FC Kansas City

FC Kansas City was an American professional women's soccer club based in Kansas City, Missouri. The team was one of the eight founding clubs of the National Women's Soccer League in 2012, and began play in 2013. They were two-time NWSL champions, having won titles in 2014[1] and 2015.[2] After the 2017 season, the NWSL re-acquired owner Elam Baer's membership interest and subsequently ceased the team's operations.[3]

FC Kansas City
Full nameFC Kansas City
Nickname(s)FCKC, "The Blues"
FoundedNovember 21, 2012 (2012-11-21)
DissolvedNovember 20, 2017 (2017-11-20)
GroundSwope Soccer Village
Capacity3,557
LeagueNational Women's Soccer League
WebsiteClub website

History

Establishment and inaugural season
Main article: 2013 FC Kansas City season

In November 2012, it was confirmed that a Kansas City-based women's professional soccer team had been accepted into a new women's professional soccer league, later named National Women's Soccer League.[4] The KC ownership group was composed of Chris Likens, his two sons Brad and Greg Likens, and Brian Budzinski, the same owners of the Missouri Comets of the Major Indoor Soccer League.[5][6]

On December 12, 2012, FC Kansas City announced that Vlatko Andonovski, a former professional player and head coach of the Kansas City Kings of the PASL and Missouri Olympic Development Program (ODP), would be head coach of the team.[7] On January 11, 2013, a new logo was unveiled for the team that features the team's colors: blue, white and black. According to a team-issued press release, "the new logo also represents the ever-flowing qualities that make up the game of women's professional soccer."[8][9]

On January 14, 2013, as part of the NWSL Player Allocation, Nicole Barnhart (USA), Lauren Cheney (USA), Renae Cuéllar (MEX), Marylin Diaz (MEX), Becky Sauerbrunn (USA), Desiree Scott (CAN), and Lauren Sesselmann (CAN) were named to the team.[10][11][12][13] On January 18, the team selected Kristie Mewis, Erika Tymrak, Whitney Berry, and Nia Williams in the 2013 NWSL College Draft.[14] The team signed Sinead Farrelly, Jen Buczkowski, and Leigh Ann Robinson as free agents.[15] During the February 7, 2013 NWSL Supplemental Draft, the Blues selected Courtney Jones, Bianca Henninger, Merritt Mathias, Casey Nogueira, Tina DiMartino, and Casey Berrier.[16] Frances Silva was drafted in the 2014 NWSL College Draft. She was the 19th overall pick.

The Blues finished second during the regular season with an 11–6–5 record earning a berth to the playoffs. Post-season, the team swept the majority of the league's annual awards with Lauren Holiday receiving Golden Boot and League MVP honors, Erika Tymrak the recipient of the Rookie of the Year, and Becky Sauerbrunn winning Defender of the Year. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski won Coach of the Year.[17] Four players were also named to the league's Best XI: Nicole Barnhart, Leigh Ann Robinson, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Lauren Holiday.[18]

New ownership

In January 2017, it was announced that FCKC had been purchased by Elam Baer, the CEO of Minneapolis-based North Central Equity, LLC.[19] Jean-Yves Viardin was named the new general manager and Vlatko Andonovski remained as head coach.[20] NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush stated, "Elam is committed to strengthening FC Kansas City’s roots throughout the entire Kansas City metropolitan area and beyond. Elam and his partners will look to build off of what has been started by the Likens family, whose support of and many contributions to the establishment and growth of the league will never be forgotten."[20] Less than a year later, however, mismanagement and absentee ownership led to Andonovski's departure, and the team ceased operations in November 2017.[3] All the team's player contracts, draft picks, and other rights would be transferred to the newly formed franchise Utah Royals FC.[21]

Players and coaches

Current squad
As of August 3, 2017[22]
No. Position Player Nation
2 Forward Shea Groom  United States
3 Defender Becca Moros  United States
4 Defender Becky Sauerbrunn (Captain)  United States
5 Defender Alex Arlitt  United States
6 Defender Katie Bowen  New Zealand
7 Midfielder Mandy Laddish  United States
8 Forward Amy Rodriguez  United States
9 Midfielder Lo'eau LaBonta  United States
10 Midfielder Yael Averbuch  United States
11 Midfielder Desiree Scott  Canada
13 Defender Brittany Taylor  United States
14 Forward Sydney Leroux  United States
15 Midfielder Erika Tymrak  United States
17 Defender Sydney Miramontez  United States
18 Goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart (Vice-Captain)  United States
19 Goalkeeper Cat Parkhill  United States
21 Midfielder Caroline Flynn  United States
25 Forward Brittany Ratcliffe  United States
31 Defender Christina Gibbons  United States
44 Forward Maegan Kelly  Canada
88 Midfielder Alexa Newfield  United States

Head coaches

Retired numbers
FC Kansas City retired numbers
No. Player Position Career No. retirement
12Lauren HolidayFW/MF2013–15August 27, 2015[23]

Year-by-year
See also: National Women's Soccer League attendance
Year League Regular Season Playoffs Avg. Attendance
2013 NWSL 2nd Place Semi-Finals 4,626
2014 NWSL 2nd Place Champions 2,018
2015 NWSL 3rd Place Champions 3,091[24]
2016 NWSL 6th Place Did not qualify 3,162[25]
2017 NWSL 7th place Did not qualify 1,788

Stadium

During the inaugural season, the Blues played their games at Shawnee Mission District Stadium in Overland Park, Kansas. The stadium has a 6,150 seating capacity.[26][27] At that time, it was the third largest stadium in the NWSL after Providence Park in Portland, Oregon, home of the Portland Thorns and Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester, New York, home of the Western New York Flash.[28] Sporting Kansas City, then called the Kansas City Wizards, played at the stadium in a match against the Colorado Rapids during the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.[29][30]

The team announced on January 8, 2014, that they would move to the Durwood Soccer Stadium on the UMKC campus to play there through 2015.[31]

However, for the 2015 season, FC Kansas City entered into a partnership with Sporting Kansas City to use their training grounds at Swope Soccer Village for training and play matches at the complex's championship field.[32] The stadium has seating for 1500, but was expanded to 3,557[33] using the bleachers FC Kansas City had purchased for use at Durwood Stadium for the previous season.[34]

April 11, 2015 FC Kansas City hosted Sky Blue FC at Sporting Park for its inaugural home match of the season, drawing a crowd of 8,489.[35]

Broadcasting
See also: National Women's Soccer League § Broadcasting

As of April 2017, FC Kansas City games were streamed exclusively by Go90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers.[36] For the 2017 season, the Blues will be featured in three nationally-televised Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on June 3, August 16 and September 9.[37][38]

Ahead of the 2013 season, it was announced that games would be broadcast on the team's website and YouTube.[39] Eight games were broadcast locally on Time Warner Cable’s Metro Sports.[40] During the 2014 season, nine games were broadcast on the same channel.[41]

Supporters

FC Kansas City's official supporters group was called the KC Blue Crew.[42]

Honors
See also: NWSL awards
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References
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  2. "FCKC NAMED 2015 NWSL CHAMPIONS IN 1–0 WIN OVER SEATTLE". National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). October 1, 2015. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  3. Linehan, Meg (November 20, 2017). "NWSL announces that FC Kansas City will cease operations". NWSL. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  4. "New women's soccer league links and news". Equalizer Soccer. Archived from the original on November 29, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
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