Pride loses to FC Kansas City 2-0

Goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe makes 4 saves

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Orlando Pride lost Saturday, 2-0 to Kansas City, who are the reigning National Women's Soccer League champions.

The loss ended Orlando's three-game winning streak.

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Team officials said the Orlando Pride entered the match riding three consecutive clean sheets, but Yael Averbuch's 53rd minute goal ended the Pride's shutout-streak at 348 minutes.

Averbuch put Kansas City ahead with a free kick from a distance that deflected off Lianne Sanderson and beat goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe to her left.

Team officials said Erika Tymrak doubled the Blues' lead with 13 minutes left to play on an individual effort, traveling across the top of the penalty box before pinpointing the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

"I think in honesty, it was a fair result," Pride head coach Tom Sermanni said. "I don't think we perhaps played as well as we could have played. Obviously, I think the game changed with the deflected goal and that gave (Kansas City) the confidence they needed playing at home. (It) got the support behind them and it became difficult for us to get back in the game after that."

Both teams were without their U.S. Women's National Team allocations Saturday night, as Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris, as well as Kansas City's Becky Sauerbrunn and Heather O'Reilly, were with Team USA, preparing for two upcoming matches against Japan, team officials said.

Orlando travels to face the Western New York Flash at 7 p.m. on June 11 in Rochester. The team said the Pride returns home June 23 to host the Houston Dash for the third meeting this season between the two clubs.