Kansas City Current rides late Kristen Hamilton goal to home victory over Gotham FC
The Kansas City Current knocked on the door for 83 minutes before the club got one past Michelle Betos of Gotham FC.
Kirsten Hamilton’s third goal of the season was the late winner as the Current defeated NJ/NY Gotham FC 1-0 on Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park.
The Current trotted out a rotated squad with Cassie Miller in goal. An injury to Jenna Winebrenner forced the rookie center back out of the lineup, while Kristen Edmonds played at center back in her place.
“I thought the game played out in the manner that we thought it would,” said coach Matt Potter.
“The players that started the game got us off onto a strong foot, but the changes that came in lived up to that title.”
The subs were indeed game-changers. Elyse Bennett came on for Cece Kizer and found herself causing all sorts of danger.
The final wave of substitutions was when rookies Izzy Rodriguez and Chardonnay Curran came into the game. They provided that game-changing moment.
Just having been subbed on a minute earlier, Rodriguez found herself in acres of space down the left-hand wing and drove with the ball at her feet to the 6-yard box.
Her pass back across the penalty area was turned home by Hamilton.
Hamilton said that she and Rodriguez had worked on that exact play multiple times in training on Friday.
“It was literally down the line, cross, cut back, and just work on staying over (the ball) and getting it on frame,” Hamilton said. “She said she was about to shoot it, and she said she looked up one last moment and saw me.
“I hoped she would, and then it worked out.”
Both Cece Kizer and Addisyn Merrick made their debuts for the Current.
Kizer started, and was bright. She linked up well with her teammates considering she had one training session and arrived in KC just over 48 hours prior to the match.
“I found out Tuesday night, I believe, and then it was, ‘get here as quick as you can,’” Kizer said. “I drove down here, and then trained and then was out here tonight.”
Kizer stood out at Blue Valley Northwest during her prep career, winning multiple Kansas Class 6A state titles. She was enjoying a breakout career and building on that with Louisville.
While her friends and family have been watching her success from afar, they now get to do it from home. Kizer said her family freaked out when she told them of the trade.
“My mom couldn’t believe it,” Kizer said. “Then it was just spread like wildfire with my siblings, and I kept getting texts from them. Then it got announced, and so many people from the Kansas City area, like club teammates, high school teammates, all have been contacting me.”
Kizer said that when the Current came to Kansas City she had hoped she’d get an opportunity to be part of what the club was trying to build, telling herself that, “one day I’ll get there.”
“The facilities are still in the process of being built, but it’s gonna be amazing and the stadium looks incredible,” Kizer said. “I am just so excited for the future of this club.”
The win puts the Current at 2-2-4 in the NWSL regular season, which is 10th place based on goal differential. However, the Current is just one point back of OL Reign, which sits in the sixth and final playoff spot.
The Current will stay at home for its next match, as the Chicago Red Stars come to town on Saturday, June 18 with kickoff from Children’s Mercy Park at 7:30 pm.
This story was originally published June 11, 2022 at 9:44 PM with the headline "Kansas City Current rides late Kristen Hamilton goal to home victory over Gotham FC."