”
Buoyed by their dramatic win in Dallas, the Comets carried that momentum into a Sunday matchup against the Harrisburg Heat, earning a 7-3 victory at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence.
The Comets pitched a first-half shutout and jumped out to a 4-0 lead in cruising to victory. Comets forward Rian Marques returned to the scoresheet with a hat trick and two assists, now leading the MASL in points (30) and assists (14).
“It’s always good to score,” Marques said. “As long as we win, I don’t care if I score one or five. As long as we win, stats don’t matter to me.”
The Comets now sit fourth in the league standings but within striking distance of climbing into a top-2 seed. Kansas City trails second-place Baltimore by three points.
Red Friday Showdown
The Comets will need every bit of their momentum for Friday’s showdown with the San Diego Sockers, a team riding a 10-game winning streak. After falling on the road to San Diego last month, the Comets will kick off Red Friday with a score to settle.
“It’s good to build momentum going into a tough game,” Marques said. “They gave us a loss. We have to make sure we pay them back now.”
Fans can get their Super Bowl party started early with the Comets for Friday’s matchup. Tickets for the clash on Silverstein Eye Centers Field are buy three, get one free at kccomets.com/3peat with 15% off red merchandise in the arena.