Category: Kansas City NWSL

After a three-hour-plus delay due to inclement weather, Kansas City NWSL and NJ-NY Gotham FC battled to a 1-1 draw on a stormy night in Harrison, N.J. at Red Bull Arena.

Originally scheduled for a 6 p.m. start, the teams finally kicked off at 9:20 p.m.

Gotham FC struck first as Ifeoma Onumonu found the net for the home side. Kansas City fought back throughout the game and found the equalizer from Mariana Larroquette in the 83rd minute. Kansas City earned a point on the NWSL table with the draw.

Head coach Huw Williams was proud of his team and continues to boast about its positive mentality.

“I think we took a big step last week in the way we were disappointed with the result,” he said. “We kind of defined it as our mission to turn some heads now based on what we have done to ourselves with our start. I think we took a stepping stone towards that against Washington last week and hopefully another step again to the next week.”

The first half kicked off with Kansas City trying to get itself on the attack early. Any momentum the team started to build was halted early as forward Darian Jenkins was forced to leave the game in the 11th minute with an injury to her left hamstring. Her replacement, Michele Vasconcelos, stepped in and quickly joined with Jéssica Silva and Amy Rodriguez to put pressure on the defensive line of Gotham.

Despite Kansas City’s pressure, Gotham was able to mount several attacks on goal and found the game’s first score in the 31st minute.

Midfielder Nahomi Kawasumi played a ball across the top of the box to forward Ifeoma Onomanu who spun to her right, making just enough space for a perfectly placed strike to the low far corner where Kansas City’s Nicole Barnhart couldn’t reach.

Kansas City nearly responded in the 35th minute off a free kick from Rodriguez. The veteran forward quickly lofted a restart over Gotham’s unsuspecting backline but goalkeeper DiDi Haracic was able to recover and make the save.

Kansas City opened the second half on the attack with two aggressive chances in the first 15 minutes. First, Kristen Edmonds crossed a lofting ball to Rodriguez who barely missed it while running toward the net. The second chance was a powerful strike from rookie Victoria Pickett that sailed just over the top of the crossbar. On the other end, Barnhart was able to easily stop any shot that Gotham was able to put toward the frame.

Entering the game in the 77th minute for Rodriguez, Larroquette immediately got to work, disrupting the back line and trying to get past the Gotham defense. She nearly found the equalizer in the 80th minute after a Lo’eau LaBonta cross, however it skimmed across the top of the net.

Three minutes later, Larroquette found her goal with a spectacular shot from distance. She picked off an errant pass from the Gotham defense, then, noticing the opponent’s goalkeeper off her line, she sent a sailing shot arcing over everyone and into the far side of the net to square up the game.

Gotham dialed up the pressure in the final five minutes of the game with four shots on target, dangerously attacking Kansas City’s backline. However, goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart came up huge with two amazing saves, including one she was just able to tip over the goal as she backpedaled towards the net, preserving the draw for KC.

Kansas City will now shift its focus to the next match on the road at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Washington, versus OL Reign, on Sunday July 11. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. Brad Porter and Aly Trost will be on the call in Kansas City on KSMO-TV and Sports Radio 810 WHB. The game will also be streamed on Paramount+.

• Story from KC NWSL

Kansas City NWSL concluded its stretch of three games in six days with a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the Washington Spirit in front an energetic crowd celebrating Pride Night at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas.

Captain Amy Rodriguez opened the scoring in the third minute of the game, giving Kansas City a 1-0 lead that would last most of the match.

However, Washington responded late in the second half with two goals of its own from Ashley Sanchez and Trinity Rodman to hand Kansas City the 2-1 defeat.

The fans were barely in their seats as Kansas City immediately started the game on the attack.

Forward Jéssica Silva drove down the left flank, then beat her defender coming up the end line towards goal. Silva delivered a perfect pass to a slashing Rodriguez who fired the ball one-time into the back of the net. Rodriguez nearly added a second goal in the fifteenth minute after a misplay by a Washington defender, but Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe denied the attempt.

Kansas City continued to dominate the first half offensively and defensively. KC’s Mallory Weber, in her first start on the backline, was a stand-out for much of the match. She was strong in preventing attackers from getting past her and making aggressive tackles to get the ball back to the offensive end. Goalkeeper Abby Smith also strongly contributed with several point-blank saves.

Despite pressure from Kansas City on the attacking end, Sanchez finally answered the call for the Spirit in the 78th minute. She found the back of the net after a long pass from rookie Rodman to tie the game at 1-1.

Smith was forced to leave the game in the 80th minute with an injury, bringing in veteran Nicole Barnhart to close out the game. Barnhart made two unbelievable saves late, but Rodman took it upon herself in extra time to score a crafty goal – creating space in the box and firing a shot into the corner of the net.

“It hurts, it hurts a lot,” head coach Huw Williams said. “We have a locker room full of players that gave it everything they’ve got and played awfully well for the vast majority of this game. It’s a couple of moments, and those moments are key, and those moments are difference makers.”

Kansas City will now shift its focus to the next game on the road at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, versus NY-NJ Gotham FC on Friday, July 2. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on Paramount+.

• Story from KC NWSL