Match Preview: Gotham at KC Current

We have spilled a lot of ink in these parts discussing the roster build of Sporting Kansas City–after all, that team entered this season barely able to field a full squad. But, just maybe, they’re now pointed in the right direction.

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Current have largely been praised for their efforts at piecing together a team to be competitive in the NWSL. Yes, they’ve had the occasional missteps: not getting much from the acquisition of Sam Mewis, pulling the plug on Lynn (Williams) Biyendolo too soon, blindsiding fan favorites like Alex Loera and Cece (Kizer) Delzer with trades. But, broadly speaking, the brains behind constructing the Current roster have gotten things right as they emerge as a consistently dominate team in this league.

Or, should we say, “emerged”…past tense. Whoever was in charge and making the final decisions (Ryan Dell? Vlatko Andonovski? Chris and Angie Long???) should get an F in their efforts to construct the 2026 squad. Not to belabor the point, but just a few months ago, the Current were putting the finishing touches on a regular season that may go down as the best ever (past or future) in the NWSL. And now? They sit in 13th place, haven’t scored in over 200 minutes, have a -5 goal differential, and don’t look like a team that’s having fun.

The reason the grade has to be a failing one is that none of the issues that are hurting the team right now were unknowns. Yes, there have been a few injuries picked up early in this season, but the fault for this terrible start lies in things that could have all been anticipated.

First of all, it is no secret that even last year the team’s attack struggled when Temwa Chawinga wasn’t on the field. If she hadn’t picked up her injury when she did, odds are the Current are the reigning NWSL Champions. She is the two-time defending league MVP for a reason. It is certainly possible (probable even) that this team will look much better once she’s back out on the field (perhaps very soon!). But the team left her on the “Season Ending Injury” list for a reason. It surprised no one in that building that she wasn’t going to be ready to go for the start of the season. There absolutely should have been a plan for how to score goals sans your Golden Boot winner. Strike one.

As if that wasn’t enough, KC didn’t re-sign their star striker of the last couple of years, Bia. While it is true that she did deal with some injuries over her time here, Bia is a pure #9 unlike anyone else on their roster. She was a strong, dominant force in the center of the attack that could hold up play, make inch-perfect passes, and score when the opportunities came. In her absence, the Current’s solution to the striker position seems to be Ally Sentnor–a player with some nice skills who can score in international play, but one who, entering this season had tallied exactly zero times for KC. Strike two.

To top it off in the attack, the team traded away important depth pieces such as Nichelle Prince and Alex Pfeiffer. I say “traded” but in the case of Pfeiffer, they let her walk getting no compensation in return. And what has Alex done with her new team? Only notched four goal contributions (two goals, two assists)–one more than the entire KC squad has scored thus far in 2026. Strike three.

The team’s backline, really the unheralded strength of the unit through last year, also saw a key departure in Hailie Mace. The team likely assumed they would be able to absorb her loss with most of the other key pieces returning, but Mace was really the utility knife of the defense, even making several starts as a center back as injuries ravaged the depth last season. There really was no like-for-like replacement on the roster. Strike four.

And then we come to the death blow–the departure of Claire Hutton. How has a team that only conceded 13 goals in 26 matches in 2025 already given up 8 goals in 4 matches in ’26? Never undervalue the importance of the contributions of a really quality defensive midfielder. When a team’s midfield disappears, the defense has no one to connect with and the offense is receiving no quality distributions. The fact that Hutton just this week signed an extension to stay with Bay FC through 2030 is salt on the wound. It also begs the question–what was going on behind the scenes that made Pfeiffer and Hutton want out? Pfeiffer is from Missouri and Hutton has really established herself in KC…and they were part of a team that had just broken countless records and yet they both made the choice to leave for a team that finished 2025 tied on points for last place in the league. Strike five.

Finally, many people have pointed to the congested/travel-heavy opening to the season as a reason for the poor results. Again, though, this was a known element. The schedule has been out for months. There shouldn’t have been a match (in this case in Spokane) in which practically half the team was making their first NWSL start. Strike six.

Notably, none of this is focused on the hiring of Chris Armas (who may already be on a very hot seat) as head coach. Yes, he may not be the right person for this job, but he can only work with the roster that he was given, and regardless of who was on the sidelines, this team was not set up for success out of the gate. (Six strikes and you’re really out.)

The silver lining in all of this–most of the teams that were assumed to be elite heading into the season are not proving to be, at least so far. Orlando is in 7th, Gotham is in 9th, Washington is in 12th, and KC is in 13th. None of those powerhouses have more than a single victory (Washington is winless). So either parity is roaring back with a vengeance this year after the top teams have really separated themselves the last couple of seasons, or there is a definitive changing of the guard at the top.

What that all means for this Saturday’s game is that it will pit two teams who are used to winning but who are currently desperate for any signs of positivity. The Current will enter the match on a three-game losing streak, but also excited to be back home where they are 1-0 so far. Gotham will enter on the heels of a listless 0-0 draw hosting Orlando. They have also already lost 0-2 at home to the expansion side Denver Summit and their only win was a 1-0 affair in the season opener to the other expansion team Boston Legacy. With that said, they are still the team with probably the most name recognition in the league as they have worked to acquire many national and international stars over the past few years. They employ: Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, Tierna Davidson, Jess Carter, Ann-Katrin Berger, Midge Purce, Jaedyn Shaw, Lilly Reale, Bruninha, and Esther González. Admittedly, there are a couple of injuries in this group so the “super team” isn’t at full strength, but it’s still a formidable outfit.

Lastly, not that the Current will be lacking in motivation to put on a quality display and get a positive result, but it’s important to remember that the last time Gotham visited KC it was as an 8th seed in the playoffs last year. They would go on to stun the hosts en route to their second championship in a three-year span. KC should have revenge on their minds.

Reigning Shield Winners vs Reigning Champs 😤A can’t miss rematch at CPKC Stadium April 4 at 3PM!🎟️ Get your tickets: bit.ly/040426tixBS

— KC Current (@kansascitycurrent.bsky.social) 2026-03-30T16:30:06.409Z

WHEN: Saturday, April 4 at 3:00 PM (Central Time)

WHERE: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO

HOW TO WATCH: CBS / Paramount+

Record:

KC Current: 1-0-3 (3 points, 13th place)

Gotham FC: 1-2-1 (5 points, 9th place)

Last Match:

KC Current: 0-2 road loss to Portland Thorns

Gotham FC: 0-0 home draw to Orlando Pride