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The first place and defending NWSL Champion North Carolina Courage were at home today as they took on FC Kansas City. FCKC are currenly sitting in the sixth spot coming into the game and only down one point from the final playoff spot. Both teams will have players leaving for national team duty after this week but for this game those players are in the lineup.
Here are your Starting XI for both KC and NC:
Your starting lineup for FC Kansas City!#NWSLonLifetime pic.twitter.com/l4o1lpIF7X
— FC Kansas City (@FCKansasCity) June 3, 2017
Here's our Starting XI for the @lifetimetv Game of the Week!
— NC Courage (@TheNCCourage) June 3, 2017
Tune in at 3:30 p.m. and watch us LIVE vs. @FCKansasCity #NCvKC pic.twitter.com/bIIEA0Gafp
This game was also the Game of the Week on the Lifetime Network so it marked the first and only time this season Kansas City fans weren’t forced to use the go90 app, which has had it’s problems.
The first good opportunity for the game came for the Courage as former FC Kansas City draft pick Samantha Mewis sent a lovely through ball to United States Women’s National team partner Lynn Williams who would ultimately send the shot wide.
Lynn Williams with the first good look of the game but she sprays the shot wide. Mewis with the good through ball. #NCvKC pic.twitter.com/VhsJSYG2kL
— Chad Smith (@PlayFor90) June 3, 2017
For the first chunk of the game North Carolina was in control. Nothing really happened for KC until Becky Sauerbrunn ate a high boot from Ashley Hatch that would ultimately earn Hatch a yellow card.
13' Sauerbrunn eats a high boot. Ashley Hatch gets a yellow card for this challenge. #NCvKC pic.twitter.com/q8EVRxw8KE
— Chad Smith (@PlayFor90) June 3, 2017
Shortly after that bad news would strike for KC as Katie Bowen, who is playing for the suspended Alexa Newfield, would be forced to leave the game with an injury. She was replaced by Becca Moros. Moros is more of a holding midfielder or fullback so that would force KC to move Lo’ Labonta up into the attacking midfield role.
16' Early substitution for FC Kansas City. pic.twitter.com/XsFFfHUZSj
— FC Kansas City (@FCKansasCity) June 3, 2017
The Courage continued to push the pace and maintain most of the possession as the half continued. The next good effort and the best shot of the game up to that point would come from Williams again but she’d fail to keep her shot on frame -- even if only barely.
27' Lynn Williams with a good individual effort but the ball goes just wide. Still 0-0. #NCvKC pic.twitter.com/vHsdfFuraZ
— Chad Smith (@PlayFor90) June 3, 2017
Even though things weren’t going Kansas City’s way early they did hit quite a milestone. Goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart would record her 300th NWSL save. It wasn’t one of her more difficult ones, but they all count the same.
30' Nicole Barnhart just recorded her 300th NWSL save. That's a pretty amazing achievement. @FCKansasCity @nbarnhart #NCvKC pic.twitter.com/vNLvpOBbYT
— Chad Smith (@PlayFor90) June 3, 2017
The best opportunity for KC would come through the combination play of Brittney Ratcliffe and Sydney Leroux, although the shot ultimately didn’t count because a foul had been called for the challenge against Ratcliffe. Yael Averbuch took the freekick but missed high.
37' Ratcliff sends a ball through to Leroux who sends it over the bar. The play was called back for a foul but Yael missed the FK. #NCvKC pic.twitter.com/0D2Q0ZEfO6
— Chad Smith (@PlayFor90) June 3, 2017
Things continued to pick up towards in the end of the half. The single closest moment of the first half would come for the Courage off a corner kick. FCKC struggled to get the ball out of the box and actually cleared the ball of their own goal post at one point. After some more scrambling the Courage put a shot off the KC defender and that block would finally get the ball out of the box.
40' Dangerous corner as FCKC struggles to clear the box with one going off the post but ultimately nothing went in the net. #NCvKC pic.twitter.com/UmTiY1MWTp
— Chad Smith (@PlayFor90) June 3, 2017
Just after that KC hustled down the field on the counter for a chance of their own. The ref blew the call as Leroux was clearly offside but it ultimately didn’t matter as Leroux’s shot was saved over the bar.
41' Leroux not ruled offside but it wouldn't matter as she failed to score. #NCvKC pic.twitter.com/QmbPQiqEaF
— Chad Smith (@PlayFor90) June 3, 2017
The teams would go into the half tied 0-0. FCKC started the second half with a good deal more possession than they enjoyed in the first half but they were offside several times when they were breaking in towards the NC goal.
Another yellow card would come out for the Courage as Zerboni would come in with a late challenge. The free kick was again taken by Averbuch but again would miss the frame of the goal.
57' Zerboni yellow for the late challenge. #NCvKC pic.twitter.com/41MNGcCj82
— Chad Smith (@PlayFor90) June 3, 2017
The first goal of the game would come for the home team as Dahlkemper would send the ball in on a corner and it got chipped by Hatch before Zerboni would flick it home. 1-0 North Carolina.
60' The Dahlkemper corner gets sent in, chiped by Hatch and Zerboni deflects it past Barnhart. 1-0 North Carolina. #NCvKC pic.twitter.com/JhtrQGJbhj
— Chad Smith (@PlayFor90) June 3, 2017
It only got worse from there as North Carolina bagged another goal shortly after the first. This time rookie Ashley Hatch scored her first.
67' - #NCC Goal - @ash_hatch33 scores her first career #NWSL goal with assist from @lynnraenie. #NCvKC
— NWSL (@NWSL) June 3, 2017
2 - 0 pic.twitter.com/MwtFGZ17W6
FC Kansas City would really put the pressure on late but it was not meant to be. KC would fall 2-0 to the league leaders ahead of losing both Sauerbrunn and Leroux to United States National Team duty next week.