Game Preview: Kansas City is currently playing for the league record against the Houston Dash at CPKC Stadium

The Kansas City Current (9-0-5, 32 pts., 1st place) will make a triumphant return home to host the Houston Dash (3-6-5, 14 pts., 12th place) at CPKC Stadium on Friday, June 28 at 7:00 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on Prime Video. Fans can also tune in to 90.9 The Bridge FM to hear Dave Borchardt and Jillian Carroll Letrinko provide commentary on the action. The radio broadcast will also be available on the KC Current app, along with broadcasts in Spanish and Portuguese.

Kansas City added another historic moment to an already memorable season after breaking the club’s single-season record with the 14th consecutive undefeated match to start the 2024 campaign. The club now targets the NWSL all-time record . Since the 2023 season, the Current have tied the record with 16 games without a loss, needing just one more positive result to set the all-time record.

In the last match, the Current and Portland Thorns started the contest in a back-and-forth that seemed destined for a scoreless draw at halftime. However, the NWSL’s top-scoring team needed just 10 minutes to completely change the narrative. The Current took a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute thanks to a header from forward Temwa Chawinga to midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta, with the latter defying physics in her position to redirect the header toward goal.

Just eight minutes later, defender Stine Ballisager Pedersen took a loose ball in the box to fire a point-blank shot straight into the top net for her first Kansas City goal, becoming the 17th different current player to score this season.

LaBonta finished the half with the team’s third goal and her first career brace. Midfielder Claire Hutton started the play by bringing the ball up to the top of the box and shooting. Her powerful shot toward goal was blocked and bounced back, seemingly out of harm’s way. However, the Kansas City captain jumped on the ball and hit a rope into the top corner of the goal that was in the net before the Portland goalkeeper barely had a chance to react.

Kansas City continued to score in the second half. In the 47th minute, Chawinga dribbled past a Thorns onslaught, breaking free unhurt to slot in a goal at the near post. The Malawian forward was set up on her run by a clear pass from defender Elizabeth Ball that landed right at her feet. It was Ball’s second assist of the game and his first-ever game with multiple assists. Determined not to leave Providence Park scoreless, Portland rallied for a goal in the 74th minute via forward Sophia Smith on a counter-attack, leaving the final score 4-1.

The Houston Dash enters Friday’s game after a 0-0 home draw against the San Diego Wave. After a 3-0 win over North Carolina in late May, the Dash have not scored in the last three games. However, the group’s defense has held strong, led by veteran goalkeeper Jane Campbell and her six games without conceding a goal so far this season.

The last time the Current and the Dash met was in Houston, in a match marked by unusual weather. Kansas City showed off its relentless attack with 29 shot attempts, but only Current forward Temwa Chawinga reached the back of the net. For their part, Houston made good use of the team’s few chances and, after a four-hour rain interruption, scored a second-half goal to tie the match at 1-1.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kansas City Midfielder and Captain Lo’eau LaBonta – Kansas City Midfielder and Captain Lo’eau LaBonta has been the face of the team since the team’s return in 2021 and the ‘Celly Undisputed Queen of the NWSL. She already held the penalty shots record for the club, but last week she became the club’s all-time leading scorer in the regular season with her double. His powerful shot late in the first half gave him 15 career goals for Kansas City.

Houston Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell – Campbell was recently named an alternate to the United States Women’s National Team for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The reigning NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year has backed one of the league’s stingiest defenses in 2023. So far in 2024, she hasn’t let up, leading the league with 67 stops and six clean sheets.

RIVETED HISTORY
The Current have faced the Houston Dash more times than the Kansas City club has faced any other team in the league. Friday will mark the 15th matchup in all competitions since Kansas City entered the league in the 2021 season. The Current have the advantage with a 7-4-3 record against the Dash. The teams are expected to face each other again in July during the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.

ALL AROUND THE TEAM
When teams face Kansas City, they have more to worry about than the Current’s fierce offensive lineup. Seventeen of the club’s players have scored during the 2024 regular season, including every center back who has played for Kansas City. Ballisager was the final piece of that puzzle for the Current, scoring her first NWSL goal on Sunday.

DUH-NUH-NUH, DUH-NUH-NUH
LaBonta’s long-range strike — her second goal of the night — cracked ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 on Monday. The veteran’s first career brace was a memorable one. Her fifth goal of the season was her 15th regular-season goal with the Current, moving her into the club’s all-time leading regular-season scorer. After a ball deflected by Claire Hutton at the top of the box, LaBonta screamed into the net. Her one-touch masterclass sailed a warpath through the defense and into the top right corner to extend Kansas City’s lead to 3-0.