BRIDGEVIEW, IL – JUNE 19: Andi Sullivan #12 of the Washington Spirit dribbles the ball during a game between Washington Spirit and Chicago Red Stars at SeatGeek Stadium on June 19, 2021 in Bridgeview, Illinois.
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Luke Bennett
WashingtonSpirit.com
Leesburg, VA., (06/25/2021) – The Washington Spirit face KC NWSL on Saturday, June 26 at 8:30 p.m. ET at Legends Field. The match will be broadcast on Twitch for fans in the United States as well as international viewers.
Saturday evening’s match will be the first-ever meeting between the two clubs.
The Opposition
KC NWSL was granted expansion by the National Women’s Soccer League on December 7, 2020, making it the newest team in the league. A little over four months after being granted expansion, KC NWSL premiered in its inaugural match against the Portland Thorns in the NWSL Challenge Cup, losing 2-1. Since then, KC NWSL has continued to struggle, failing to win a single game in the short span of the franchise’s history.
With a winless (0-5-2) record in the regular season, KC NWSL claims sole possession of the league’s bottom spot with only two points — the Houston Dash, OL Reign, and Racing Louisville are next closest with seven points.
The KC NWSL squad is looking for a breakthrough in its first-ever meeting against the Washington Spirit, after losing to the Orlando Pride, 3-1, on Wednesday night. The meeting against the Spirit will also conclude a series of three games in one week for Huw Williams’ squad. Williams has made it clear that he is still experimenting with his new roster, offering several different lineups throughout the regular season. However, Williams noted that many talented players on the KC NWSL roster like Desiree Scott earned a roster spot for Canada in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games — and Abby Smith — who recorded five saves against Portland last Saturday anchor the team’s roster.
The Spirit
After allowing a game-tying, 90th-minute goal to the Chicago Red Stars, the Spirit will look to strike first and maintain a lead against Kansas City NWSL. The Spirit will also need to re-establish themselves as a top-three team having fallen to fourth in the NWSL standings (9 points) behind the league-leading Orlando Pride (15 points), Portland Thorns (12 points), and North Carolina Courage (10 points).
The last two matches for the Spirit have ended in 1-1 draws, so finding a win – and three crucial points – on the road is imperative for Richie Burke’s squad. Saturday’s match at Legends Field marks the sixth road match in the Spirit’s first seven games and the final one before a three-game homestand.
This weekend offers exciting possibilities for Richie Burke’s lineup after the return of players from international duty, as well as the signing of Karina Rodriguez. Trinity Rodman is coming off scoring her first career goal and will once again be a key in attack for the Spirit this week.
