TAMPA, Fla. (September 12, 2026) – Fort Lauderdale United FC (1-3-0, 3 PTS) dropped its matchup with Tampa Bay Sun FC (2-1-1, 7 PTS) on Saturday evening at Suncoast Credit Union Field in another edition of the Florida Derby. Forward Sh’nia Gordon scored her first goal of the 2026 campaign off a terrific assist from Farrah Walters, who also recorded her first assist of the season in tonight’s match. With the result, Fort Lauderdale has dropped consecutive matches but the club will have a chance to return to the win column on Friday night when it hosts Dallas Trinity FC.
Fort Lauderdale United will return to action at Amerant Bank Field on Friday, September 18 when it hosts Dallas Trinity FC in its first home match in three weeks. With Fort Lauderdale set to play its lone home match until October 11, the club will look to earn a victory on home turf before beginning another two-match road swing against playoff-level opposition.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcHgvb4gYrg
Fort Lauderdale brought intensity from the opening whistle, hungry for its first-ever win over its in-state rival. Both clubs used the opening 10 minutes to settle into the match, but Head Coach Tyrone Mears was forced into an early change after Maggie Mace picked up an injury, bringing Molly McDougal into the match in the 14th minute. Gordon was electric from the early stages, making numerous dangerous runs down the right side that foreshadowed her impact throughout the match. Fort Lauderdale jumped out in front in the 24th minute after an electric run from Walters down the left side, sending a perfect cross into the box where Gordon ran onto it and fired a one-touch shot into the back of the net.
The momentum stayed with Fort Lauderdale following the go-ahead goal, with Kiara Locklear nearly doubling the lead in the 27th and 30th minutes, respectively. Gordon nearly secured a first-half brace with a dangerous run down the right side in the 45th minute, hitting the post as Fort Lauderdale took a 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
Locklear opened the second half with a dangerous run down the left side, sending a cross to the top of the box for Gordon. The goalscorer fired a one-touch shot just over the crossbar, continuing to apply pressure on the Tampa Bay back line. In the 64th minute, the match was stopped and temporarily postponed due to an issue with the stadium lighting. After a 40-minute delay, the lights miraculously turned back on, allowing the match to resume. Just two minutes after play resumed, Tampa Bay equalized. Fort Lauderdale fought back in search of the lead, with Locklear firing a shot just wide in the 68th minute.
Mears made more changes in the 75th minute, bringing Shea Moyer and Abi Hugh into the match for Nicole Vernis and McDougal. Tampa Bay took the lead in the 81st minute, with Fort Lauderdale continuing to search for an equalizer, including a strong chance from Kelli Van Treeck and Walters in the 84th minute. The final substitutions of the match came in the 85th minute, with Emily Thompson and Taylor Smith entering for Grace Cutler and Walters, but Fort Lauderdale was unable to find an equalizer as it fell on the road to Tampa Bay.
Scoring Summary
FTL: Gordon, 24’
TB: Waldeck, 65’
TB: Connors, 81’
Back in Action
Fort Lauderdale will return to Amerant Bank Field on Friday, September 18, hosting Dallas Trinity FC for its lone home match in September. You can purchase tickets HERE.
Get Your Tickets
Fort Lauderdale United FC returns home on Friday, September 18 when it hosts Dallas Trinity FC in a high-stakes matchup at Amerant Bank Field. Click HERE to get your tickets! Stay tuned and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with all things FTL UTD on Instagram, X(Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, and Facebook.
