Kansas City Current draw 1-1 with Chicago Red Stars

The Kansas City Current returned to preseason action with a match against the Chicago Red Stars. A goal from midfielder Cece Kizer and several incredible saves by goalkeeper AD Franch kept the match level at one goal for each team. 

The action picked up in the 12th minute, when defender Alex Loera passed the ball right behind the defensive line to find forward Kristen Hamilton streaking down the left side of the field. Hamilton quickly laid it off for Michelle Cooper, whose shot was saved by Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. 

Just five minutes later at the other end of the pitch, a Chicago forward found herself open at the top of the box. Franch made the first of several solid saves to keep the score at zero. 

In the 31st minute, a Red Stars player intercepted a header just outside the box. Her shot soared toward goal, but Franch dove to the right to push the ball out of bounds. 

Kansas City’s next opportunity occurred on the first corner kick of the game. Loera sent a curling ball sailing into the box to find rookie forward Alexa Spaanstra open. Spaanstra volleyed a rocket into the top right corner, forcing a sprawling save from Naeher. 

Franch continued to come in clutch during the second half. Just ten minutes in, her lightning-fast reflexes stopped a tight-angle shot from a Chicago forward along the byline. 

Four minutes later saw the first goal of the match, as Kizer created some space on the left side of the goal. Her shot coolly slid past the Chicago goalkeeper into the bottom right corner to open her account for the preseason. 

Loera nearly added a second to the team’s tally with a free kick from about 25 yards out. Her shot sailed over the wall of Chicago defenders and pinged off the crossbar before bouncing over the goal. 

Chicago leveled the score with only a minute left in the game when the team was awarded a free kick on the right side of the field. The sailing ball in found a Red Stars player, whose header barely passed Franch to level the match. 

Kansas City nearly equalized on the final play of the game when 2023 draft pick forward Rylan Childers sent a long pass through the defense to find newly signed forward Mimmi Larsson. Larsson cut around a defender and launched a shot, but it was collected by the Red Stars goalkeeper. 

The Kansas City Current’s next preseason match will take place on March 8 against the Houston Dash in San Diego, California. The team opens the 2023 regular season on March 25th when the Current hit the road to take on the North Carolina Courage.

Season Tickets and Flex plans are available for all home matches at Children’s Mercy Park. For pricing and information visit kansascitycurrent.com.

NWSL Preseason Match Report
Match: Chicago Red Stars vs. Kansas City Current
Date: February 27, 2023
Venue: IMG Academy Florida
Kickoff: 10:57 a.m. ET / 9:57 a.m. CT
Weather: 73 degrees, sunny

Discipline
None

Kansas City Current Scoring
Kansas City – Cece Kizer

Scoring Summary

Kansas City Lineup: AD Franch, Jenna Winebrenner, Alex Loera, Lo Labonta, Chardonnay Curran (60’ Rylan Childers), Gabby Robinson, Michelle Cooper, Alexa Spaanstra, Hailie Mace, Cece Kizer (60’ Mimmi Larsson), Kristen Hamilton