Match Preview: Kansas City Current Begins Action-Packed May at North Carolina Courage

KANSAS CITY (May 1, 2026) – The Kansas City Current (2-4-0, 13th place, 6 pts.) kicks off a six-game May slate, which features four home games and two away games, with a road trip to the North Carolina Courage (2-1-3, 9th place, 9 pts.) on Saturday, May 2. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET) at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.

The match will broadcast on ION with Maura Sheridan and Marion Crowder on the call as well as on the World Feed with Jenn Hildreth and Bill Hamid. A local simulcast will be available on The Spot – Kansas City 38 with a pregame show, KC Current Matchday, starting at 5 p.m. CT. Fans can listen to the action on 90.9 the Bridge with Dave Borchardt and Jillian Carroll Letrinko, and the game will also be available on the KC Current App in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

MATCH INFO
Who: Kansas City Current at North Carolina Courage
Where: First Horizon Stadium – Cary, N.C.
When: Saturday, May 2
Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET)
TV: ION, World Feed, The Spot – Kansas City 38
Radio: 90.9 The Bridge
Pregame Show: The Spot – Kansas City 38

TEN THINGS TO KNOW
1. Kansas City leads the all-time series with North Carolina at 5-4-2. Nine of the last 10 meetings in all competitions have been won by the home team, including all six since the start of the 2024 season.

2. Saturday is a rematch of the 2024 NWSL quarterfinal where the Current edged the Courage, 1-0, thanks to forward Temwa Chawinga’s goal in the eighth minute.

3. The last meeting between the Current and the Courage was a 2-0 Kansas City shutout at home on Aug. 30, 2025. Defender Izzy Rodriguez scored in the 31st minute before midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta converted a penalty kick 10 minutes later.

4. The match will be a homecoming for rookie defender Laney Rouse, a native of Cary, N.C. who attended Cary Academy and played with NC Courage Developmental Academy. Additionally, midfielder Debinha, forward Haley Hopkins and goalkeepers Katie Cappelletti and Marisa Jordan previously played for the Courage.

5. Five players spent their collegiate careers in the state of North Carolina. Forward/midfielder Ally Sentnor (2021-23) and goalkeeper Clare Gagne (2024) played at UNC Chapel Hill, forwards Michelle Cooper (2021-22) and Mary Long (2024) played at Duke and midfielder Bayley Feist (2015-18) played at Wake Forest.

6. Defender Ellie Bravo-Young is one game away from reaching her 50th career regular season appearance.

7. Chawinga reached her 50th career regular season appearance last weekend against the Washington Spirit. She has scored at least once in 32 of those 50 games, with 15 of her goals being game-winners.

8. Five different KC Current players have scored at least 10 regular season goals since the start of the 2024 season. No other NWSL team has more than two double-digit scorers in that time.

9. Chawinga, Cooper and Debinha have all had a goal and/or an assist in the same NWSL regular season match six times, most recently during the Current’s 2-1 win over Gotham FC on April 4.

10. Rodriguez is the Current’s nominee for the 2026 NWSL Lauren Holiday Impact Award, an annual award that recognizes players for outstanding service and character off the pitch. Her community partner is EarlystART.

AVAILABILITY REPORT
OUT: Alana Cook (SEI-Knee), Clare Gagne (SEI-Head), Mary Long (D-45), Gianna Paul (Thigh), Vanessa DiBernardo (Maternity Leave), Debinha de Oliveira (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE: None
INTERNATIONAL DUTY: None

KC CURRENT WATCH PARTIES
A watch party for the KC Current’s match at the North Carolina Courage on Saturday, May 2, will take place at Current Landing, the waterfront mixed-use district anchored by CPKC Stadium and the Missouri River. Fan entry will begin at 4:30 p.m. CT. Free on-site parking will be available in the Green Lot across from CPKC Stadium, subject to availability. More information about watch parties at Current Landing can be found HERE.