Match Report: Hamilton’s late goal gives new-look Kansas City Current 1-0 victory

The Kansas City Current remained unbeaten in the third match of its four-game homestand with a dramatic late-game score to secure the victory over NJ/NY Gotham on Saturday night. In a match that featured 30 combined shots between both squads, Current forward Kristen Hamilton’s effort in the 84th minute proved decisive in Kansas City’s 1-0 victory. 

“[Hamilton] leads the way, she did that again tonight,” said head coach Matt Potter. “There’s one thing that you always know whether it’s training or whether it’s games you’re always going to get the best of her. The energy she brings on a day-to-day basis, she’s an incredible role model for our younger players but she’s an incredible ambassador for this league.” 

Saturday night’s match was an end-to-end affair that saw both teams dominate stretches of play and also marked a homecoming for Kansas City’s most recent acquisitions. Forward CeCe Kizer and defender Addisyn Merrick, Kansas City metro natives acquired via trade from Racing Louisville mid-week, made their Current debuts in the victory. Kizer started and played 61 minutes, while Merrick featured in over 30 minutes as a second-half substitute.  

Kansas City goalkeeper Cassie Miller, making her first appearance of the regular season in net, also played a significant role in proceedings. Gotham FC peppered Miller’s net for most of the night but was particularly threatening in the first half.  

In the 43rd minute, Gotham forward Ifeoma Onumonu picked up the ball in the attacking third and played a ball through to fellow forward Paige Monaghan in the six-yard box. Monaghan ran onto the ball and fired a low effort to the near post, but Miller made a fantastic reflexive save and knocked the ball off the post. Minutes later, Current defender Alex Loera blocked a threatening Gotham shot from 12 yards out, keeping the match scoreless heading into halftime.  

The Current and Gotham traded chances in the early goings of the second half, including efforts from Onumonu and Gotham forward Midge Purce. In the 58th minute, Kizer went on a brilliant individual run down the right flank and nearly capped it with a finish, but a Gotham defender blocked Kizer’s goal-bound effort. 

From there, Kansas City became the aggressor. Current attackers forced Gotham goalkeeper Michelle Betos to make multiple key saves, and Kansas City provided consistent pressure on the visitors’ back line through a flurry of corner kicks. 

Eventually, the dam broke. Rodriguez, who came on as a substitute minutes earlier, picked up the ball on the left flank and drove into the penalty area. The rookie then laid a perfect angled ball to Hamilton, who rolled the ball into the back of the net for the lead in the 83^rd minute.  

Saturday night’s win maintained the Current’s unbeaten homestand, with the team sitting at 2-0-1 in its last three matches. The Current conclude its homestand on Saturday, June 18 with a matchup against the Chicago Red Stars at 7:30 p.m. CT.  

Season Tickets and Flex plans are available for all home matches at Children’s Mercy Park. For pricing and information visit kansascitycurrent.com. 

NWSL Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. NJ/NY Gotham 
Date: June 11, 2022
Venue: Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS 
Kickoff:  7:37 p.m. CT / 8:37 p.m. ET
Weather:  80 degrees, cloudy 
Attendance: 5,695

Discipline
53’ Gotham – Torres (yellow)

Scoring
84’ Kansas City – Hamilton (Rodriguez) 

Scoring Summary

Lineups:
Kansas City:  Miller, Loera (82’ Rodriguez), Ball, Edmonds, Scott ©, Mace (90’ Leach), Del Fava, LaBonta (82’ Curran), Pickett (61’ Merrick), Hamilton, Kizer (61’ Bennett) 

Substitutes Not Used: Franch, Nolf, Johnson, McCain

Gotham: Betos, Dorsey, Freeman, Krieger, Dydasco, Torres (75’ Tucker), Zerboni © (89’ Yokoyama), Monaghan (84’ Kawasumi), Mewis, Purce, Onumonu

Substitutes Not Used: Hancuff, Baxter, Cudjoe, Lewandowski, Jean, Johnson