Match Report: Kansas City Current’s 13-match unbeaten streak ends in loss to Chicago Red Stars

The Kansas City Current (9-5-5, 32pts, 1st place) dropped its first match in 113 days on Wednesday night in a 4-0 road loss to the Chicago Red Stars (8-5-6, 30pts, 5th place). Playing the second of three matches in a seven-day span, a rotated Current squad out-shot the Red Stars 12-8 on the evening but couldn’t quite find a finishing touch. Chicago scored twice in both halves to secure the victory. 

"Tough night for us in terms of the result, but lots of positives to take in terms of the way we went about the game,” said head coach Matt Potter. “Obviously not the result we anticipated but we’ve got to be bigger than one game.” 

Wednesday night’s loss snapped a myriad of streaks for the Current. Following Wednesday’s loss, Kansas City’s 13-match unbeaten streak stands alone as the second-longest unbeaten streak in National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) history, while the loss also snapped a stretch of 13 consecutive matches in which the Current scored. The Current had also won five consecutive road matches prior to Wednesday, which was tied with the 2018 North Carolina Courage for the longest road winning streak in league history.

Chicago jumped ahead within the opening 10 minutes of the match, but not before Current goalkeeper Cassie Miller made a big opening save to keep the game scoreless in the 4th minute. Making just her second appearance in the 2022 regular season, Miller stood tall against the first major opportunity she faced. Red Stars midfielder Danielle Colaprico hit a shot from outside the penalty area that took a deflection off Current defender Elizabeth Ball. Miller reacted well and sprawled to tip the ball over the crossbar, but Chicago scored on the ensuing corner kick to take a 1-0 lead. Defender Tatum Milazzo capitalized on a loose ball in the goal box to open the scoring. 

Red Stars forward Mallory Pugh then scored the first of two goals on the night minutes later. Following a promising Current counterattack, Pugh picked up the ball ahead of midfield and raced past Kansas City’s defense before slotting the ball home. 

Despite going down 2-0 after eight minutes, the Current continued to battle. Forward Claire Lavogez tested Chicago’s defense with a well-hit volley in the 22nd minute, defender Hailie Mace led multiple promising forward endeavors and midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta had a shot sail just wide in the 38th minute. However, the Current couldn’t quite halve the host’s two-goal advantage and went into the locker room down 2-0. 

Kansas City started the second half with a dangerous free kick won by Lavogez, but Lavogez’s ensuing effort fell straight into the hands of Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. Pugh soon found her brace in the 60th minute, and defender Amanda Kowalski nodded home a corner kick in the 74th minute to complete the scoring. 

The Current have a massive match upcoming on Sunday, as the team plays its second-to-last home match of the 2022 regular season on Sunday, September 18 against the Portland Thorns at 4:00 p.m. CT. The Thorns enter the weekend in a tie for second place, just one point behind Kansas City in the NWSL Shield race. 

Season Tickets and Flex plans are available for all home matches at Children’s Mercy Park. For pricing and information visit kansascitycurrent.com.

Match: NJ/NY Gotham vs. Kansas City Current
Match: Chicago Red Stars vs. Kansas City Current
Date: September 14, 2022
Venue: Bridgeview, Illinois
Kickoff: 7:07 pm CT 
Weather: 72 degrees
Attendance: 2,135

Discipline
26’ Chicago – Pugh (yellow)
42’ Kansas City– Pugh (yellow)
47’ Chicago – DiBernardo (yellow)
75’ Chicago – Kowalski (yellow)
90’ Kansas City – Ball (yellow)

Scoring
5’ Chicago – Milazzo
8’ Chicago – Pugh (Morse)
60’ Chicago – Pugh
72’ Chicago – Kowalski (Pugh)

Scoring Summary

Goals                          1           2          F

Chicago                     2          2          4

Kansas City               0          0          0

                          
Lineups:
Chicago: Naeher, Milazzo, Morse, Kowalski, Pugh (73’ Gautrat), Nagasato, Stevens (73’ Dawber), Hill (80’ Griffith), Colaprico, DiBernardo (86’ Fisher), St. Georges (81’ Aguilera)
Substitutes Not Used: Boyd, Cook, Foster, McManus

Kansas City: Miller, Leach (45’ Loera), Ball, Edmonds, Scott (64’ Curran), Kizer, LaBonta, Lavogez (80’ Rodriguez), Hamilton (63’ Bennett), Mace (80’ Winebrenner), Del Fava

Substitutes Not Used: Franch, Logarzo, McCain, Merrick