KC Current Run Laps Around Racing Louisville in Big Win

The Kansas City Current returned to CPKC Stadium for the first of two back-to-back games this week. They welcomed Racing Louisville to town, who sit in the basement of the National Women’s Soccer League standings. Their place would not change with the performance they put on tonight.

The KC Current rolled out a slightly rotated lineup, looking for the special sauce to get going post-World Cup break. Bayley Feist and Amelia White joined the starters. Kayla Sharples wasn’t even on the bench which led to lots of speculation that no one at the team could confirm.

WEDNESDAY. WARRIORS. ⚔️

— KC Current (@kansascitycurrent.bsky.social) 2026-07-29T23:27:46.375Z

USWNT regular, Emma Sears, of course was in the starting lineup for Louisville. Taylor Flint was also available.

Our XI 💪17-year-old Audrey McKeen is set to make her first pro start! For more news and notes: tinyurl.com/5n8dxwf4

— Racing Louisville FC (@racingloufc.com) 2026-07-29T23:10:06.724Z

The first substantial chance of the game came early with a turnover leading to a one versus one on the last defender for Croix Bethune, but her shot was put out for a corner.

It wouldn’t take long for the Current to get their first though. White fought hard for a loose ball near the 18-yard-box and chopped it inside to Croix Bethune. She slipped it through to Lo LaBonta for a driven shot. Jordyn Bloomer came up with the save but spilled it and Hopkins was there for cleanup and opened the scoring. 1-0 KC.

Kansas City kept the pressure on after the early goal. They had several half chances, with the best falling to the middle of the box and Feist and Debinha both going for it, leading to not enough being on the shot from Bayley and it was easily saved.

Another goal would come quick though. Laney Rouse was played a through ball on the right side of the attack and chopped the ball back beating her defender. Her cross would be a bit too high for Croix and go all the way through to Izzy Rodriguez. Izzy played a cross into Hopkins squared it for Debinha who scored her second of the season and put the Current up 2-0!

At that point, Deb was feeling herself. She got on the end of another buildup where Hopkins laid a ball off to her and she tried to curl it into the far post. It went just wide, but KC stayed on the front foot.

Moments later, they’d have their third. This time, they won the ball back in the midfield off a Racing Louisville goal kick. The ball fell fast to the feet of Croix who laid a well weighted ball up the right side to White who scored her first NWSL goal.

The game would slow down a bit for the remainder of the half with Kansas City going in up 3-0.

Out of halftime, the KC Current made one change, bringing on Katie Scott to play right back for the first time this season. She replaced Rouse.

The second half started and the KC Current wasted no time adding to their lead. It was a lot like the first goal in the game, just with slightly different build up. Feist found herself just outside the 18-yard-box where she squared a ball to Debinha. She blasted a shot that the keeper couldn’t hold, and once against Hopkins jumped on the rebound. A brace for Hopkins put Kansas City up 4-0.

Shortly after, the Current made it 5-0. A turnover in the midfield forced by Feist, sprung the attack. She played it to Hopkins who held up the ball nicely and found Debinha. The Feist-Debinha connection paid off with a give and go that came back to Deb for a record typing goal. She is now tied for the all-time lead in NWSL with 82 goals. She tied Lynn Williams who also used to play for the Current.

After the fifth goal, Kansas City dipped back into their bench a few times. First Gianna Paul replaced Debinha and Rocky Rodriguez replaced LaBonta. Only a few minutes later, Vanessa DiBernardo came in for Bethune. In the 65th minute, KC handed out an NWSL debut to Kolo Suliafu, who has played for KC, but not in a league match. She replaced Izzy and Scott flipped to LB.

It wouldn’t be until the 68th minute that those subs would settle in. A counter started with Hopkins coming up the left wing after Paul had moved to the CF spot. She did her regular hold up play and found White charging in the middle. Amelia hit it first time and blasted her shot off the crossbar! Nearly a third brace of the night!

The shutout would last through the hydration break, but unbeknownst to most of the sellout crowd in the stadium, there was a VAR review going on during the break. Referee Danielle Chesky came out of the break and confirmed Scott had committed a foul on Kayla Fischer and also gave her the Current’s first yellow card.

On again, off again USWNT midfielder Taylor Flint stepped to the spot to take the kick. After a lot of nonsense by the players around the box, eventually she sent Marissa Jordan the wrong way and the shutout was dashed. Kansas City’s lead decreased to four goals. 5-1 KC.

All the changes, mixed with the oppressive heat, had the game lacking rhythm after that. No one could sustain possession and eventually the fourth official put up the board for eight minutes of stoppage time. Gianna Paul tried to make some magic when Scott sent a ball up the left side of the attack and she made a long run, surprising Flint and chesting the ball down to pass her. Flint barely recovered to get a toe on it to force a corner kick which came to nothing.

The last big moment came on the end of an extended run of KC possession. After nearly everyone on the field touched the ball, a through ball went to White up the right and she cut it back inside to Hopkins. Haley will want her shot back, as her attempt at a hat trick went a little wide. That would seal the game with KC breaking their two-game winless streak.

The KC Current are back at home on Saturday hosting Angel City FC at 5:30 PM CST. Sporting KC play two hours later across town against the Houston Dynamo at 7:30PM.