KC Current remain unbeaten, but Friday’s match was particularly frustrating. Here’s why

Down a goal at halftime, the Kansas City Current fought back hard to take a lead as stoppage time neared. But poor set-piece defense reared its head again, and Sam Staab’s late header sent the Current and Chicago Red Stars home with a point apiece in a 2-2 draw.

Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski said he was happy with his team’s performance despite his frustrations with how the match ended.

“I thought we played very well,” Andonovski said. “We created opportunities, we scored goals.”

Another point of frustration appeared to be the opposing game plan. Andonovski said the Red Stars “came in with the mindset not to lose.”

“Credit to them, they achieved their goal,” Andonovski said. “We had an opportunity to win this game. But things like this will happen.”

The Current remained unbeaten following Friday night’s match at CPKC Stadium, moving to 8-0-5 (29 points) through 13 matches.

Mallory Swanson opened the game with a bang, somehow slipping a shot right under Current goalkeeper AD Franch’s arm from a tight angle. The visitors held that 1-0 lead from the sixth minute through the first half.

The Current had 21 touches in the Red Stars’ penalty area in the first half and took 18 shots. Eventually, that captivating attack broke through.

While searching for an equalizer, the Current showed a balance of urgency and patience. The Red Stars could hardly get the ball over the halfway line because the Current’s press after losing possession was suffocating.

“I think (that’s) just a standard we set from the beginning of the season,” Current midfielder Claire Hutton said. “We want to win every 50-50 (ball). We want to be the dominant team on the field.”

And for the second time in six days, a second-half scoring outburst led the Current to a second-half lead.

Bia Zaneratto scored, volleying home a loose ball in the box after a corner kick. Then she played provider and assisted Temwa Chawinga courtesy of a rope-a-dope shielding of the ball by Debinha. Right before Debinha got a touch on the ball, Chawinga snatched it and placed her shot low and hard past Alyssa Naeher to give the Current a 2-1 lead.

“I said, ‘If we go (into the) second half the same way, we will have no problem,’” Andonovski said. “That’s the sad part. We played well and we created opportunities, and we scored goals.”

But…

“Then, it’s the problem that’s been haunting us throughout the season,” Andonovski said.

As the clock struck 90 minutes, Staab headed home a corner kick to level the score. There was some question as to whether or not the Red Stars should have received that corner — depending on if a Current player had touched the ball last — but the final result was a draw.

As Andonovski alluded to, the issue of set-piece defense persists. The Current have conceded the most goals from corner kicks in the league this season. Staab’s goal was the sixth such goal against the Current.

Andonovski hopes his squad will be more proactive in defending set pieces.

“We have to be more alert,” Anodnovski said. “We have to be a little more aggressive and defend those. Because that’s the one thing that no matter how much you work, it will be hard to stop (them) from happening. ... It’s not like you can stop them, but you certainly have to defend them.”

Also of note, the Current had to sub out Vanessa DiBernardo in the first half after a hard challenge from Red Stars midfielder Bea Franklin. DiBernardo is being evaluated for a concussion. Andonovski said he hopes the league will review the challenge, calling it a “serious foul.”

Up next: The Current travel to Portland on Sunday, June 23, for a 3 p.m. kickoff.

Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.

This story was originally published June 14, 2024 at 9:43 PM.