Kansas City Current Close May with 3-1 Win Over Chicago Stars FC

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NWSL Kansas City Current

Kansas City Current Close May with 3-1 Win Over Chicago Stars FC

May 24, 2025 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Kansas City Current News Release


BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - The Kansas City Current (8-2-0, 24 pts., 1st place) closed the month of May on a high note, downing Chicago Stars FC (1-8-1, 4 pts., 14th place), 3-1, at SeatGeek Stadium Saturday night. Forward Bia Zaneratto opened the scoring in the 34th minute on a feed from defender Hailie Mace, which marked Mace's franchise-record ninth NWSL regular season assist. Zaneratto returned the favor seven minutes later with a chipped assist to fellow forward Temwa Chawinga, marking the match-winning goal. After the hosts pulled a goal back in the opening moments of the second half, defender Kayla Sharples fired in a header for Kansas City's third and final goal of the contest.

Zaneratto notched both a goal and an assist in the same match for the first time since March 2024. One week after becoming the quickest player in NWSL history to reach 25 goals, Chawinga notched her 26th career regular season goal. Saturday's contest also marked the first start in Current colors for midfielder Rocky Rodríguez, who set up the team's second goal with a forward ball for Chawinga. The victory marked Kansas City's third consecutive win, which came in front of a strong contingent of traveling Current fans.

"The fans were amazing," said head coach Vlatko Andonovski. "I knew we were going to have a big group from Kansas City, but I didn't expect this big of a group. Especially after the game, they all stayed and waited for us. It was so cool to see it. I want to thank every single one of them who came here to support us from the bottom of my heart because it means a lot for everyone including the players on the field. They see it, they feel it and it helps. I'm glad we could repay [them] with a good victory."

Kansas City applied pressure on the visitors from the opening whistle. Zaneratto recorded the first shot of the match in the fifth minute with a volleyed effort that sailed wide of goal and, over the next 25 minutes, several promising Current through balls were promptly snuffed out by Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.

As the first half progressed, the Current inched closer to the opening goal of the match. In the 32nnd minute, Mace lofted a through ball for forward Nichelle Prince down the right wing, and Prince drove to the endline and fired a low cross through the Chicago penalty area. The ball took a ricochet off a Chicago defender and rattled the crossbar. On the ensuing loose ball, midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo slid a pass into the penalty area for Prince, but the forward saw her effort saved.

Kansas City broke the deadlock two minutes later. Prince played a ball along the right flank for Mace, who raced to the endline and fired an angled shot across the Stars' penalty area. Mace's pass met Zaneratto who calmly deked a Chicago defender before firing a strike past Naeher and into the back of the net. The goal marked Zaneratto's third of the 2025 season and eighth of her NWSL regular season career.

Mace now holds sole possession of the Current's franchise record for regular season assists with nine, one ahead of DiBernardo and midfielder Debinha.

Seven minutes later, Chawinga and Zaneratto combined to double Kansas City's advantage. Chawinga's finish capped an excellent team move which started with Zaneratto holding off a Chicago defender in the attacking third and rolling a pass backwards for R. Rodríguez. The midfielder then fired a one-time ball forward for Chawinga, who dished the pass to Zaneratto before she drove at the Chicago defense. With Chawinga running in behind the Stars' defense, Zaneratto chipped an inch-perfect through ball that met Chawinga in stride. Chawinga took a touch and rolled her effort into the bottom right corner to give the Current a 2-0 lead.

Chawinga has now scored in three consecutive NWSL regular season contests for the fourth time in her career.

In the 44th minute, Zaneratto came just shy of giving Kansas City a 3-0 lead after meeting a cross from Prince at the back post, but her sliding effort struck the post. Zaneratto's effort marked the final action of the first half as Kansas City took a 2-0 lead into the locker room.

Chicago found a lifeline in the early stages of the second half. In the 51st minute, defender Shea Groom found the back of the net with a header as the Stars cut Kansas City's lead to 2-1.

Kansas City soon responded with a header of its own. On a set piece from the left wing, defender Izzy Rodriguez lofted a ball towards the penalty spot. Through a sea of bodies, Sharples rose and slammed the ball past Naeher and into the back of the net with the headed finish. Sharples' goal marked her second of the 2025 season, both of which have come on set pieces assisted by I. Rodriguez. The assist marked the eighth of I. Rodriguez's NWSL regular season career, making her level with Debinha and DiBernardo on the Current's all-time assist leaderboard.

In the 63rd minute, forward Michelle Cooper made her return after missing the team's last five contests due to injury. She nearly made an instant impact and, seconds after coming onto the pitch, broke through down the right wing and rolled a pass towards the six-yard box for Chawinga. However, Chawinga's attempt sailed just high as the Current maintained a 3-1 advantage.

Sharples' goal provided more than enough cushion for Kansas City to see out the remainder of the contest. Groom's goal marked the lone touch Chicago managed inside the Current's 18-yard box across the second half. In the closing stages of the contest, midfielder Jereko made her first appearance of the 2025 campaign. The final moments of stoppage came and went without any further action, and the Current ultimately held onto a 3-1 victory.

Midfielder Lo'eau LaBonta made her 28th consecutive NWSL regular season start, which is tied for the longest consecutive streak in franchise history. LaBonta, Lorena and Sharples are the only three Current players to have played every minute of Kansas City's first 10 matches.

The NWSL takes a league-wide break next weekend for the FIFA international window from May 28 to June 3. Kansas City returns to action as the club rounds out its three-match road trip June 7 against NJ/NY Gotham FC. The match kicks off at noon CT from Sports Illustrated Stadium and will be broadcast nationally on CBS. Fans in Kansas City can catch the action over the air on 90.9 The Bridge, and Current fans can also tune in on the KC Current App to listen to the match in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

Limited single-match tickets for 2025 regular season home matches are now on sale to the general public. The best way to ensure you won't miss a second of the action at CPKC Stadium is by joining the Current Club, the Current's trailblazing fan membership experience. Focused on ensuring fans continue to be able to access exclusive opportunities, members can unlock special benefits like priority access to single match tickets, members-only gifts and discounts, access to live and virtual events, exclusive content and more. 2025 Season Ticket Member Account Holders are already enrolled in Current Club at no additional cost. Click HERE for more information about the Current Club.

NWSL Match Report

Match: Chicago Stars FC vs. Kansas City Current

Date: May 24, 2025

Venue: SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, Ill.

Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. CT

Weather: 61 degrees, partly cloudy

Attendance: 3,886

Discipline

12' Kansas City - DiBernardo (Yellow)

37' Kansas City - R. Rodríguez (Yellow)

Scoring

34' Kansas City - Zaneratto (Mace)

41' Kansas City - Chawinga (Zaneratto)

51' Chicago - Groom (Staab)

60' Kansas City - Sharples (I. Rodriguez)

Scoring Summary

1 2 F

Chicago 0 1 1

Kansas City 2 1 3

Chicago Stars FC Lineup: Naeher © (90+1' Mackiewicz), Anderson, Staab, Roccaro, Malham, Franklin (80' Johnson), Lopez, Groom (61' Bike), Joseph (90+1' Curran), Grosso, Ludmilla (61' Schlegel)

Unused Substitutes: Hayashi, Nesbeth, Gomes, Cook

Kansas City Current Lineup: Lorena, Mace, Ball, Sharples, I. Rodriguez, LaBonta ©, R. Rodríguez (63' Hutton), DiBernardo (90+3' Jereko), Prince (63' Cooper), Zaneratto (75' Hopkins), Chawinga (90+3' Lacho)

Unused Substitutes: Ivory, Gagne, Steigleder, Wheeler

Check out the Kansas City Current Statistics



National Women's Soccer League Stories from May 24, 2025


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