KANSAS CITY (July 12, 2025) — The Kansas City Current opened the inaugural Teal Rising Cup, presented by Visit Missouri, with a 3-0 victory over Brazilian Serie A1 side Palmeiras on Saturday night at CPKC Stadium. In the club’s first-ever match against Brazilian opposition, forward Haley Hopkins notched a first-half brace to hand the Current an advantage it would not relinquish. Forward Flora Marta Lacho then forced an own goal in the 50th minute, which stood as the Current’s final goal of the contest.
The victory sends the Current to the Teal Rising Cup championship game, where they will face Corinthians SC, also of the Brazilian Serie A1, on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. CT. Tickets are available HERE.
“Very pleased and very proud of this group, because it wasn’t an easy game to play,” said head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “We played an opponent that we’ve never played before coming from a different country, so there comes a style of play that’s slightly different. But also, we didn’t know what to expect, so we had to change things throughout the game. And for all the players that were on the field, to execute the game plan and the changes and to adjust in the run of play, I think they did an exceptional job, every single one of them. I’m very proud of them.”
Goalkeeper Laurel Ivory earned the shutout in her first appearance for the club, earning a save in the three-goal victory. Midfielder Bayley Feist combined with Hopkins for both of her first half goals, which marked the midfielder’s first multi-assist game in a Current uniform. Saturday also saw forward Mary Long and defender Katie Scott make their first starts in a Current uniform, as well as the professional debut for Scott. Additionally, forward Alex Pfeiffer made her 2025 debut as a second-half substitute after being activated from the season ending injury (SEI) list on Friday.
Returning to CPKC Stadium for the first time in just over three weeks, Kansas City began the match on a strong note. The Current nearly went ahead in the ninth minute, when forward Nichelle Prince slid a ball across goal that Hopkins slammed into the back of the net, but the assistant referee deemed Hopkins offside on her initial forward run towards goal. In the 11th minute, the visitors earned a clear-cut scoring opportunity after a loose ball from a Palmeiras throw-in pinballed around the Current’s penalty area, but defender Kayla Sharples made a crucial intervention to block the effort from the penalty spot.
The Current finally broke through in the 34th minute with a well-worked team goal. Midfielder Rocky Rodríguez started the move, scooping up a loose ball near the host’s own penalty area and working a give-and-go with Lacho up the pitch. After evading multiple defenders, Rodríguez slid the ball out wide for defender Ellie Wheeler in space. Wheeler took a few touches forward to curl the ball down the right flank for Prince, who met the ball in stride and dribbled down to the endline before rolling an angled cross towards the penalty spot. Feist then met the ball at the near post and, while spinning in midair, corralled the knee-high cross with a deft touch that set up a perfect half-volleyed opportunity for Hopkins six yards from goal. Hopkins sent the ball into the lower left corner, marking her first goal at CPKC Stadium.
Shortly thereafter, Hopkins scored her second goal at CPKC Stadium to give Kansas City a 2-0 lead in the 44th minute. The Feist-Hopkins connection came through yet again as a through ball from Feist down the left side of the Palmeiras defense gave Hopkins a look at goal. Hopkins took a handful of touches forward and deked a Palmeiras defender before curling a right-footed strike into the bottom right corner of the net. Hopkins’ brace marked the final action of the first half as the Current took a 2-0 lead into the locker room.
The Current tripled their lead in the early stages of the second half. Lacho, who made her first home start, drove a low shot at goal from just outside the Palmeiras 18-yard box right above the endline. Lacho’s effort was initially saved by goalkeeper Ravena de Jesus Silva before it slipped out of her gloves and into the back of the net for an own goal.
In the 66th minute, Pfeiffer entered the contest to raucous cheering from the CPKC Stadium crowd. The forward played the final 24 minutes of the contest in her first game action in 379 days after suffering a season-ending injury in June 2024. She wasted little time getting involved, nearly scoring in the 79th minute after racing onto a through ball from midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta. Pfeiffer had a one-on-one opportunity with Silva, but the goalkeeper stood tall to deny Pfeiffer’s chipped effort. LaBonta also featured as a second-half substitute in her first action for the club since May 24.
Kansas City ultimately closed the match out to secure the 3-0 victory and advance to Tuesday night’s championship. The Current will face Corinthians, after the Brazilian side took down Chicago Stars FC, 1-0, with a second-half stoppage-time goal off a set piece. Kansas City and Corinthians will square off at 8 p.m. CT. Palmeiras and Chicago will precede the championship match at 5 p.m. CT. Tuesday’s championship match will broadcast domestically on ESPN+ with Dave Borchardt and Jillian Carroll Letrinko on the call, as well as internationally on Disney+. Fans can also catch the action on 90.9 The Bridge, as well as tune in to hear the match in English, Spanish or Portuguese on the KC Current App.
Teal Rising Cup Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. Palmeiras
Date: July 12, 2025
Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Kickoff: 8:05 p.m. CT/10:05 p.m. BRT
Weather: 81 degrees, cloudy
Discipline
61’ Palmeiras Bench (Yellow)
80’ Kansas City – Cooper (Yellow)
88’ Kansas City – Feist (Red)
90’ Palmeiras – Emily (Yellow)
Scoring
34’ Kansas City – Hopkins (Feist)
44’ Kansas City – Hopkins (Feist)
50’ Kansas City – Own Goal
Scoring Summary
| 1 | 2 | F | |
| Kansas City | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Palmeiras | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kansas City Current Lineup: Ivory, Scott, Steigleder, Sharples © (72’ Brewer), Wheeler (82’ I. Rodriguez), R. Rodríguez (72’ Hutton), Feist, Lacho (72’ LaBonta), Prince (66’ Cooper), Long, Hopkins (66’ Pfeiffer)
Unused Substitutes: Gordon, Mace, Ball, Chawinga
Palmeiras Lineup: Ravena, Polina ©, Ingryo (46’ Emily), Brena (82’ Andressinha), Diany, Pati Maldaner, Isadora (56’ Soll), Carla, Greicy (70’ A. Júlia), T. Maranhão (82’ Yoreli), Rhay Coutinho
Unused Substitutes: Bruna H., Tainá B, Stefanie, Lais, Giselly, Anny
