North Carolina
Kansas City Current drops season opener in North Carolina
The Kansas Metropolis Present opened the 2023 NWSL season with a 1-0 loss at WakeMed Soccer Park. The North Carolina Braveness earned the primary win of the season on a protracted distance shot from Mille Gejl. The Braveness newcomer slid the shot by site visitors and stunned Present keeper AD Franch to take the lead within the 23rd minute.
Kansas Metropolis head coach Matt Potter was restricted in participant choice, not even filling out a full bench due to so many accidents. Potter went with a four-player again line in distinction to final season. The Present usually used three cornerbacks in a three-player backline with two wingbacks a little bit additional up within the midfield in 2022.
Potter began three rookies Michelle Cooper, Alexa Spaanstra and Gabby Robinson with two extra on the bench (Rylan Childers and Jordan Silkowitz). One other NWSL newcomer, Mimmi Larsson began as properly.
The Braveness began sturdy, placing the Present on the again foot early. In simply the second minute, the Braveness’s Tyler Lussi slid ball onto Kerolin as she rushed into the penalty space. A fast response from Franch saved Kerolin from taking a shot however it set the tone early that Kerolin was going to be harmful and the Present would have to pay attention to the Brazilian ahead.
Kerolin created or was the goal of extra assaults however because the Present appeared to be settling into the match a bit, it was Mille Gejl that put the house aspect on prime. put the hosts on the board. Gejl dribbled down the aspect after which minimize inside earlier than letting a shot go from properly outdoors the field. It was a second that Franch would have favored to have again.
One other angle.
Franch did come up large on one other effort by Kerolin, getting her hand right down to deflect a pleasant low shot throughout the purpose.
Highlights:
The Present and North Carolina have related shot numbers however the Braveness put extra on body. Whereas the Braveness seemed extra harmful general, the 2 groups had an virtually equivalent anticipated objectives stat as properly. From the NWSL stats, the Braveness had .69 XG whereas Kansas Metropolis has .70 XG for the match.
Kansas Metropolis had a giant benefit in corners with ten in comparison with simply three for the Braveness however they may not capitalize on these possibilities.
The Present returns house for a rematch of the 2022 NWSL Championship, internet hosting the Portland Thorns in Kansas Metropolis’s house opener.
NWSL Match Report
Match: North Carolina Braveness vs. Kansas Metropolis Present
Date: March 25, 2023
Venue: WakeMed Soccer Park
Kickoff: 1:09 p.m. CT / 2:09 p.m. ET
Climate: 66 levels, cloudy
Self-discipline
31’ North Carolina – Kaleigh Kurtz
50’ Kansas Metropolis – Kate Del Fava
81’ North Carolina – Mille Gejl
Scoring
23’ North Carolina – Gejl
Kansas Metropolis Present Lineup: AD Franch, Hailie Mace, Gabrielle Robinson (75’ Addisyn Merrick), Elizabeth Ball (87’ Jenna Winebrenner), Kate Del Fava, Alex Loera, Lo LaBonta, Cece Kizer, Alexa Spaanstra (77’ Chardonnay Curran), Michelle Cooper, Mimmi Larsson (75’ Izzy Rodriguez)
Substitutes: Cassie Miller, Jordan Silkowitz, Rylan Childers
North Carolina Braveness Lineup: Casey Murphy, Kiki Pickett, Ryan Williams, Kaleigh Kurtz, Emily Fox, Meredith Speck, Denise O’Sullivan, Narumi Miura, Mille Gejl (64’ Olivia Wingate), Kerolin, Tyler Lussi (77’ Rikke Madsen)
Substitutes: Katelyn Rowland, Haley Hopkins, Brianna Pinto, Sydney Collins, Frankie Tagliaferri, Estelle Johnson