FC KANSAS CITY LOOKS FOR ANOTHER ROAD WIN
Fully Healthy Squad Ready to Face League Leaders
Piscataway, NJ (June 26, 2024) – After a win over the Washington Spirit, FC Kansas City will fly to New Jersey to visit Sky Blue FC tonight. The ‘Blues’ are currently tied for third in the National Women’s Soccer League standings with a record of 6-4-1 and 19 points. Sky Blue FC is tied with Portland at the top of the table with a record of 8-2-2 and 26 points. Sky Blue FC is coming off of a scoreless draw with Portland, meaning both New Jersey and Kansas City are eager for a win on Wednesday. Kick off for this exciting match is set for 6:00 PM CT in Piscataway, N.J.
On Sunday, FC Kansas City hosted the Washington Spirit for the first meeting between the clubs. Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski switched the starting line up around for Kansas City. Melissa Henderson, Courtney Jones and Erika Tymrak who stepped up while international players were gone, were all rewarded with starting positions. Familiar names like Lauren Cheney, Kristie Mewis, Nicole Barnhart, Becky Sauerbrunn, Lauren Sesselmann and Desiree Scott returned after missing two games for international duty. Prior to this match, Kansas City had played 4 games in 11 days, and the U.S. National Team players had just finished a week with two games against South Korea. Hoping to catch a possibly fatigued team off-guard, Washington set a very high-line offensively to begin the game. Coach Andonovski’s ball-control style helped FC Kansas City to defeat the strategy and attack the Spirit relentlessly. Lauren Cheney found her first goal in the 18th minute with a rocket shot to the upper right corner. The second half saw both clubs use all three substitutions. The fresh legs sparked even more energy from both clubs. Cuellar, a forward for Kansas City, set up a shot right on target and in to Harris’ hands. Although the shot was blocked, Mathias snagged the ball and found Cheney who would put it in for her second goal. The ‘Blues’ went on to keep the score 2-0, securing the victory and three points.
Sky Blue FC hosts FC Kansas City after a scoreless match with Portland Thorns FC on Saturday, June 23. The two clubs are tied for first in the NWSL, making the matchup a possible deciding factor in standings. New Jersey forward Lisa De Vanna set up a 1v1 play early in the first half, but Portland goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc saved the shot. The game then became very defensive a test of who had the better back line. Sky Blue kept Portland’s dangerous duo of Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair unusually quiet. Morgan carried the pair with 3 shots on goal while Sinclair was substituted out in the 73rd minute without a single shot. The New Jersey offense had 12 shots in the second half alone, but after the final whistle, the score had not changed. Both teams earned their point and are still tied for first in the standings.
As for FC Kansas City and Sky Blue FC, this second matchup will be important for both teams. Kansas City will want a win after losing at home on May 25th, their first loss at Verizon Wireless field. A win for Sky Blue means more space between the clubs in the standings. Lineups for this matchup will be considerably different than the last match, especially considering KC played most of the match with ten players after a controversial red-card was issued to Lauren Sesselmann in that game.
‘Blues’ fans are invited to watch the game at the Futbol Club Eatery and Tap, the Official FC Kansas City Watch Site. Kansas City’s only soccer themed restaurant is located at 12030 Blue Valley Parkway in Overland Park. Kickoff will be at 6:00 PM CT on Wednesday, June 23. FC Kansas City will return home for a match against Portland Thorns FC on Sunday, June 30
