A Missed Penalty Kick Leaves the KC Current Falling Short to Angel City

The Kansas City Current hit the road looking to make it four wins in a row as they entered Los Angeles to face Angel City FC. The KC Current rolled out the same lineup that has shown success in recent weeks with Bayley Feist remaining in the midfield and Elizabeth Ball and Laney Rouse joining the back line.

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Angel City on the other side gave a start to Casey Phair, for the first time in her young career.

The game started with Kansas City mostly on the front foot, but they couldn’t generate a quality chance. Instead, it would be Angel City who would strike first. A ball was played over the top to Gisele Thompson. Izzy Rodriguez misjudged the bounce and Thompson got in behind her. The replays weren’t clear if it was deflected or if Lorena was just beat to her near post. 10 minutes in and LA are up 1-0. The reaction seemed to indicate a deflected shot.

As the expression goes, goals change games. After ACFC scored, they had the better of the game for quite a while. Repeatedly Kansas City would have balls fly through their box, sometimes players just inches away from an easy tap in goal. KC slipped back to the team early this year that struggled to string together passes and play out of pressure.

The Current did earn a chance where Croix Bethune was able to take a shot as she entered the box, but through all the Angel City defenders, it went straight to the keeper. After some back and forth action, Bethune again found herself in a shooting position, this time outside the box. She tried to curl a shot, but it went wide of the post. Seemingly Angel City always had plenty of numbers in the box and KC struggled break them down.

While ACFC had the better of the middle chunk of the half, it was KC who would level things before halftime. Lo LaBonta played in a sharp ball which Ally Sentnor took down with one touch to Bethune. Croix played wide to Izzy who found Sentnor ghosting into space. Her shot was deflected off Martin and into the net to level things at the half 1-1.

Both teams were pretty level statistically at the half. Each scored a deflected goal, ACFC outshot KC six to five but the possession was 50/50 per the league website and shots on goal were even at two apiece.

As the second half started, the KC Current subbed off Temwa Chawinga for Haley Hopkins. The broadcast said Temwa was on a minute restriction as she works back from injury. She just played on Friday, and the team plays again this weekend.

KC had the best chance of the half when LaBonta dished a lovely cross to a charging Bethune whose point-blank shot was stabbed away by the keeper. It wouldn’t take long for KC to earn another chance.

A ball was played over the top to Ally Sentnor who slowed up and let herself go when she felt contact from behind by Emily Sams. But that expression, “ball don’t lie,” came back to sting the Current. Lo LaBonta, who had only missed one penalty kick in her career, changed her strategy of hitting it hard and high and tried to go to the corner on the ground. It wasn’t hit with enough pace or far enough away and it was an easy save to keep the game level. IT’s a mistake that would haunt Kansas City.

In the 63rd minute, ACFC nearly took the lead. A ball was delivered in the box and seemed to bounce around for an eternity with numerous half clearance attempts. Eventually though, the KC Current cleared their box. In the 65th, Phair would pick up the games first yellow when she grabbed Lorena to prevent her from going quick after catching a ball that entered her six-yard-box.

LaBonta seemed determine to make up for her miss for the rest of the night. She fought through traffic and lots of contact to get a ball out of her end in one instance. Then moments later, when Angel City were coming the other way, she won a tough challenge to get the ball to Bethune and start a counter. Bethune found Cooper who weighted a nice pass through across the backline that only an expertly timed tackle from Sams prevented a Hopkins tap in.

Chance after chance just kept coming up short for Kansas City. And LA would make them pay.

Angel City made some subs and one of them immediately paid off. 19-year-old Kennedy Fuller was delivered a ball from Thompson after a KC turnover. Fuller took a settling touch and blasted it on the volley to put the home team back into the lead.

Right after, KC went to their bench, likely still managing minutes. Cooper left the pitch to be replaced by rookie Amelia White.

In the 79th, Los Angeles nearly scored again. Izzy and Sharples were both beat on the right of the attack and a last-minute intervention by Ball saved a certain goal. Ball was also taken down violently on the play, but the ref swallowed his whistle, as he did all night. LA came back almost immediately, finding Fuller charging towards the box. Her shot would beat Lorena but be saved by the crossbar to keep the lead at one.

In the 82nd, Chris Armas opted for an extra attacker to try and make up the goal KC were trailing by. He chose to take off Feist, a defensive midfielder in this formation, for Penelope Hocking, a forward.

The game hit a lull with Croix being drug down for a yellow card and Ary Borges injuring her ankle, though she remained in the game. Stoppage time would arrive with the 4th official showing a minimum of seven minutes.

Despite numerous corners and half chances, KC couldn’t convert. They had shouts for a PK deep into stoppage time for a challenge against Ball, but a couple poor replays and lots of watching the ref stand around before the VAR said there was nothing in it.

Angel City picks up their first win since the middle of March and Kansas City’s win streak ends at three. The KC Current are back at home Sunday to host the Portland Thorns at noon.