KC Current remain winless in 2023, losing to the Chicago Red Stars 4-2

After a week off due to the international break, the Kansas City Current traveled to Chicago to face the Red Stars, hoping to get their first win of the 2023 season. Both the Chicago Red Stars and the Current came into the game without points, two of the three teams at the bottom of the standings (Orlando being the other one).

The week off did not do anything to help Kansas City’s injury woes as the Current again entered another game with a lengthy injury report, missing many key players, including adding defender Alex Loera who injured her right foot this past week. The positive was the upgrade of Debinha and Vanessa DiBenardo, both coming off the injury list and making their first starts for 2023 and for the Current. DiBenardo made her Kansas City Current debut. Last game, on April 1st, Debinha made her debut against the Portland Thorns FC.

Here's tonight's @saintlukeskc Health Report 🩺 pic.twitter.com/e2dT2ZDYqm

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) April 15, 2023

Ready to go in Chicago 👊#KCBABY | #CHIvKC pic.twitter.com/UIwr7u333d

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) April 15, 2023

The game looked to start off in Kansas City’s favor as forward Michelle Cooper stole the ball from a Chicago defender in the 3′ minute and sprinted towards the goal, breaking away from her defenders. Unfortunately, her shot in the 4′ minute would go wide, missing a tremendous opportunity for the Current to take the lead early in the game. It was the Red Stars, though, who would capitalize from the missed opportunity, scoring their first goal of four for the evening.

Yes, the Current again conceded 4 goals, their second game in a row, with a total of 9 conceded so far for the season.

Chicago Goals

4′ – forward Ella Stevens, goal from center of the box

49′ – forward Penelope Hocking, left-footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner.

60′ – Own goal, goalkeeper Adrianna Franch. Shot from forward Cheyna Matthews, but since it deflected off Franch, it was credited as an own goal.

67′ – forward Penelope Hocking, right-footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner

Not all doom and gloom, though

Despite the score, it was not all doom and gloom for Kansas City. The Current showed potential of the team they could be, much like last game. And after conceding 4 goals, down 0-4 until the 74th minute, the Current were able to move more in the attacking third, controlling the tempo and setting up more opportunities. Those opportunities would lead to 2 goals for the Current. Debinha scored her first goal as a KC Current player in the 74′ minute, assisted by Mimmi Larsson, and Larsson, who came in as a sub for DiBenardo in the 62′, also scored her first as a Current player in the closing minutes of the match.

.@Debinha7's FIRST KC CURRENT GOAL 🤩#KCBABY pic.twitter.com/qVKp5jW8gj

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) April 16, 2023

MIMMI MAKING HER MARK ⚡

Congrats to @mimmiilarsson on her first KC goal!#KCBABY pic.twitter.com/uQUzU8CuqQ

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) April 16, 2023

Current remain winless

Another loss for the Current, the third of the season, keeps them at the bottom of the standings. The injury list has greatly affected the start of 2023. Should more players be upgraded week-by-week, and head coach Matt Potter did say in the post-game media conference that they should get 3 more players back in the coming weeks (he did not say who or when exactly), things could start to turn around for the team.

The Current begin Challenge Cup play on Wednesday at the Houston Dash at 6:30pm, and continue the 2023 season at home next Sunday, April 23 against the Orlando Pride at Children’s Mercy Park at 4pm.