Chiefs get defensive, Royals post W’s, Current to semis, SKC hears bad news: KC Replay
.jpg "The Chiefs used their first-round selections in the 2022 NFL Draft on cornerback Trent McDuffie, left, and defensive end George Karlaftis in Las Vegas on Thursday night.")
The Chiefs wanted to bolster their defense with a couple of impact players in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Mission accomplished.
The Chiefs used their two first-round picks on defensive players, staking claims to cornerback Trent McDuffie of Washington at No. 21 — a move that required a trade up — and defensive end George Karlaftis of Purdue at No. 30.
Elsewhere, the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox twice on the road, Sporting KC earned a tie at home (and got some unfortunate news) and the Kansas City Current finished the group stage of the annual Challenge Cup women’s soccer tournament with another win.
Here’s the recap of top sports headlines around KC over the past week.
Meet the new Chiefs
After advancing to their fourth straight AFC Championship Game but losing to the Cincinnati Bengals at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs decided they had pressing needs all over the roster.
Some fans were hoping they’d select a wide receiver with one of their first of two picks in the Thursday-Sunday NFL Draft. Instead, as the Chiefs watched talented cornerback Trent McDuffie slip a bit, they traded up to No. 21 (with the New England Patriots) to snap up the versatile former UW Huskies DB.
And then, with their second first-round selection (at No. 30), the Chiefs addressed their anemic pass rush by picking Purdue defensive end Karlaftis. He, like McDuffie, could be a day one starter — or at least a very key rotational piece — for a team hungry to get back to the Super Bowl.
Some highlights for Royals
The Royals took a 7-10 split, er, record into their weekend series with the New York Yankees at Kauffman Stadium, so we’re not saying things are entirely rosy for the boys in blue ... but the week’s worth of games wasn’t devoid of highlights, either.
Here are a couple: On Thursday afternoon, the Royals beat the White Sox 5-2 in Chicago on a 10th-inning hit by outfielder Kyle Isbel, who was making his first MLB start. Two days earlier, they blanked the ChiSox 6-0 thanks to a gem from young starting pitcher Daniel Lynch that included just two hits allowed across six innings, seven strikeouts and two walks.
The week was not without thorns — an MRI revealed talented infielder Adalberto Mondesi had torn the ACL in his left knee, an injury that scraps his season before it really had a chance to begin.
Current advance to semifinals
The Kansas City Current have been one of the true revelations in the National Women’s Soccer League this season. They’re running strong even without Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams, the two stars they brought aboard during the offseason.
Those two have been out with injuries and the Current have still managed to advance to the semifinals of the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. The Current will play host to a semifinal Wednesday night at Children’s Mercy Park after completing the tourney’s group stage with a 2-1 home victory over the Chicago Red Stars.
Sporting KC draws with Crew
The way things have gone for Sporting KC this season — injuries, injuries and still more injuries — last weekend’s 1-1 home draw vs. the Columbus Crew almost felt like a win.
Sporting shared its latest dose of bad news on Friday, when manager Peter Vermes revealed that designated player and midfielder Gadi Kinda is lost for the season with an injury from which he’d ostensibly been rehabbing.
Instead of nearing a return, Kinda — like fellow DP Alan Pulido — will be out seven to nine months after having “undergone an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee that will require a cartilage restoration procedure,” according to the club.