Audi Field | Washington, District of Columbia – Saturday, September 30 at 7:00 PM ET
Players to watch:
Against Gotham, Washington defender Tara McKeown added three headed clearances for a team-leading total of 43 on the season, ahead of teammate Paige Metayer’s 24. Only one player in NWSL has more headed clearances this year than McKeown – San Diego defender Kaleigh Riehl (45). Leading the way in scoring is forward Ashley Hatch with nine goals (five penalties), while the team’s leading scorer in open play is Ashley Sanchez who has five goals on the year.
Kansas City forward Kristen Hamilton scored the game-winning goal against San Diego last Saturday, capping off a 15-pass move. It’s the Current’s second-most passes preceding a goal in all competitions in club history, behind a 26-pass move scored by teammate Cece Kizer in June this season in first-half stoppage time against Orlando. However, midfielder Debinha heads up the team’s scoring department with 7 goals on the year (1 penalty) with Kizer just behind with five of her own.
Match facts: The Washington Spirit and Kansas City Current face off on Saturday night in the first of a full six-game slate across the NWSL as the regular season comes to a close in just a few weeks’ time. The Spirit currently hold the final playoff position as they sit in 6th place with 26 points from 19 games played, while Kansas City are in 11th place with 22 points from 19 games played and still not yet eliminated from contention.
A squad packed with firepower, the Spirit have worryingly yet to score a goal in September, losing 2-0 to Chicago and then Gotham. Washington have not been held scoreless in three straight league matches since the 2018 season when the team was shut out in 15 of its 24 matches that season (excluding losses by forfeit in 2021).
The Current, meanwhile, have just two losses over their last eight matches in all competitions (W4 D2) and have not conceded more than one goal in any of the eight. It’s the club’s longest run of games without conceding more than one goal in a match, ahead of a five-match run last season which included the first two games of the NWSL Playoffs.
Washington have the edge on the series against Kansas City thus far, with three wins to the Current’s two. In both wins, Washington have also managed to score at least two goals, including a 3-2 victory in June this season. However, the Current have held the Spirit scoreless in both of their wins, as the Spirit have never held Kansas City goalless.
