WHO: Kansas City, 0-0-0, 0 points, table position is based on the alphabet and therefore irrelevant

WHAT: Racing’s inaugural NWSL regular season match!

WHEN: Saturday, May 15, 2021, 5:00 p.m. EDT

WHERE: Lynn Family Stadium

WATCH: It’s Paramount+ for those in the US, Twitch.tv for those outside. The league just inked a national “radio” deal with iHeart Media, so for you audiophiles, at least one match a week will be streamed on NWSL Radio. This isn’t one of those matches, though, so [shrug emoji].

MARCH: From Ten20 Brewing Co., I think! They’re at 1020 (duh) E. Washington and have nice cold things to drink. Fraternize and then march to the stadium with the Lavender Legion!

WHO, AGAIN? Kansas City. No mascot, no FC, not SC, just KC. Kansas City used to be Utah Royals, but their owner got in trouble for saying racist and misogynist things rather publicly, so the league made him sell the team, which he bought just a few years ago and moved them to Salt Lake City from…Kansas City.

Anyway, KC inherited 19 of Utah’s players, seven who return to Kansas City from the previous team, FC Kansas City. The team is also under new leadership, head coach Huw Williams, who served as General Manager and Assistant Coach of FC Kansas City from 2012-2016. Williams helped FCKC win back-to-back NWSL Championships in 2014 and 2015.

KC didn’t fare very well in the Challenge Cup, going 0-1-3. They can score, but they aren’t so hot defensively. That sets up pretty well for Racing, I think, who are dedicated to playing stout defense and trying to find themselves a bit offensively, if the Challenge Cup means anything. Maybe it doesn’t!

Hopefully for this match, some of Racing’s early injury woes are subsiding, as it seems half the roster was carrying some kind of knock for most of April. They’ll be helped by former Manchester City defender Gemma Bonner and new forward signing Ebony Salmon from Bristol City. I don’t thing Salmon’s actually in town yet but still, she’s gonna be fun to watch when she gets here.

Players to watch from KC are goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart, captain Amy Rodriguez, midfielder Kristen Edmonds, and midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta.

Be there, be loud, and let’s go get three points! RUN WITH US!