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Utah Royals at KC Current: Match Preview

Can the Current keep up the pace?

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2 months ago

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Temwa | Thad Bell

For the second season in a row, the Kansas City Current are racing out of the gate, dispatching any opponents with multi-goal games. Just two weeks into the season the Current sit atop the league standings with only Orlando level on points. Again, this is similar to 2024 when these two teams blazed through the first half of the season, both undefeated.

There are, though, a couple of important distinctions when comparing this season to last. Firstly, while KC was doing plenty of winning (or at least, not losing), they had a pattern of conceding goals, especially on corner kicks, that cost them several points along the way. Thus far this season, the team has given up just a single goal for an average of 0.5 goals allowed per match. Through two matches a year ago (both wins), the Current were allowing 2.5 goals/game.

The other notable difference is the competition, especially the team Kansas City just went on the road and defeated. With the exception of a road draw versus Gotham last April, it took until the 16th match of the season (a home date with the Pride), to square off against any of the other real contenders. As soon as the schedule got more challenging, KC’s momentum shifted significantly, losing three straight and only winning twice in seven matches. This year, Kansas City’s first real test came in just the second match: on the road against the 2024 runners-up. Also, not insignificantly, the Spirit defeated the Pride the claim the Challenge Cup just three weeks ago. While that match doesn’t figure into the league standings, if taken into consideration, KC becomes the only team to win every competitive match in 2025.

All this is to say, the Current are enjoying a pretty darn good start to the season. Will that continue into week three, a home game against a Utah Royals team entering year two? Let’s break it down.

What’s new for the Royals? They had a significant roster overhaul this offseason, bringing in nine new players to bolster a team that finished 11th (of 14) last season. A trio of those came from other NWSL clubs, including former Current standout Alex Loera migrating over from Bay FC (she’s still working her way back from an ACL injury suffered at CPKC last season). Additionally, Tatumn Milazzo joins from Chicago and Bianca St-Georges shifts over from North Carolina. The BSG inclusion is notable here as the last time KC fans watched her in person, she was standing over a prone Chawinga in the dying moments of the NWSL quarterfinal game. She received a yellow and a not-so-friendly shove from Wheeler, coming to the aid of her downed teammate.

Utah also looked abroad and signed four players from overseas: Nuria Rábano (VfL Wolfsburg), Ana María Guzmán (FC Bayern Munich), Janni Thomsen (Vålerenga), and Aisha Solórzano (Tijuana). Guzmán, a Colombian internation on loan from Bayern, especially has the potential to raise the level of play for a Royals side needing to establish a higher line of confrontation. She’s still just nineteen and working her way into her new squad, but as she becomes more comfortable, she could open up a lot of space moving forward.

Two rookies (KK Ream and Mia Justus) round out the additions for Utah, but it’s arguably one of the returning players that has their fans most excited: Ally Sentnor. She was the first overall pick in (what turned out to be the final) draft in 2024 and then burst onto the international scene during this year’s SheBelieves Cup with goals like this.

Emma Hayes just released her call-ups for a pair of April USWNT friendlies and Sentnor, along with Utah goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn, are joined by a trio of KC athletes: Hutton, Cooper, and Cook (marking her first call-up in two years).

Utah also still employs old friend Kate Del Fava who anchors a backline that has already conceded four times in two matches. If this Royals side tightens up their defense and keeps other teams off the scoreboard, they could certainly become a team to be reckoned with as they have plenty of attacking power. While they earned just a single victory through the first half of 2024, they finished the season playing like one of the better teams in the league. And while in 2025 they’ve managed to take just a single point (coming on a draw against Bay to open the season), they could be in position to take a big step forward in their sophomore campaign.

On the other side of the pitch, Kansas City has the look of a team already in midseason form and just wanting to keep their strong start going. To the surprise of approximately no one, Temwa Chawinga has picked up right where she left off in 2024–scoring goals and working hard all over the field. She’s notched a tally in both matches and has been joined on the scoreboard by Debinha, Cooper, and LaBonta. A goal for the Malawian this weekend would allow her to match her own mark of scoring in eight straight games.

Also, unlike this weekend’s opposition, the Current are starting the season strong on the defensive side of things as well. That’s thanks in no small part to the play of new keeper, Lorena who will actually get to square off against Cooper, Hutton, Cook, Sentnor, & McGlynn during the April friendlies that pit Brazil against the US in rematches of the 2024 Olympic gold medal game.

One other item that flew under the radar during the KC/DC game last weekend was the first action in teal for Flora Marta Lacho. She played for what amounted to the final 20 minutes of the match and looked strong in possession, decisive moving forward, and with an impressive speed and work rate. While there may be a long way to go to turn the potential she flashed on Saturday into sustained success in this league, her early returns are promising.

CPKC Stadium will again be filled this weekend as the Mountain West Monarchs attempt to avoid the deluge of rain and train horns. Show up to the riverfront to celebrate Waymaker Night and snag your rally towels, or tune in from home or watch parties across the city.

WHEN: Saturday, March 29 at 6:30 PM (Central Time)

WHERE: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO

HOW TO WATCH: ion, 38 the Spot

Record:

KC Current: 2-0-0 (6 points, 1st place)

Utah Royals: 0-1-1 (1 point, 9th place)

Last Match:

KC Current: 2-0 road win versus the Washington Spirit

Utah Royals: 2-3 road loss versus the San Diego Wave

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