Women’s professional soccer returns to Kansas City after the National Women’s Soccer League approved an expansion team in the city to begin playing in the 2021 season.
By Esteban Suárez
After years of absence, FC Kansas City acquired Utah Royals’ rights to bring women’s soccer back to the city. A similar move to what happened during the 2017 season when FC Kansas City ceased operations and assets were moved to the Utah Royals expansion.
After unveiling its new crest and selecting six players during the last NWSL draft to improve the squad depth, including fourth pick Stanford defender Kiara “Kiki” Picket, in exchange for $175,000 of allocation money, the team has also announced its coaching staff.
Among the technical group, former Argentine professional player Lucas Rodriguez will be joining the expansion team as an assistant coach and video analyst in what will be FC Kansas City reincarnation season after its relocation in Utah.
Rodriguez came to Kansas from Argentina as a teenager without knowing a word of English. According to him, Kansas is a city that “I will always be grateful for because it provided my family with shelter and food upon my arrival.”
During his soccer career, he also played professionally for Minnesota United and the Jacksonville Armada before spending six years with the KC Comets, one of Kansas’s biggest professional indoor teams.
With this new opportunity in his career, Rodriguez became the first Argentinian to ever coach in the NWSL history. Regarding his Argentinian roots and this massive step after retiring from soccer, Rodriguez commented, “I come from a place where the sport is considered a religion, people breathe and eat soccer. I love the sport, and one of the best ways that I found to keep in touch with it was to become a coach.”
About this new opportunity taking place in Kansas, Rodriguez showed himself excited by saying, “What better way to do it than at home and with my people,” Rodriguez also mentioned, “This is why I want the city to feel happy with the team that represents it.
Concerning incorporating the experienced Argentinian player, Mariana Larroquette to the team, being the first international signing of FC Kansas City, Rodriguez did not hesitate to express his satisfaction. “Mariana comes from playing for important teams in Argentina, as well as representing the national team in important tournaments. We know about her quality, and we hope that her experience and professionalism will help and positively impact the other players on the team,” said Rodriguez.
Regarding the style of play the team is looking to implement for next season, Rodriguez pointed out, the staff wants to “make the players feel comfortable and welcome. But also to return and regain the aggressive mindset this team had before becoming Utah Royals,” explained the assistant coach. Let’s don’t forget that, before relocating the team in Utah, FC Kansas City won two NWSL titles in four years since the franchise foundation.
“We are looking to make it a dynamic game with lots of goals,” Rodriguez added, “we want people in the city to feel proud and represented by the team’s performance.”
“I want to give back to Kansas some of the much that it has given me,” said an excited Rodriguez, who is already looking forward to next season.