The Current Flows into the Bay: Match Preview

There probably exists somewhere a “Best Classic Song” bracket that pits Tina Turner’s Proud Mary against Otis Redding’s (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay. And even if there isn’t, a soccer match this Saturday night will serve as a proxy for that competition as the Kansas City Current clash with Bay FC. Turner’s rocking rendition of the CCR song blasts across CPKC Stadium following every Current victory, and while Redding’s tune is probably too mellow to have really been embraced by Bay FC, the team was literally sitting on the (Mission) Bay recently when they played in front of 40,091 fans at Oracle Park, establishing a new attendance record for an NWSL match.

This weekend’s match will shift back to Bay’s normal home of PayPal Park and it will be interesting to see if the team experiences an attendance bump from that five-goal showdown with the Washington Spirit. And while this will be the Current’s first visit to PayPal this season, they very much hope it won’t be their last as the San Jose site has been selected to host the NWSL Championship Match in November.

Bay FC, in their second year in existence, have been having a rather rough go of it lately. They are currently on a seven-game winless streak, including five losses in that time. Earlier this season, they were feeling optimistic about a playoff berth, but their fortunes really changed once summer rolled around and they now sit third-to-last in the table. In fact, Kansas City’s current 11-game streak without a loss began with a 4-1 drubbing of Bay FC back on May 11. All time, KC is 3-0-0 against Bay, with the one previous visit to PayPal Park resulting in a 1-0 win to the Current.

The Bay FC roster experienced a big upheaval this week when news broke that Nigerian superstar Asisat Oshoala was leaving Bay for Al Hilal in the Saudi Women’s Premier League. A former member of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Barcelona (with whom she won the Champions League thrice), she was Bay’s splashiest (and most expensive) signing prior to their first season. She led the team in goals scored last year with seven but had seen her playing time drop this year, appearing mostly off the bench in just 12 games.

Despite Oshoala’s sudden absence, Bay still employs some an impressive roster that includes Zambian international Racheal Kundananji, USWNT member Abby Dahlkemper, and Penelope Hocking, who leads the team with five goals this season. Bay also features two former Current players with defender Kiki Pickett and starting goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz. While the team has been struggling to secure results of late, they are very good at keeping matches close. In fact, they haven’t played a game decided by more than a single goal since they beat Angel City 2-0 in the middle of May.

The other end of the pitch Saturday night will be occupied by the team running away from the rest of the league in Kansas City. With their win last weekend, the Current punched their postseason ticket, equaling Orlando’s record from last year for the fastest to securing a playoff spot. Unlike the 2024 Pride, though, this year’s Current also have a huge lead over every other team, from second place on down. They have scored the most goals, 36, conceded the fewest, 10, (which of course gives them the best goal differential at +26). They haven’t lost at home, have achieved an eight-game win streak (May-August), and are currently riding a 6-match streak without allowing a goal (a league record).

CURRENT CLINCHED‼️

Our spot is secured for the 2025 @NWSL Playoffs. Stay tuned for ticket info #KCBABY 👏 pic.twitter.com/H9HOKBU7Xu

— KC Current – x (@thekccurrent) August 31, 2025

Kansas City has done all this while also navigating various injury and availability issues. For the rest of the year, they will be missing two regular starters in defender Alana Cook and midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo. Goalkeeper Lorena missed one of the games during this shutout streak while representing Brazil and other key contributors like Debinha, Elizabeth Ball, and Lo LaBonta have all missed time recently with injuries. And speaking of injuries, reigning MVP Temwa Chawinga rolled her ankle last weekend and was taken straight to the locker room. While there has been no official word on her status, it seems likely that it’s not a particularly serious injury.

Looks like everyone in full training (including Cooper) except Chawinga. Temwa was on side with a trainer. Freya Coombe was asked about their health and she responded "nothing we are concerned about." #kcbaby #nwsl

— Thad Bell (@TheBackpost) September 2, 2025

However, even if Chawinga’s injury isn’t particularly concerning, it may behoove Coach Andonovski to give her some time off. Yes, she is likely KC’s most important piece, but the Current really have little to play for through the rest of the regular season. They have already secured a spot in the playoffs, and ensuring they finish with the best record (giving them the #1 seed and the NWSL Shield) is likely to happen in the next few weeks. There is no need (outside of Chawinga trying to keep pace with Esther González in the Golden Boot race) to rush Temwa back before her body is nicely rested and the focus starts to turn in earnest to the postseason. In fact, the Kansas City roster is so deep that some time off for Chawinga could have the added benefit of giving other players: Bia Zanneratto, Haley Hopkins, Alex Pfeiffer, Nichelle Prince, Mary Long, Ally Sentnor, etc. some more playing time.

Besides all the on-field success, the good vibes keep coming for KC and its players even off the field with this week’s announcement that Claire Hutton has won the Lauren Holiday Fan Impact Challenge. She partnered with MINDDRIVE to give Kansas City area students greater access to STEM learning and resources.

$10K COMING BACK TO #KCBABY‼️

HUGE congratulations to @ClaireHutton112 & @MINDDRIVEorg on winning the Lauren Holiday Fan Impact Challenge. The reaction says it all 🥹 pic.twitter.com/2hGBaXF6lY

— KC Current – x (@thekccurrent) September 2, 2025

This team seems to genuinely love each other.

For anyone needing a few more good vibes coming out of KC, check out Sam Mewis’s recent interview with Temwa Chawinga.

But back to the topic at hand as the Current head west for what should be one of only three more times they have to play in front of away fans this year. A win this weekend for the ladies in teal would come very close to locking in the first place finish. On the other hand, a victory for the home side would stop a three-month long slide and potentially put Bay just four points back of the final playoff spot.

So, one way or another, by the time the final whistle blows around 11pm on Saturday, the teams will know whether they’re “rolling on the river” or “sitting on the dock of the bay.”

WHEN: Saturday, September 6 at 9:00 PM (Central Time)

WHERE: PayPal Park, San Jose, CA

HOW TO WATCH: Ion, 38 the Spot

Record:

KC Current: 15-1-2 (46 points, 1st place)

Bay FC: 4-5-9 (17 points, 12th place)

Last Match:

KC Current: 2-0 home win versus North Carolina Courage

Bay FC: 1-2 road loss versus Angel City FC