Defending champion FC Kansas City advances to NWSL final with 3-0 win over Chicago

FC Kansas City entered Sunday’s National Women’s Soccer League semifinal with all the confidence and poise that is to be expected of a defending champion making its third postseason appearance in three years.

The game followed a familiar story line. Amy Rodriguez delivered two goals, and the defense recorded its 10th shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory against the Chicago Red Stars at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.

“In the last couple of months, I feel like we have been peaking at the right time,” Blues coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “Another thing that helped the confidence was the experience because we have been there in the previous two years and that is a big deal coming into the third.”

The Blues advanced to the NWSL championship game, where they will face Seattle Reign FC at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 1 at Providence Park in Portland, Ore. Seattle beat Washington 3-0 on Sunday night in the other NWSL semifinal.

FC Kansas City had struggled in the previous two matches against Chicago this season, recording a draw and a loss. But the Red Stars had no answer for the Blues this time.

Rodriguez’s first goal came as a bit of a surprise as fellow national-team player Lauren Holiday stripped the ball from Chicago goalkeeper Michele Dalton. She passed it back to Rodriguez, who buried it into the back of the net in the 12th minute.

Rodriguez removed any doubt with her second goal. In the 25th minute, she streaked down the field, split three defenders and the Chicago goalkeeper, and chipped a shot into the top left corner of the goal for her team-best eighth goal of the season. It was her fifth in three postseason games with the Blues, and four of them have been assisted by Holiday.

“That was a heart-attack goal for the bench and the coaching staff,” Andonovski said. “We didn’t know if she was going to shoot, but I’m glad that in the end she decided to and put the game away.”

Erika Tymrak added another goal in between the Rodriguez strikes, capitalizing on a cross from Heather O’Reilly. Tymrak dribbled and fired a shot into the top center of the goal in the 21st minute.

It was just the second time all season the Red Stars had given up three goals, both games resulting in losses.

The Blues, on the other hand, have been on an offensive tear, scoring three or more goals in five of their last six games after accomplishing the feat just once in the previous 12. They have outscored opponents 16-2 in that span with four shutouts. FCKC led the league in fewest goals allowed with just 20 in 21 games.

The shutout was the ninth of the season for Blues goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart, who led the league for the third consecutive season.

This story was originally published September 13, 2015 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Defending champion FC Kansas City advances to NWSL final with 3-0 win over Chicago."