Preview: Kansas City Current host OL Reign

Match: Kansas City Current (4-4-3, 15 pts) vs OL Reign (4-2-5, 17pts)

When: Sunday, July 17 at 6:00 p.m. CT

Where: Children’s Mercy Park – Kansas City, KS

Watch: Paramount+ (Twitch Internationally)

The Kansas City Current (4-4-3, 15 pts) returns home to Children’s Mercy Park to face the OL Reign (4-2-5, 17pts) Sunday at 6pm. The Current won both road matches since they last played at home and are undefeated in their last six (4-0-2) matches.

The Current are in seventh place but could leapfrog over the Reign for fifth with a win. The top six spots in the standing make the playoffs.

Current good run of form

Kansas City performed well in the Challenge Cup but struggled early in the regular season, going 0-4-1 in their first five matches before defeating Racing Louisville on July 30^th. That win kicked off a six-game unbeaten streak with four wins and two draws. A combination of injuries and schedule congestion hampered the Current early but now the season has leveled out a bit, the form has significantly improved.

Training

The Current are returning home after a tough match at the Washington Spirit last weekend. While it was a victory, the turf field and travel took a toll on Kansas City.

“Good week so far (of training) as we progress towards the weekend’s game against the Reign,” Current head coach Matt Potter told media this week. “An interesting week coming back from the travel, from the East Coast. Playing on the facility that we did seems to take a little bit more out of the group than we anticipated, so we’ve adjusted the week.”

Availability

Current

OUT:

Chloe Logarzo (right leg)

Sam Mewis (right leg)

Mallory Weber (SEI – right leg)

Lynn Williams (SEI – right leg)

INTERNATIONAL DUTY:

Sydney Schneider (JAM)

Desiree Scott (CAN)

Reign

INTERNATIONAL DUTY:

Angelina (BRA)

Alana Cook (USA)

Sofia Huerta (USA)

Jordyn Huitema (CAN)

Rose Lavelle (USA)

Jimena Lopez (MEX)

Quinn (CAN)

Megan Rapinoe (USA)

Overall, Kansas City is as healthy as they have been all year and it had been hoped that two National Team quality players might make their appearance in this match. Both have been inching tantalizingly closer each week. Australian star Chloe Logarzo has not played since last season while world class midfielder Sam Mewis has only had limited time in the Challenge Cup before being shut down to heal. With both in full training, they could be ready at any time.

Desiree Scott is with Canada for the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship where they will face the United States in the final Monday.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Kansas City Current forward Cece Kizer — Kizer has been a boost for the Current offense, adding two goals and an assist in the four games since joining her hometown team. Whether it is starting or coming off the bench, Kizer will provide a spark.

Kansas City defender/midfielder Alex Loera – Loera has played all over the back line and midfield in her rookie campaign. With Desiree Scott away on international duty, Loera has stepped up to the defensive-mid role for the Current and help them to extend the unbeaten streak.

“First of all I would applaud her for the season she’s having, coach Potter stated. “I think she’s up there with the best of them in terms of the league for making a statement in that first years to professional. She’s fit in seamlessly for us whether we played her out of the back or whether we play her there in the six.”

“She’s got such great passing range,” Potter continued. “She has a great personality about how she wants to imprint the game. And like we talked about in the past we’ve been trying to get her on the ball more and then in more advanced areas and so now she’s doing both from a position that she can impact.”

OL Reign goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce — Coming into the weekend, Reign goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce was the only goalkeeper in the league with more saves than Kansas City’s standout keeper Adrianna Franch. Tullis-Joyce has made 41 saves and had a league leading .73 goals allowed average among keepers that have played more than 4 games.

OL Reign forward Bethany Balcer – Balcer was the lone goal scorer when these two teams met in May and scored to earn the draw in the Reign’s last match. Always dangerous and as been one of the consistently top scorers since 2019.