Category: KC Current

The Kansas City Current will play NJ-NJ Gotham FC at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Current most recently played to a 2-2 draw against first-place San Diego Wave, with forwards Elyse Bennett and Kristen Hamilton each scoring.

Gotham won a 1-0 victory last Saturday over the Washington Spirit, its second 1-0 victory in a row. Forward Midge Purce provided the lone goal of the match.

The match will be streamed nationally on Paramount+, and it will be broadcast locally on KMCI, Channel 38. For ticket information, see https://www.kansascitycurrent.com/tickets.

Roster moves

The Kansas City Current added a little home-flair to the roster this week through a trade with Racing Louisville. In exchange for $150,000 in allocation funds, the Current received forward Cece Kizer and defender Addisyn Merrick. Both players are originally from the metro area, with Kizer hailing from Overland Park, Kansas, and Merrick from Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

Kizer was selected by Racing Louisville in the 2021 Expansion Draft. She scored the first goal in Louisville’s history in the team’s 2021 Challenge Cup debut April 10. She led the team in games started (22) and was second in goals scored (5) and minutes played (1,889). She comes to Kansas City with two assists in seven games played so far this season.

Drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NWSL Draft by the North Carolina Courage, Merrick appeared in seven matches for the Courage in the 2020 Challenge Cup and Fall Series. Merrick was the first player selected by Racing Louisville in the 2020 Expansion Draft but missed much of the season due to an injury. Making a strong comeback, the young defender has started two matches for Racing Louisville in 2022.

Corner kicks pay off

Kansas City’s offensive showing against San Diego was thanks in large part to an emphasis on creating chances from corner kicks. The Current recorded 10 corner kicks against the Wave, the highest single-game total in all competitions for the team and turned many of them into threatening scoring opportunities.

The most significant opportunities resulted Kansas City’s two goals. In the 11th minute, midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta worked a give-and-go with fellow midfielder Victoria Pickett on a short corner kick, then LaBonta clipped in a ball from the endline that found the head of Hamilton. Her header found the side netting amid a sea of Wave defenders to open the scoring.

In the 63rd minute, Kansas City found success through a similar corner kick sequence. Defenders Hailie Mace and Alex Loera exchanged passes, with the latter sending the ball into the penalty box from the wing. The ball fell perfectly to Bennett, who slid in to score Kansas City’s second goal of the contest.
The Current enter Saturday’s match ranked third in the NWSL in total corner kicks with 40, so frequent corner kick opportunities could remain a significant part of Kansas City’s offensive attack throughout the regular season.

Kansas City faced Gotham twice in 2021, with both matches ending in 1-1 draws. The Current levelled the teams’ first meeting at Red Bull Arena on July 2, a match that began after a three-hour weather delay, with a spectacular goal in the 83rd minute. In the return fixture at Legends Field on Oct. 22, defender Kristen Edmonds recorded Kansas City’s lone goal via penalty kick in the 45th minute.

The match on Saturday night will feature some adoptable dogs available for fans to meet on Mazuma Plaza before kickoff. Funk Away is the match sponsor. The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City will provide the dogs. Fans are not permitted to bring their pets to this match.

The Current are also teaming up with FunkAway to sponsor an equipment drive ahead of Saturday’s game, with all proceeds benefiting Youth R.I.S.E. Kansas City. To participate, bring new or gently used soccer balls, cleats or indoor soccer balls to Children’s Mercy Park.

Players to watch

Kansas City Current forward Kristen Hamilton — Hamilton, Kansas City’s goalscoring leader in all competitions in 2022, notched her second goal of the regular season against San Diego. Her efforts are key in sparking the Current’s offense, as Kansas City’s highest-scoring outputs of the regular season have come in games that featured her finding the back of the net. Hamilton previously went on a torrid scoring run in the 2022 Challenge Cup with five total goals and will look to score in consecutive matches for the first time in the regular season on Saturday.

NJ/NY Gotham FC midfielder Kristie Mewis — Mewis is a critical piece of Gotham FC’s midfield, starting in all five of the team’s regular season games. So far in the regular season, Mewis has displayed her distribution ability with an assist, 13 key passes and six successful crosses. In addition, Mewis has one regular-season goal, scored in Gotham FC’s 3-0 win over Orlando on May 1. She is the sister of Kansas City Current midfielder Sam Mewis, and the two were members of the U.S. Women’s National Team’s bronze medal squad in the 2020 Tokyo Women’s Olympic Tournament last summer.

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A goal each from forwards Elyse Bennett and Kristen Hamilton propelled the Kansas City Current to a draw Saturday as the team tied the San Diego Wave, 2-2.

“I think we were more like ourselves,” head coach Matt Potter said. “We generally feel like getting the group back together has been important after the week we had.”

Kansas City kicked off the scoring in the 11th minute, when midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta played the short corner to Kristen Hamilton.

LaBonta, who celebrated her 100th NWSL regular season appearance in the Current’s last match, now has a goal and an assist in two games. She found Hamilton at the back post, who headed it in to take the lead early.

The Wave equalized before the half after Elizabeth Ball was whistled for a handball in the penalty box. Alex Morgan stepped up to the spot in the 37th minute and slid it to the bottom left corner for her fourth penalty goal of the season.

The Current took the lead again in the second half, when midfielder Alex Loera found Elyse Bennett right at the center of the box. The forward volleyed it past San Diego goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan to take the lead for Kansas City in the 63rd minute.

San Diego had the last goal of the night when Morgan locked in her brace in the 90th minute. A skipping cross from Jakobsson bounced right under a diving A.D. Franch to find Morgan at the back post. She knocked in the ball to tie up the match right before the final whistle.

The Current celebrated Pride Night in front of 7,954 fans, a club record for attendance.

“The energy that the crowd gave us and the energy from the fans is also something that’s huge, and we’ll continue to need throughout the season,” forward Elyse Bennett said. “I think that we feed off of that and each other and the energy that we put in is shown.”

The Current plays its next game at home against NJ-NY Gotham FC on June 11 before finishing out the home stand against the Chicago Red Stars on June 18. Season tickets and flex plans are available for all home matches at Children’s Mercy Park. For pricing and information visit kansascitycurrent.com.

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For the first time, the Kansas City Current will welcome the San Diego Wave to Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4.

Kansas City enters Saturday’s match fresh off its first clean sheet of the 2022 NWSL regular season, a 1-0 win over Racing Louisville Monday, May 30, at Children’s Mercy Park.

A third-minute penalty kick from Current midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta proved decisive as Kansas City’s defense stifled Louisville all afternoon. The third minute penalty kick was the fastest in NWSL regular season history.

Kansas City also welcomed back several players and head coach Matt Potter from COVID-19 protocol in Monday’s match. The win marked the Current’s first of the regular season.

San Diego, in its last contest, dropped a 1-0 road decision to OL Reign. A 75th minute header from Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle was the difference as the Wave lost just its second contest of the regular season. San Diego sits on top of the NWSL table entering Saturday’s match with 12 points and a record of 4-2-0.

KCMI, 38 The Spot will broadcast Saturday night’s match locally and Paramount+ will provide a national stream.

Getting defensive

Kansas City’s recent performances have been anchored by strong performances from its back line and goalkeeper AD Franch, the NWSL regular season saves leader with 27 saves through six matches.

The Current have conceded just two goals over its last three matches, one each in 1-0 losses to Angel City and OL Reign. More impressively, Kansas City’s opponents over that stretch all reside in the top five of the NWSL standings.

Aside from Franch’s heroics, defenders Elizabeth Ball and Jenna Winebrenner have played a significant role in locking up Kansas City’s recent opponents. Winebrenner, a rookie and Kansas City native, has played 90 minutes in back-to-back matches and made crucial interventions against both OL Reign and Racing Louisville.

Ball has logged even more action, totaling 263 minutes over Kansas City’s last three matches. So far this season, Ball has recorded 19 clearances, nine blocks and 15 interceptions. Winebrenner, meanwhile, has totaled 20 clearances, four blocks and eight interceptions in an impressive rookie campaign.

The duo has formed a solid partnership at the heart of the Current’s defense and look to continue their run of solid play heading into a crucial month for Kansas City.

Hot Waves

The Wave’s hot start has been thanks to its defense, which has conceded just three times through six games. San Diego goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan ranks fifth in the NWSL with 18 saves and defenders Naomi Girma, Kaleigh Riehl and Christen Westphal anchor a sturdy backline that has catapulted the expansion side to the top of the NWSL standings.

Off the field, former United States Women’s National Team head coach and two-time FIFA World Cup Champion Jill Ellis is San Diego’s team president. Casey Stoney, an English National Team veteran from 2000-2017 and former manager for Manchester United Women and NJ/NY Gotham, was named the first manager in Wave history ahead of the 2022 season.

Pride Night

The Kansas City Current are celebrating Pride Night during Saturday night’s match against San Diego. The Currents’ jerseys for Saturday’s contest will feature special pride numbers. Fans can get involved in the celebration as well by purchasing a “Pride Pack,” which includes tickets for the match and a Kansas City Current pride-themed fanny pack. A portion of Pride Pack purchases will benefit nonprofit organizations supporting the LGBTQ+ community in the Kansas City area.

Following Saturday’s match, Kansas City is home for two more matches in the month of June. For ticket information, visit https://www.kansascitycurrent.com/tickets.

Players to watch

Kansas City Current midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta — LaBonta made her return from COVID-19 protocol in a big way Monday, notching her 100th regular season appearance and scoring the lone goal of Kansas City’s 1-0 win over Louisville. Midfielder Victoria Pickett was taken down inside the penalty box in the third minute. LaBonta then stepped up to the spot and blasted the ball to the top-left corner of the goal. LaBonta’s game-winning goal marked her second in all competitions in 2022.

San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan — Leading the way for San Diego’s fast start is forward Alex Morgan. Her six goals through six matches lead the NWSL. The U.S. Women’s National Team star has scored all but two of the Wave’s regular season goals and scored an impressive four goals against NJ-NY Gotham May 7.

• Story from KC Current