Forest Falls to Olathe United in a Windy 5–2 Road Defeat

OLATHE, KS — Saturday, April 12

Under the bright lights of Maranatha Christian Academy and a relentless Kansas wind, Leawood Forest couldn’t overcome a blistering first-half barrage from Olathe United, falling 5–2 in a tough Select League showdown.

The U’s, riding high after a 2–1 win over Liberty FC, carried that momentum into the match. Despite Forest controlling some early positioning, the home side struck first—and fast. In the 12th minute, Max Leiker opened the scoring on a breakaway finish, set up by a precise through ball from Lucas Porter. That goal cracked the game wide open, and within the next three minutes, Olathe had buried two more.

By the 15-minute mark, Forest trailed 3–0, their defense struggling to track Olathe’s quick counters and off-ball movement. Lucas Porter, already pulling the strings, completed a hat-trick by the 32nd minute, capping a devastating first half and putting the U’s up 4–0 at the break.

Forest entered the second half with the wind—literally—in their favor. The gusts that had persisted all evening began to work for them, and with a spark of energy, the visitors found their footing.

Mo Kassama opened his season account with a well-timed strike just seven minutes after the restart, injecting life into a team that had looked out of it. His second goal followed shortly after, this time off a sharp pass from Esteban Arias. Suddenly, at 4–2 and with momentum building, Forest looked like they just might claw their way back.

The crowd stirred. Primo, making his season debut off the bench, added flair and pressure in midfield, creating moments of promise. Kassama narrowly missed on two more efforts that could’ve completely turned the match on its head.

But any hope of a Forest comeback was dashed in the 65th minute, when Lucas Porter scored his fourth goal of the night, sealing a dominant individual performance and putting the game out of reach at 5–2.

It was a hard lesson for Leawood Forest, now 0–2 to start the 2025 campaign. With clear attacking potential but defensive questions to answer, Forest will need to regroup quickly as they look ahead to next weekend’s matchup.

As for Olathe United, the U’s look every bit a contender, with Porter’s dazzling display and a first-half performance that will have the rest of the league on notice.

Final Score: Olathe United 5 – 2 Leawood ForestVenue: Maranatha Christian AcademyKickoff: 7:00 PMForest Goals: Mo Kassama (52’, 59’)United Goals: Lucas Porter (15’, 16’, 32’, 65’), Max Leiker (12’)

Next up for Leawood Forest: Southside FC 1-1-0 Saturday, April 19 at 7:30pm Barstow School