Current drops second straight in 1-0 loss at Seattle

After a perfect start to the season, the Kansas City Current have come up short on the road in the last two matches. The Current are now 5-2-0 with 15 points. The Seattle Reign FC improved to 3-2-2 with 11 points. The Reign earned the win over the first-place team with a goal in the 37th minute from Lynn Biyendolo, who scored the lone goal in the match.

NWSL AFTER DARK STARTERS ✨@BlueKC | #KCBABY pic.twitter.com/Yukl1BmL6G

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) May 3, 2025

Various injuries and a short week influenced Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski to switch up the starters.  Flora Marta Lacho earned her first start for the Current, lining up at left back. Hailie Mace made her first start this season on the right side as well.

After scoring at least two goals in their first six matches, the Current were held scoreless. Neither team was particularly dangerous for most of the match. Seattle only had four total shots with two on goal and a .21 XG (Expected Goals). Kansas City finished the match with a .70 XG on thirteen shots and only three on target.

Missing from the starting lineup were three potent attackers. Michelle Cooper and Nichelle Prince were out while Temwa Chawinga was questionable and had a minute limitation if she did play.

“I thought they defended well, but on the other side, we were not as precise with the final passes,” Andonovski stated. “I also don’t think we threatened the space behind their back line enough. And like you said, Temwa and Michelle and Nichelle, that’s what their specialty is. They are dangerous for your opponent, for the space behind the back line, and usually that’s what opens up the space for the other players where now it was just not enough.”

Biyendolo’s game winning goal was the result of a Seattle corner kick that the Current could not clear. It was a problem the team has last season but had mostly cleaned up since the middle of the 2024 season but reappeared in their last match.

“It’s unfortunate that we got scored on in a set play in the second game in a row and a set play, a corner kick decides the outcome of the game,” Andonovski told media post game. “It’s definitely something we need to need to work on. It’s a big sign that that we have to be better at that. I thought that we were very good early on in the season. We were able to defend well, every set play that came in, we were dominating everything. But now, two games in a row, we’re getting hurt by it. Definitely something we need to do better, but other than that, I, I don’t think there was any threat to our goal.”

Angolan forward Lacho has been training at left back for the Current Andonovski explained. “Lacho has been training for that position for a long time now. She played in a friendly game we had a few weeks ago against the u-20 national team, so we have been preparing her for that position. And one thing that she does well is eliminating pressure, eliminating the first press, which I thought she did a good job, combining with players and defended well.”

Another angle of Lynn Biyendolo's first goal with @reignfc! 👀 pic.twitter.com/kPgqPoOaCZ

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 3, 2025

Highlights or lowlights depend on the point of view.

Lynn Biyendolo scores her first for @reignfc as they shut out KC Current at Lumen Field!

Seattle Reign FC vs. KC Current highlights presented by @nationwide pic.twitter.com/7VO2ndtRVb

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 3, 2025

NWSL Match Report
Match: Seattle Reign vs. Kansas City Current
Date: May 2, 2025
Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA

Kickoff: 7:38 p.m. PT/9:38 p.m. CT
Weather: 60 degrees, mostly cloudy
Attendance: 5,912

Discipline
57’ Seattle – Barnes (Yellow)
69’ Kansas City – LaBonta (Yellow)
70’ Seattle – Ji (Yellow)

Scoring
37’ Seattle – Williams (Huitema)

Scoring Summary

Seattle Reign Lineup: Dickey, McClernon, Bugg, Barnes © (90+4’ Mason), Meza, James-Turner (79’ McCammon), Ji (84’ Holmes), Crnogorčević (79’ Curry), Dahlien (90+4’ Mercado), Huitema, Biyendolo
Unused Substitutes: Miller, Glas, Van der Jagt, Adames

Kansas City Current Lineup: Lorena, Mace, Cook, Sharples, Lacho (61’ I. Rodriguez), LaBonta ©, Hutton (75’ R. Rodríguez), DiBernardo (61’ Chawinga), Hopkins (75’ Wheeler), Zaneratto (75’ Long), Debinha
Unused Substitutes: Ivory, Ball, Feist, Scott