Category: Kansas City NWSL

For the second time this season, Kansas City NWSL visits Lynn Family Stadium to take on the NWSL’s other 2021 expansion side, Racing Louisville at 2 p.m. Sunday. The match will be broadcast on KSMO-TV and radio 810 WHB.

The two teams began their Inaugural regular-season campaigns in a match against each other, ending in a scoreless draw on May 15.

Just under three months after that meeting, the league’s two expansion sides meet again on Sunday, Aug. 8, with three points squarely on the mind of both clubs.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast locally on KSMO-TV and Sports Radio 810 WHB. The game will stream on Paramount+ or internationally on Twitch.

Kansas City enters Sunday’s match following a 2-0 road loss to the Portland Thorns last Sunday that was perhaps closer than the final score suggests. Recently acquired forward Kristen Hamilton nearly opened the scoring in the fourth minute following an impressive sequence of passes in the Thorns’ penalty box. Only a highlight worthy save from Portland’s goalkeeper was able to keep the visitors off the scoreboard.

Portland struck first courtesy of an own goal in the 10th minute, and despite consistent pressure from Kansas City’s forward line the visitors could not find a response.

The Thorns doubled their lead in the 42nd minute following a short corner kick, catching Kansas City’s defense off-guard. The resulting cross was whipped towards goal and deflected into the back of the net by forward Marissa Everett. Despite the 2-0 result, Kansas City battled valiantly in a hostile road environment.

Following a fast start to the regular season that saw Racing Louisville take seven points from its opening five matches, the team has cooled significantly and currently sits in ninth place in the NWSL table. Louisville is scoreless in its last three home matches and on a two-game losing streak, with the most recent setback coming last Saturday on the road at the hands of Eugénie Le Sommer and the OL Reign.

New acquisitions

All three of the players that Kansas City NWSL acquired from the North Carolina Courage started last Sunday’s match against the Portland Thorns. Forwards Kristen Hamilton and Hailie Mace and goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland all played a big part against the Thorns.

Hamilton totaled five shots against the Thorns and was inches away from scoring multiple goals at Providence Park. Despite conceding two goals Hamilton was a stalwart in Kansas City’s net, with six total saves in her second regular-season appearance. Mace recorded one shot against the Thorns. All three showed promise as they continue to integrate into Kansas City’s roster, and Mace, Hamilton and Rowland could be important pieces of the roster going forward.

Players to watch

Kansas City NWSL: Forward Darian Jenkins— Jenkins is a versatile attacking option that has been deployed in a variety of ways for Kansas City this season. At both attacking midfielder and left-right winger, Jenkins has played in 11 matches, starting 10.

With head coach Huw Williams directing Jenkins to pepper the opposing goal, Jenkins is starting to create more opportunities for herself. She started Kansas City’s last two matches against North Carolina and Portland, with two shots in each contest. Jenkins is a creative player on the wing, and Williams praised her technical ability with local media two weeks ago. As Jenkins continues to get comfortable with her role and take more opportunities for herself, look for her to be a vital piece of Kansas City’s front line.

Racing Louisville FC: Forward CeCe Kizer — The young forward from Overland Park, Kansas, who turns 24 on Saturday, has been a dynamic attacker ever since her high school days at Blue Valley Northwest. After totaling 63 goals and 41 assists in her high school career, Kizer attended Ole Miss. There she started in all 83 of her appearances and set program records with 48 goals and 119 career points. Kizer was selected No. 13 overall by the Houston Dash in the 2019 NWSL Draft and was acquired by Louisville prior to the 2021 season. She plays an important role on the Louisville front line, starting in 10 matches and recording two assists and one goal.

Sunday’s match will be broadcast locally on KSMO-TV, with Aly Trost and Dave Borchardt. In addition, fans can listen to Trost and Borchardt call the action on Sports Radio 810 WHB. Nationally, the game can be seen on Paramount+.

Kansas City NWSL is at home for the first time in August next Saturday against the OL Reign on Aug. 14. Saturday’s match kicks off at 7 p.m. Tickets for the OL Reign match and Kansas City’s remaining home games in the 2021 regular season can be found at KCWoSo.com/Tickets.

• Story from KC NWSL

After an action-packed end of July both on and off the field, a new-look Kansas City NWSL opens August today against a familiar foe, the Portland Thorns in Oregon.

This is the third time head coach Huw Williams’ team is visiting Providence Park since the opening game of the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup. The two sides meet at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1, at Providence Park in Oregon.

After an emotional week that saw Kansas City gain three players in a trade for former captain Amy Rodriguez, KC looked the better team for most of the match against the North Carolina Courage last Friday.

Kansas City held 55 percent possession, out-shot North Carolina 14-7 and had five shots on goal to North Carolina’s one.

Newly acquired forward Hailie Mace had one of the best chances of the match in the 86th minute as she broke through the left side of North Carolina’s back line, but Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy deflected Mace’s effort just wide.

In her first career start, Kansas City goalkeeper Carly Nelson earned her first NWSL shutout, and the match ended 0-0

Portland is riding a four-match unbeaten streak entering Sunday’s showdown. Last Saturday against the Houston Dash, Portland forward Sophia Smith scored after just 32 seconds of play. Smith’s finish was all the Thorns needed to see out a 1-0 win, putting Portland on top of the NWSL table.

KC looking to build on best stretch yet

Friday’s draw signified an important milestone for Kansas City NWSL, marking the first point Kansas City earned at Legends Field in all NWSL competitions this season. The result was an extremely positive one for the hosts given that Kansas City had eight players out with injury or illness against North Carolina.

Kansas City has now taken two points from its last three matches, with a 2-0 loss to OL Reign sandwiched in between draws with NJ-NY Gotham FC and North Carolina. It’s tied for the most points Kansas City has earned from a three-game stretch this season, as the team opened the regular season with ties against Racing Louisville FC and the Houston Dash before falling to the Chicago Red Stars.

Portland’s impressive defense

The Thorns enter Sunday’s match as one of the best defenses in the league, having given up just seven goals in 10 matches. That mark is second in the NWSL, one behind NJ-NY Gotham FC’s total of six.

Over Portland’s last eight matches the team has conceded just three goals with six shutouts, including a 1-0 shutout of Kansas City on June 20. Three goals conceded in eight games broke the Portland Thorns’ club record for the fewest goals allowed in an eight-game span of a single regular season.

Kansas City managed to score on Portland when the two sides met in the 2021 Challenge Cup and was perhaps unlucky not to when the two teams met in June. Kansas City had 18 shots and five shots on goal against the Thorns when the two teams met in the regular season, but ultimately couldn’t find a way to put the ball in the back of the net.

Players to watch

Kansas City NWSL: Forward Kristen Hamilton — Hamilton made her Kansas City NWSL debut against North Carolina. She flashed her creativity and quick, dynamic play style against the Courage, totaling three total shots and one shot on goal.

It was an impressive performance especially given how unfamiliar Hamilton was with her Kansas City teammates entering last Friday’s match, and she did not look out of place in KC’s attack. As Hamilton becomes more familiar with the team’s style of play, expect her to play a significant role in Kansas City for the rest of the season.

Portland Thorns: Defender Meghan Klingenberg — The 32-year-old defender and 2015 World Cup Champion is one of the centerpieces of Portland’s vaunted defense. Klingenberg has played in all 11 of Portland’s regular season games at outside back and starting in 10. She has been excellent in defense, with 19 clearances and 18 interceptions. In addition, Klingenberg is more than capable of getting forward. She has recorded 10 successful crosses, 29 key passes and, most importantly, has two assists to her name. Klingenberg has very rarely played the full 90 minutes this season, but look for her to be heavily involved while she’s on the field both defensively and offensively.

August to be KC’s busiest month

August is Kansas City’s busiest month to date, with the match against Portland marking the first of six games this month. Kansas City’s previous mark for most games in a month was five, with the final game of the NWSL Challenge Cup and the first four games of the regular season occurring in May. Kansas City will be on the road for most of the month as well, with four of Kansas City’s six games in August taking place on the road.

Following Sunday’s match with Portland, Kansas City is on the road yet again in a showdown with fellow NWSL expansion team Racing Louisville FC on Sunday, Aug. 8.

Kansas City’s first August home match comes on Saturday, Aug. 14, against a surging OL Reign side, then Kansas City visits North Carolina on Saturday, Aug. 21, for the second meeting with the Courage in a one-month span.

A home match against Racing Louisville FC on Wednesday, Aug. 25, and a road match against the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday, Aug. 28, closes what looks to be a busy month for Kansas City NWSL.

Fans have a variety of ways to follow along with Sunday’s match. Locally, Aly Trost and Dave Borchardt will be hosts for the match on KCTV5 and Sports Radio 810 WHB. Nationally, the match will broadcast live on Paramount+.

• Story from KC NWSL

Kansas City NWSL played to a 0-0 draw on Friday night at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas.

Kansas City NWSL returned home for the first time in the month of July to take on the North Carolina Courage.

Goalkeeper Carly Nelson earned a shutout in her first career start with Kansas City as the game ended with a 0-0 draw.

Nelson explained after the game that it was a memorable experience for her to start and gain a clean sheet for Kansas City.
“Honestly, being out there when I stepped on the field for the first time, it’s kind of like a dream come true, but it’s exciting to experience,” she said. “I thought the team played well. Given the circumstances and everything that has happened this week – really proud of the team.”

The match kicked off only a day after a blockbuster trade between the Courage and Kansas City that saw three players (Hailie Mace, Katelyn Rowland and Kristen Hamilton) sent to Kansas City and Amy Rodriguez to North Carolina. Hamilton and Rodriguez both premiered in the Starting XI for their new clubs.

Kansas City opened the game on the front foot and applied the pressure on North Carolina’s backline, getting six shots off in the first 27 minutes.

Hamilton made an immediate impact as she had two early opportunities on Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy. KC’s Darian Jenkins nearly converted in the 24th minute cutting inside her defender and striking a low left corner shot that was tipped away at the last moment.

The Courage had a chance of its own in the 29th minute when Taylor Smith had an open net from a rebound, but KC defender Kristen Edmonds came up huge with a chest save to keep it off the line. Although the possession and shots favored Kansas City, they were unable to find the back of the net in the first half.

Kansas City came out firing on all cylinders to start the second half with an early chance from rookie Kiki Pickett, who dribbled the flank and played a beautifully crossed ball in for Victoria Pickett, but the shot went wide.

Head cCoach Huw Williams was proud of Pickett’s play and her vocal leadership on the field

“One of the reasons why we drafted her so high is that Pickett is going to be an integral part of this team for a long time to come,” he said. “The leadership qualities that she brings to that locker room and to the field and to the practices is exactly what this team needs.”

In the 63rd minute Mace and Jordyn Listro both entered the game in an effort to bring fresh legs into the attack. Kansas City had its best chance of the game in the 86th minute when Mace streaked down the left side of the box and placed a perfectly driven ball to the low left corner. Courage goalkeeper Murphy was able to get a fingertip on it that tipped it just out of play.

Kansas City will now shift its focus as it heads on the road to visit the Portland Thorns at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 1. The game will be at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon, and will stream live on KCTV5 locally and Paramount+ nationally.

• Story from KC NWSL