Month: August 2021

KC NWSL travels to Chicago Saturday

Kansas City NWSL will take to the road at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, to face the Chicago Red Stars for the second time in the regular season and third time overall.

The match will be streamed worldwide exclusively on Twitch. The teams last played May 26 at Legends Field to open Kansas City’s regular season home schedule. KC also visited Chicago on April 21 for the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup.

Kansas City enters the match following its second straight win at home, a 2-1 victory over Racing Louisville. Kansas City dominated the game statistically, with 14 shots (seven on target) to Louisville’s six (two on target).

Kristen Hamilton enjoyed her most active game since joining Kansas City’s roster. In the 17th minute, the veteran forward sent a cross into the box that was deflected into the net from a Louisville defender. She then put one away herself in the 40th minute on a through ball from a teammate, Hailie Mace.

Louisville was able to scratch one back in the 65th minute after Nadia Nadim slipped Overland Park, Kansas, native, CeCe Kizer in for a finish. However, Kansas City was able to hold out the final minutes of the game to preserve the 2-1 victory and collect the three points at home.

The Chicago Red Stars rank seventh in the NWSL standings with an overall record of 6-7-3 and 21 points. The last match they played was on Aug. 18 versus Racing Louisville, where they played to a 1-1 draw. The equalizing goal for Chicago came in the 60th minute from Kaelia Watt, who currently has two goals and one assist for the Red Stars.

Kristen Hamilton makes her 100th NWSL appearance

Hamilton has been a difference-maker since she put on the No. 25 jersey for Kansas City. She has played and started in all six games and recently scored her first goal for the club on the night of her 100th NWSL appearance versus Racing Louisville. She also created an “own goal” in the 17th minute of play when she sent a cross into the box and the ball hit off a Louisville defender and into the goal.

Since Hamilton’s arrival in Kansas City the team has earned two wins and a draw and shown greatly improved offensive pressure.

Hamilton currently ranks in the top 10 of the NWSL after her 100th appearance on Wednesday night. Her overall stats include 17 goals, 10 assists, and 4,549 minutes played.

“I had no idea (about her 100th appearance),” Hamilton said. “What is special to me is just being around the league for so long and seeing the growth that has already come and it’s exciting to see what the future holds.”

Adrianna Franch collects her first start and win

Since arriving at Kansas City just last week, Franch is already getting comfortable in her home state of Kansas. She made her first appearance for her new team on Wednesday night, collecting a save and her fist win for Kansas City.

“You take the wins, and you look at what was successful in the field. Can you mimic that depending on who your opponent is trying to make sure that you have the principles that are within that structure, and then you kind of go from there and then recognize that?” Franch said.

“On the road, you don’t have your fans or your support system with you. Yeah, they’re in your heart, but your support system is the person to your left, right in front of you, behind you, players on the bench, and everything like that so we must tap into that a little bit more and dig a little deeper for one another on the road. Because on the road is always tough, doesn’t matter what team you play.”

Players to watch

Kansas City: Midfielder Addie McCain – One of Kansas City’s three second-round draft picks in 2021, McCain has become a mainstay in the midfield for head coach Huw Williams. She has started in six matches this season, including the past three.

“She has done a great job for us this season and is ahead of where we thought she would be, coming in as a rookie,” Williams said. “We have certain attacking pressure situations and Addie starts those for our team. We’re very happy with how she plays.”

Chicago Red Stars: Forward Kaelia Watt – The Red Stars forward has been a workhorse at the forward position this season while contributing two goals and one assist thus far. She currently ranks fourth in the NWSL with 20 shots on goal and has 37 shots in total.

Last time out, Kaelia Watt and fellow teammate Mallory Pugh were the difference makers when they were subbed into the game in the 60th minute. Pugh found Watt seven minutes after they joined the match to find the game-winning goal for Chicago.

  • Story from KC NWSL

Monarchs hold off Houston to win 6-3

The American Association South Division champions, the Kansas City Monarchs (61-30), stayed dominant against the Houston Apollos (15-75) in the first game of the final homestand of the regular season.

It was a quiet first three innings, but Darnell Sweeney fired up the offense in the bottom of the third with a solo home run to right field.

The Monarchs kept the energy up in the bottom of the fourth, starting with an RBI single by Kevin Santa to score Ibandel Isabel. Morgan McCullough followed, slamming a two-RBI double to left field, and Ryan Grotjohn added a sacrifice fly that scored Daniel Wasinger, putting the Monarchs over Houston 5-0.

Darnell Sweeney’s offense stayed hot in the bottom of the sixth as he hit into a fielder’s choice for another RBI to score Morgan McCullough, extending the Monarchs’ lead to 6-0.

Houston fired back with a three-run home run by Ian Yetsko, cutting into the Kansas City lead 6-3 off Jake Matthys. Matthys (8-3) got the win, scattering three hits and surrendering three earned runs. Jameson McGrane worked a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.

The Monarchs will continue their home stand against the Apollos Saturday night, with first pitch set for 7 p.m. and the gates opening at 5 p.m. at Legends Field. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to Monarchs games can be purchased by calling (913) 328-5618 or by visiting MonarchsBaseball.com.

  • Story by Emerson Peavey

Colorado visits Sporting tonight in KCK

Second-place Sporting Kansas City (11-4-6, 39 points) will return to Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, on Saturday for a Western Conference clash against the third-place Colorado Rapids (11-4-4, 37 points) at 8 p.m.

Tickets for the match are available at SeatGeek.com and the first 10,000 fans through the stadium gates will receive a vintage Sporting KC poster courtesy of match sponsor Children’s Mercy. Saturday will also see Sporting pay homage to its beginnings with a Retro Night celebration including clothes, gear, music from The Crossroads Sound and a 1990s-theme post-match party in the Budweiser Brew House.

For supporters watching from home, the high-stakes encounter will air live on Bally Sports Kansas City and Bally Sports Midwest Plus with three hours of live coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. The match will also stream live on BallySports.com and the new Bally Sports app. Local radio broadcasts will air on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM, with The Final Whistle postgame show immediately following the match on 810 WHB, and fans can access the Sporting KC app for in-game updates.

With two of the league’s hottest teams on a collision course at Children’s Mercy Park, Saturday’s battle could go a long way in shaping the Western Conference playoff picture.

Led by manager Peter Vermes, second-place Sporting has 39 points from 21 matches, equaling its exact totals from the shortened 2020 regular season.

The Rapids, surging under the guidance of third-year head coach Robin Fraser, sit just two points behind with two games in hand and will be looking to secure their first four-game regular season winning streak since 2003.

Sporting’s potent and balanced attack has garnered attention throughout the year, with Daniel Salloi (12 goals, six assists), Alan Pulido (eight goals, three assists), Johnny Russell (three goals, five assists) and Gadi Kinda (four goals, three assists) contributing to the league’s second best scoring offense.

On the opposite end of the pitch, Sporting has pieced together a series of strong defensive performances in recent weeks.

Goalkeeper Tim Melia has shutouts in three of his last four appearances, while center backs Andreu Fontas and Ilie Sanchez have anchored a backline that also wields dynamic full backs Graham Zusi and Luis Martins.

Sporting’s 21 goals allowed are the third fewest in the Western Conference and Melia’s 0.88 goals against average is third lowest in MLS.

The Rapids are in the midst of a standout season with Fraser at the helm. The head coach owns a 24-12-8 regular season record since taking the job in August 2019 and took Colorado back to the playoffs last fall for the first time four years.

Colorado is 4-0-1 in its last five matches and 6-1-3 in its last 10, amassing the second most points in MLS since the start of July. The Rapids have won three consecutive road matches for the first time since 2000.

Colorado goalkeeper William Yarbrough is tied for the MLS lead in wins (11) and shutouts (eight), defenders Auston Trusty and Keegan Rosenberry have started every game this year, playmakers Michael Barrios (five goals, four assists) and Jack Price (seven assists) have complemented well-rounded midfielders Kellyn Acosta and Mark-Anthony Kaye, and forwards Diego Rubio and Andre Shinyashiki have four goals apiece. Kaye arrived in a headline trade from LAFC on July 27 and owns a 3-0-1 record as a Colorado player.

Sporting and Colorado have squared off 83 times in all competitions, making the Rapids the most frequent opponent in Kansas City history. In 33 regular season home games against Colorado, Sporting is 22-6-5 with 71 goals scored and 34 conceded.

Recent history favors the hosts, as Sporting is 3-0-2 against Colorado over the last two seasons. That includes a 3-1 home win on June 23 and a 0-0 road draw on Aug. 7. Salloi had two goals and an assist in the home victory two months ago, while Sporting posted its first of three consecutive road shutouts in the scoreless stalemate at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park earlier this month.

  • Story from Sporting KC