Match Preview: Kansas City Current set to open holiday weekend on the road against the Portland Thorns

The Kansas City Current (4-9-0, 12pts.) travel back to the Pacific Northwest to play the Portland Thorns (7-2-4, 25pts) Saturday, July 1 at 9 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast from Providence Park in Portland, Oregon on CBS Sports Network with Maura Sheridan and Lianne Sanderson on the call. Fans worldwide can listen to Nick Vasos and Jillian Carroll Letrinko call the action on KC Current Radio, available on the KC Current App.

Kansas City comes into this match following a 2-1 victory over the Orlando Pride last week. Midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo provided the assist to both scores. In the 29th minute, she intercepted an Orlando pass out of the back line, passing it straight to midfielder Debinha who was able to chip the goalkeeper who was far out of the goal. Then just before the half, she sent a cross into forward Cece Kizer who rotated around the Pride defender and poked the ball to the far corner. 

The Current opened its home schedule against the Thorns on April 1. Portland jumped ahead with two first half goals before Kansas City forward Cece Kizer cut the lead in half with her first goal of the season in the 58th minute. However, the Thorns were able to ice the game with two late goals on the way to a 4-1 defeat of Kansas City. 

Last Friday, the Portland Thorns defeated the Washington Spirit 4-2 in regular season play. Forward Sophia Smith scored a hat trick before departing for the 2023 FIFA World Cup, and Morgan Weaver tallied her fourth goal of the season. On Wednesday, the Thorns visited their neighbors in Seattle to face OL Reign in NWSL UKG Challenge Cup play. Portland was unable to find the back of the net, suffering a 1-0 loss. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kansas City Current defender Elizabeth Ball – A trustworthy center-back for the Current, Ball has returned to the pitch with confidence after suffering a hamstring injury during the team’s first game of the season. She has been playing limited minutes since stepping back onto the field against Reign on June 10, but her leadership and experience have been a game-changer for the Current. A force to be reckoned with on defense, Ball is also key to building up the team’s offense from the back.

Portland Thorns midfielder Sam Coffey – The 24-year-old began her NWSL career in 2022 for the Thorns and now leads the league in assists, with six on the season. The midfielder clocked two in the Thorns’ last regular season match, helping lead the team to a 4-2 win over Washington. The midfielder is the center of Portland’s offensive web, trapping the ball and serving up opportunities that have made the Thorns the goal leaders of the league, often outscoring and outshooting their opponents.

KILLER KIZER
A notoriously loud stadium, Providence Park will host the Kansas City Current as they take on the Thorns at their home base for the first time this season. Their last stint against Portland at the Kansas City home-opener ended in a loss for the team, but it also provided Cece Kizer with her first goal of the season. After a few close calls, Kizer completed a set-piece from Alex Loera, sneaking in behind their goalkeeper and heading the free kick into the back of the net. Now, Kizer sits second on the team for goals scored, and notched an impressive game-winning goal against Orlando last week, just before halftime. Finding an opening in front of the goal, Kizer received the ball with a touch and stretched out to place it in the back corner of the net, giving the Current the edge they needed to win in Orlando. The team connected 26 consecutive passes building up to Kizer’s score, a record-high for passes leading to a goal in the league since 2016.

LINEUP RESTRUCTURING 
With World Cup players officially called up to Australia, both teams face a mid-season lineup change. Debinha, who will join the Brazilian team for the Cup this summer, is the top scorer for the Current, but the Thorns will also lose their top two scorers in addition to four other key starters. From Portland, Crystal Dunn will be returning to the U.S. World Cup team with Sophia Smith, who leads the Thorns with 10 goals scored this season. Also from the Thorns, Christine Sinclair and Adriana Leon will play for Canada, Hina Sugita for Japan, and Rocky Rodriguez for Costa Rica. 

Debinha, a starting midfielder for the Current, has put up goals in Current’s last three games, and is ranked second in the league across all competitions. She is only outscored by Portland’s Smith, who holds first place in NWSL and Challenge Cup scoring. Without these players, the lineups can be expected to shift to match the skill of the remaining athletes. Kansas City has already shown a deep bench of strong players after their match against Orlando Pride, where the team pulled out a win despite action from the athletic training team early in the game.