Teal Rising! KC Current Host Palmeiras

The 2025 NWSL regular season is exactly 50% complete. Every team has played 13 of their 26 matches, and to this point, it’s pretty clear who the best team has been.

Kansas City be like 📈📈📈 Which teams do you expect to make some movement when we return from international break? @carmax.com | #RoadToTheShield

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-06-26T15:17:44.758Z

Kansas City could lose their next three league games and at worst they would be 2nd place by a single point (they’re not going to lose their next three). But…they won’t get to play another regular season match until August. The league is taking a six-week break because of several continental competitions. Five KC players (Izzy Rodriguez, Claire Hutton, Michelle Cooper, Nichelle Prince, and Rocky Rodríguez) each donned their national team kits for some North American friendlies over the past couple weeks, but, curiously, only a single Current will likely be occupied through the majority of this international break. Lorena will lace up the boots for Brazil during the Women’s Copa América that runs through August 2nd (meaning she could be absent for KC’s first game back from break).

Nossa goleira esta indo para a Copa América! 🇧🇷

Lorena will represent @SelecaoFeminina in Ecuador for the 2025 @CopaAmerica Feminia 🙌 pic.twitter.com/nmsoefV6rZ

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) July 8, 2025

Besides the Current’s netminder, the team will remain largely intact over the month of July. This will be a good time for some rest and recovery, but it will also mean the team could be at relatively full strength for two non-league matches over the coming week.

Introducing the inaugural Teal Rising Cup presented by @VisitMO 🏆

We’re set to host @Palmeiras_FEM, @SCCPFutFeminino & @theChicagoStars at @cpkcstadium for the four-team tournament on July 12 & 15 🙌 pic.twitter.com/JZAz3T2fZt

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) May 28, 2025

Because six weeks off in the middle of a season is a long break, the club created a new tournament–the Teal Rising Cup. This will provide two matches that can hopefully function to keep the team fresh (they were in top form and don’t want that to change) while also giving them the chance to lift a trophy. This is similar to The Women’s Cup and The Summer Cup from 2024; competitions that largely took place during a midseason (Olympic) break and included KC squaring off against international opponents. The Current captured both of those titles and will look to do the same in a four-team tournament that features two NWSL and two Brazilian sides.

First up for Kansas City is a Saturday night game against Palmeiras. From the press release discussing Palmeiras: “The club’s major achievements include the 2022 Copa Libertadores, the São Paulo State Championship titles in 2001, 2022, and 2024, the Copa Paulista titles in 2019 and 2021, and the Regional Games titles in 2005, 2008, and 2010. Palmeiras also finished as runners-up in the Brazilian Championship in 2000 and 2021.”

This match will be especially notable for KC forward Bia Zaneratto who played for Palmeiras from 2020 through 2024. She scored 30 goals for the Brazilian team before landing in Kansas City.

Palmeiras sports a domestic-heavy roster (only two players aren’t from Brazil), and they have a number who have featured either for their national team or have previously played abroad. Team captain Andressinha has not only been a regular member of the Brazilian national team, but she has also spent time in the NWSL with both the Houston Dash and the Portland Thorns.

Coincidentally, Palmeiras will also be sans their starting GK as Kate Tapia will be representing Colombia in the Copa América.

¡Convocada! 🇨🇴 ✨

Nossa arqueira Kate Tapia foi chamada para defender a Seleção Colombiana na Copa América!

Boa sorte, Paredão! 🫶💚 pic.twitter.com/Qv3byVo8xg

— Palmeiras Feminino (@Palmeiras_FEM) July 7, 2025

Again, much like last season, the international break creates an interesting dynamic for the Kansas City Current. Upon hitting the break in 2024, the Current were neck and neck with the Orlando Pride for the top spot in the league. During the mini-tournaments, they did not experience the same roster challenges as many other teams and rather easily swept their way to two titles. However, upon resumption of regular league action last August, the team went on a losing streak (losing 1-4 to Washington and 1-2 to North Carolina). This stumble basically eliminated them from battling for the Shield and cost them a higher seed in the playoffs.

Despite 37 NWSL players (an average of nearly three per team) suiting up for teams in the European, African, or South American tournaments, KC is only going to be missing Lorena. (Even fellow Teal Rising participant, and bottom of the table team, Chicago Stars FC, have sent two overseas to the Euros.) This means that Coach Andonovski will have his choice of players to put on a good show in front of the home fans.

Despite having most of his roster available to him, though, his lineup is unlikely to be a fully first-choice eleven. For one thing, athletes like Cooper and Hutton did put in a lot of minutes with the USWNT recently so they may be due for an extended rest. Additionally, this could be a perfect opportunity to get some reserves (think Regan Steigleder, Mary Long, Flora Marta Lacho, Jereko, Katie Scott, etc.) some game minutes–Laurel Ivory will almost certainly get her first minutes in “teal” during this tournament. Finally, despite being on a six-match winning streak, the Current have been pretty banged up. Alana Cook is definitely out for the rest of the season, but perhaps other players who are working their way back from injury: Lo LaBonta, Debinha, Alex Pfeiffer, Kristen Hamilton, and Gabby Robinson could start seeing some action.

In short, the ideal situation is that the team is able to start working some players back from injury, give reserves some minutes, maintain the momentum that saw them alone in first place, and not pick up any additional injuries. Oh, and win a pair of matches to be able to hoist another trophy in front of home fans on Tuesday. Most NWSL teams are participating in some sort of tournament/friendlies during this break (interestingly, after participating in the Teal Rising Cup, Palmeiras will return to Brazil and play in the latest iteration of the Women’s Cup–and could face Racing Louisville in the title match). It makes sense to try to stay fresh during a long layoff. However, the Current have more to lose than most teams and will attempt to strike the right balance when they take the field this weekend.

WHEN: Saturday, July 12 at 8:00 PM (Central Time)

WHERE: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO

HOW TO WATCH: ESPN+

Record:

KC Current: 0-0 (Teal Rising Cup)

Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras: 0-0 (Teal Rising Cup)

Last Match:

KC Current: 1-0 home win versus Angel City

Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras: 2-2 road draw versus Red Bull Bragantino