Kansas City Current

Kansas City Current is an American professional women's soccer team playing in Kansas City, Kansas. It was founded as an expansion team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2021.

This article is about the team founded in 2020. For the defunct team that last played in 2017, see FC Kansas City.

Kansas City Current
FoundedDecember 6, 2020 (2020-12-06), as Kansas City NWSL
StadiumCPKC Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri (beginning 2024)
Capacity11,500
OwnersAngie Long
Chris Long
Brittany Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes
General managerCamille Ashton
Head coach
/ sporting director		Vlatko Andonovski
LeagueNational Women's Soccer League
202311th of 12
WebsiteClub website

History

Establishment
See also: FC Kansas City

Kansas City last had an NWSL team in 2017, when two-time champions FC Kansas City ceased operations and its player-related assets were transferred to expansion team Utah Royals FC.[1] Three years later, the Royals also had to cease operations after controversies from the team's owner Dell Loy Hansen,[2] and a Kansas City-based ownership group led by financial executives Angie and Chris Long took advantage to secure an expansion team along with the Royals' player-related assets on December 7, 2020.[3] Brittany Mahomes, wife of NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a former college soccer player at University of Texas at Tyler and fitness trainer, purchased a stake in the team as well.[4] In January 2023, Patrick became a member of the ownership group as well.[5]

2021–present
See also: 2021 Kansas City NWSL season and 2022 Kansas City Current season

The Longs named Huw Williams, former general manager of FC Kansas City, as the team's inaugural head coach.[3] The franchise played their first season as Kansas City NWSL, playing their home matches at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas, but ended their first season in Kansas City with 16 points from 24 games, 14 of which were losses.[2]

Huw Williams was relieved of duties as manager and replaced with Matt Potter for the 2022 season, but remained with the franchise as director of soccer operations[2] until November 2022 when it was revealed he was confronted by the team's roster for disrespectful and inappropriate behavior. This came in light of the NWSL's league-wide Yates Report.[6] In May 2022, the team hired Allison Howard as its first team president.[7] Kansas City unveiled their new team branding as Kansas City Current for the 2022 season, and relocated their home matches to the nearby Children's Mercy Park, in Kansas City, Kansas. A team training facility and headquarters opened in Riverside, Missouri, in June 2022[8] and in 2022 the ownership group announced plans for their future stadium in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.[9][10] The club made significant roster moves with the additions of Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams from the North Carolina Courage,[11][12] and Claire Lavogez from Bordeaux.[13] All three players would not finish the season on the roster due to season-ending injuries, the likes of which kept both Mewis and Williams from playing a single game in the regular season.[2][8] The Current had a 13-match unbeaten streak in the middle of their 2022 campaign,[2] propelling the team to their first playoff appearance in the 2022 NWSL Playoffs, and an eventual matchup against the Portland Thorns in the NWSL Championship.[8][14] Portland would go on to defeat Kansas City 2–0 in the matchup.

In 2023 the Current had a poor regular season showing, finishing 11th out of 12 teams, but had advanced to the semifinals of the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup, where they lost to the tournament's eventual champion, North Carolina Courage. After three matches into the season, the team parted ways with Matt Potter as head coach and named Caroline Sjöblom as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[15][16][17][18] In the club's final match at Children's Mercy Park, the attendance was over 15,671,[19] in what will now stand as a club record as they move to CPKC Stadium.[20] In October 2023, the team hired former U.S. women's national team and FC Kansas City manager Vlatko Andonovski to lead the team.[21][22]

Colors and crest
The team's temporary crest for the inaugural season in 2021.

Due to the short turnaround between the team's founding and the 2021 NWSL season, the ownership announced in January 2021 that the team would play its inaugural season under the temporary name Kansas City NWSL with temporary crest and colors; a full brand development process would take place so that a permanent team name, crest, and colors will be in place for the 2022 NWSL season.[23]

On October 30, 2021, the team revealed its name as Kansas City Current with new crest for the 2022 season.[24]

Kit suppliers and sponsors
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Sleeve sponsor
2021 Nike Palmer Square Capital Management[25] Blue KC[26]
2022– Saint Luke's Health System[27]

Kit history
2021 home
2021 away
2022– home
2022– away

Stadium
The franchise's 2021 home opener at Legends Field
See also: Children's Mercy Park and CPKC Stadium

Kansas City played its 2021 home matches at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas.[28][29]

The club announced in September 2021 that it would host all home matches at Children's Mercy Park beginning with the 2022 season.[30]

A Home of Their Own: CPKC Stadium
Main article: CPKC Stadium

In October 2021, the club unveiled plans to construct the first purpose-built stadium built exclusively for women's professional soccer. The stadium is being built in Kansas City, Missouri, at the Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park with an initial capacity of 11,000 and estimated cost of $70 million. The project as proposed would be entirely privately financed through the ownership group, with the team signing a 50-year lease for the site at which the stadium will be located.[31] The costs increased to an estimated $117 million in May 2022, which the club's owners attributed to construction costs and a redesign increasing the stadium's capacity to 11,500. Angie and Chris Long requested $6 million in tax credits from the state of Missouri to supplement their private funding, in part because the lease agreement prohibited them from pursuing any local tax incentives.[32] The stadium is expected to be completed by 2024.[2]

Supporters

The Blue Crew, a supporters group of the defunct FC Kansas City, has continued to support the new NWSL team in Kansas City.[33]

Broadcasting
See also: National Women's Soccer League § Broadcasting

On June 13, 2021, CBS affiliate KCTV agreed on a multi-year deal to become the official local television partner through the 2023 season. The station and its MyNetworkTV affiliate KSMO-TV will broadcast eight matches locally in the club's inaugural season. Brad Porter will serve as the play-by-play commentator, joined by Aly Trost as the color analyst.[34]

Kansas City Current II

The Current founded an affiliated reserves team in the amateur Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) in 2022.[35][36] Under head coach Huw Williams, The team finished its first regular season atop the WPSL's Heartland Division with an 8–0–0 record, +49 goal differential on 47 total goals scored (including an opponent's forfeit), second-most in the league.[37] In postseason play, the Current II defeated FC Milwaukee Torrent 7–0 on July 7, 2022, and then defeated Indios Denver FC 6–1 on July 16,[38] before falling to Colorado Rapids Women 3–2 in the Central Region finals on July 17.[39]

In November 2022, Huw Williams departed from the club.[40] The Kansas City Current II club was left off the schedule for the 2023 season, and marked as an expansion team for the WPSL 2024 season.[41][42]

Players and staff

Current squad
As of October 3, 2023.[43][44]
No. Pos. Player Nation
2 MF Morgan Gautrat  United States
3 DF Hanna Glas  Sweden
4 DF Hailie Mace  United States
5 MF Cece Kizer  United States
6 MF Rylan Childers  United States
7 DF Elizabeth Ball  United States
8 DF Kate Del Fava  United States
9 FW Mimmi Larsson  Sweden
10 MF Lo'eau LaBonta  United States
11 MF Desiree Scott  Canada
12 DF Stine Ballisager Pedersen  Denmark
14 MF Chardonnay Curran  United States
15 MF Sam Mewis (co-captain)  United States
16 MF Vanessa DiBernardo  United States
17 FW Michelle Cooper  United States
18 DF Izzy Rodriguez  United States
19 DF Jenna Winebrenner  United States
20 DF Mallory Weber  United States
21 GK Adrianna Franch  United States
22 DF Alex Loera  United States
23 DF Croix Soto  United States
24 DF Gabrielle Robinson  United States
25 FW Kristen Hamilton  United States
26 DF Addisyn Merrick  United States
29 GK Jordan Silkowitz  United States
38 GK Cassie Miller  United States
77 FW Alexa Spaanstra  United States
78 DF Lauren  Brazil
94 FW Claire Lavogez  France
99 MF Debinha  Brazil

Technical staff
As of June 14, 2023.[43]
General manager Camille Ashton
Interim head coach Caroline Sjöblom
Assistant coach Lee Nguyen
Assistant coach Lucas Rodríguez
Goalkeeper coach Lloyd Yaxley
Interim High performance director Joseph Potts
Lead analyst Donna Newberry

FIFA World Cup participants

List of players that were called up for a FIFA Women's World Cup while playing for Kansas City Current. In brackets, the tournament played:

Records

Head coaches

As of May 14, 2023.

Only competitive matches are counted. Includes NWSL regular season, playoffs, and Challenge Cup matches.

All-time Kansas City Current coaching records
Coach Nat. Tenure Games Win Loss Draw Win %
Huw Williams  Wales January 29, 2021 – November 18, 2021 28 3 8 17 010.71
Matt Potter  England January 11, 2022 – April 19, 2023 35 16 7 12 045.71
Caroline Sjöblom  Finland April 19, 2023 – October 23, 2023 27 13 11 3 048.15
Vlatko Andonovski  North Macedonia October 23, 2023 – present

Attendance
See also: National Women's Soccer League attendance

Home match largest attendance

Top five as of October 9, 2023.

Date Season Score Opponent Venue City Attendance Ref.
October 7, 2023 (2023-10-07)20236–3Chicago Red Stars Children's Mercy ParkKansas City, Kansas 15,671 [45]
August 18, 2023 (2023-08-18)20231–0OL Reign 13,455 [46]
May 14, 2023 (2023-05-14)20230–2San Diego Wave FC 12,969 [47]
September 1, 2023 (2023-09-01)20230–1Angel City FC 11,827 [48]
April 1, 2023 (2023-04-01)20231–4Portland Thorns FC 11,301 [49]

Playoff match largest attendance

As of October 29, 2022.

Date Score Opponent Venue City Attendance Ref.
October 23, 2022 (2022-10-23)2–0OL ReignLumen FieldSeattle, Washington 21,491 [50]
October 16, 2022 (2022-10-16)2–1Houston DashPNC StadiumHouston, Texas 21,284 [51]
October 29, 2022 (2022-10-29)0–2Portland Thorns FCAudi FieldWashington, D.C. 17,624 [52]

Regular Season attendance
Season Results Attendance
Year League Regular season Playoffs Average Largest Smallest Ref.
2021 NWSL 10th of 10 DNQ 4,861 5,438
(Oct. 10 vs. POR)		 3,449
(Oct. 13 vs. HOU)		 [53][54][55]
2022 NWSL 5th of 12 Finals 7,657 10,395
(Aug. 19 vs. ANG)		 5,695
(Jun. 11 vs. GFC)		 [56]
2023 NWSL 11th of 12 DNQ 11,353 15,671
(Oct. 7 vs. CHI)		 9,644
(Jun. 18 vs. WAS)		 [57]

See also

References
  1. Linehan, Meg (November 20, 2017). "NWSL announces that FC Kansas City will cease operations". NWSL. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  2. Kassouf, Jeff (October 28, 2022). "Inside the Kansas City Current's turnaround from last place to the NWSL Championship". Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  3. "Kansas City Returns to the NWSL as Expansion Team in 2021". NWSL. December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  4. "Whitehouse native Brittany Matthews part of ownership team bringing National Women's Soccer League to Kansas City". CBS19.tv. December 7, 2020.
  5. "Patrick Mahomes joins NWSL's Kansas City Current ownership group". sports.yahoo.com. January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  6. Palmer, Tod (December 14, 2022). "NWSL report: Players allege Current ignored mistreatment by former coach Huw Williams". kshb.com. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  7. Gregorian, Vahe (May 24, 2022). "In latest sign of ambitions, KC Current hires Los Angeles Lakers exec as president". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  8. Bachman, Rachel (October 28, 2022). "Kansas City's Soccer Star Is a Twerking, Goal-Scoring Late Bloomer". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  9. Cash, Meredith (June 25, 2022). "Kansas City Current's sparkling new $18 million facility shows the luxury women's pro athletes have long missed out on". Insider. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  10. Medina, David (May 31, 2022). "Kansas City Current release new renderings for stadium at Berkley Riverfront". KSHB-TV. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  11. Pickman, Ben (November 30, 2021). "KC Current Trades for USWNT Star Mewis". Sports Illustrated.
  12. "Lynn Williams Traded to Kansas City Current". January 10, 2022. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  13. Bell, Thad (July 20, 2022). "KC Current sign French attacker Claire Lavogez". The Blue Testament. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  14. "NWSL Championship Preview: Portland Thorns FC vs. Kansas City Current". NWSLsoccer.com. October 27, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  15. Linehan, Meg (April 19, 2023). "Kansas City Current fire coach Matt Potter 3 games into season: Why the move was made now". The Athletic. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
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  17. Pussinen, Peter (January 25, 2023). "Klart: Caroline Sjöblom till Kansas och USA:s högstaliga" [Done: Caroline Sjöblom to Kansas and the USA's top league]. Nya Åland (in Swedish). Retrieved April 21, 2023.
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  25. "Kansas City NWSL Announces Palmer Square Capital Management As Inaugural Season Front Jersey Sponsor". April 9, 2021.
  26. "Kansas City NWSL Brings In Blue KC As Sleeve Sponsor". www.sportbusiness.com. June 24, 2021.
  27. "Kansas City NWSL Partners with Saint Luke's Health System – Kansas City Current". www.kansascitycurrent.com. September 28, 2021.
  28. "Ticket Information". KC NWSL. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  29. Mellinger, Sam (December 8, 2020). "Inside a KC couple's vision for our city's newest pro team as women's soccer returns". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
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  32. Calacal, Celisa (May 31, 2022). "Kansas City to ask for $6 million in state tax credits to build KC Current soccer stadium". KCUR. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
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