Overland Park native eager to play in NWSL Championship in front of hometown fans

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Dozens of the world’s top soccer players are getting ready to take center stage at KC Stadium, but there’s likely no one more excited about the NWSL Championship’s location than Haley McCutcheon.

The Orlando midfielder hails from Overland Park. An Olathe East grad, McCutcheon is the only player taking the pitch Saturday in front of her hometown crowd.

“To be here and to be able to in front of friends and family at an exclusively-women stadium is so exciting,” she told KCTV5 at the NWSL Championship Media Day Thursday.

McCutcheon says her parents bought tickets about two months ago, confident the Pride would make the game.

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Things have come full circle from the days of them toting her to and from practice as a kid.

“I didn’t have any idea that this is where I would be led,” McCutcheon said. “I grew up playing. I probably started when I was three or four at some random Heritage Park field. I don’t know if that rings a bell for anyone. Parents driving me to practice, and I just loved the game from when I was little.”

McCutcheon scored Orlando’s first goal in the NWSL semifinal match against the Kansas City Current. The Pride would go on to win 3-2, knocking KC out of their title hunt.

Saturday’s final gets underway at 7 p.m. on KCTV5.

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