The KC Current Defeat Corinthians to Make the Teal Rising Cup Final

The Kansas City Current were looking to defend the Teal Rising Cup in the second ever iteration of the tournament. They welcomed Brazilian club Corinthians SC to town for the second straight version of the tourney. Earlier in the night, former KC Current striker Bia Zaneratto led her Palmeiras side to a win over Club America with a 1-0 scoreline. The winner of KC and Corinthians can look forward to facing Bia and Palmeiras in the finals.

The lineup for Kansas City featured a heavily rotated side with a few stars sprinkled throughout, including Debinha and Croix Bethune. It also marked the first ever starts for new KC Current players Marissa Jordan (GK), Kolo Suliafu (CB), Penelope Hocking (FWD) and Amelia White (FWD). The bench also featured Lorena, Lo LaBonta, Izzy Rodriguez, Gabby Robinson and Kayla Sharples in terms of usual starters. A few KC Current II players, Itala Gemelli (MID), Taliana Kaufusi (FWD) and Avery Clark (MID) were available for selection too.

KC Current and Corinthians lineups are out. Heavy rotation but a few regular starters including Croix and Debinha. No Temwa on the bench (which makes a ton of sense on short rest). #KCBaby #TealRisingCup

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2026-04-10T00:04:41.925Z

With it being an international break, Corinthians were missing some of their stars who were off with Brazil. Lelê, Thaís Ferreira, Gi Fernandes, Duda Sampaio and Ana Vitória were all away with Brazil. Obviously, KC were without plenty of starts including Ally Sentnor and Michelle Cooper with the USWNT, Rocky Rodriguez with Costa Rica, Kyra Carusa with Ireland and Katie Scott with the US U20s.

The Current opened the game in their familiar 4-3-3 shape with Haley Hopkins up top at striker, Hocking out wide left and White playing on the right wing. The midfield was a bit of an inverted triangle with Bayley Feist playing the lone #6 and Debinha and Croix in the double 8/10 roles (at times Croix sat deeper next to Feist as well). In the back, Ellie Bravo-Young flipped to left back with Laney Rouse at right back. Elizabeth Ball played RCB and debuting rookie Kolo was at the LCB role.

The game’s first great chance came in the 12th minute when Debinha patiently waited for White’s run, wide right. She chopped her defender and then hit her right-footed shot just wide of the far post.

Near miss from Amelia White! That cut back though… nasty! #TealRisingCup #KCBaby

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2026-04-10T01:18:53.687Z

After that miss, Corinthians started to take over. They earned a couple set pieces in the Current’s end of the field and didn’t let KC cross the midfield line until the 18th minute. Despite that, they never got above a half chance at goal. In the 22nd minute, the KC Current creeped closer to putting one in the net. The ball moved from White to Croix who laced a slick pass to an overlapping Bravo-Young who hit an early cross that looked destined for Hopkins’ foot until a last second intervention forced a corner.

Kansas City kept the pressure on and forced chaos in the box in the 25th minute after a nice long switch from Ball to Deb who had drifted wide right. She beat her defender despite being pulled back and eventually laid it off for White’s hard cross. The initial shot went into another KC player and Hopkins looked like she was going to go for a bike until she just popped the ball way into the air to the keeper.

The games first yellow came after a bit of an injury delay in the aforementioned sequence. Hopkins tried to touch it around Leticia Silva, who put a knee into her chest to earn a very deserved card.

The games first yellow card goes to Leticia Silva for a knee/shin to the chest of Haley Hopkins. Ouch! #TealRisingCup #KCBaby

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2026-04-10T01:35:13.043Z

In the 33rd it looked like the KC Current had finally broken through. However, the ref raised his flag for offside on Hocking, who nearly had an assist to Bethune. Upon a closer look, it’s not clear Hocking is offside but there was no immediate replay. From this bad angle, she looks on. Parallax effect? There is no VAR in the Teal Rising Cup.

KC would get their goal though. In the 39th minute, Bethune forced a turnover in the midfield and then got around her defender. She found Debinha out wide right who chipped in a delicate cross to the 2025 Teal Rising Cup MVP, Haley Hopkins, who put it home! 1-0 Kansas City!

Bethune > Debinha > Hopkins! 1-0 KC Current! #TealRisingCup #KCBaby

— KC Soccer Journal (@kcsoccerjournal.bsky.social) 2026-04-10T01:47:41.818Z

Just after the goal, the physical game continued with Hocking going into the book as the first KC Current player with a yellow. Now both teams had borderline orange cards.

Right after the KC goal, Hocking goes in the book for the Current's first yellow. #TealRisingCup #KCBaby

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2026-04-10T01:48:06.525Z

After three minutes of stoppage time and a couple Corinthians corner kicks, the KC Current successfully headed into the halftime up 1-0.

Halftime Stats

Shots: KC 6 – COR 8

SOG: KC 2 – COR 3

Saves: KC 3 – COR 1

Yellows: 1 each

There was a double sub for the KC Current at the half. Debinha and Bethune off for Avery Clark and Kelsey Branson. Both of them are from KC Current II, but Branson signed a short-term first team deal. Clark definitely seemed to be more of a 10 and played basically next to Hopkins and Branson was firmly slotted in as a dual 6 with Feist, as she did in her NWSL debut next to Katie Scott against the Seattle Spokane Reign. The formation more resembled a 4-4-2 with Clark as a second striker and the wingers tucking in as wide midfielders.

The second half definitely started with KC sitting a little deeper and being comfortable out of possession. While Corinthians had the ball a lot, they weren’t particularly dangerous and KC had a couple half chances on counters that fizzled before they could get off a shot.

KC made their third sub in the 62nd minute as Feist was replaced by another KC Current II player, Itala Gemelli.

It looked the Current were destined to add a second goal in the 67th. Bravo-Young sent in a cross from wide left and Clark challenged for the ball which the keeper spilled. It appeared to fall perfectly to White, but her shot hit the outside of the net.

I thought it was in… White's shot, to her and the fans dismay, is in the side netting. KC remain up 1-0. #TealRisingCup #KCBaby

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2026-04-10T02:33:31.648Z

In the 73rd minute, the Current made two more subs. Izzy Rodriguez came on for Bravo-Young and another KC Current II player, Taliana Kaufusi, come on for Hocking. Kaufusi moved up top and Hopkins dropped to the LW/LM role. KC officially put all four of their II players on the field.

Briefly after, Corinthians would level it with a rocket from Jaqueline Almeida. 1-1. There must be a winner.

Jaqueline Almeida levels it with a rocket! 1-1. #TealRisingCup #KCBaby

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2026-04-10T02:41:58.248Z

In the 79th minute, it looked like Corinthians were about to score again. A poor touch by Kolo Suliafu led to a wide-open chance from nearly the spot of the goal, but Andressa Alves got it all wrong and hit the ball right to Marisa Jordan.

Near disaster for the Current after the Kolo turnover, but Corinthians hit it straight to Jordan. #TealRisingCup #KCBaby

— Chad Smith (@chadcsmith.bsky.social) 2026-04-10T02:46:21.607Z

The Current would make their Brazilian counterparts pay for their mistake. They worked an attack up the left-hand side of the attack and Izzy put in a cross to the head of KC Current II player Clark who blasted it home! 2-1!

KC Current II player, Avery Clark, with the blasted header off the Izzy Rodriguez cross. #TealRisingCup #KCBaby

— KC Soccer Journal (@kcsoccerjournal.bsky.social) 2026-04-10T02:48:25.368Z

After the goal, Chris Armas went defensive and added a third CB. White was removed for NWSL Best XI CB, Kayla Sharples to try and seal the game. According to the rules committee, each team is allowed six subs in the Teal Rising Cup. The change shifted KC into a 5-4-1 with Clark moving wide left. The Current got to stoppage time, but they’d need to hold on for seven more minutes to seal a place in the finals.

It would take an extra minute of stoppage time due to some cramping from a few players, and it got chaotic in that final minute, but KC held on. Kansas City host Palmeiras and Bia in the finals on Sunday.

The third place and championship match are back at CPKC Stadium on April 12th. The third-place game has been moved to 3:00PM CT and the finals are at 6:00PM. Both games will air on ION.