KC Current
KC Current open 2024 season with a significant 5-4 win vs. the Portland Thorns
Game day in Kansas City had a new meaning today as the Current opened the 2024 NWSL season at CPKC Stadium, the first stadium in the world purpose-built for a women’s professional sports team. With a sold out crowd, a new head coach, a roster with more depth, an opponent that, historically, has given them trouble, and a 2023 season behind them, this first game for the KC Current was an important one.
With a starting XI that included rookies Ellie Wheeler and Claire Hutton, and Bia Zaneratto, the Brazilian international who was signed in the offseason, and the return of Vanessa DiBenardo in the midfield, the Current began to control the game early, with plenty of opportunities created between the partnership of Debinha and Bia, and maintaining possession over Portland.
The first half was a better half for the Current, overall, with the KC leading 3-1 at halftime. But head coach Andonovski had to make substitutions to manage minutes for DiBenardo and Bia, and Debinha exited the game in the 32nd minute with a hamstring injury. The momentum changed in the second half, and Portland managed to put pressure on the defense and broke through for goals that put the sold out crowd on edge. Kansas City managed to hold on for the 5-4 win, starting the 2024 NWSL season with an important win.
Goals were plenty
There were no shortage of goals, that’s for sure. Nine total between the two teams, with Kansas City scoring three in the first half. Vanessa DiBenardo made it 1-0 in the 22nd minute, the first in CPKC Stadium history. Rookie Ellie Wheeler made it 2-0 before we reached half hour in the game. Wheeler became the 400th player to score a goal in the history of the NWSL. Bia then recorded her first goal with the Current in the 33rd minute.
Photo: Thad Bell | KC Soccer Journal
Portland’s Sophia Smith scored her first goal of the day in the 43rd minute, making 3-1 at halftime, with Kansas City fully in control, making it seem like the Current would finally be on their way to victory. But if anyone were to count the Thorns down and out with a second half to play, then how the next 45 minutes played out would be a lesson to not.
The Thorns, with the wind in their favor, began to pressure the Current defense more. Kansas City made it 4-1 in the 64th minute when Kristen Hamilton had a nice finish after Temwa Chawinga, who subbed in for DiBenardo, had an opportunity stopped by GK Shelby Hogan, but Hamilton was there to recover. The Current scored a fifth goal, with rookie Alex Pfeiffer becoming the youngest player in league history to score in the regular season at 16 years of age.
Portland kept themselves in the game, scoring three additional goals, nearly making a comeback and potentially spoiling the CPKC opening party. The Current made it to the final whistle, ending the game with a significant win to start the 2024 season.
NWSL Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. Portland Thorns
Date: March 16, 2024
Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Kickoff: 12:02 p.m. CT
Weather: 62 degrees, sunny
Attendance: 11,500
Discipline
83’ Portland – Sugita (Yellow)
85’ Portland – Hubly (Yellow)
Scoring Summary
22’ Kansas City – DiBernardo (Debinha)
25’ Kansas City – Ellie Wheeler
34’ Kansas City – Bia Zaneratto (DiBernardo)
42’ Portland – Smith (Fleming)
64’ Kansas City – Hamilton
68’ Kansas City – Pfeiffer (Chawinga)
74’ Portland – Beckie (Obaze)
90’+1 Portland – Beckie (Muller)
Kansas City Current Lineup: Mace, Wheeler, Ball, Zaneratto (46’ Pfeiffer), LaBonta(c), Hutton, DiBernardo (63’ Chawinga), Franch, Robinson, Spaanstra (64’ Lavogez), Debinha (32’ Hamilton, 88’ Ballisager)
Unused Substitutes: Steigleder, Rodriguez, Feist, Silkowitz
Portland Thorns Lineup: Hogan, Muller, Obaze, Hubly, Payne (75’ Reyes), Moultrie (62’ Sugita), Coffey (75’ Wade-Katoa), Fleming, Weaver, Sinclair(c) (46’ Beckie), Smith (72’ D’Aquila)
Unused Substitutes: Kozal, Sauerbrunn, Klingenberg, Sheva
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Does anyone know if the stadium is expandable?
It is, they can add on the ends I believe.
I’m still shocked a midfield of Hutton-Dibernardo-Labonta dominated Coffey-Moultrie-Fleming in the first half. The Thorns have the big names and international experience and we had them reeling at times.
To me, it looked like Vlatko was playing at 4-2-3-1 which seems to be what he has the most success with implementing his system. It’s hard for me to say the defense was a complete success giving up 4 goals, but Hutton and Wheeler showed a lot of potential. Chewinga was fun to watch in her debut, I didn’t realize she could be one of the fastest players in the NWSL but I was impressed with her touch and movement as well. It was also good to see Lavogez and Pfieffer get extended minutes and I think they showed well. Lavogez’s first touch is amazing.
I could just go on and on. That was wild.
Putting aside the heart-in-mouth finish, what a great way to open the season and stadium. It’s hard to be too angry with the defense because a couple of Portland’s goals were beauties. There was also some sloppy passing/poor decision-making in our defensive third, which normally drives me crazy, but you have to expect that early season with a re-vamped roster. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the performance, too.
I said this elsewhere, but if you only saw Lavogez when she returned from a torn up knee, you wouldn’t have been very impressed. She struggled. Yesterday she looked back to her old self, and I loved it. She’s darn good, and should thrive as the #10 in a 4-2-3-1. Her playmaking behind Bia, Debinha, and Chawinga or Hammy is making me think this might not be the last game the Current drops 5 on someone.
Still early of course but they have a lot of options now.
Yeah. I was upset by the way the expansion draft played out (more at the league than at Camille Ashton), but team depth appears very strong. Heck, we haven’t even seen how Cooper, Braun, Prince, Glas, or Izzy fit in this attack yet. I’m never going to stop wondering what might have been had we kept Loera — she and Hutton would have absolutely bossed the midfield together in this formation and could have for the next 6+ years — but the players we lost sting slightly less today. Slightly.
Any word on Debinha’s hammy? She looked better after the game but I haven’t heard any news on it.
They won’t say anything until there is availability on Wednesday probably.