Kansas City Current announce first signing under new coach Vlatko Andonovski
The Kansas City Current are just two weeks into their offseason, and they’re already making some noise.
The Current announced on Monday morning that they’re signing forward Alex Pfeiffer, 15, using the NWSL’s “Under-18 Entry List.”
“I am unbelievably excited and blessed to say I’m playing for the KC Current.” said Pfeiffer in the team’s release. “Everything about this club is class, from the players to the facilities, to the coaching staff and ownership group. I can’t imagine a better place to start my professional career.”
The 15-year-old was part of the most recent U.S. Youth National Team matches and scored a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw with Japan. A member of the St. Louis Scott Gallagher sporting program, she was recently named the ECNL U-17 player of the year.
ECNL, or Elite Club National League, is among the highest levels of developmental academy play in the United States.
“Alex is a tremendous talent we are so excited to bring to the Current,” general manager Camille Ashton said in a release. “We believe she has the ability to impact this team for many years to come and are thrilled she chose to take this next step in her career to continue her development with us in KC.”
Pfeiffer is the first player acquired in the Current’s new era of leadership with Vlatko Andonovski as sporting director and head coach. In an interview with The Star last week, Andonovski hinted that the club was close to signing some younger players under the league’s U-18 mechanism.
That came to fruition quickly.
The NWSL announced the “Under-18 Entry List” rules last November, creating the league’s first option for U-18 players to go pro. This came two years after the NWSL settled its antitrust lawsuit with Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie.
Moultrie filed the lawsuit against the NWSL to fight the rules that, at the time, prevented players under the age of 18 from signing with teams. The settlement eventually led to the rule changes that allowed the Current to sign Pfieffer.
Two other NWSL teams have signed players under this mechanism — Chloe Ricketts with the Washington Spirit and Melanie Barcenas with the San Diego Wave. Barcenas played around 300 minutes in 2023, and Ricketts roughly doubled that total.
That could provide a baseline or blueprint for expectations of Pfeiffer’s early tenure with the Current, but her minutes will vary depending on how well she integrates herself into a competitive KC front line in 2024.