Match Preview: Kansas City Current vs. Orlando Pride
Children’s Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas – Sunday, July 31 at 7:00 PM ET
Players to watch:
Kansas City midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta converted a penalty kick for the lone goal in Kansas City’s 1-0 win over the Reign in their last time out. Half of LaBonta’s eight career goals have been from the spot, with her being the only player in NWSL history with four or more penalty kick goals and fewer than 10 career goals. Scoring twice in the last four matches, forward CeCe Kizer has been a fantastic addition as well, with her two goals on the year behind only LaBonta (3) and Kristen Hamilton (4) on the team’s scoring charts.
Orlando goalkeeper Erin McLeod delivered a solid performance in the club’s shutout draw with Washington in their last time out. Her performance marked the fifth time this season she has produced five or more saves with no other NWSL goalkeeper having more than four games this season with the same number of stops. In the goals department, forward Darian Jenkins and midfielder Mikayla Cluff currently sit tied for the lead with two goals each.
Match facts: The Kansas City Current host the Orlando Pride in the final of six games across the league on Sunday night, with the Current looking to extend their seven-game unbeaten run to eight as they face the Pride for the second time this season.
Kansas City have won five in that seven-game run, with their last three matches all being wins. Those five wins during the streak have all been by one goal with Kansas City’s five one-goal victories this season being tied with Angel City for most such wins in 2022.
The Pride earned a 0-0 draw with the Spirit in their last match, giving them clean sheets in consecutive games for the first time in league play since May of 2018. Orlando has kept three straight clean sheets just once in team history in May of its inaugural season in 2016.
Orlando is also unbeaten in three all-time meetings with Kansas City (W2 D1) though the teams did play to a 2-2 draw in their lone meeting this season. Defender Toni Pressley’s 96th-minute goal in that match was the latest result-changing penalty kick goal in league history (regular season).
