KC Current rally to tie late, then take lead, but extra-time goal gives Pride the draw
Elyse Bennett scored her first goal for the Kansas City Current to tie Saturday’s game at Orlando 1-1, then fed teammate Kristen Hamilton in front of the Pride goal for what could’ve been the game-winner at the end of regulation as Kansas City sought to snap a three-game losing streak.
Snap the streak the Current did, but a win was not to be. After Hamilton’s goal, the Pride earned and converted a penalty kick in extra time in front of the Current’s net.
The match ended 2-2, giving each National Women’s Soccer League squad a point in the standings.
“(I’m) pleased we walk away with something rather than nothing,” Current coach Matt Potter said.
Not all draws are equal. Some feel like wins, and some feel like losses. For Potter, Saturday’s was the latter.
“It’s one that you’re happy to walk away with something,” he said. “We wish it were a little bit more given the way the game played out.”
Bennett’s performance was a highlight. Her first career goal leveled the match at one apiece in the 78th minute.
“I feel like anytime we can get any points on the board is a good thing,” Bennett said. “So whether it was me or someone else, I was just excited to get us in the game. So we’ll take this point and move on from here.”
Two coaching decisions by Potter swung the momentum in the Current’s favor after Orlando opened the scoring: The first was subbing in Bennett in the 62nd minute, the second an eventual formation switch that came with more substitutions 10 minutes later.
Bennett had missed the team’s match on Mother’s Day with an injury. Potter had planned to use her eventually on Saturday, and once he sent her on, she immediately caused problems for the Pride.
“She was certainly a handful,” Potter said. “She lived out our principles and our game idea of taking the game to the opponent. I think that was quite obvious for all to see.”
With Bennett in the game, the Current quickly created two scoring chances. The move that made her so dangerous came when Potter flipped formations from a 3-4-1-2 to 4-3-1-2.
Before Bennett’s substitution, the Current had mustered just three shots. They got that total to five before the formation change, and notched seven shots after — including five on target.
“Our team is very versatile in that many can play many roles,” midfielder Lo’Eau LaBonta said. “I think one thing I love about the change is anytime I can get on the ball more and connect the back line to the front line.”
The Pride’s penalty kick late in stoppage time was unfortunate for the Current. Initially, the foul was judged to have occurred outside the box. Replays showed it was inside the box, but without VAR, a crew member notified the head referee that the perceived foul was inside the box.
The foul-call itself was dubious. Scott won the ball and cleared it, but the referee believed that she had “recklessly charged an opponent in the back,” according to the pool-report questions and answers that were posed to officials after the game.
“I would just say it was disappointing to give up that goal that late,” LaBonta said. “But what can you do?”
This story was originally published May 14, 2022 at 7:36 PM with the headline "KC Current rally to tie late, then take lead, but extra-time goal gives Pride the draw."