KC Current roar back to earn 2-2 draw with Orlando Pride. Their unbeaten streak’s at 8

Down two goals in the second half, the KC Current fought back to earn a 2-2 draw with the Orlando Pride thanks to goals from Elyse Bennett and Cece Kizer.

The win Sunday evening at Children’s Mercy Park extended the unbeaten streak for the Current (5-4-4) to eight games. They are sixth in the National Women’s Soccer League standings with 19 points.

Orlando started hot, getting on the board in the 25th minute when Cecilia Hawkins got her head on a hopeful ball forward and beat KC keeper AD Franch to the near post. Then, the Pride made the Current pay shortly after halftime when Addyson Merrick’s giveaway sprung a counterattack.

Franch and Merrick collided and the Pride put the ball into the net.

The changes that propelled the comeback came before Orlando’s second goal. Elyse Bennett was subbed on for Taylor Leach, switching the home team’s formation to a 4-3-3, as opposed to the 3-1-4-2 with which the Current started.

“It created another number further forward,” coach Matt Potter said. “We felt even though we weren’t necessarily imperiled during the first half, we felt that in our own possession, in our own play, we could be a little bit more purposeful.

“Once we got into a rhythm with the changes that we made, I thought we were quite dangerous attacking them.”

Kizer said the Current’s sluggish start was a topic of discussion at halftime. They had a week off from training after a 1-0 win against the OL Reign on July 17 before coming back to work this past week.

“We had a good mindset coming into the game, but we were just a little lethargic in the first half,” Kizer said. “Then in the second half we really picked it up and we knew that we needed to come out and get some points out of this game.”

The Current started their comeback in the 57th minute when Hailie Mace slipped a pass into space for Bennett, who drove with the ball hard at the Orlando defenders. A slight turn of her hips put one of the defenders off-balance, giving her enough room to shoot low and hard past Erin McCleod.

“I just made my run and I expected (Mace) to play that ball,” Bennett said. “ I just had time and space and I didn’t see any runners that I could necessarily connect with.”

Kizer owed that shot to their practice recently, citing success in training for giving her confidence.

“I had been practicing that shot with Cassie (Miller) and had been hitting it in practice,” Bennett said. “I felt comfortable enough to hit it, and I’m blessed that it went in.”

Kizer was the eventual hero on the night. Lo Labonta played a long ball over the top of the Orlando backline for Kizer to run onto. Kizer beat McCleod to the ball, flicking it over the goalkeeper and into her own path to shoot into an empty net.

Kizer was happy to put the bow on the comeback, especially after a bad start to the second half.

“It’s never how you want to start,” she said. “But we all picked it up and want to make the team proud, and the city proud as well.”

KC’s Kristen Hamilton nearly won the game in stoppage time, but McCleod made the save and got to the rebound before Hamilton could get it over the line.

The Current return to action next weekend in California against the San Diego Wave. Sunday’s kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Central Time.

This story was originally published July 31, 2022 at 8:23 PM with the headline "KC Current roar back to earn 2-2 draw with Orlando Pride. Their unbeaten streak’s at 8."