Kansas City last had an NWSL team in 2017, when two-time champions FC Kansas City ceased operations and its player-related assets were transferred to expansion team Utah Royals FC.[1] Three years later, the Royals also had to cease operations after controversies from the team's owner Dell Loy Hansen,[2] and a Kansas City-based ownership group led by financial executives Angie and Chris Long took advantage to secure an expansion team along with the Royals' player-related assets on December 7, 2020.[3]Brittany Mahomes, wife of NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a former college soccer player at University of Texas at Tyler and fitness trainer, purchased a stake in the team as well.[4] In January 2023, Patrick became a member of the ownership group as well.[5]
The Longs named Huw Williams, former general manager of FC Kansas City, as the team's inaugural head coach.[3] The franchise played their first season as Kansas City NWSL, playing their home matches at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas, but ended their first season in Kansas City with 16 points from 24 games, 14 of which were losses.[2]
Huw Williams was relieved of duties as manager and replaced with Matt Potter for the 2022 season, but remained with the franchise as director of soccer operations[2] until November 2022 when it was revealed he was confronted by the team's roster for disrespectful and inappropriate behavior. This came in light of the NWSL's league-wide Yates Report.[6] In May 2022, the team hired Allison Howard as its first team president.[7] Kansas City unveiled their new team branding as Kansas City Current for the 2022 season, and relocated their home matches to the nearby Children's Mercy Park, in Kansas City, Kansas. A team training facility and headquarters opened in Riverside, Missouri in June 2022,[8] and in July 2022 the ownership group announced plans for their future stadium in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.[9][10] The club made significant roster moves with the additions of Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams from the North Carolina Courage,[11][12] and Claire Lavogez from Bordeaux.[13] All three players would not finish the season on the roster due to season-ending injuries, the likes of which kept both Mewis and Williams from playing a single game in the regular season.[2][8] The Current had a 13-match unbeaten streak in the middle of their 2022 campaign,[2] propelling the team to their first playoff appearance in the 2022 NWSL Playoffs, and an eventual matchup against the Portland Thorns in the NWSL Championship.[8][14] Portland would go on to defeat Kansas City 2–0 in the matchup.
In 2023, the Current had a poor regular season showing, finishing 11th out of 12 teams, but had advanced to the semifinals of the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup, where they lost to the tournament's eventual champion, North Carolina Courage. After three matches into the season, the team parted ways with Matt Potter as head coach and named Caroline Sjöblom as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[15][16][17][18] In the club's final match at Children's Mercy Park, the attendance was over 15,671,[19] in what will now stand as a club record as they move to CPKC Stadium.[20] In October 2023, the team hired former U.S. women's national team and FC Kansas City manager Vlatko Andonovski to lead the team.[21][22]
CPKC Stadium held its first match between the Current and the Portland Thorns on March 16, 2024. Kansas City won the match 5–4 in front of a sell-out crowd. Rookie Alex Pfeiffer became NWSL's youngest goalscorer (16) in the match, and the overall goals tied a record for most in a single match in NWSL history.[23]
Colors and crest
The team's temporary crest for the inaugural season in 2021.
Due to the short turnaround between the team's founding and the 2021 NWSL season, the ownership announced in January 2021 that the team would play its inaugural season under the temporary name Kansas City NWSL with temporary crest and colors; a full brand development process would take place so that a permanent team name, crest, and colors will be in place for the 2022 NWSL season.[24]
On October 30, 2021, the team revealed its permanent name as Kansas City Current with a new crest for the 2022 season.[25]
In October 2021, the club unveiled plans to construct the first purpose-built stadium built exclusively for women's professional soccer. The stadium was built in Kansas City, Missouri, at the Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park with a capacity of 11,500 and estimated cost of $117 million. The project was proposed to be entirely privately financed through the ownership group, with the team signing a 50-year lease for the site at which the stadium will be located.[33] The costs increased from $70 millions to an estimated $117 million in May 2022, which the club's owners attributed to construction costs and a redesign increasing the stadium's capacity from 11,000 to 11,500. Angie and Chris Long requested $6 million in tax credits from the state of Missouri to supplement their private funding, in part because the lease agreement prohibited them from pursuing any local tax incentives.[34] The stadium was completed in 2024. The first match was held on March 16, 2024, in which the Current defeated the Portland Thorns by a score of 5–4.[2]
Supporters
The Blue Crew, a supporters group of the defunct FC Kansas City, has continued to support the new NWSL team in Kansas City.[35] Other supporter groups include Surface Tension (drumline) and The Undertow.[36][37]
On June 13, 2021, CBS affiliate KCTV agreed on a multi-year deal to become the official local television partner through the 2023 season (in addition to any matches already scheduled by CBS Sports for national broadcast). The station and its MyNetworkTV affiliate KSMO-TV will broadcast eight matches locally in the club's inaugural season. Brad Porter will serve as the play-by-play commentator, joined by Aly Trost as the color analyst.[38]
Kansas City Current II
The Current founded an affiliated reserves team in the amateur Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) in 2022.[39][40] Under head coach Huw Williams, The team finished its first regular season atop the WPSL's Heartland Division with an 8–0–0 record, +49 goal differential on 47 total goals scored (including an opponent's forfeit), second-most in the league.[41] In postseason play, the Current II defeated FC Milwaukee Torrent 7–0 on July 7, 2022, and then defeated Indios Denver FC 6–1 on July 16,[42] before falling to Colorado Rapids Women 3–2 in the Central Region finals on July 17.[43]
In November 2022, Huw Williams departed from the club.[44] The Kansas City Current II club was left off the schedule for the 2023 season, and marked as an expansion team for the WPSL 2024 season.[45][46]
