Penalty miss looms large in KC Current-Chicago draw. Here are Challenge Cup implications

Lo LaBonta’s first-half penalty miss loomed large in a scoreless draw between the KC Current and Chicago Red Stars in Challenge Cup play on Saturday.

The Current’s inability to convert several chances in the first half led to a missed opportunity, as a win could’ve firmed up the club’s positioning for the Challenge Cup semifinal round.

Instead: 0-0.

“I really think we should have scored,” said interim coach Caroline Sjöblom. “I looked at the statistics from the game, and we should have scored several times during the first half.”

LaBonta made her return from an injury that has held her out since June 3 and even had the opportunity to bag a goal from the penalty spot. But Chicago goalkeeper Emily Boyd stepped up and made an impressive save on LaBonta’s powerful shot to keep the score 0-0.

Boyd then made another impressive save on a shot from Kristen Hamilton late in the first half, and Elizabeth Ball was unable to convert a header off the ensuing corner kick.

In the second half, Current goalkeeper AD Franch got her turn to spoil some excellent chances for the Red Stars. In the end, she made three impressive saves while keeping a clean sheet for the Current.

Ball also made some timely interventions by blocking multiple shots inside the box.

“’E-Ball’ had blocked shots that are just as good as saves,” Franch said. “They just don’t get tallied.”

Likewise, Ball praised her goalkeeper for her performance on Saturday.

“Every game (that) AD comes up big, us defenders need to come up big,” Ball said. “Collectively, I think we did that.”

Franch hasn’t played as much this season as she did in 2022. Some of that has been due to the emergence of Cassie Miller, combined with some early season struggles by Franch.

But those struggles seem over, as Franch has been trending up and looked confident in controlling the box against Chicago.

“I’m a professional, and I grind day in and day out with the rest of my teammates (to) be ready for whatever ... is asked of me,” Franch said. “I just control what I can control.”

While the team was boosted by the returns (from injury) of LaBonta and Hailie Mace, there was one player that Sjöblom felt the team missed in the second half: rookie forward Michelle Cooper.

“It would’ve been really nice to have a player like Michelle because she’s kind of a ‘one-v.-one’ player that we can use on the wings,” Sjöblom said.

Cooper has scored or assisted in the last three games for the Current and was instrumental in multiple goals the team scored against Houston in the previous match.

But the yellow card she picked up in that win last week meant she was suspended for Saturday’s match. Cooper will be available in the Current’s next match.

The Current will play host to Racing Louisville on Saturday, August 5, in their final Challenge Cup group stage match, with a spot in the semis on the line.

Had the Current won, they would — at the moment — sit in first place in the group with Louisville’s loss in Houston. However, with a win against Louisville next Saturday, the Current would finish first in their Challenge Cup group.

“If you want to go and win a cup, you should be number one in the group,” Sjöblom said. “We are gonna go for taking the three points next week.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2023 at 9:25 PM.