Month: June 2021

Washington visits KC NWSL tonight in KCK

Washington Spirit will visit Kansas City NWSL in women’s soccer action at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at Legends Field, Kansas City, Kansas.

The Pride night match will be the first between the two teams. It will be the third game in six days for Kansas City, while Washington, in fourth place, will have a full week of rest.

On June 19, the Spirit played to a 1-1 draw against the Chicago Red Stars.

Kansas City dropped its match Wednesday afternoon against the Orlando Pride, 3-1, at Legends Field. Marianna Larroquette scored with an assist from Jessica Silva during Wednesday’s match.

Larroquette made history on Wednesday against Orlando, scoring the first regular season goal at Legends Field. Her finish was much needed for a Kansas City side that entered the match having not scored in four matches. Larroquette made her presence felt against Orlando, with three total shots in 73 minutes of action, including a strike that skimmed the top of the crossbar early in the first half. On a Kansas City side looking for a consistent attacking threat, Larroquette could thrive as the squad moves further along in the regular season.

Trinity Rodman of Washington, a 19-year-old rookie forward, has already made history in her brief NWSL career, becoming the youngest player to ever be drafted and the youngest player to ever score in an NWSL match. Rodman has started five of the Spirit’s six regular season games thus far and has been a staple of Washington’s attack, tallying one goal and one assist. Rodman has the third most shots in the NWSL with 18, so it’s safe to assume that Rodman will play a significant attacking role on Saturday.

For the first time since Kansas City NWSL’s regular season opening match against Louisville on May 15, head coach Huw Williams’ team is facing a side they haven’t seen either previously in the regular season, 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup or preseason. Despite being an unfamiliar opponent to Kansas City, the Spirit boast plenty of familiar faces and enter Saturday’s match on a solid run of form — unbeaten in their last four matches.

Long-time USWNT defender and two-time World Cup Champion Kelly O’Hara anchors a Washington defense that has conceded six goals in six regular season matches. O’Hara, along with fellow Washington defender and 2019 World Cup Champion Emily Sonnett, were selected to the 2021 USWNT Olympic team by head coach Vlatko Andonovski.

Leading Washinton’s attack is forward Ashley Hatch, who has scored three of the Spirit’s six goals in the regular season. Hatch’s tally of three goals is second in the NWSL, behind Sydney Leroux and fellow Orlando forward Alex Morgan, both of whom have four goals. In addition to O’Hara and Sonnett, Washington has a solid goalkeeper in Aubrey Bledsoe. The 2019 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year has played every minute for Washington this season and is fifth in the league with 17 saves.

Additionally, Saturday evening will be a homecoming for Washington midfielder Dorian Bailey, a Kansas City area native and graduate of Saint Teresa’s Academy. Bailey has appeared in five games for Washington in the regular season, starting two matches and amassing 229 minutes played.

Kansas City will be without the services of midfielders Desiree Scott and Chloe Logarzo in Saturday’s match.

Scott was named to her third straight Olympic roster for Canada soccer on Wednesday. Canada opens their tournament play on July 21 against Japan.

Logarzo is in camp with the Australian National Team, the Westfield Matildas, as they enter their final preparations for the Olympic Tournament.

Defender Katie Bowen was also named to the Olympic roster for her home country of New Zealand. She remains available for selection, however, for Kansas City’s matches on June 26 and Friday, July 2, at NJ-NY Gotham.

Kansas City NWSL is celebrating Pride Night at Saturday’s match. Fans were offered a Pride Pack bundle that included a ticket to the game and a custom KC NWSL Pride scarf that can be picked up at the stadium. In addition, the first 1,000 fans to the match receive Rainbow Pride sunglasses.

On the field, the team will wear a Pride version of its red home kit, featuring rainbow numbers. The signed, game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off at the end of the month with proceeds benefitting Kansas City Pride Community Alliance, a local nonprofit providing educational opportunities, support, social activities, and advocacy to enrich the lives of LGBTQ+ people in an inclusive environment.

Saturday’s match will be streamed nationally on Twitch. In addition, the game will be broadcast on ESPN Kansas City 1510AM / 94.5 FM with Brad Porter and Aly Trost on the call. For ticket information, see www.kcwoso.com/tickets.

  • Story from KC NWSL

LA visits Sporting KC on Saturday afternoon

A Western Conference clash will take place Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, when second-place Sporting Kansas City (6-3-2, 20 points) meets LAFC (3-3-3, 12 points) at 4:30 p.m.

A limited number of tickets for the match are available at SeatGeek.com while supplies last, as two perennial title contenders square off before a nationwide audience on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and the ESPN app.

The nationally televised showdown will air locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish), with The Final Whistle postgame show immediately following on 810 WHB. The Sporting KC app will provide additional in-game updates.

By most metrics, Sporting wields the best attack in MLS this season. Manager Peter Vermes’ side leads the league in goals (20), expected goals (23.4), goals per match (1.82), shots per game (17.7) and chances created per game (12.4). Sporting have bagged three goals in four of its last six matches, all of which have resulted in victories.

On the opposite sideline, LAFC wields one of the greatest attacking duos in league history. Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi have amassed 97 goals and 52 assists in regular season play since LAFC joined MLS as an expansion club in 2018.

Sporting winger Daniel Salloi was at his best in Wednesday’s 3-1 home win over the Colorado Rapids. The 24-year-old bagged a first-half brace with goals in the 14th and 38th minutes before setting up Sporting’s third to midfielder Felipe Hernandez, who opened his MLS scoring account near the hour mark.

Salloi now ranks third in MLS with six goals and is tied for second with nine combined goals and assists. He also leads the league with 66 touches in the opponent’s box.

Upon entering the league in 2018, LAFC wasted no time vaulting into the elite tier of MLS clubs. Head coach Bob Bradley’s men posted a 16-9-9 record in 2018, set a league record with 72 points during the 2019 Supporters’ Shield campaign and last year went close to becoming the first MLS team to win the modern iteration of the Concacaf Champions League.

LAFC has yet to catch fire in 2021, partially because its nine dropped points from winning positions are the most in MLS. The club is also winless in its last seven MLS road matches dating back to last fall, taking five losses and two draws during that time. LAFC will hope that Wednesday’s 2-0 shutout win over FC Dallas, sparked by a goal and an assist from Vela, will be a turning point.

Sporting and LAFC have met on four previous occasions but not since July 3, 2019. The first two meetings in 2018 belonged to Sporting, who handed LAFC its first ever home loss at Banc of California Stadium before prevailing 2-1 in a thrilling regular season finale at Children’s Mercy Park. LAFC swept the 2019 set with a season-opening 2-1 home victory and a resounding 5-1 triumph in Kansas City.

Sporting has unveiled the club’s new Americana pre-match training top in the lead-up to Saturday’s contest. It was inspired by the jerseys worn by the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States.

Additionally, supporters in attendance are encouraged to stick around after the game for the annual Special Olympics match, featuring two teams of players from Special Olympics Kansas and Missouri. Sixteen athletes will compete for two 20-minute halves as part of an immersive match experience at Children’s Mercy Park, which will include player introductions and a postgame medal presentation.

  • Story from Sporting KC

Alcott plans art exhibit today

The Alcott Arts Center, 180 S. 18th, Kansas City, Kansas, will have an art exhibition from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 26.

Artworks by Tammy McFadden will be on exhibit, and the artist will be present.

McFadden, a wife, mother and grandmother, is an up-and-coming artist who has paintings in different mediums and sizes on display.

She has worked with india ink, charcoal, acrylic, graphite pencil, oils and soft pastels.

McFadden attended Kansas City Kansas Community College from August 2018 to May 2021 and received an associate in general studies degree. She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and graduated with honors. She is interested in continuing her education in art.

The Alcott Arts Center is not yet ADA accessible. Masking and social distancing rules are in place. For information, call 913-233-2787.