Tag: Kansas City Current

by Brian Turrel

The Kansas City Current weathered an early storm from Seattle’s OL Reign before taking control of their Sunday evening match at Children’s Mercy Park.

In the end, the shot that counted was a game-winning penalty kick from team captain Lo’eau LaBonta in the 18th minute.

Goalkeeper A.D. Franch was on top of her game as well, making four saves to preserve a shutout and Kansas City win.

The 1-0 home victory continued a three-game win streak and seven-game unbeaten streak that has seen the Current climb from the bottom of the NWSL standings to fifth place and playoff contention as the season hits its mid-point.

OL Reign was on the front foot from the get-go, winning two set pieces inside the opening five minutes. Tziarra King and Bethan Balcer both narrowly missed shots to open the action.

Against the run of play, Current midfielder Victoria Pickett earned a penalty kick when she was brought down by Reign defender Phoebe McClernon on a run into the 18-yard box. Lo’eau LaBonta took the kick and hit it high into the right corner to put the home team up 1-0.

OL Reign nearly earned the goal right back in the next few minutes, forcing a save, two blocks and a shot off the post in quick succession.

The hydration break at the 30th minute was a turning point for the home side. Down 9 shots to 1, the Current began to press the issue before halftime, getting three shots off in first half stoppage time.

The Current continued its dominant run after halftime, with Kristen Hamilton hitting two crosses to CeCe Kizer just after the break, though Kizer’s shots were off the mark both times.

Hamilton nearly doubled the lead with a great run in the 70th minute, but her low shot to the left corner was saved by OL Reign goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

As time ran down, the Reign pushed numbers high up the field but was unable to find an equalizing goal.

Kansas City defender Alex Loera, a force on both ends of the pitch in the match, was carried off the field with a lower leg injury in stoppage time. She will be evaluated by the team’s medical staff on Monday.

After the match, head coach Matt Potter praised his team’s growth this season.

“I think the journey that we’re on as a group is still to be continued,” said the coach, “but we definitely like where we’re going. So if we can continue to do the things that we like to do, keep our feet on the ground and keep working hard like we do every day, then hopefully there’s more nights like this in the future.”

The Current has the week off before returning to training in advance of the next home game on July 31 against the Orlando Pride.

by Brian Turrel

The new-look Kansas City Current offense continues to bring results, scoring once early and once late to fight back for a 2-2 draw against the first-place Chicago Red Stars at Children’s Mercy Park Saturday evening.

Blue Valley Northwest alumna CeCe Kizer scored the equalizing goal, her first in a Kansas City uniform, in the 68th minute. Kizer took a pass from Elyse Bennett on the run, closed quickly to the edge of the 18-yard box, then blasted a shot into the upper right corner of the goal before Chicago defender Amanda Kowalski could close on her.

Chicago scored twice early in the second half to take a 2-1 lead. The first goal came in the 53rd minute on a corner kick beautifully placed at the far post by Mallory Pugh for Kowalski to head in. The Red Stars went ahead on a penalty kick by Pugh in the 58th minute.

Kristen Hamilton opened the scoring for the Current in the 8th minute. Hailie Mace received a corner kick played wide on the left side and dropped the ball neatly into the 6-yard box for Hamilton to poke between the back post and Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.

Current goalkeeper A.D. Franch made four saves to preserve the draw. Her lunging kick save in first-half stoppage time kept the Red Stars scoreless in the first half, and she leaped to tip a would-be game-winning goal over the crossbar in the 86th minute.

After the match, Kizer talked about what this first goal meant to her.

“For my family and all of them to be here — it was amazing,” she said. “Just a lot of energy, a lot of emotion, and I just hope that I can inspire young girls around Kansas City to one day play here.”

Kansas City finishes its four-game home stand with two wins and two draws. The Current will play on the road in Houston and Washington, D.C., before the next home match on July 17 against OL Reign.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Brian Turrel

The Kansas City Current looked like it had the better of the Houston Dash in the Sunday home opener at Children’s Mercy Park, but the 2-0 final score told a different story.

The home side conceded the first goal shortly before halftime on a controversial penalty awarded to the Dash when Elizabeth Ball defended a run from Houston forward Michaela Abam. Ball checked Abam’s momentum toward goal and made contact but didn’t appear to foul her.

Though the in-stadium replays drew loud boos from the fans, NWSL does not have video review, and the call stood. Forward Rachel Daly stroked the penalty kick confidently into the net for the 1-0 lead.

Kansas City goalkeeper A.D. Franch kept the visitors from extending their lead with a diving stop four minutes into first half stoppage.

Houston midfielder Bri Visalli, a late game substitute, scored the second goal late well after the 90th minute as Kansas City pressed high up on the field in search of an equalizer.

Despite the one-sided score line, the Current generated plenty of offense to keep the home crowd engaged in the match, outshooting the Dash 15 to 9.

Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell was put to the test in the second half, collecting five saves overall in the match. In the 73rd minute, a Kristen Hamilton shot from the right side forced a kick save from Campbell.

Again in the 78th minute, after a flurry of activity in front of the Houston goal, Hailie Mace blasted a shot up the middle that Campbell had to dive to keep out of the net.

Winless in its first two regular season matches, the Current now faces a stretch of three games on the road at Orlando, Angel City, and the OL Reign, before taking on Louisville in its next home match on May 30.