FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale United FC’s USL W league team lost its first game of the season 1-0, giving up its first goal of the season against Sporting Jax on Saturday, May 31st at AutoNation Field. Forwards Chloe Burst and Isabella Rychel led the attack and created scoring opportunities, though Fort Lauderdale was unable to find the back of the net. The club now sits with a 3-1 record as it looks to a midweek home game against FC Miami City.
The beginning of the first half saw Fort Lauderdale more defensive, as Sporting Jax attacked on goal early, with goalkeeper Ashley Small making big saves in the 3rd and 8th minutes. Outside backs Leila Etemadi and Adrianna Serna were extremely active on both sides of the ball, making offensive runs and tracking back on defense. Morgan Robertson nearly found Rychel on a long cross in front of the goal in the 36th minute, but Sporting Jax’s goalkeeper intercepted it. Etemadi also almost found Rychel on a cross in the 41st minute, but the goalkeeper caught it first once again. Small made a diving save off a curling shot in the 42nd minute to keep Fort Lauderdale in the game, but Sporting Jax converted a penalty kick one minute later to make the game 1-0 at the end of the half after Lucia Garcia committed a foul in the box.
Fort Lauderdale stepped up the intensity in the second half as they looked to equalize, with the midfield trio of Garcia, Alysa Vazquez and Antonella Solari combining nicely towards goal. In the 57th minute, Rychel put pressure on a defender and stole the ball, sending Burst down the wing, who whipped a cross that just missed Solari in the box. Three minutes later, substitute Milan Pierre-Jerome hit a perfect through ball over the top to a streaking Serna. She then hit a cross that substitute Gianna Merigliano almost reached, but Sporting Jax’s goalie intervened and caught it out of the air. The club continued to control possession and got its biggest chance of the game in the 78th minute, when a Burst free kick from the left edge of the box hit the crossbar. Despite the performance, Fort Lauderdale was unable to find an equalizer, dropping their first points of the season in the 1-0 loss.
Our Fort Lauderdale United FC USL W league team returns to the pitch on Saturday, May 31st for its fifth game of the season against FC Miami City at AutoNation Field at FTL UTD Training Facility. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m.
