FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC (3-4-2) drew its matchup Tampa Bay Sun FC (4-3-3) in the Florida Derby on Sunday evening. After conceding in the first half, substitute Anna Henderson came to the club’s rescue with a 93rd minute equalizer that earned a point for the FTL UTD side. The stoppage time goal capped off a storybook ending for the first iteration of an intense rivalry. The goal was the first of the season for Henderson, and the draw snapped a three-match losing skid for Fort Lauderdale.
After earning a point for the first time in three matches, Fort Lauderdale will look to spark a streak of earning points with four consecutive home matches on tap. The next opportunity for FTL UTD to add to its season total will be on Saturday, Nov. 23 when it welcomes DC Power FC (2-5-4) to Beyond Bancard Field. The match will be the second meeting between the two clubs this season, with the first meeting taking place in September. FTL UTD earned a 2-0 win behind goals from Addie McCain and Jasmine Hamid, for the first win in club history.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: NZR_ADQ?si=cUuo9iTL-T_gS137
The match got off to a strong, physical start as it poured rain with both teams pushing the limit in the Derby. Fort Lauderdale’s newest signing, goalkeeper Heather Hinz, made her first save for the club in the 11th minute. The FTL UTD attack was active early, with forwards Erica Gomes and Sh’Nia Gordon wreaking havoc with their high pressure and link-up play.
Tampa jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute after a cross and finish beat Hinz to the right side. After conceding, the Fort Lauderdale attack began to put pressure on the Tampa defense with Gomes, McCain and Knox creating chances for one another. FTL UTD nearly leveled the game in the 30th minute after Gomes took the ball from a Tampa defender and played a perfect through-ball to McCain in the box. McCain took a pair of touches and passed the ball across the box to Taylor Smith, who took a shot that was saved by the sliding Tampa keeper.
As the first half waned on, there was a clear shift in play-style from previous matches. McCain dropped back into the midfield and played pass-first, as she had been the club’s striker in the last handful of matches. Long balls and switch passes were clearly an emphasis of the new tactics.
McCain nearly tied the game in the 39th minute with a curling shot that just missed the top right corner. In the 42nd minute, a strong effort from McCain to dispossess a Tampa defender allowed the ball to fall at the feet of Gomes. The forward played the ball across the box to Smith, who’s hard shot was saved in the bottom right corner. The deficit was nearly doubled in the 47th minute after Tampa had an uncontested volley from the 8-yard box, but an unbelievable save from Hinz kept the score intact at the halftime whistle.
Forward Sabrina McNeill got off to a strong start in the second half, using her individual quality to routinely take on and dribble past defenders. McNeill nearly leveled the match in the 49th minute after a dominant solo run, but the top right corner shot was saved in the 49th minute.
Hinz continued to keep Fort Lauderdale in the game, making a pair of impressive saves on Tampa corner kicks in the 59th and 64th minutes, respectively. Both saves came from uncontested headers inside the 8-yard box to keep the deficit at 1-0.
McNeill continued to wreak havoc on the left side, defeating a pair of defenders before setting up Felicia Knox, who’s shot was blocked in the 65th minute. Just seconds later, midfielder Darya Rajee played a perfect through-ball pass to set up Gomes inside the box, who took a shot that just nearly missed the left post. The FTL UTD attack inched closer and closer to equalizing as the final whistle approached. Gomes and McNeill each had shots saved by the Tampa keeper in the 76th minute.
The first set of reinforcements entered the game for Fort Lauderdale in the 77th minute, with midfielder Tati Fung and forward Gianna Gourley making their way onto the pitch for Smith and Gomes. It was an instant impact for Gourley, who recorded a pair of shots in the 79th and 81st minutes, respectively, with the latter just fading right of the goal.
The next wave of substitutes made their way onto the field as time wound down, with defender Sheyenne Allen (86th), midfielder Nia Christopher (86th) and forward Anna Henderson (88th) subbing in for Gordon, McNeill and Rajaee with a few minutes remaining.
Christopher, Allen and Fung made instant impacts in the final third after entering the game. Allen and Christopher were dangerous on the wings and Fung played a cross into the box for Gourley, who’s header was saved in the 92nd minute.
Just as all hope seemed lost, left back Cameron Brooks took a shot from 30 yards out. The shot deflected off of the Tampa’s keeper’s hands and the left foot of Henderson made contact with the ball, sending it into the left side netting to level the match in the 93rd minute. The late equalizer from Henderson rescued a point for FTL UTD in the inaugural Florida Derby and snapped a three-match losing streak for the club.
Back in Action
Fort Lauderdale United FC returns to the pitch on Saturday, Nov. 23 to continue its five-match homestand with DC Power FC. Kick-off is set for 7:30pm EST and the match will be streamed on Peacock.
Tickets
Season ticket packages for all home matches, as well as single-game tickets can be purchased here. FTL UTD’s next home match is a rematch with the team it won its first ever match against, DC Power FC. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST.
Scoring Summary:
TB: Giammona, 17
FTL: Henderson, 90+3