Match Preview: First Place Kansas City Current to face off against Chicago Red Stars in penultimate regular season road game

The Kansas City Current (9-4-5, 32pts, 1st place) is set to play its second game in just four days when the club travels to play the Chicago Red Stars (7-5-6, 27 points, 6th place) on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast locally on KMCI, 38 the Spot and nationally on Paramount+. 

The Current ascended to the top of the table after defeating NJ/NY Gotham 1-0 Sunday. After playing an even match through the first half, Kansas City started to put on the pressure in the second half. Late in the match, forward Claire Lavogez drove towards the goal, then was taken down inside the penalty box. With NWSL leading penalty scorer Lo’eau LaBonta already subbed out of the match, defender Hailie Mace stepped to the spot in the 78th minute and slotted her shot into the left of the goal for the score, and the win.

The Red Stars were last in action on Sept. 9 at the OL Reign. In a back-and-forth affair, Chicago was able to salvage a point and remain in playoff position with a 2-2 draw. After falling behind 1-0 in the 28th minute, and nearly allowing a second goal ten minutes later, forward Ella Stevens recovered a shot off the post and tied the score for the visitors. Chicago took the lead on a Danielle Colaprico penalty kick in the 67th minute, but they were unable to secure the win after Reign forward Rose Lavelle gathered the ball at midfield and sprinted towards goal and found the equalizer.

TOP OF THE TABLE
For the first time in club history, the Current sit in first place in the NWSL standings, an accomplishment that may seem hard to believe after the team’s opening season in 2021. With a turnaround of only a few months between the team being awarded to Kansas City and the first match, the club struggled through its debut season and finished in 10th place out of ten teams. 

The team’s turnaround this season has been nearly unprecedented. In 24 games last season, Kansas City earned 16 points and scored 14 goals. In 18 games this season, the club has already earned 32 points and the top three goal-scorers (LaBonta, Kristen Hamilton and Cece Kizer) have combined to score 18 goals and the team has scored 25 goals altogether. 

FEELING FINE AT FORTY
Sunday’s 1-0 victory was goalkeeper AD Franch’s 40th career shutout win. Picking up her first clean sheet with the Western New York Flash on June 8, 2013, Franch is only the second goalkeeper ever to reach 40.

The career shutout milestone is just another in a long history of success for the veteran goalkeeper. Franch already owns the record for most clean sheets in a regular season with 11 in 2017. She owns a career 1.04 goals against average and has over 10,000 minutes played in 117 regular season games. 

MAKING HISTORY, BUILDING THE STANDARD
The Kansas City Current officially launched season ticket deposits for the first stadium purpose-built for a women’s professional soccer team Tuesday morning. Fans can place a deposit and learn more at KCCurrentStadium.com.  

The best way to reserve a seat at the stadium in 2024 is with a new stadium membership. A new stadium membership provides access to all preseason, regular season, and NWSL Challenge Cup matches played by KC Current at the new stadium (beginning in the 2024 NWSL season), as well as exclusive year-round member-only events and benefits that will be announced later. Deposits are open for seats in the supporter’s section, general reserve, club seating and premium suites, and are fully refundable.  

Demand for season ticket memberships in the new stadium is expected to exceed capacity therefore, seat selection will be subject to availability. To guarantee seats for games in the new stadium, it’s encouraged to become a 2023 Current Season Ticket Member at Children’s Mercy Park to secure seat selection priority.   

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kansas City Current forward Hailie Mace — Mace’s hard work and consistent effort has brought her several accolades in the 2022 season, including her first appearance in USWNT camp since 2019. She scored her third goal of the season in the match against NJ/NY Gotham FC on Sunday off a penalty kick, after logging four total shots and two shots on goal.

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Pugh - Pugh, a regular on the USWNT, has eight goals and five assists in through 11 appearances in league play for the Chicago Red Stars. Internationally, she has six goals and seven assists in her 12 USWNT appearances in 2022.

MATCH INFO 
Chicago Red Stars vs. Kansas City Current
Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. CT 
SeatGeek Stadium – Bridgeview, Illinois
Watch on Paramount+, KMCI, 38 The Spot