Kansas City Current will host Challenge Cup semifinal after beating Chicago Red Stars
The Kansas City Current closed out the group-play portion of the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup soccer tournament with their fourth victory, defeating the Chicago Red Stars 2-1 on a sun-splashed Sunday afternoon at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
With the win, the Current advance to the Challenge Cup semifinals. They finished the group stage 4-1-1, taking 13 of a possible 18 points.
Pretty outstanding stuff for a team that finished a meager 3-14-7 last season, their first in the National Women’s Soccer League.
“It was an incredible atmosphere again, and obviously I’m delighted with the performance of the team,” Current coach Matt Potter said. “We walk away with some more to play for.”
After a scoreless and relatively uneventful first half, the second half started with a bang. Subbed on after halftime, Alex Loera received the ball about 25 yards from Elyse Bennett and ripped a shot with the outside of her foot. It curled into the top corner, giving the Current a 1-0 lead.
The goal was the first of Loera’s professional career. Normally a center back, she found herself farther upfield thanks to the team’s emphasis on getting numbers into the box when they can.
“I was just trying to support Elyse and then she laid off a perfect one-touch pass,” Loera said of the goal, which touched off a bit of celebration afterward. “I think I kind of blacked out because I really don’t remember. So I’m just going to have to go back and watch it.”
When Chicago equalized a few minutes later — Bianca St. Georges finished a header at the back post — the Current sought to shore things up defensively by changing up their formation with a few substitutions. But in the end, it was the team’s two starting strikers who would combine for the winner in the 75th minute.
Bennett squared up Red Stars right-back Tatum Milazzo, nutmegging her and cutting to the end line before sending a pass back in front of the goal for Kristen Hamilton. Hamilton converted the opportunity with a tap-in for her fourth goal of the tournament.
The Current’s rookie class has continuously contributed to their sizzling start — Loera’s goal and Bennett’s two assists were Sunday’s examples.
“We’ve been working hard day in and day out,” Loera said. “We’re just here to be game-changers.”
Their coach is pleased with the progress, too.
“They’ve certainly proven on this stage that they belong,” Potter said. “We still believe their best days are ahead of them, but they’re certainly making an impact in doing the job that they need to do while other players are working their way back.”
With the victory, the Current advance to the Challenge Cup semifinals and will play host to the North Carolina Courage in the penultimate round of the annual NWSL tournament on May 4 at Children’s Mercy Park. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Central time and will be streamed on Paramount+.
Top seed OL Reign will play the fourth-seeded Washington Spirit in the other semifinal. The Challenge Cup final is scheduled for May 7.
Before that, however, the Current will kick off the NWSL regular season on the road against the Portland Thorns next Saturday, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. Central.
“Our job now is to just prepare for who is in front of us,” Potter said. “And that’s a really good Portland team.”
This story was originally published April 24, 2022 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Kansas City Current will host Challenge Cup semifinal after beating Chicago Red Stars."