Kansas City Current kicked off their regular-season opener in style with a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Portland Thorns at their new stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Vanessa DiBernardo opened the scoring for Kansas City in the 22nd minute after Debinha's shot deflected off Thorns goalkeeper Shelby Hogan. The Current continued their momentum with rookie Ellie Wheeler finding the back of the net shortly after, giving them a 3-1 lead at halftime.
Bia Zaneratto, Kristen Hamilton, and Alex Pfeiffer also contributed goals for the Current, while Sophia Smith and Janine Beckie scored twice each for the Thorns. Unfortunately, Debinha had to leave the game in the 32nd minute due to a suspected hamstring injury.
The game marked the inaugural match at CPKC Stadium, the first U.S. stadium specifically built for women's professional soccer. The sold-out crowd of 11,500 witnessed an exciting encounter, which was also the first NWSL game broadcast on ABC as part of the league's new media rights deal.
The Current's new signing, Zaneratto, a veteran of four Women's World Cups for Brazil, made an immediate impact with a goal before Smith pulled one back for the Thorns. Hamilton and Pfeiffer added second-half goals to extend Kansas City's lead to 5-1, but Portland fought back with Beckie and Smith scoring late goals to make it a tense finish.
Under the guidance of coach Vlatko Andonovski, the Current secured their first win of the season. Andonovski, a former U.S. national team coach, previously coached FC Kansas City and the Reign before taking over the national team. The game was kicked off by Brittany and Patrick Mahomes, part of the Current's ownership group, adding to the festive atmosphere.
The NWSL's new broadcast deal worth $60 million annually signifies a significant step forward for the league, with matches now being aired on ESPN networks, CBS Sports, Amazon Prime Video, and Scripps Sports, providing greater visibility for women's soccer in the U.S.
