In Kansas City, Missouri, the Kansas City Current kicked off their season in the best possible way at the new CPKC Stadium. This stadium is the first one ever built specifically for a professional women’s soccer team. The team celebrated their first game in this historic venue with a thrilling 5-4 victory against the Portland Thorns.
This win marked only the second time the Current have defeated the Thorns in their ten encounters. Early in the game, Debinha set up Bia with a precise through pass, but Bia’s shot narrowly missed the goal. Soon after, Bia had another chance with a shot that also went wide.
In the 17th minute, a corner kick from Hailie Mace reached Alexa Spaanstra, but her attempt flew over the goal. A significant moment came in the 22nd minute when Debinha intercepted a pass from Portland’s goalkeeper, Shelby Hogan. Debinha’s shot slipped through Hogan’s legs, and Vanessa DiBernardo capitalized on the rebound to score the first-ever goal at CPKC Stadium.
Ellie Wheeler made history by scoring the stadium’s second goal in the 25th minute, also marking her as the 400th player to score in NWSL history. Unfortunately, Debinha had to leave the game in the 32nd minute due to a hamstring injury, and Kristen Hamilton took her place.
Bia scored her first goal for the Current in the 34th minute, following a beautiful pass from DiBernardo. Despite Portland’s efforts, including a close shot by Kelli Hubly and a goal by Sophia Smith, Kansas City led 3-1 at halftime. The team managed to extend their lead in the second half with goals from Hamilton and 16-year-old Alex Pfeiffer, the youngest scorer in both KC Current and NWSL history.
Portland attempted a comeback with goals from Janine Beckie and another from Smith, but Kansas City held on to secure a 5-4 win. The match was intense, with Portland eventually outshooting Kansas City 18-17 and maintaining 54% possession in the latter half.
The Kansas City Current start the 2024 NWSL season undefeated and look forward to their next game against the San Diego Wave. They will return to CPKC Stadium on March 30 to host Angel City FC.