Sky Blue FC vs. FC Kansas City
Children’s Mercy Victory Field; Kansas City, Missouri
September 3, 2017
6:00 p.m. ET
Watch: go90 or NWSLsoccer.com
Sky Blue FC (9-9-2, 29 points) returns to National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) action on Sunday as the New Jersey club hits the road to take on FC Kansas City (6-9-5, 23 points) at Children’s Mercy Victory Field in Kansas City, Missouri. The match is set to kickoff at 6 p.m. ET, and fans can watch the match on go90.com, the go90 app or on NWSLsoccer.com.
History could be made on Sunday as Sky Blue FC’s Sam Kerr eyes the NWSL single-season scoring record. Kerr scored her 16th goal of the season last Saturday in the club’s 1-0 win over Boston, tying former Seattle Reign FC midfielder Kim Little for the record she set back in 2014.
The Australia international has taken the league by storm this season and is the current front-runner for the NWSL Golden Boot. She has already broken multiple league records this season, with the most recent being a four-goal performance to lift her team to a 5-4 win against Seattle and keeping Sky Blue FC’s playoff hopes alive.
Sunday marks the third and final meeting between Sky Blue FC and FC Kansas City, and the New Jersey club sits three points outside of playoff contention coming into the weekend. In their first match-up, Raquel Rodriguez scored the game-winner in the 82nd minute of action off a feed from Mandy Freeman. In the second meeting, FC Kansas City took a 2-0 lead into the 78th minute before Kerr put on a show. She scored a hat trick in 12 minutes, propelling her team to a 3-2 win.
FC Kansas City comes into the contest off a 2-1 defeat last Saturday to Orlando. The Pride snapped the Blues’ three-game winning streak, as well as put Kansas City into a tough position. FCKC must win Sunday’s match in order to stave off postseason elimination. Anything less will open the Blues up to a pair of elimination scenarios involving Chicago and Orlando.
As Kerr looks to make history, the Blues will have its own historic moment on Sunday evening. FCKC goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart will become the first NWSL keeper – and fifth player overall – to reach 100 appearances.
Historically, FC Kansas City leads this series with a 5-4-3 overall record. The two clubs are currently even in matches played in Kansas City, with the mark standing at 2-2-1. Both previous contests in 2017 were held at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Injury Report:
FCKC –
OUT: Alex Arlitt (left knee patella tendinopathy), Amanda Laddish (right hip surgery), Amy Rodriguez (left knee ACL tear)
SBFC –
OUT: Leah Galton (back strain), Tasha Kai (right calf strain), Christie Pearce (SEI – accumulative injuries), Erin Simon (D45 – left foot fracture)
QUESTIONABLE: Raquel Rodriguez (left hamstring strain)