This team won two straight championships in Kansas City. Expectations haven’t changed
Huw Williams often gets on his kids’ case about being on their phones all the time. He may be the new head coach of Kansas City’s revived National Women’s Soccer League team, but he faces the same struggles as any other parent.
Since his recent hire, however, Williams has had something of an epiphany regarding how, if not why, his kids rack up so much cellular time. His most recent weekly notification on his iPhone informed him that his average use per day of late is 11 hours.
Eleven. Hours.
“The time on my phone has been crazy and bizarre,” he said. “Seriously, it was horrifying.”
A couple of nights ago, the Welshman even fell asleep while watching game film and woke up at 3 a.m. with his laptop on his chest.
Before we proceed further, it might be helpful to understand just how fast-tracked this team has been.
In April, Kansas Citians Chris and Angie Long approached Williams with their idea of bringing an NWSL team back to KC. Williams, the former FCKC general manager before that club’s relocation to Utah for the 2018 season, could head up on-field aspects of the operation.
The Long’s original plan involved a return in 2022 or 2023 — plenty of time to iron out the kinks and put a quality product on the field, they reasoned. That timeline changed when Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals owner Dell Loy Hansen was ousted from both the NWSL and MLS for ill-timed and derisive comments about his players in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Longs saw an opportunity and ran with it.
As operations wound down for the Utah Royals, the Longs brought their proposal for a KC expansion team to the NWSL’s board of governors. They would acquire NWSL assets held by Utah, including players and draft picks.
Approval for the sale was granted, but the acquisition had one major hitch: The relocated team would need to start playing in 2021, not 2022 or 2023.
That didn’t leave much time to arrange a practice field, find a full-time stadium in which to compete and assemble the team’s branding. It’s since been determined that the team will play at T-Bones Stadium, and on Friday an inaugural roster was unveiled, but for now the team’s name, badge/logo and color schemes are unknown.
“It’s been a whirlwind, but as hard as it is, it’s a lot of fun too,” Williams said. “Just excited to be on that field, that’s what I’m looking forward to ... that first practice.”
The first order of business was to get all of the players on a Zoom call so Williams and the Longs could share with them their vision. One of the phrases Williams used on the call was “get quality people together to create something special.”
Winning a championship as soon as possible is one of those “special” goals for Williams. But another is making sure that everyone from the front office to the players understands that this is a team that both represents and is for the people of Kansas City.
Since moving on from FCKC, Williams has coached with the KC Athletics youth soccer club. He’s coached both girls and boys teams that compete in the Elite Clubs National League — one of the top youth soccer leagues in the nation.
Whenever he takes one of his youth teams on the road to compete, they first meet up in the Country Club Plaza area for a walk and some fun. The idea is to get them to understand that when they’re out of town, they carry KC with them.
“This is who you’re representing now,” he’ll tell them. “When we go away next week, this is who we’re representing.”
Now he’ll be sharing that message with a roster of professional players. Team captain and U.S. Women’s National Team forward Amy Rodriguez scored 26 goals in 38 games with FCKC (2014-17). Former FCKC holding midfielder and Canadian international Desiree Scott will also be returning to KC.
Scotland national team captain Rachel Corsie, a defender, will be moving to Kansas City after stints with Australia’s Canberra United and England’s Birmingham City.
The trio will play a major part in running the high-tempo game that Williams wants to play in the club’s first season.
“It will be a ‘get it, give it, move the ball through’ midfield — very organized at the back, try to create to number overloads in high, advanced wide positions as possible,” Williams said. “Looking for some creative players out wide up top and in the back, too.
“Outside backs will be expected to score goals on this team, outside backs will be expected to get assists, and it will hopefully be a very hard-working, determined, Midwest team. It’s going to be a combination of a technical, creative player along with the player that’s going to roll their sleeves up too and be the ball-winner.”
Williams previously coached alongside former FCKC and current USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski.
“The reputation (Andonovski) built within the league with all other players, too, that’s a big part of it,” Williams said. “How to build that culture, how to build upon those relationships.
“I think a lot of coaching has a lot to do with trust — players trusting the coach, coach trusting the players — and it almost becomes a partnership at the very highest level.”
Williams and the Longs still have a lot of work to do before his players report for the NWSL preseason on Feb. 1. Some will convene even sooner for voluntary practice starting Jan. 4 at Swope Soccer Village.
But the expectations have already been set.
“(A championship) is not high expectations,” Williams said. “Those are my expectations right now, and that’s what the community should expect from us.
“As much as we’re enjoying what we’re doing, the players, they’re not coming back to Kansas City just to be competitive.”