FC Kansas City loses 2-1 to Seattle Reign FC in rematch of 2014 title game

FC Kansas City had little trouble controlling the National Women’s Soccer League’s top scoring offense for the first 60 minutes of Saturday’s match.

Soon after, Seattle Reign FC broke through in dramatic fashion.

The Reign scored two goals in the next four minutes, setting up a 2-1 victory at Memorial Stadium in Seattle and tying the season series at 1-1. It was FC Kansas City’s third loss in four games, extending the defending NWSL champions’ winless streak to five games.

“They capitalized on our mistakes,” FC Kansas City coach Vlatko Andonovski said in a phone interview after the match. “For the first one, we did a good job stopping the initial shot, but it was a lucky bounce and the girl put it in. The second one, we lost the ball in the most critical area of the field right in front of the box.”

Beverly Yanez fought for the ball in the box and tapped it under FC Kansas City’s Nicole Barnhart from the right side of the box in the 62nd minute for the first goal. Kim Little followed two minutes later with a shot from the other side to extend the lead.

Shea Groom scored the Blues’ lone goal in stoppage time. It was her second goal of the season, tying her with Liz Bogus for the team lead.

FC Kansas City, which entered the game ranked sixth in the league, had scored the second fewest goals this season. The Blues have scored more than one goal in just one game and are playing without two of their five goal scorers this season in Amy Rodriguez and Heather O’Reilly, who are currently playing with the U.S. Women’s National Team in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“I’m not worried, but I’m not happy,” Andonovski said. “As a coach I will do whatever it takes to make it better and at the same time, I will do whatever it takes on the other side defensively to not get scored on.”

FC Kansas City will play its first home game in more than a month at 7 p.m. on Friday when the Blues host the Washington Spirit.

FC Kansas City 1

Seattle FC 2

FC KANSAS CITY: Nicole Barnhart, Elizabeth Bogus (Meghan Lisenby, 92nd), Shea Groom (Frances Silva, 86th), Sarah Hagen (Caroline Kastor, 81st), Yael Averbuch, Jen Buczkowski, Mandy Laddish, Erika Tymrak, Amy LePeilbet, Rebecca Moros, Leigh Ann Robinson.

SEATTLE REIGN FC: Michelle Betos, Genoveva Anonma, Sinead Farrelly, Allie Long, Meleana Shim (Hanna Terry, 64th), McCall Zerboni, Taylor Comeau (Alyssa Kleiner, 45th), Kendall Johnson (Sarah Jackson, 86th), Emily Menges, Rachel Van Hollebeke, Kat Williamson.

GOAL SCORING

FC Kansas City: 1, Hagen (Buczkowski), 51st minute. Seattle Reign FC: 2, Betos (Long), 95th minute.

CAUTIONS

FC Kansas City: Hagen (reckless foul), 61st minute; Groom (reckless foul), 71st minute.

Seattle: Long (reckless foul), 44th; Johnson (tactical foul), 50th minute.

RED CARDS

FC Kansas City: None.

Seattle: Zerboni (reckless foul), 70th minute.

OFFICIALS

Referee: Jorge Gonzalez.

Assistant referee: Greg Barkey.

Assistant referee: Kyle Atkins.

4th official: Chris Penso.

Announced attendance: 8,xxx.

This story was originally published June 27, 2015 at 11:44 PM with the headline "FC Kansas City loses 2-1 to Seattle Reign FC in rematch of 2014 title game."