Match Preview: Kansas City Current closes out home schedule against the Chicago Red Stars in front of another record-setting crowd

The Kansas City Current return home this week for the club’s final match at Children’s Mercy Park, with the new stadium set to open for the 2024 season. The Current will host the Chicago Red Stars Saturday October 7 at 7 p.m. CT. Paramount+ will carry the match with Josh Eastern and Jillan Loyden on the call. Fans can also tune in to KC Current Radio on the KC Current app to hear Dave Borchardt and Jillian Carroll Letrinko call the action. 

Midfielder Debinha leads the team this year in goals with eight regular season scores. In only her first season with the team she tied the club record for most goals across all competitions with 11. Forward Cece Kizer is right behind her with five goals and is tied for the team lead with two assists. Kansas City has earned seven points in the past six games and will look to close out the 2023 campaign on a high note. 

Chicago will pose a tough challenge this week. The Red Stars are unbeaten in the past four matches, scoring six goals and only allowing three in that span. Canadian defender Bianca St. Georges scored two goals recently for Chicago, both of them game-winners. U.S. Women’s National Team goalkeeper has shown her international form for Chicago recently as well. Her 76 saves rank third in the NWSL and she has five clean sheets on the year. 

The Current has the better record at home in this matchup with points earned in three of the four matches in Kansas City across all competitions, however Chicago has been able to at least split the points in every regular season matchup. This season, the two teams have faced off three times already, with each team earning a win, loss and a draw. Kansas City has outscored the Red Stars 6-4 in the three matches, including a 4-0 Challenge Cup win in June.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kansas City Current defender Kate Del Fava – One of only three players to have appeared in every match across all competitions this season, Del Fava has proven herself as an invaluable member of the team’s back line. She is second on the team in clearances and interceptions.

Chicago Red Stars midfielder Julia Bianchi – The Brazilian midfielder signed with Chicago in January after several successful seasons in Brazil’s top women’s division. Since then she has been able to open the field and find Red Stars forwards all over the field. Her five assists are tied for second in the NWSL.

PACKED HOUSE
Ahead of Saturday’s match, Kansas City have already sold more than 15,000 tickets to watch the Current play the Red Stars. This will put the total attendance for the season at nearly 160,000 fans. The team has seen its popularity continue to grow among fans ever since its inception in December 2020, but this season has been especially important as the club looks to move into a stadium built just for this team in 2024. 

On August 19, 2022 the Current surpassed 10,000 fans at home for the first time, with fans cheering on as midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta scored the equalizer late in the match and then set the internet on fire with her famous twerking celebration. That was the club’s 24th home match. In the 18 games at Children’s Mercy Park since then (including Saturday), the club has averaged 10,257 fans per match and broken the record set that night four times. 

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY
Kansas City hosted its first international friendly this week, facing off against Liga MX side CF Monterrey Feminil. Along with playing against new competition, the Current took advantage of the match to give several players playing time and showcase some different formations and strategies. 

Midfielder Chardonnay Curran started and ended the play that would end up being the deciding action of the game. Bringing the ball up the field and directing traffic along the way, Curran found midfielder Rylan Childers just across the midfield stripe who then sent the ball continuing the far side to forward Kristen Hamilton. The team’s captain then played a quick give-and-go to forward Mimmi Larsson to receive the ball at the top of the goal box, drawing the goalkeeper to her. With Monterrey’s defenders focused on Hamilton, she was able to send an easy pass to the middle where Curran could tap in the winning score. 

Following the game both teams noted the difference in playing styles between the Liga MX and NWSL, with coaches and players alike wishing to see more interaction between the leagues in the future.