The KC Current Complete Another Comeback to Defeat Bay FC

The Kansas City Current had just four games to go in the race to the 2026 NWSL Playoffs entering Saturday. They started the game in the 8th and final playoff spot, courtesy of a North Carolina Courage victory over the Seattle Reign, who dropped to 9th. There was no way to end up below the red line, regardless of results. But a loss to Bay FC would put them in a precarious position, based on their upcoming schedule.

It started a little dicey, but the KC Current made yet another comeback victory.

The KC Current rolled out the same lineup that won 4-1 over the Denver Summit last weekend. Laney Rouse also returned from her red card suspension and was available off the bench. The team was still without superstar, Croix Bethune, who is still dealing with a hip injury.

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On the other side of the pitch were a bunch of familiar faces. Claire Hutton, Alex Pfeiffer and Jordan Silkowitz all started against their former club. Silkowitz departed in the trade that brought Kayla Sharples to Kansas City. Hutton was traded in a move that opened up funds to acquire the aforementioned Bethune. And Pfeiffer was inexplicably “mutually departed” with.

The game got off to an inauspicious start. Less than four minutes in, Bay FC quickly worked the ball through the Kansas City midfield and into the heart of the KC defense. Rachael Kundananji found Karlie Lema. It happened so quick, Lorena found herself too far from her goal and a simple pass to the corner put Bay FC up 1-0. It’s the 18th time this season that the KC Current have conceded the first goal of the match.

The Current had a couple half chances in the moments after the goal, but it was Bay FC that nearly struck next if not for a defensive effort from Debinha. Kundananji got in behind and looked to beat everyone and be one-on-one with Lorena before Deb got a touch and ended the chance. Just minutes later Kundananji beat several defenders but a last-ditch effort from Vanessa DiBernardo got in the way and Kundananji fouled her instead of getting off a shot. V was on the ground for a bit but was able to continue.

In an effort that would surely have turned a few heads, right-winger Alex Pfeiffer reeled off a shot from 40 yards out that just before snuck over the bar to allow Bay to keep the pressure on KC.

In the 24th minute, the KC Current would turn their 6th corner kick of the game into something. Izzy Rodriguez delivered a ball in and Silkowitz went up for it but couldn’t get a grasp in the sea of bodies. The ball bounced around for what felt like an eternity before Haley Hopkins poked it in her 9th goal of the season! The game was level 1-1.

After a long delay from the VAR looking at it, the goal stood and KC got right back on the attack. A ball was worked up the right side to Michelle Cooper who chopped her defender and blasted a ball that Silkowitz kept out of the net. Quickly, Bay found themselves on the attack with a long switch to Pfeiffer who was one-on-one with Sharples. She made a nice move to get an open shot but skied it over the bar. At that point, it was becoming a bit of a track meet as Izzy sent the ball long to Temwa Chawinga who beat her defender but was surrounded. She cut back as a pass to Cooper whose shot was saved by the head of the Bay FC defender.

Kansas City nearly went ahead in the 35th minute. They worked the ball up the left side of the attack where Sharples found Izzy. She crossed to Temwa who laid it off for Lo LaBonta to have a crack but she hit it just wide of the post. In another nicely worked attack, another cross came in from Izzy that ultimately fell to Debinha. She took a laser of a shot that went off the chin of Hutton. After a check from the training staff, she was thankfully able to continue.

The 4th official put up six minutes of stoppage time but the first decent chance didn’t come until nearly four minutes in. The KC Current played the ball wide to Cooper who once again chopped Jenna Nighswonger and hit a nice cross into Temwa. After a settling touch, her shot let her down as it sailed over the bar. On the other end, Pfeiffer beat multiple defenders to cut back to her favored left foot but also sent the ball over the crossbar. Nearly a minute over the minimum of six minutes, Temwa earned a corner which DiBernardo used to find the head of Hopkins who drove the ball towards the goal, but Nighswonger saved it off the line! The next corner had everyone screaming handball, but after a brief delay, the ref blew his whistle for halftime.

At the half, the scoreline was equal, but the play was not. Fotmob had KC with an expected goal (xG) total of 1.31 to Bay’s 0.29. KC also has 13 shots to six. To start the second, Kansas City looked to counter Bay’s most effective first half weapon, by subbing on Laney Rouse for Elizabeth Ball, who had struggled with Kudananji’s play.

It wouldn’t take long for Kansas City to put their statistical advantage into one on the scoresheet. Just 45 seconds in, on a counterattack, Hopkins laid off a pass for Debinha which she placed in in the corner to put the Current up 2-1!

It wouldn’t take that much longer for Debinha to have herself a brace. Kansas City slowly worked the ball up the right side of their attack. A ball was played into the run of the substitute Rouse who skied a cross to the back post. Sydney Collins, the captain and right back for Bay, misjudged the ball in the air and Debinha headed it back across the goal and into the net! 3-1 Kansas City!

After two quick goals, it would take a couple more minutes for Emma Coates to go to her bench. Kennedy Fuller and Keira Barry replaced Pfeiffer and Taylor Huff. From there, the game settled down a bit. The good chances would be tougher to come by. In the 68th minute, Kansas City went to their bench for the first time. Rocky Rodriguez and Amelia White replaced Cooper and DiBernardo. In the 73rd, Kundananji was replaced by Cristian Girelli.

After that, the KC Current would strike with their fourth. They won the ball wide left and worked it all the way around the pitch until it was coming up the far right. Hopkins and White had a give and go before White crossed the ball into Debinha who completed her hattrick! 4-1 Kansas City! That was the team’s 3rd hattrick of the year, a new NWSL record.

In the 80th minute, Debinha got her curtain call, coming off for Penelope Hocking. LaBonta was also replaced by Bayley Feist. Claire Hutton had an excellent chance to pull one back for Bay in the 83rd minute. A relatively slow sequence of passes saw her slip through the defense, but her shot was hit right at Lorena, who pushed it out for a throw. In the 85th, just five minutes after entering the game, Hocking was already on a persistent infringement warning from referee Edson Carvajal.

In the 89th minute, Temwa Chawinga added her 12th goal of the season. Rocky Rodriguez just hit a clearance down the field and Temwa does what she does and beats everyone before rounding the keeper to make it 5-1 KC Current!

And that’s how it will end. There are three games to go in the NWSL season. The win, at least temporarily, pushes the KC Current up to 5th in the standings with the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC still to play this weekend. The NWSL will take next weekend off for the international break, but when Kansas City return, they will hit the road to face the Utah Royals in a critical game for playoff positioning.