(Photo Credit Mercedes)
Kansas City, M.O.- For Week 18 of the NWSL season, the Orlando Pride traveled to Children’s Mercy Victory Field to meet FC Kansas City on the pitch. Both teams came into this match hoping to come out with their fourth consecutive win.
Within the first five minutes Pride forward Alex Morgan earned a free kick, which allowed for Marta Vieria Da Silva to take a free kick for Orlando. Marta’s left-footed shot went right over the Kansas City wall and bounced near the goal post and off the field. In fact the Pride made several attempts within the first minutes of the match and it was in the 16th minute, Orlando Pride forward Ubogagu scored the first goal of the match. After a corner kick was taken it had bounced off of several players heads before it touched the ground. Defender Monica Hickmann Alves took a shot that was blocked by the Blues defense but Ubogagu got over the rebound to make a clear shot to the bottom left corner of the net, marking her third goal of the season.
Later on in the 35th minute, Katie Bowen of Kansas City made a cross up the field to forward Shea Groom, who misssed the ball. Luckily Sydney Leroux was behind Groom to finish the play, but before she could shoot, defender Ali Krieger of the Pride cleared the ball to shutdown the opportunity.
FC Kansas City defender Becky Sauerbrunn
The Blues had another potential run when Leroux shook two Pride midfielders and dribbled the ball down the field and passed to fellow midfielder Lo’eau Labonta, who passed it right back to Leroux for the run. Leroux cut the ball to take a clear shot on Orlando goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, who came out just at the right time to reach her arm out and deflect the possible goal. However, a minute later in front of 2,812 spectators, Groom passed the ball to Labonta and took a shot from the center of the box to score the equalizer to stand at 1-1 against Orlando. This marked Labonta’s first goal of the season.
The Orlando Pride were eager to come out on top of this game and had another potential goal in the 50th minute. Morgan headed the ball between two Kansas City defenders but it was deflected by FC KC keeper Nicole Barnhart who cleared out the ball.
Morgan continued to pursue a goal and in the 71st minute she received a pass from Marta, which she guarded with her body and controlled, but then took a shot that went right at Barnhart.
With minutes left of the match before stoppage time, Orlando won a free kick on the right side of the field, which was taken by Marta. Morgan didn’t disappoint fans as she put the ball in the back of the net to score her eighth goal within seven games, now having scored in five consecutive games. Eight more minutes of stoppage time were added, but the Orlando Pride maintained their 2-1 lead to finish out the month of August undefeated.
The Pride advance to fourth place with 32 points while Kansas City stand in seventh place with a total of 23 points.
SCORING SUMMARY:
ORL-Chioma Ubogau 16’
KC-Lo’eau Labonta 42’
ORL-Alex Morgan 87’
BOOKING SUMMARY:
ORL-Camila Martins Pereira
FC KANSAS CITY: #14-Sydney Leroux, #6-Katie Bowen (#44-Maegan Kelly 73’), 9-Lo’eau Labonta (#88-Alexa Newfield 90 + 1’), #2-Shea Groom (#25-Brittany Ratcliffe 75’), #31-Christina Gibbons, #11-Desiree Scott, #3-Becca Morros, 10-Yael Averbuch, #4-Becky Sauerbrunn, #13-Brittany Taylor, 18-Nicole Barnhart
Subs not used: #15-Erika Tymrak, #17-Sydney Miramontez, #19-Cat Parkhill, #21-Caroline Flynn
ORLANDO PRIDE :#6-Chioma Ubogagu (#3-Toni Pressley 79’), #13-Alex Morgan, #10-Marta Vieria Da Silva, #14-Alanna Kennedy, #9-Camila Martins Pereira, #17-Dani Weatherholt, #7-Steph Catley, #11-Ali Krieger, #21-Monica Hickmann Alves, #12-Kristen Edmonds (#15-Rachel Hill 69’), #24-Ashlyn Harris
Subs not used: #4-Jamia Fields, #20-Nickolette Driesse, #8-Danica Evans, #19-Aubrey Bledsoe
TOTAL SHOTS: KC 13-9 ORL
SHOTS ON GOAL: KC 3-4 ORL
FOULS: KC 6-14 ORL
OFFSIDES: KC 4-4 ORL
CORNER KICKS: KC 6-4 ORL
SAVES: KC 3-2 ORL
FC Kansas City
