Category: Kansas City NWSL

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

Kansas City NWSL dropped Wednesday’s match with Orlando, 3-1, at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Kansas City team scored its first regular season home goal with Mariana Larroquette’s point.

Orlando’s Sydney Leroux scored twice, including shortly after and just before the end of the first half to tie, and again in the second half. Marta Vieira da Silva added another goal in the second half.

Kansas City started the first half with energy in the 8th minute with a play by Lo’eau LaBonta. The veteran midfielder slotted a pass across the box to a running Amy Rodriguez who slipped it into the back of the net, but it was called offside. Minutes later, Larroquette hit a rocket from outside of the box that nearly went into the upper left corner, but skimmed the top bar.

The first half action saw numerous players on both sides needing treatment from their athletic trainers. Combined with the hydration break, the referee saw fit to add 11 minutes to the end of the opening half.

The stoppage time didn’t lack intensity from either team. Off a corner kick, Kansas City’s Jéssica Silva knocked the ball out of the air to Larroquette, who poked it past the Pride’s goalkeeper, Erin McLeod, in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

Moments later, Orlando had an answer of its own when Leroux found the back of the net from a scramble in the box that Kansas City was unable to clear.

Prior to that goal, goalkeeper Abby Smith had continued playing at the MVP level her teammates had referenced earlier in the week.

The second half began quickly for Orlando as it scored a goal within the first three minutes. Leroux struck again for her second goal of the night on a ball from former KC player, Gunny Jónsdóttir. Marta then provided the insurance goal in the 85th minute by firing in a 40-yard moonshot over the head of Smith to seal the victory for Orlando.

Coming down to the wire, Kansas City tried to close the gap late in the game. In the final minutes of the match, midfielder Chloe Logarzo was able to lay off a pass to Gaby Vincent who launched a hard shot toward the net, but it was stopped by McLeod.

After the game, Amy Rodriguez said the team is not going to defeat itself over the loss.

“We can hang our heads a little bit, but at the end of the day we are a new team and still getting to know each other and developing the chemistry,” Rodriguez said. “It takes time, all we can do is keep pushing.”

Kansas City now quickly shifts its focus to the second game in four days at Legends Field as it plays the Washington Spirit on Saturday, June 26. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.

Kansas City NWSL will return home for two matches this week, June 23 vs. Orlando Pride and June 26 vs. Washington Spirit, trying to rebound from a 1-0 loss to Portland on Sunday in Oregon.

Kansas City was unable to find the equalizer on Sunday in Portland, despite several saves from goalkeeper Abby Smith.

Smith blocked a penalty kick midway through the first half. The game’s only score came from Portland’s Simone Charley.

Head coach Huw Williams said he is proud of every one of his players after the match against a tough Portland team and environment.

“I’m proud of every single one of our players today,” Williams said. “We came out to one of the best and toughest environments in all of women’s soccer and we played, I think, even if not better in the second half. I’m proud of our players.”

The Thorns were able to place four shots on target to Kansas City’s two in the first half and maintained the majority of the possession, but much of the first half belonged to Smith. Already with a couple saves in her pocket, Smith was faced with a penalty kick attempt from Portland’s Christine Sinclair. The kick was awarded after a Thorns pass hit defender Elizabeth Ball in the arm in the 13th minute.

Sinclair slotted a ball to the bottom left corner, but Smith was not fazed and dove to her right and parried the ball out of danger, keeping the score tied at 0-0. After the game, Captain Amy Rodriguez spoke highly of Smith and her play.

“I thought Abby was our MVP today,” Rodriguez said. “She had some quality saves. You couldn’t ask more from your keeper.”

After a hydration break and a couple players tended to by their training staffs, the referees added seven minutes to the first half. Kansas City was able to keep Portland off the scoreboard for the first four of those added minutes, but then Thorns midfielder Crystall Dunn slotted a long pass over the KC backline towards forward Charley. As Smith came out to meet the ball, it took an odd bounce which Charley was able to take advantage of and get behind Smith for the game’s only score.

As the second half started, Williams inserted midfielder Victoria Pickett and forward Jéssica Silva to kickstart the team’s offense. The pair were able to open up the midfield for Kansas City and help to open up several chances throughout the period.

The best chance for Kansas City came late in the half as Portland dropped their full lineup into the penalty box to try and defend against the KC pressure. The ball popped out to defender Michelle Maemone who cut to her strong foot and shot a ball from outside the box that Portland’s goalkeeper Adrianna Franch was just able to tip over the crossbar. Although they created more chances in the second half to be more dangerous in the final third, Kansas City was unable to find the equalizer it needed.

Kansas City will now return home for two games in four days at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas. The first of the two matches is at 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, as Kansas City faces off against the Orlando Pride before taking on the Washington Spirit at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 26.