FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (September 18, 2026) – Fort Lauderdale United FC (1-4-0, 3 PTS) battled Dallas Trinity FC (3-2-1, 10 PTS) on Friday evening at Amerant Bank Field in its first home match in three weeks. Fort Lauderdale found itself in an early deficit but continued to fight throughout the second half, with Sh’nia Gordon finding the back of the net for the second consecutive match. Kiara Locklear set up Gordon with a terrific through ball, adding another assist to her all-time club lead. The duo flipped the momentum in the 60th minute, with Fort Lauderdale pushing for an equalizer throughout the final 30 minutes in an intense home matchup.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz98CQ06Dtc
An Early Deficit Defined The First 46 Minutes
Fort Lauderdale made it an emphasis to apply pressure early, with the front line of Kiara Locklear, Farrah Walters and Sh’nia Gordon consistently making dangerous runs on the wings. Both teams took some time to settle into the match, with just two shots recorded in the opening 30 minutes, both coming from Dallas. In the 32nd minute, Dallas took the lead on a high-arcing corner kick. Nicole Vernis patrolled the middle of the park throughout the first half, helping set up the attack with multiple chances. Just under one minute into the second half, the deficit doubled, setting a difficult task for the Fort Lauderdale United side.
The Momentum Switch
The momentum completely flipped in the 60th minute after Locklear found Gordon with a terrific through ball, with Gordon sending the keeper the wrong way before firing a rocket into the near post. Following the goal, Tyrone Mears made a triple change as the club began its push for an equalizer, bringing Kelli Van Treeck, Abi Hugh and Emily Thompson onto the pitch. The new additions made an immediate impact, highlighted by a close-range shot on target from Van Treeck in the 66th minute. Daniela Todd was the final change of the match, entering in the 74th minute.
Fort Lauderdale was electric over the final 15 minutes, creating a trio of dangerous chances. In the 76th minute, Gordon’s near-post shot was saved before she sent an excellent pass to Thompson in the box in the 80th minute, where Thompson collided with the keeper just outside the eight-yard box. The 85th-minute chance came from a team attack that found Walters in the box, with her shot toward the top-right corner narrowly missing the mark. The match came down to the final whistle, with a free kick nearly finding Walters’ foot in the eight-yard box, but Fort Lauderdale was unable to equalize as it fell to Dallas Trinity FC on home turf.
The defeat marks three consecutive losses for Fort Lauderdale following its road matches against Carolina Ascent FC and Tampa Bay Sun FC and moves the club to 1-4-0 through its first five matches of the season. Fort Lauderdale will now hit the road for consecutive matches as it looks to turn around its early-season skid.
Scoring Summary
DAL: Knox, 32’
DAL: Hamid, 46’
FTL: Gordon, 60’
Back in Action Tuesday Morning
Fort Lauderdale United will have a quick turnaround, returning to the pitch on Tuesday, September 22 as it travels to take on DC Power FC. With Fort Lauderdale set to play back-to-back road matches before returning home on October 11, Tuesday’s matchup will be an important test in the campaign. You can watch the match HERE.
Get Your Tickets
Fort Lauderdale United FC returns home on Sunday, October 11 when it hosts Lexington SC in a high-stakes matchup against the reigning champions 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.
