- Vanessa DiBernardo - 22'
- Ellie Wheeler - 25'
- Bia Zaneratto - 34'
- Kristen Hamilton - 64'
- Alex Pfeiffer - 68'
- Sophia Smith - 43', 74'
- Janine Beckie - 71', 90'+1'
Current top Thorns in high-scoring season opener
How Kansas City Current's thrilling win is just the start of an 'unbelievable' NWSL season
Lianne Sanderson believes the NWSL season is going to be an "unbelievable ride" after Kansas City Current's thrilling 5-4 victory over Portland Thorns.
The Kansas City Current beat the Portland Thorns 5-4 in a thrilling season opener at CPKC Stadium on Saturday.
Vanessa DiBernardo capitalized on a defensive error by Portland to open the scoring. Shortly after, rookie Ellie Wheeler extended the lead, and Bia Zaneratto made it 3-0 with a superb strike in the 34th minute. Kristen Hamilton and 16-year-old Alex Pfeiffer also scored for K.C., which led 3-1 at the half. Temwa Chawinga also made an impactful debut for Kansas City as well, contributing two assists.
Portland, down 5-1 midway through the second half, attempted to mount a comeback, scoring three goals in the final 15 minutes of regulation, but couldn't get any closer. Sophia Smith and Janine Beckie each netted twice for the Thorns.
ESPN Generative AI Services creates recaps from event data and/or transcripts that are reviewed by human editors before posting; email support@espncustomercare.com for corrections.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Alex Billeter
NWSL Standings
Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Orlando Pride | 23 | 17 | 6 | 0 | +29 | 57 |
Washington Spirit | 23 | 15 | 2 | 6 | +17 | 47 |
NJ/NY Gotham FC | 23 | 14 | 5 | 4 | +14 | 47 |
Kansas City Current | 23 | 13 | 7 | 3 | +20 | 46 |
North Carolina Courage | 23 | 12 | 2 | 9 | +8 | 38 |
Chicago Red Stars | 23 | 10 | 2 | 11 | -1 | 32 |
Portland Thorns FC | 23 | 8 | 4 | 11 | -2 | 28 |
Bay FC | 23 | 9 | 1 | 13 | -11 | 28 |
Racing Louisville FC | 23 | 6 | 7 | 10 | -2 | 25 |
San Diego Wave FC | 23 | 5 | 7 | 11 | -8 | 22 |
Angel City FC | 23 | 7 | 4 | 12 | -10 | 22 |
Utah Royals | 23 | 6 | 3 | 14 | -18 | 21 |
Seattle Reign FC | 23 | 5 | 5 | 13 | -14 | 20 |
Houston Dash | 23 | 4 | 5 | 14 | -22 | 17 |