Kansas City Women beat Denver Summit Women 4-1 in the NWSL Group Stage at CPKC Stadium on 26 September, a result that lifts them further clear of the relegation zone while leaving the visitors adrift in tenth place.
Heaps broke the deadlock in the 13th minute before Hopkins took over, scoring three times between the 39th and 57th minutes to put the hosts beyond doubt, and here's the thing — by then Denver had already lost their shape after that early penalty miss from Débora Cristiane de Oliveira in the 35th minute, a moment that shifted momentum without anyone noticing at the time.
Chawinga added a late consolation for the visitors, scored in the 76th minute and confirmed by VAR in the 78th, after three substitutions had been made on each side around the 64th and 73rd minutes, including a yellow card for Delanie Sheehan of Denver in the sixth minute and another for Michelle Ivory Cooper of Kansas City in the 82nd.
The statistics tell a different story from the possession numbers, and to be fair, that is exactly how these games often play out — Kansas City held just 39 per cent of the ball but registered nine shots on target against three, while Denver's 61 per cent possession produced little more than defensive clearances and aimless long passes into empty space.
What matters now is the table, where Kansas City sit seventh with 41 points from 26 games after that win, and we had called for this result in our preview with 45 per cent confidence, which was never going to be much higher given the inconsistency they showed in the last few weeks, including that 2-2 draw with Orlando Pride and the 0-2 loss to San Diego Wave.
Denver remain on 35 points in tenth, nine points off safety, and while they beat OL Reign 2-1 in their previous fixture, this performance suggests they have hit a wall against teams that can exploit their defensive vulnerabilities on the counter, something Kansas City did with alarming ease.
