Match Preview: Kansas City Current Travels to Utah Royals for Friday Night Matchup

KANSAS CITY (Aug. 7, 2025) – Riding a seven-match regular season win streak, the Kansas City Current (12-2-0, 1st place, 36 pts.) continues its road stretch with a visit to the Utah Royals (1-10-3, 14th place, 6 pts.) on Friday, Aug. 8, for Week 15 of the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) regular season. Kickoff at America First Field in Sandy, Utah, is set for 9 p.m. CT (8 p.m. MT).

The match will broadcast nationally on Prime Video with Lori Lindsey, Mike Watts and Kealia Watt on the call. Jillian Carroll Letrinko and Jake Yadrich will call the game on 90.9 The Bridge, and fans can also tune in to hear the match in English, Spanish or Portuguese on the KC Current App.

TOP OF THE TABLE
The Current remains at the top of the NWSL table for the 10th week in a row. The club has 36 points heading into Week 15, 10 points of separation from the Orlando Pride which sits in second with 26 points. The team’s 36 points equal the most through the first 14 matches of a regular season in league history, matching Seattle (11-0-3) from 2014. Kansas City’s plus-21 goal difference (31 scored, 10 conceded) is also the best through 14 regular season matches in league history. Twenty of the Current’s league-leading 31 regular season goals have been in the first half, more than any other team in the NWSL this season.

WWWWWWWINNING
Kansas City enters Week 15 on a seven-game winning streak. That marks the longest streak in the NWSL this season, and the second longest in club history – but the longest streak in club history in a single season. The longest regular season win streak in franchise history is nine, spanning two seasons from Oct. 5, 2024, at Louisville to April 19, 2025, vs. Houston. Heading into Friday’s match, the Current is at 49 wins in 108 regular season games played in club history. The team is on track to be one of the fastest teams to reach 50. They could equal Seattle’s performance if they win their next game, and only North Carolina (2017, 77 games) and Portland (2013, 106 games) have been faster.

Boasting a record of 12-2-0, the Current is the first team to win 12 of their first 14 matches of a season. In fact, the club has won 16 of its last 18 regular season matches dating back to October 2024, the first team in NWSL history to record 16 wins in a span of 18 league matches. Twelve of those 16 wins have been by a margin of at least two goals, including nine matches this season. Since the start of the 2024 season, Kansas City has had 19 regular season wins by two or more goals, six more than any other team in that time (Washington Spirit, 13).

KANSAS CITY VS. UTAH
Kansas City has won all three of its meetings against Utah, all which have been clean sheets. Back in March at CPKC Stadium, the Current shut out the Royals, 3-0, behind goals from forwards Temwa Chawinga and Michelle Cooper as well as midfielder Debinha, all which came in the first half. The Current has attempted 30 more shots than Utah over the teams’ three all-time meetings, with the Current outshooting the Royals 52-22. Chawinga has taken 17 of the club’s 52 shots against Utah, nearly as many as the Royals by herself. Additionally, Utah is one of seven clubs that Kansas City has an active winning streak of three or more regular season matches against, along with Angel City FC, Bay FC, Houston Dash, Racing Louisville FC, Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave.

TEMWA ON A TEAR
Last week in Louisville, forward Temwa Chawinga scored her 29th regular season goal in what was her 39th regular season appearance. She is on pace to break the record for fastest player to 30 regular season goals in NWSL history. That mark is currently held by Christen Press (51 matches), followed by Sophia Wilson (52 matches), Kim Little (57 matches) and Megan Rapinoe (57 matches). Chawinga’s next goal will also propel her to become the 15th player in NWSL history – and first in Kansas City club history – to notch 30 regular season career goals for a single club. If she were to score on Friday night in Utah, Chawinga would become the first player in NWSL history to score in five straight regular season road matches.

The Malawi native sits in second in the 2025 Golden Boot race with nine goals and two assists. She also leads the league with five game-winning goals. Her next game-winner will tie her own NWSL regular season record of six, a mark she first hit in 2024 during her inaugural NWSL season. She shares that record with Crystal Dunn (2015), Midge Purce (2021) and Barbra Banda (2024), and she would become the first player to achieve the feat twice, let alone in back-to-back years. Her next game-winning goal would also be the 12th of her career. Not only would that extend her own club record, but it would tie Lynn Biyendolo (North Carolina), Debinha (North Carolina) and Christen Press (Chicago) for seventh-most regular season game-winning goals for a single club.

On Aug. 7, Chawinga was announced as a nominee for the Ballon d’Or, the first such nomination of her career. The prestigious Ballon d'Or is an annual award honoring the player deemed to have performed the best over the previous season.

ALLY, ACQUIRED
On Aug. 1, the Kansas City Current acquired midfielder Ally Sentnor, the 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year and the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Draft, from the Utah Royals. In exchange for Sentnor, the Current sent $300,000 in intraleague transfer funds upon execution. The Current will send an additional $200,000 in intraleague transfer funds in 2026 and $100,000 in 2027. Sentnor’s contract with Kansas City runs through the 2026 season.

Sentnor, a nominee for 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year, appeared in 34 regular season matches with Utah, scoring four goals and dishing out five assists. She was named the NWSL Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month in July 2024, the second player in league history to win both awards in the same month. The Hanson, Mass. native earned her first United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) call-up in November 2024 and has since recorded four goals and two assists across 12 caps.

One of the most decorated U.S. Youth National Team players in history, Sentnor has represented the Stars and Stripes at nearly every youth level, most recently earning the Bronze Ball at the 2024 FIFA Under-20 World Cup. In her two complete collegiate seasons at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, she totaled 21 goals, nine assists and 10 game-winning goals in 48 contests. She was named the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Midfielder of the Year, also garnering All-America Third Team and All-ACC First Team praise that season.

PERSONNEL UPDATES
The Current announced on Aug. 7 that defender Katie Scott had been loaned to Racing Louisville FC through the remainder of the 2025 NWSL season. The club also announced on July 18 that midfielder Jereko was loaned to HB Køge Women in Denmark ahead of its upcoming 2025-26 season. Additionally, midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo announced her pregnancy on July 30 and has been placed on maternity leave.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kansas City forward Michelle Cooper – The last time Kansas City played Utah back in March, Cooper had a goal and an assist in a 15-minute span in the first half. That was the first time in her career she recorded a goal and an assist in the same regular season match. She achieved the feat again on June 7 at Gotham FC, also notching a goal and an assist vs. Corinthians SC in the Teal Rising Cup on July 15. Last week against Racing Louisville FC, Cooper dished out her third assist of the year, a new regular season career high. She also has four goals on the year. On June 23, the club announced that Cooper had agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension, keeping her in Kansas City through the 2028 season.

Utah midfielder Mina Tanaka – Tanaka scored her second goal of the season last Sunday vs. the Orlando Pride in the fourth minute. Over 40 percent of Utah’s goals this season have been scored in the opening 15 minutes. Tanaka has played in 11 matches this year for the Royals, earning 10 starts. Representing Japan internationally, Tanaka was named the 2025 SheBelieves Cup MVP as the tournament’s leading scorer with four goals and three assists over three games. She had a brace in each of Japan’s four-goal outings against Australia and Colombia and helped Japan end a five-year streak for the U.S. as champions.

Limited single-match tickets for 2025 regular season home matches are now on sale to the general public. The best way to ensure you won’t miss a second of the action at CPKC Stadium is by joining the Current Club, the Current’s trailblazing fan membership experience. Focused on ensuring fans continue to be able to access exclusive opportunities, members can unlock special benefits like priority access to single match tickets, members-only gifts and discounts, access to live and virtual events, exclusive content and more. 2025 Season Ticket Member Account Holders are already enrolled in Current Club at no additional cost. Click HERE for more information about the Current Club.