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Tonight, the Washington Spirit travel to Kansas City for its first road game in over a month. FC Kansas City is in eighth place, but the Blues are a deceptively hard team to beat this season. Last week, FC Kansas City earned their first win over a current playoff team, beating the previously undefeated Portland Thorns in Portland.
Two weeks ago the Spirit beat the Blues 2-0, but it was a close match that could have gone either way. Washington scored two scrappy goals in the final eleven minutes to put away a dogged Kansas City side. Francisca Ordega entered as a substitute but she scorched FC Kansas City's defense. Ordega's speed was more noticeable against tired defenders but after her recent run of great performances, the Nigerian international is likely to start today. FC Kansas City goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart was excellent throughout the game but the Spirit will need to bring a more unified attack in order to pry open the stout Blues defense earlier in the game.
The Spirit have never won on the road against FCKC, but the team has played much better on the road this season than in previous years. Washington has scored in each of its past six road games, a league-best. Washington's defense will need to contend with Shea Groom, the dynamic and potent Blues forward. Last week, Groom netted two goals at Portland and against the Spirit, her header clanged off the crossbar in the 54th minute.
Line Sigvardsen Jensen, the recently-signed Danish international, will not be available for the Spirit as she awaits her US visa and other relevant paperwork.
Location: Swope Soccer Village (Kansas City, MO)
Kick-off time: 7:00pm Eastern
Available TV: None
Available streaming: NWSL Soccer, free and non geo-blocked
Treat this as the gamethread for tonight's match.