KC Current take 1-0 win over Spirit

The Kansas City Current continued their good run of form and extended their unbeaten streak to six games by defeating the Washington Spirit Sunday. Kansas City earned their second straight road win with the 1-0 victory on a Cece Kizer second half goal.

The defending champion Spirit have struggled this season and were missing seven key players on international duty with the U.S. so were forced to field a young team. Kansas City was without Desiree Scott on duty with Canada.

The first half saw a few chances from both sides but the more dangerous were from the home side. Kansas City’s AD Franch snuffed out several chances before Washington could get the shot off.

Coming out of the halftime still scoreless, neither side made a change right away. Kansas City head coach Matt Potter made the first change of the second half when he brought on Cece Kizer and Izzy Rodriguez for Elyse Bennett and Addisyn Merrick in the 63^rd minute.

With Kansas City already starting to create some chances prior to the change, the subs helped spark on the offense even more.

In the 68^th minute, Rodriguez crossed the ball into the Spirit box where it bounced off of two Washington defenders before falling in front of Kizer. With a sprawling Devon Kerr and a Spirit defender on her, Kizer calmly slides the ball in the net to give the Current the lead.

It was looking doubtful that Kansas City would return home with the win when a penalty was given two minutes into stoppage time. Tinaya Alexander dribbled into the Current box where she made contact with a defender and easily went down.

Alexander took the penalty from the spot with a low hard shot to Franch’s right. The veteran Kansas City keeper dove to the right and got her hand down to make the initial save. The ball rebounded back to the other side but Franch quickly dove back across goal to grab the loose ball as a Spirit attacker slid in and made contact with Franch’s head.

Kansas City held on to the 1-0 lead and are now siting just outside a playoff spot with half of the season remaining. Six of those eleven games will be at home.

Highlights:

Probably one of the best answers I have ever received when I asked what Franch saw making that save.

“The ball... and then numbers... and then my head getting hit.” - Adrianna Franch

NWSL Match Report

Match: Washington Spirit vs. Kansas City Current

Date: July 10, 2022

Venue: Segra Field, Leesburg, Virginia

Kickoff: 4:09 p.m. CT/5:09 p.m. ET

Weather: 82 degrees, sunny

Attendance: 2,923

Discipline

59’ Kansas City – Bennett

Scoring

68’ Kansas City – Kizer

Lineups:

Washington: Kerr, Roddar (44’ Biegalski (80’ Harding)), Staab, Brooks, Heilferty, Bailey, Aylmer (67’ Vincent), Sheva, Feist, Baggett (67’ Alexander), McKeown (80’ Collins)

Substitutes Not Used: Barnhart, Fields, Rodriguez

Kansas City: Franch, Edmonds, Ball, Merrick (63’ Rogriguez), Loera (76’ Curran), Pickett, LaBonta (76’ Leach), Hamilton, Bennett (63’ Kizer), Mace (88’ McCain), Del Fava

Substitutes Not Used: Miller, Nolf, Winebrenner