U.S. women’s soccer coach praises Long family, KC Current ahead of match in KC

The United States Women’s National Team will set foot in a stadium purpose-built for women’s professional soccer for the first time Wednesday night, when the red, white and blue take on New Zealand at CPKC Stadium.

USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has been in charge of women’s teams in the throes of soccer fervor around the world. In her time as manager at Chelsea FC in England, her team was a perennial winner and reached the top stage at some of the most heralded stadiums in the sport.

But those experiences all had one thing in common: None of those stadiums was exclusively theirs.

“I’ve said it a million times, (women) have been denied fair access to our game, globally, and being able to create the opportunity for women to build,” Hayes said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

Training for Chelsea FC Women takes place at Cobham Training Ground, a world-class facility, but is shared with the men’s team. Only select games are played at the 40,000-plus capacity Stamford Bridge. Instead, most are played at Kingsmeadow, which has a capacity of 4,850 fans and is also home to the U21 men’s team.

Now in charge of the U.S. Women’s National Team, Hayes has training sessions all over the country in soccer-specific facilities. That, in itself, is a growth point over the last 20 years. However, playing a home game at CPKC Stadium will be a first.

Hayes said she had the opportunity to spend time with KC Current co-owner Angie Long back in September.

“To be around their vision — not just purpose-built facilities for women, that’s one thing — but it’s continual investment,” Hayes said. “Whether it be in their academy team, whether it be facilities at the training ground.”

She also noted the countdown clock to the next KC Current game at her hotel.

“I think they’re doing a great job of making sure that there’s merchandise available in shops across the city,” Hayes said, “that there is a representation that involves investment, and they should be celebrated for that.”

That investment — shown in the facilities to prepare players for the biggest of stages — has directly benefited both the Current and USWNT.

Last season, no KC Current player was called up to the senior USWNT. Now, there are four players. Three were on the roster last season, too. One of those players, Claire Hutton, has been a professional for only two years.

Hutton has quickly become a fixture in the senior team. Hayes said Hutton will be “a fine center midfielder for this country,” a reminder that there are so many years ahead for the 19-year-old.

“It’s amazing to go into an environment where you feel welcomed and you feel like everybody wants the best from you and wants you to be your best,” Hutton said. “It helps me continue to push.”

Hayes ultimately has the task of looking at what teams are doing across the league as she seeks players who may be part of the USWNT now and in the future.

The Long family has called their investment in a purpose-built training center and stadium “the standard” for women’s sports. And Hayes agreed that it should be.

“You have to invest in it over a period of time,” Hayes said. “That sustained investment creates stability, longevity and equity. So we have to keep investing across our pro leagues. We have to level up within that.

“But I think it’s right to give Kansas City its flowers,” Hayes added, “because they’re doing a tremendous job.”

Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com