Brooklyn FC came into Sunday's home matchup against Fort Lauderdale United FC looking for their second win of the season on a beautiful afternoon at Maimonides Park in Coney Island, but it wasn't to be. The visitors jumped to a 1-0 lead just 10 minutes into the game, then scored what proved to be the game-winner in first-half stoppage time. BKFC found a consolation goal in the dying minutes of the game, but it was too little, too late, as the hosts lost 2-1 and fell to 7th place in the Gainbridge USL Super League.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Brooklyn go down early
The club started the season on the right foot, winning their home opener against Tampa Bay Sun 2-1. But it hasn't been smooth sailing since, with the team going winless. Head Coach Tomás Tengarrinha looked to change that going into Sunday’s match with Fort Lauderdale. He changed the team's shape, moving from a 4-3-3 to a 4-1-4-1, and completely overhauled the defensive line.
It didn't work. Fort Lauderdale got on the scoreboard first when midfielder Stella Nyameke scored a free kick at the 10-minute mark. The visitors earned the free kick as a result of Brooklyn defender Alice Barbieri receiving a yellow card after fouling Fort Lauderdale striker Kiara Locklear.
In the 29th minute, Fort Lauderdale forward Jasmine Hamid nearly doubled the lead as she powered past the Brooklyn defense, going full-steam into the box with a sharp strike. The ball looked like it was bound for the back of the net, but instead bounced off the side post.
Fort Lauderdale doubled their lead in the 45+1st minute, when Locklear snuck the ball past goalkeeper Kelsey Daugherty, who was caught out of position. The first half ended with Fort Lauderdale holding a commanding 2-0 lead.
Hudson River Blue Staff
No answers from the hosts
While Fort Lauderdale were excellent in advancing their attack early, Brooklyn couldn't get find a way to get past their high press. The visitors controlled the pace of the match, as they held most of the possession of the ball.
The second half of the match saw slightly better footing for Brooklyn FC, as they were drew some fouls and did a better job of pressing collectively. But they still found difficulty having any luck in the box to start the second half.
In the 80th minute, Brooklyn's Kelsey Hill suffered a hard fall and was slow to get up. Tengarrinha had already used all five of his substitutes, raising the possibility of Brooklyn seeing out the game with 10 players. But Hill stayed on the field, and in the 87th minute, Brooklyn finally got on the scoreboard. It came via a corner kick: After the ball was whipped into the box, midfielder Hope Breslin headed it perfectly into the back of the net.
Brooklyn will carry a record of 1W-2D-3L into their matchup against Sporting JAX on Saturday, October 4, at 6:00 pm ET at Maimonides Park in Coney Island. Sporting Jax sit in 5th Place, two spots above Brooklyn, and are coming off a 4-3 away win over Carolina Ascent FC that saw 18-year-old striker Ashlyn Puerta score a hat trick to give her six goals in six games.
Tyrese Alleyne-Davis
