KANSAS CITY (June 14, 2024) — The Kansas City Current (8-0-5, 29 pts., 1st place) extended the club record undefeated streak to 15 games dating back to last season and tied the single-season club record with 13 games unbeaten in 2024 in a 2-2 draw against the Chicago Red Stars (5-6-2, 17 pts., 6th place) Friday night at CPKC Stadium. Kansas City forwards Bia Zaneratto and Temwa Chawinga scored seven minutes apart to open the second half for the Current’s two scores.
The Current’s 15-game unbeaten streak is tied for the second-longest unbeaten streak in NWSL history, and the team is just one positive result away from matching the longest streak in league history. Current fans once again packed CPKC Stadium for the team’s annual Pride Night, presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, as the team recorded the seventh consecutive home sellout of 11,500 fans.
“Overall, I’m proud of the team and they didn’t stop fighting,” said head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “Even after the second goal they kept pushing and kept looking for the opportunity to win the game and that’s all you can ask of them.”
The Current generated the first scoring opportunity of the match in the 2nd minute. Chawinga was played through the left side of the Red Stars’ penalty area and had a one-on-one opportunity with Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. However, Chawinga rolled her effort just wide as the match remained scoreless.
Then, for the third consecutive home match, the Current fell behind at home. On a second-chance ball following a Chicago set piece, Sarah Griffith slid a through ball to Swanson to the left side of the Current’s penalty area. Swanson took a touch forward and fired a left-footed strike from a difficult angle into the side netting for the first goal of the contest.
Kansas City immediately went to work in search of an equalizer but, unlike last weekend’s home match against the Seattle Reign, the tying score did not come in the first half. The Current peppered Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher’s net throughout the first half to the tune of 18 first-half shots but could not unlock the Red Stars’ defense early on.
The Current’s best chance of the opening half came in the 33rd minute, when Bia slid an inch-perfect pass through defenders to Chawinga for another one-on-one opportunity with Naeher. The Chicago and U.S. National Team goalkeeper stood tall to make the save, though, as the Red Stars remained ahead.
Chicago took a one-goal advantage into halftime, but it didn’t take long for the Current to flip the match back to the home side. Following a Kansas City corner kick in the 51st minute, a loose ball inside Chicago’s six-yard box fell to Bia on a hop. The Brazilian forward pirouetted and dinked the ball past a Red Star defender on the goal line to level the match. The goal marked Bia’s fifth of the season and her first since April 21 against Bay FC.
Goals have typically come in bunches for the Current at CPKC Stadium, and that remained the case on Friday evening as the hosts went ahead minutes later. Bia slid a ball forward for her fellow countrywoman Debinha in the 58th minute, but Debinha ran over the ball and pulled a Chicago defender away from the action. That allowed Chawinga to run in behind Chicago’s defense, and she took a touch forward and fired a low strike from just beyond the penalty spot past Naeher to put the Current ahead.
Chawinga and Bia have been a dynamic duo for Kansas City this season. Friday’s match marked the third time this season that both players have scored in a single match, which is more than any other pair of teammates in the NWSL this season.
The Current could not add a game-sealing third goal though, and despite out-shooting Chicago 28-8 for the contest the Red Stars ultimately pulled the game level. In the 90th minute, the Red Stars capitalized on the second of back-to-back corner kicks as a Swanson corner kick found a leaping Staab near the six-yard box. Staab’s header found the back of the net to bring the Red Stars level. Neither side could find a winner in stoppage time as the contest ended 2-2, which marked the Current’s first draw since May 18 against Racing Louisville FC.
The Current’s 2024 unbeaten streak is now at 13 games, and the team’s overall streak is at 15 matches unbeaten. Kansas City brings that streak into a crucial road clash with the Portland Thorns at Providence Park Sunday, June 23 at 3 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast on KMCI, 38 The Spot and streamed on NWSL+. In Kansas City, fans can listen along on 90.9 The Bridge and on the KC Current app.
NWSL Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. Chicago Red Stars
Date: June 14, 2024
Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Kickoff: 7:10 p.m. CT
Weather: 86 degrees, sunny
Attendance: 11,500
Discipline
68’ – Chicago Bench (Yellow)
71’ – Mace (Yellow)
90+3’ – Curran (Yellow)
Scoring
5’ Chicago – Swanson (Griffith)
52’ Kansas City – Bia
58’ Kansas City – Chawinga (Bia)
90’ Chicago – Staab (Swanson)
Scoring Summary
| Goals | 1 | 2 | F |
| Kansas City | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Chicago | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Kansas City Current Lineup: Franch, Rodriguez, Ballisager, Ball, Mace, DiBernardo (45’ Hutton), LaBonta – c (78’ Scott), Debinha (78’ Pfeiffer), Chawinga, Bia (73’ Lavogez), Cooper (73’ Wheeler)
Unused Substitutes: Feist, Silkowitz, Spaanstra, Lauren
Chicago Red Stars Lineup: Naeher – c, Anderson, Staab, Kuikka, Milazzo, Roccaro, Nesbeth, Franklin (73’ Groom), Griffith (61’ Joseph), Hocking (83’ Curran), Swanson
Unused Substitutes: Wood, Malham, Bianchi, Rall, Bike, Gomes
