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KC Current begin Summer Cup with a 3-1 win

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1 year ago

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photo Credit: Thad Bell | KC Soccer Journal

We are officially in the Olympic break, and in no way could we have gone 6 weeks without the NWSL, and that’s why we have the NWSX x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, the first tournament between the NWSL and Liga MX Femenil. The tournament features all 14 NWSL clubs and six teams from the Liga MX Femenil, including Tigres UANL, Club América, Chivas de Guadalajara, Rayadas de Monterrey, Pachuca, and Tijuana. The Current are in Group C along with the Dash, Pachuca and Tigres UANL.

Up first for the Current: the Houston Dash at CPKC Stadium, a familiar opponent whom the Current have faced twice already in the NWSL season, with a win and a draw. But this is a brand new competition, and the stats from the NWSL season stay in the season.

Starting XI

With a quite a few players unavailable due to injuries, excused absences, and international duty, the starting XI looked different than what we’re used to, with players getting an opportunity to start, and the return of Vanessa DiBenardo, who had been sidelined since June 14, which is really good news for this Kansas City team.

Note on the image below: Mace actually played CB, switching spots with Wheeler.

Image: nwslsoccer.com

First half things

The Kansas City Current attack came out dashing towards goal immediately after kickoff. The effort paid off as Temwa Chawinga found Michelle Cooper in the box, giving the Current an early lead.

But if we thought this would be a high-scoring first half, it was not. The Current appeared lethargic and gave Houston an opportunity to score in the 20th minute. At the end of the first half, the Current managed 7 shots, 3 on goal.

Second half things

With the way the first half ended, this game ending in a draw seemed possible, and if it remained in a draw, the game would go to penalty kicks. Thankfully, it would not come to that as the Current came out in the second half more energized to finish the game with a win in regulation, even though the team seemed disjoined in connecting passes in the first half. But Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski brought in two veteran players to help stabilize the game: Kristen Hamilton and Desiree Scott. And this team just finds ways to win, and the goals highlights below are proof of that.

With the win, the Current are tied with Tigres UANL, and Kristen Hamilton’s goal was her 40th of her career. The Current face Pachuca at CPKC Stadium next Saturday.

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Wet Water

Good to see Cooper get a goal, I feel like she has finally* been finding her NWSL legs lately without it really translating to much box score. It seems like maybe if she sees a couple go in she could break out in the 2nd half of the season.

*I know this is unfair to say finally, but she came into the league with such high expectations. It is, of course, a completely reasonable time line for a rookie to take a season and a half to adjust to the league.

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ar_jhawk

Interesting trade just announced – Alana Cook for money. Doesn’t hurt to have CB depth with Robinson out, but Pederson playing well and Lauren barely used. Cook seems to fallen out of favor with the Reign and the USWNT. Or maybe it was only Vlatko that valued her so much.

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ar_jhawk

I completely missed Braun being sent out on loan before. She supposedly could play CB too, but hadn’t played at all.

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