Match Preview: Washington Spirit at KC Current

The later in a year it gets, a season is said to shrink. We’re at that point now as the Current have just six remaining regular season games to put themselves in the best possible position for further titles. It bears repeating that five matches ago, Kansas City was in first place and undefeated on the season. But it’s been since June that this team has really looked like the world-beaters they were for the first several months. And they currently find themselves in the middle of the most challenging part of their season, the stretch that will define what is reasonable to aspire to.

The top eight NWSL teams reach the playoffs in a single elimination setup. The top four teams host the quarterfinals and the two highest remaining seeds host the semis. And then, a champion is crowned at CPKC Stadium. What this means is that if the Current could work their way back to second place (first is likely out of reach with Orlando still holding a 9-point lead), KC would be guaranteed home field advantage through the championship match. The Current have a big advantage when playing at home–better record, much higher number of goals scored, etc. So, the desire to secure a top-two finish in the league cannot be understated.

Much of that final standing will likely be determined over the next two weekends. Last Friday, KC started this grueling stretch on a relatively positive note, going to Orlando and securing a 0-0 draw (and the point that goes with that). However, with both Washington and Gotham notching wins, it dropped KC into 4th, a single point behind NY/NJ and five behind Washington. The next two opponents on the schedule? Washington and Gotham. These next two matches are big.

Despite the loss in early July to Orlando, KC came out of the Olympic break feeling good. The team won every game through two non-league tournaments and even earned their first ever trophy. But then they traveled to the nation’s capital and suffered their worst defeat in over a year. The curious thing about the 1-4 loss was that in many ways they didn’t even play that poorly. They had a bad giveaway, and their marking got a little loose in a few key moments and that was the game. They still outshot their hosts and for long stretches looked like the better team.

The Spirit have kept that momentum going and have earned 7 points in their three games since, opening up the five-point lead over KC. A win on Friday by the Spirit would likely eliminate any chances of KC catching them. A win by the Current on the other hand and Washington’s lead is down to two. (The Spirit still have a game in Orlando, so a two-point deficit would feel manageable.)

Washington have had one major personnel development since these teams’ last meeting: the odds-on favorite for Rookie of the Year, Croix Bethune, tore her meniscus tossing the ceremonial first pitch at a Nationals’ baseball game and is out for the rest of the year. That’s a big loss for the team. But they still do have Trinity Rodman, Ashley Hatch, Leicy Santos, Ouleymata Sarr, Andi Sullivan, Casey Krueger, etc. making up a flashy roster. They easily dispatched the Houston Dash 3-0 last time out.

The Current, meanwhile, are trying to get back to relatively full health for the stretch run. Michelle Cooper and Bia both made appearances last weekend and Desi Scott, Nichelle Prince, & Elizabeth Ball have earned consistent minutes recently. The team will still be without their two young guns as Pfeiffer remains out for the season and Hutton is away with the U-20s who are vying for a 3rd place finish in the World Cup. (Hutton did also suffer a concussion that has kept her out of the past two matches. Hopefully that’s not a long-term issue.) After making a couple of nice saves in Orlando, Schult seems to have replaced Franch as GK1 on the depth chart and Wheeler continues to split her time between midfield and defense.

This season sits at a tipping point for the Kansas City Current. If the team loses either of the next two games (home against Washington and then Gotham), they are likely destined for a 4th place finish and a tricky road to the Championship. If, though, they can play up to their abilities, defeat the two teams just ahead of them in the standings on their way to running through the rest of their schedule and carrying a lot of momentum into the playoffs, fans in the heartland can dream big. What would be especially encouraging is if Chawinga, Bia, Debinha, Cooper, LaBonta, DiBernardo (who may be carrying a slight knock from last weekend), etc. can string together passes, unlock Washington’s defense and return to the form that saw them score nearly 5 goals per game early on. If that team trots onto the field Friday night, watch out!

WHEN: Friday, September 20 at 7:00 PM (Central Time)

WHERE: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO

HOW TO WATCH: Prime Video

Record:

KC Current: 11-6-3 (39 points, 4th place in NWSL league standings)

Washington Spirit: 14-2-4 (44 points, 2nd place in NWSL league standings)

Last Match:

KC Current: 0-0 away draw to Orlando Pride 

Washington Spirit: 3-0 home win to Houston Dash