Nathan Dunn

FC Kansas City: Building a winning foundation for KC pro women’s soccer

The latest addition to the professional sports scene in Kansas City has been women’s soccer.

FC Kansas City, nicknamed the Blues, was one of eight teams that began play in the inaugural season of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in 2013.

The team played home games at Shawnee Mission District Stadium in Overland Park, Kan. before transferring over to the University of Missouri Kansas City’s Durwood Stadium in 2014. In 2015, FCKC played the majority of home games at Swope Soccer Village.

Without any experience coaching professional outdoor soccer, Vlatko Andonovski wasted no time making a name for himself in the NWSL. The 36-year-old was named NWSL Coach of the Year in 2013 before leading FCKC to back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015.

The Blues started to deteriorate in 2016 as they missed the playoffs while the ownership found itself in the middle of a messy situation after inappropriate emails were leaked.

The club was eventually sold to new ownership ahead of the 2017 season, but that didn’t solve much as FCKC missed the playoffs once again and attendance plummeted to the bottom of the league.

After the 2017 season, the team ceased operations and shifted to Salt Lake City, Utah under the name Utah Royals FC.

FC Kansas City players pose for a team photo before a match.
PHOTO COURTESY/ BOB BRENTS

2013

  • Inaugural season
  • Regular season runner up with 11 wins, 5 draws, 6 losses
  • Eliminated in semifinals by Portland Thorns with 3-2 loss in extra time
  • Vlatko Andonovski named Coach of the Year
  • Lauren Holiday wins MVP and Golden Boot with 12 goals
  • Nicole Barnhart named Goalkeeper of the Year
  • Becky Sauerbrunn named Defender of the Year
  • Erika Tymrak named Rookie of the Year

2014

  • NWSL Champions
  • Regular season runner up with 12 wins, 5 daws, 7 losses in regular season
  • Playoff wins over Portland Thorns (2-0) and Seattle Reign (2-1)
  • Lauren Holiday named NWSL Championship Game MVP
  • Becky Sauerbrunn named Defender of the Year

2015

  • NWSL Champions
  • Regular season 3rd place with 9 wins, 5 draws, 6 losses
  • Playoff wins over Chicago Red Stars (3-0) and Seattle Reign (1-0)
  • Amy Rodriguez named NWSL Championship Game MVP
  • Becky Sauerbrunn named Defender of the Year

2016

  • Regular season 6th place with 7 wins, 5 draws, 8 losses
  • Missed playoffs
  • Team sold to new ownership over the offseason

2017

  • Regular season 7th place finish with 8 wins, 7 draws, 9 losses
  • Missed playoffs
  • Team sold and ceased operations

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