FC KANSAS CITY PREPARES FOR TOP OF THE TABLE CLASH

Blues Hope To Secure Spot In 2024 Playoffs

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS (August 1, 2024) -  FC Kansas City (11-6-4 37pts) will be hosting first place Seattle Reign FC (15-1-4 49pts) on Saturday August 2^nd. Kick off will be at 7:00 PM Central time on Verizon Wireless Field at Durwood Soccer Stadium in beautiful downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The Blues return home after a 2-1 loss to the Washington Spirit. Seattle comes in to town off of a 4-1 vicotry over the Houston Dash.

On Wednesday, FC Kansas City took a quick road trip to Washington D.C. to face off with the Spirit. The Blues would fall 2-1 but not without a valiant fight. In the 18^th minute, defender and captain Becky Sauerbrunn made one of her spontaneous runs toward the goal. She quickly received pressure from the Spirit’s backline but being the defender she is, Sauerbrunn passed the ball to Sarah Hagen and continued to run. Hagen quickly passed it back to Sauerbrunn who netted her first NWSL goal. The score stayed at 1-0 when half time came around. The Spirit quickly answered the goal after the break. In the 49^th minute, Kerstin Garefrekes scored and tied the match up. A bouncing ball was saved by Christine Narin then sent to Garefrekes by Lisa De Vanna. Garefrekes fired off a shot that became the equalizer. Washington found another goal in the 67^th minute. De Vanna sent a ball to Narin at the top of the box. Narin took a shot and put it just past Nicole Barnhart’s hands to but the Spirit up 2-1. Though the score did not favor the Blues, the game was a test for both sides.

Seattle Reign FC also played Wednesday night, in Houston against the Dash. Sydney Leroux put Seattle on the board quickly with a goal in the 2^nd minute. Kim Little scored for Seattle in the 27^th minute when she settled a pass from Jessica Fishlock and put it in the net to make it 2-0. After a short break, Reign FC came out and scored again in the 48^th minute. Megan Rapinoe scored a wicked shot from outside the box and moved Seattle to 3-0 with almost an entire half to play. Rookie Kealia Ohai was credited with Houston’s one goal of the night. The UNC product slid a ball past Hope Solo to break the shut out. Little finished her brace in the 78^th minute when she scored and completed the final score of 4-1.

As for Saturday, the matchup will be a highly anticipated one. Seattle and Kansas City have dominated the top two spots for a good part of the season. The previous matches of these two clubs showcase the true talent in the NWSL. Internationals like Katrina Gorry and Little challenge United States’ world-class players such as Leroux, Hope Solo, Amy Rodriguez and Lauren Holiday. FC Kansas City broke Seattle’s perfect record with a 1-1 draw on Verizon Wireless Field on May 21st. The Blues hope to give Reign FC a second loss before the regular season closes out. A win on Saturday will help FC Kansas City solidify home field advantage in the semifinals, but the Spirit need to draw or lose for that to happen. Three points from Seattle on Saturday will guarantee the Blues a spot in the post season.

Kick off for this exciting match will be at 7:00 PM Central Time on Verizon Wireless Field. The Blues have one more home match during the regular season on August 6^th. Saturday’s match is selling quickly; secure your seats by calling 855.4KC.GOAL

FC Kansas City is a Women’s Professional Soccer Team competing in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The “Blues” began play in front of nearly 7,000 fans on April 13^th, 2024, the first NWSL game in history. For more information or media inquiries please email Huw Williams at hwilliams@kcprosoccer.com or Lindsey Daley at ldaley@kcprosoccer.com.