Match Preview: Kansas City Current travel to face the Chicago Red Stars looking to secure a spot in the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup Semifinals

The Kansas City Current take the show on the road to the Chicago Red Stars’ Seat Geek Stadium for the next chapter of UKG NWSL Challenge Cup play. The action will kick off Saturday at 7 p.m. CT with Jamie Watson and Gary Bailey on the call for Paramount+ and Dave Borchardt and Jillian Carroll Letrinko on the call for KC Current Radio, available on the KC Current App.

Kansas City is showing up to Chicago with the upper hand. Sitting two places above the Red Stars in the Central Division, the teams have two games each remaining in the Group Stage of the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup. The Current lead the league with 11 goals scored in the tournament and have secured wins in three out of four matches. 

Last week’s match against the Houston Dash was a successful one for Kansas City. Forward Kristen Hamilton notched the club’s and Challenge Cup’s first hat trick. The veteran was voted the Bud Light Player of the Week for her efforts. In the 3-1 victory at home, forward Michelle Cooper and midfielder Jenna Winebrenner (2) served up their first career assists, and AD Franch shut down any chance for a Dash comeback with three saves, one of which was voted the Deloitte US Impact Save of the Week. 

In the 2023 UKG Challenge Cup, Chicago has struggled to put the ball in the net, going zero for four so far this tournament. Against Racing Louisville last week, the Red Stars tried to get off on the right foot with immediate high pressure on the opponents back line. Forward Ava Cook was able to get a shot off in the first minute of play. Unfortunately for Chicago, Racing was able to withstand that initial attack and counter with two goals in ten minutes, then held the Red Stars out of danger for the rest of the match. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kansas City Current Defender Kate Del Fava – Del Fava is a consistent challenger in Kansas City’s back line. She has been valuable for the Current since the club’s launch, starting in 19 of 22 games in the 2022 season and scoring the game-winning goal in the 2022 quarterfinal. A quick playmaker, Del Fava’s smart positioning and overlapping runs boost the cohesiveness of the team as they move to attack.  

Chicago Red Stars Midfielder Julia Bianchi – Bianchi’s impact on the Red Stars squad is strong, as she leads the team with three assists. The Brazilian native joined the team in January 2023 and has started their last four games, including most recent win against Houston July 7. A competitor for Brazil in the 2020 Summer Olympics, her skill as a midfielder has been clear since her time on the Brazilian U17 and U20 national teams.  

HAT TRICK HAMMY
To continue a season of history-making and record-breaking, Kristen Hamilton’s three goals in the July 22 match against Houston made her the first to log a hat trick in club and Challenge Cup history. With three hat tricks in her NWSL career, Hamilton is tied for second in the league, only out-tricked by former NWSL forward Sam Kerr. On the exact two-year mark of Hamilton’s arrival at the Current, the achievement puts her among the top goal scorers for the 2023 UKG Challenge Cup and earned Hamilton her first NWSL Bud Light Player of the Week honor. Adding three tallies to her UKG Challenge Cup goal total, Hamilton now has 10, which puts her into second place for all-time UKG Challenge Cup scoring, just behind fellow teammate Debinha.    

CHALLENGE CUP DOMINANCE
After an exciting win at home against the Houston Dash last week, the Kansas City Current are in prime position for a spot in the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup Semifinals. With nine points, the team is better than all but two teams in the league and in second place in the Central Division. The Current are unbeaten all-time against the Red Stars in Challenge Cup play, including a 4-0 win earlier this season and 2-1 victories in both of last season’s matchups. 

GOALS ON GOALS
The last time the Current and Red Stars faced each other ended with a full highlight reel for the Current and the largest margin of victory in club history at 4-0. This is no new phenomenon, as the clubs’ matchups often end with a slew of goals for either side. In their last four head-to-heads across all competitions, the teams have scored four or more goals combined, and with the three-goal turnout against Houston last week, the floodgates could be open for Kansas City. 

INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
In the past week, Kansas City representatives have been successful across the board with wins for Brazil, Denmark, and the U.S. in Matchday One of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Debinha clocked an assist in their 4-0 win over Panama. Joining her on the Brazilian World Cup squad is the Kansas City Current’s newest signee: defender Lauren. Holding down the back line, Lauren’s impressive performance as a centerback helped the team to shut down Panama and earn a clean sheet. With Denmark, Stine Ballisager had a similarly strong performance with a 1-0 win over China, putting Denmark at the top of their group alongside England. For the U.S., Kansas City’s Vlatko Andonovski led the group to a 3-0 win over Vietnam and 1-1 draw against the high-ranking Netherlands.