RECAP: FC KANSAS CITY SHUTS OUT THE WESTERN NY FLASH 4-0 AT SWOPE SOCCER VILLAGE

Four different players scored for the Blues

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (August 8, 2024) – FC Kansas City (6-6-4, 22 points) is back in playoff contention after shutting out the Western NY Flash (5-8-3, 18 points) 4-0 with goals from Leigh Ann Robinson, Yael Averbuch, Heather O’Reilly and Jen Buczkowski in front of a sold out Swope Soccer Village on Saturday night.

Without Lauren Holiday on the field due to a left sacral iliac injury, Coach Vlatko Andonovski’s team now stands fourth in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) standings. Western NY remained seventh.

The visiting Western New York Flash came out to the field with an offensive mindset, which nearly put them ahead on the board in the 20^th minute when the ball hit the crossbar after a scramble inside the box following a corner kick.

However, the Blues opened the scoring in the 20^th minute when Robinson dribbled past a defender through the right side of the box before firing a shot that beat goalkeeper Chantel Jones to make it 1-0 assisted by Mandy Laddish, who recorded her second assist of the year.

Later in the second half, Averbuch who entered the match for Sarah Hagen notched her second tally of the year off a beautifully taken free kick to the top right corner giving the Blues a 2-0 lead in the 69^th minute.

When the match seemed to slow down, FIFA World Cup Champion Heather O’Reilly scored her second goal of the year when she entered the box on the right side and simply put the ball near the left post to make it 3-0 in the 84^th minute followed by Buczkowski’s tally to seal the 4-0 victory in the 87^th minute.

Goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart recorded her fifth clean sheet of the season and now leads the league in shutouts.

Next up, FC Kansas City will host the Portland Thorns on Wednesday August 12^th at 7:00 p.m. CT.

FC Kansas City vs. Western NY Flash, August 8, 2024 – Swope Soccer Village 

Attendance: 3,086

Scoring Summary:

FCKC: Robinson (Laddish), 39

FCKC: Averbuch (unassisted), 69

FCKC: O’Reilly (Rodriguez), 84

FCKC: Buczkowski (Silva), 87

Starting Lineups:

FCKC: Barnhart; Robinson, LePeilbet, Sauerbrunn, Moros; Buczkowski, Laddish (Bogus), Tymrak, O’Reilly (Silva); Rodriguez, Hagen (Averbuch).

WNYF: Jones; Dahlkemper, Taylor, Engen, Hinkle; Nick (Spencer), Edwards, Mewis; Andrade (Eddy), Heyman, Williams (Ayinde).

Disciplinary Summary:

WNYF: Dahlkemper, 65