KANSAS CITY (Sept. 11, 2026) — The Kansas City Current (11-8-5, 38 pts., 6th place) used a second-half rally to earn a 2-2 draw against the Orlando Pride (9-12-3, 30 pts., 11th place) Friday night at CPKC Stadium. Orlando found the back of the net twice before Kansas City scored two goals in a three-minute span to level the contest.
In her first start since July 17, forward Temwa Chawinga halved the deficit with a breakaway finish in the 53rd minute. Just three minutes later, defender Elizabeth Ball capped a wild scramble in the Orlando penalty area with a second-chance finish to tie the match at two apiece. Both sides pushed for an equalizer but settled for the draw as the Current extended their league-record home unbeaten streak to 29 matches.
“We stepped on the pitch with a real mentality to push the game, push the tempo and put [Orlando] in a faster game then they were wanting to show up and play,” said head coach Chris Armas. “I’m really proud of the entire team. I’m surrounded by a team that impresses me every single day, even through adversity…I’m proud of the team, especially the way we came back and stepped up, 100 minutes deep and we played to win and attack.”
Kansas City and Orlando traded chances throughout an end-to-end first half. The Current’s first major chance came from a set piece in the 17th minute, as a loose ball in the box fell to Ball at the back post. She fired a low shot from the top of the six-yard box that appeared destined for a vacated net, but Orlando goalkeeper Cosette Morché slid across the face of goal to make the save.
Twelve minutes later, midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo unleashed a left-footed strike from the top of the penalty area that was rising towards the top right corner, but Morché made a diving stop to push the chance away. Kansas City goalkeeper Lorena was called into action for her second save in the 37th minute, pushing a curled effort from distance struck by Orlando defender Hailie Mace over the crossbar.
In the waning seconds of the first half, the visitors went ahead courtesy of a breakaway goal from forward Barbra Banda in the 43rd minute. The Current nearly found an equalizer before the halftime break when forward/midfielder Debinha hit the crossbar and Chawinga had a header from inside the penalty area go wide, but Orlando maintained its 1-0 lead after 45 minutes.
The visitors doubled the lead in the early stages of the second half through Banda’s second goal in the 50th minute, but the Current’s second-half comeback began moments later. In the 53rd minute, forward Michelle Cooper kickstarted a Current counterattack and raced towards goal. As Cooper entered the attacking third, she slid a ball between multiple defenders for Chawinga. The ball initially struck Chawinga’s back foot at the top of the 18-yard box, but she kept with the play and took a touch towards goal. Chawinga then weaved through multiple defenders before steering a shot past Morché to put the home team on the board.
The goal — Chawinga’s 10th of the season and 45th of her regular season career — gave the Current an instant lifeline, and she has now scored at least 10 goals in each of her first three NWSL seasons. Cooper’s feed marked her fourth of the season and 10th of her regular season career, and she is now the fifth player in club history with at least 10 career regular season assists for the club.
Kansas City equalized minutes later after Ball capped a scramble in the Orlando penalty area with her first goal of the 2026 campaign. The sequence started with a set piece served in by DiBernardo, and the ensuing loose ball fell to defender Izzy Rodriguez. From the right side of the box, Rodriguez drove an effort on goal that Morché attempted to push away, but the ball fell straight to defender Kayla Sharples on top of the six-yard box. Morché denied an effort from Sharples, but Ball was perfectly positioned to clean up the rebound into the lower left corner.
Ball scored her first goal of the year and fourth of her regular season career. Kansas City continued to push for a match-winner as the contest progressed, but neither side could find a go-ahead goal as the match ended tied at 2-2.
Friday’s result marked the first time Kansas City has come back from trailing by two goals to earn at least a point since Oct. 15, 2023. Rodriguez made her 50th consecutive regular season appearance, extending her club record. The result also extended the Current’s league-record unbeaten streak to 29 consecutive regular season matches (22-0-7).
Kansas City hits the road next week for its third consecutive Friday night match on Sept. 18 as the club visits the San Diego Wave. The match kicks off at 9 p.m. CT (7 p.m. PT) from Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif., and will broadcast nationally on Prime Video. Fans in Kansas City can listen to all the action on 90.9 The Bridge, and the KC Current App will carry an audio feed in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Current Landing, the waterfront mixed-use district, anchored by CPKC Stadium and the Missouri River, will host a watch party for Friday’s match. Fan entry will begin at 8 p.m. CT. Free tickets can be reserved HERE.
NWSL Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. Orlando Pride
Date: Sept. 11, 2026
Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Kickoff: 7:10 p.m. CT/8:10 p.m. ET
Weather: 81 degrees, sunny
Attendance: 11,500
Discipline
70’ Kansas City – I. Rodriguez (Yellow)
Scoring
43’ Orlando – Banda (Lemos)
50’ Orlando – Banda (Mace)
53’ Kansas City – Chawinga (Cooper)
56’ Kansas City – Ball
Scoring Summary
1 2 F
Kansas City 0 2 2
Orlando 1 1 2
Kansas City Current Lineup: Lorena, I. Rodriguez, Sharples, Ball, Rouse, DiBernardo (76’ R. Rodríguez), LaBonta ©, Debinha (83’ Hocking), Chawinga (83’ White), Cooper, Hopkins
Unused Substitutes: Jordan, Williams-Mosier, Feist, Gemelli
Orlando Pride Lineup: Morché, Dyke, Mace, Oihane, Anderson, Lemos (70’ Marta), McCutcheon ©, Angelina, Banda, Ovalle (70’ Lekven), Yates (46’ Washington)
Unused Substitutes: Martin, Luana, Chavoshi, Nunes, Doyle, Payne, Martin
