Sports

Last minute Orlando Pride penalty kick equalizer splits points vs KC 2-2

ORLANDO, FL – The Orlando Pride (1-1-1, 4 points) drew 2-2 with the Kansas City Current (0-2-1, 1 point) on Saturday night at Exploria Stadium.

Toni Pressley managed to sink a penalty kick into the net 2 minutes into second half stoppage time to tie the match 2-2. That score plus a 51 minute score by captain Gunny Jónsdóttir saved the night with a draw.

“The first half I thought we played well. I thought we should have controlled the tempo more. We were hitting too many long balls, getting too stretched and I think wasting energy to be quite honest.” Said Pride Head Coach Amanda Cromwell “Getting a point kind of feels frustrating because I thought we were in control of the game in the first half and should have finished some of the chances. I have to give Kansas City credit for the last 20 [minutes]. They made some subs that were dynamic and fast and you could see our defense was tired.”

Jónsdóttir took at pass from Sydney Leroux just into the second half and sent it in from just inside the 6-yard box. It was Gunny’s first goal of the season, not counting the goals (2) scored in the NSWL cup. It was Leroux’s first assist of the 2022 season.

The Current  were very aggressive, especially in the second half. They took advantage of Orlando’s errant passes and was almost constantly on the push.

Orlando had a lot of errant passes. there were a lot of tries where the sender was anticipating the recipient to make a move or a run, but there was no connection. They look like a team that is still learning each other on the pitch, and hopefully they will learn quickly with more play together.

In the 8th minute, Elyse Bennett, taking a Lo’eau Labonta lofting in a cross toward the back post from the left flank, and heading it in for the equalizer.

Bennett was involved again in stoppage time when she drove to the endow the line and centered a ball, which Kristen Hamilton took at the top of the six yard box and sent it in. This was after several KC chances in the Orlando box that the Pride managed to send output they were never able to fully clear.

  (Toni Pressley sends in the game tying penalty kick for the Orlando Pride vs the KC Current on Saturday May 14th at Exploria Stadium in Orlando.)

In the 90+2 mark, Kylie Strom was taken down inside the penalty box. Toni Pressley stepped up and took the PK and blasted a shot into the top of the net for the Orlando equalizer.

The Pride turn around quickly and face the Carolina Courage on Wednesday May 18th at WakeMed Soccer Park in a 7 p.m. ET kickoff.

 

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