Kansas City NWSL routs Houston Dash 3-0, extends unbeaten streak in home matches to 6
The National Women’s Soccer League season started in May, but Kansas City’s new club is finally arriving on the scene.
That may sound a bit harsh, 21 games into a 24-match regular season, but it’s a well-earned compliment: This is a team that seems to be playing its soccer with ever-increasing efficacy.
To wit, Kansas City’s 3-0 victory over the Houston Dash Wednesday at Legends Field extended its home unbeaten streak to six games.
On Sunday, KC (3-12-6) had earned a 0-0 home tie against the table-topping Portland Thorns. Wednesday’s win, KC’s first since Aug. 25, featured plenty of scoring and the franchise’s largest victory margin yet.
First-half goals from Darian Jenkins and Elizabeth Ball effectively put the game to bed by halftime, and Lo LaBonta added a third goal, her first of the year, during second-half stoppage time.
“It’s been a really long time coming,” Jenkins said. “It’s not the first building block, but I think the first one where you can really see it in the game.”
All of this is promising stuff for a team that waited until its 14th game — not including four games in the 2021 Challenge Cup — to collect franchise victory number one.
Wednesday’s win showcased aspects that the first two did not. KC’s first victory, 1-0 against the OL Reign, required a 73rd-minute goal and nonstop defense. The second win was a 2-1 decision against another league newcomer, Racing Louisville FC.
KC’s victory Wednesday evening against the Dash, a playoff team battling near the top of the league standings? It was a statement, a strong performance from start to finish.
“I think we turned a corner and it’s not like the players didn’t not believe in themselves, but it is truly believe,” Kansas City coach Huw Williams said.
“My last statement before going out on the field tonight was, ‘We’re good: Go and show everybody how good we are.’” It’s simple. We rotated players and we still played well.”
KC outshot the Dash 16-7, but possession was split pretty evenly. A couple of those shots, including a pair of 25-yard howitzers from Kiki Pickett and Addie McCain, hit the Houston frame on either side of halftime.
On the other side of the field, goalkeeper A.D. Franch, acquired in a midseason trade with the Portland Thorns, recorded her third clean sheet for Kansas City.
Jenkins opened the scoring in the 18th minute with her team-best third goal of the season, looping an ambitious shot from the left corner of the box over Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell.
Jenkins said it was the type of shot she’s been working on in practice, but there was a chance she wasn’t going to be on the field to score that goal. Williams said she almost didn’t play due to load management, but he didn’t want to disrupt her confidence.
That decision to play clearly paid off.
“At the beginning of the game, I just felt the motivation and kind of confidence to just play with freedom today,” Jenkins said. “I think I really showed that, and I just felt good.”
Jenkins has played in all but three games for KC this season. Williams has described her as a “game-changer,” and she’s now scored in two of the team’s last three games.
A KC defender got into the scoring mix in the 36th minute when Ball headed home off a beautiful free kick from Katie Bowen.
The goal was another positive development for KC, which has been trying to get its defenders involved on the offensive side. Its wingbacks have done so effectively, but its centerbacks had struggled with aerial duels until recently.
“It’s been really important for us to try to capitalize on set pieces,” Ball said. “It’s a big part of the league and we’ve been working on them and really focusing on it, and obviously today it paid off.
“I was just thinking, Head the ball down, head the ball down, the whole time.”
LaBonta added the third goal from the penalty spot during stoppage time. She celebrated by running to the bleachers and blowing kisses to her new husband, Roger Espinoza — she tied the knot with the Sporting Kansas City midfielder on Tuesday.
But for the first time in franchise history, no second-half goal was really even needed in order to claim three points.
“The second goal was important because we’d created enough chances to be two up,” Williams said. “Going in with just a one-goal lead puts us vulnerable for that one mistake again.
“That second goal was big.”
Kansas City’s next game is on the road Saturday at 7 p.m. Central Time against the Chicago Red Stars.
This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 9:03 PM with the headline "Kansas City NWSL routs Houston Dash 3-0, extends unbeaten streak in home matches to 6."