Inside KC soccer: Sporting Kansas City’s latest low point, Chawinga’s hat trick

Sporting Kansas City has been upfront about its rebuilding phase. But it’s safe to say that no one expected things to be this bad.

Saturday’s 6-0 defeat to the Timbers in Portland was arguably the team’s most humiliating performance of the season, next to recent losses by scorelines of 5-0, 4-1, 3-1 (twice), and 3-0.

Things are actually historically bad for Sporting: Through 11 matches, KC has avoided a loss just three times, winning only once, for a record of 1-8-2. Allowing an average of nearly three goals per game, Sporting is on pace to give up 98 in 2026.

First-year Sporting KC head coach Rapha Wicky was asked Tuesday if he had expected more from the team’s start.

“I always expect more,” he said. “I expect more from myself and from us as a team to not lose these games, three, four, five, six, to zero. That’s obviously by far not (good). But that’s where we are right now.”

Few coaches would survive a negative run like the one Sporting KC is on. But there is context to be considered here. Of the 24 players on KC’s roster, 13 are being paid the league minimum. And Sporting still has three of six possible premium roster spots open.

In short, Wicky doesn’t have enough to work with.

Sporting KC general manager David Lee has faced an uphill climb in jumpstarting the rebuild process. He filled team staffing needs first and is trying to bring in talented players. But fans who have seen Sporting win five games in the last calendar year demand progress on the field.

With three matches remaining before the World Cup break, including Wednesday night’s matchup with the L.A. Galaxy at Sporting Park, the summer window can’t come fast enough. This team needs several reinforcements — at least 4-5 starting-caliber players. KC needs more experience and leadership, too.

If Sporting is proactive about getting new deals done, acquired players could arrive early for Wicky’s summer training camp and be registered and ready to go when MLS returns from its break on July 16.

Sporting KC’s first matchup after the World Cup? A road derby match against St. Louis.

Current truly returns to form

Temwa Chawinga has only been in Kansas City for two years, yet it’s rare to see her do something she hasn’t done in a Current uniform.

The Current blew the Chicago Stars out of the water on Mother’s Day. Chawinga’s hat trick should’ve been book-ended by goals from Michelle Cooper (who hit the post twice) in a 3-0 win.

The Current seems to go as Chawinga’s health does, which shouldn’t come as a shock. When the best player in the league, the most dangerous player in the league, is missing, things don’t come easy for that team. The absence of the back-to-back MVP was obvious during the Current’s early-season struggles.

Sunday’s performance was the loudest possible statement that Chawinga is back. KC coach Chris Armas let the rest of the league know she’s just getting started.

“From everything I understand, the best is still yet to come,” said Armas, who — like SKC’s Wicky — is in his first year at the helm in Kansas City.

It’s not just Chawinga scoring goals. The cohesion of the front four is taking shape, too. Take, for instance, the third and final goal for Chawinga’s hat trick.

It’s tiki-taka, one-touch play around the top of the box. Cooper blindly chipped the ball over the top of Chicago’s back-line with her back to goal; Chawinga smashed home the volley. All timed to perfection, in perfect rhythm.

And with Croix Bethune pulling the strings as a tempo-setter and central creator, the Current’s offense is finally humming the right tune.

You get what you pay for (mostly)

The MLS Players’ Association released its spring 2026 salary guide on Tuesday, and Sporting KC ranked second-to-last in base roster compensation.

With a roster costing just $12,359,39. Sporting’s two highest earners are Dejan Joveljic ($3.3 million) and Manu Garcia ($2.4 million). The only team whose roster costs less is the Philadelphia Union. KC and Philly are the only MLS teams without a second victory in 2026.

In MLS, it’s nearly impossible to compete without spending at least in the middle of the pack. Nine of the fifteen best records in the league are teams spending in the top half of MLS when it comes to roster expense (median of roughly $20.4 million).

Spending doesn’t equate directly to winning. of course. Just ask San Jose (spending $15.8 million on the best record) or Atlanta United (spending $27.8 million on a bottom-five record).

But maybe it does if you’re paying Lionel Messi. Reigning MLS Cup champion Inter Miami is giving Messi $28.3 million. That’s more than every other teams’ entire wage bill, save LAFC.

Fun fact: Sporting KC could double its total roster expenditure and still pay its team less than what Messi makes.

Lorena and the Current back-line

It isn’t a coincidence that the return of the Current’s stingy, proactive and aggressive defense coincided with the return of the pairing that helped set a league record for consecutive minutes without conceding.

Say hello to Kayla Sharples and Elizabeth Ball. Sharples playing at left center-back, Ball at right-center back, has made a world of difference for the Current. Throw in the addition of talented rookie defender Laney Rouse at right-back and the KC back-line both looks the part and is backing it up.

Not to mention, Lorena seems to be back to her “reigning goalkeeper of the year” form. Over the past two games she faced 3.04 expected goals on target (xGOT), a metric that estimates the likelihood that a shot’s placement and power result in a goal. She allowed just one, and the deflection that led to it was quite fluky.

“We’re a stingy team (and) we’re a prideful team,” said Armas. “We think we have great defenders. The mindset and mentality to get a shutout means you have to start strong and finish strong. And we did that in each half.” Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.