Kansas City NWSL manages scoreless draw in regular-season opener at Racing Louisville

A mid-game injury rarely signals a positive change in any sport, and the same was true for Kansas City NWSL in Saturday afternoon’s game.

An injury to midfielder Lo LaBonta on the half-hour mark against Racing Louisville took Kansas City from a dangerous, attack-minded team to one that sat on the back foot for much of the rest of the game.

It was game-changing for KC as it tied Louisville 0-0 in the first game of the NWSL regular season at Louisville’s Lynn Family Stadium.

“Lo is definitely a key player on this team, both on and off the pitch,” midfielder Victoria Pickett said. “I felt we definitely felt her loss and presence on the pitch.”

Both teams entered the game seeking their first win in franchise history after winless Challenge Cup campaigns. Kansas City lined up with its favored combination of midfielders as defensive midfielder Desiree Scott sat behind the more offensive-minded Pickett and LaBonta.

KC began the game on the front foot with good rhythm, creating a chance for captain Amy Rodriguez within two minutes. That pressure continued from KC and the visitors looked likely to break the deadlock.

But as things continued to look up for Kansas City, LaBonta went down after a heavy collision. She received treatment on the field for several minutes before walking off the field unaided but with a streak of blood in her hair.

LaBonta needed stitches for a laceration on her head, but the club does not suspect that she has a concussion.

The 28-year-old was replaced by Canadian Jordyn Listro, who had made her first start for the club against the OL Reign in the Challenge Cup.

The substitute changed the whole shape of Kansas City’s midfield as it rotated from two attacking midfielders to two defensive midfielders with Pickett at the No. 10.

“(Listro) can be a box-to-box eight, so that’s what we were asking from her,” KC head coach Huw Williams said. “I think she slid into that role better in the second half, but initially, just her natural tendencies are to drop back.

“And with her dropping and with Desi dropping I think that left a lot of space for (Louisville) to exploit.”

The last time Kansas City played with two No. 6’s was in the 1-1 tie with the Chicago Red Stars. Despite that game resulting in KC’s only point in the Challenge Cup, it was also arguably KC’s worst performance to date.

Kansas City didn’t struggle as much against expansion club Louisville as it did with Chicago, but the attacking presence did diminish.

A large part of KC’s struggles came from its inability to get the ball through to midfield playmaker Pickett and onward through Louisville’s defensive line. Pickett adopted a higher starting position because of her new role as the sole No. 10, but because of that Kansas City was unable to get the ball to her near as regularly.

“I think I just need to work on what I can do better for the team and if people come and go, it doesn’t matter,” Pickett said. “I need to adjust, and I need to just have better movement and better body positioning and do what I can for the team no matter who’s on and who’s off.”

KC managed to reel off seven shots in the first half, getting one of those on target. By the end of the game, the shot total was 11 with three of those on target. The two second-half on-target shots came in the final minutes as KC snatched at half-chances in search of a winner.

The few other chances that KC did create in the second half came when Pickett found a pocket of open space.

One of those moments came after Pickett escaped pressure on a swift L-turn that drew a foul from Louisville playmaker Savannah McCaskill. The following freekick was directed right toward Pickett’s head, but she couldn’t beat the outstretched arms of Racing goalkeeper Michelle Betos.

Pickett also slipped a deft chip through the Louisville defense 10 minutes later, but Rodriguez was unable to latch onto the ball.

“(Pickett) finds the ball well in there, and I think she looked dangerous when we could find her,” KC centerback Rachel Corsie said. “It’s also the job of the rest of the team to create those opportunities where we expose the other team and find those pockets of space.”

The 0-0 stalemate signals the first time Kansas City has been shut out in 2021, but also the first clean sheet it has kept. Williams stressed the importance of keeping a shutout ahead of the game and adjusted the team’s tactics to help realize that goal.

Kansas City held a lower line than it typically does, frustrating the Louisville front four which is spearheaded by Kansas City native Cece Kizer.

Kizer, who was coached at a youth level by Williams, scored two goals and tallied an assist in the Challenge Cup, and has shown a knack for finding space behind the defensive lines to create one-v-one opportunities. KC’s deep backline prevented her from finding such chances.

“The field here is spectacular, but it’s big and it’s obviously hot here too, and the humidity makes it difficult to press all the time,” Corsie said. “Our game plan from the start was to start a little deeper to hopefully win the ball back and exploit certain areas, and I think it was effective.”

The stalemate means both clubs still continue to search for a first franchise winner; Kansas City’s next opportunity is on May 23 at the Houston Dash.

This story was originally published May 15, 2021 at 6:39 PM with the headline "Kansas City NWSL manages scoreless draw in regular-season opener at Racing Louisville."