With dreams of landing contract offer, soccer players work out for KC’s new pro team

Friday morning delivered Rashida Beal a second chance.

A second chance to make it in the National Women’s Soccer League. A second chance to don a Kansas City jersey and represent the town, albeit not the same club, that first drafted her in 2017.

But Friday wasn’t only about a second chance for Beal. It was also a shot at pro soccer for 29 other women as KC’s new NWSL team held open tryouts at Swope Soccer Village ahead of the league’s preseason.

“It was really great,” said Derek Shoare, the club’s associate general manager. “What’s pleasing is obviously last weekend we had the tryouts scheduled and then with the weather (it was postponed). All the players were so great about coming back and coming out.

“And Swope has been great — the field. So yeah, there are some really good players here.”

Beal was one of 30 players wearing either a blue or yellow nylon mesh practice pinnie Friday, competing in a full-field scrimmage as coaches from KC’s NWSL team looked on from the sidelines.

Over two 90-minute sessions, a handful of the club’s staff, including Shoare, head coach Huw Williams and assistant coach Lucas Rodriguez, evaluated players from local college programs — including some former NWSL draft picks, like Beal.

Beal was selected 35th overall in 2017 out of the University of Minnesota by FC Kansas City — KC’s former NWSL team, before it ceased operations and all of its player rights moved to the then-expansion Utah Royals FC.

Beal joined the former team for the 2017 preseason but was never offered a full-time contract with the club.

“It’s awesome,” she said Friday. “I definitely was really interested in trying again when I saw who was going to be on the staff, because I worked closely with Huw and Derek on the reserve team and I really loved both of them as coaches and people.

“It just felt like the right time to try again in the league and just give it my best.”

A defender, Beal remained in Kansas City for a while after not making the previous NWSL team, playing for KC’s WPSL side, which was also coached by Williams. She competed alongside current NWSL players and KC natives Cece Kizer (Racing Louisville), Haley Hanson (Houston Dash) and new KC NWSL defender Sydney Miramontez.

Then, Beal spent some time in Germany’s second division with BV Cloppenburg.

“I thought it was really exciting for the city again to get a chance to do a little bit better this time and really support the women’s game,” the 26-year-old Beal said. “And the turnout from these tryouts of high-level players just shows the interest level from players and the community as a whole.”

Making the current team won’t be as simple as having a good tryout and signing a contract. For a completely new expansion team, such as the one formed in Louisville, there are plenty of open spots on the roster. But because KC acquired all of Utah’s player rights and draft picks, this club’s roster is already fairly full.

“Because we have the roster coming from Utah, it’s a lot more difficult for a tryout player to get invited into preseason,” Shoare said. “So somebody today would have to stand out from the crowd (for us) to say, ‘Let’s bring them back for preseason.’”

Still, the KC coaching staff was hoping to discover some athleticism and the ability to play at a high level, as opposed to technical ability.

“At this level, it’s similar to the collegiate level. In the Power Five, it comes down a lot to athleticism. Can they compete at the level that needs to be competed at athletically?” Shoare said.

“Then, obviously, technical becomes important as well,” he continued. “Today, you can see some players that have a great tactical knowledge, as well. But the tactical thing is almost the last thing you think about, because that’s what the coaching staff are going to be able to do in preseason.”

Players making the cut at Friday’s tryout could be invited to train with the team throughout the preseason, with the possibility of impressing team officials enough to land a contract offer.

The club’s preseason is set to start Feb. 1, and many players currently on the team’s roster were due to arrive in Kansas City this weekend in order to quarantine for one week before kicking off the preseason.

This story was originally published January 22, 2021 at 4:12 PM.