Kansas City Current routed by Washington Spirit as poor NWSL form continues

The Kansas City Current returned from the international break and Teal Rising Cup success hoping momentum would carry into NWSL play. Instead, Friday night in Washington delivered another harsh reminder that friendly cup performances and league consistency are two very different things.

Kansas City were beaten 4-0 by the Washington Spirit on Matchday No. 6, dropping the Current to four losses in their last five NWSL matches. More troubling, the defeat marked the third time in the last four league fixtures that Kansas City failed to score.

The Current now sit 14th in the standings. The table remains compact, with just two points separating Kansas City from the league’s top 10.

Rodman and Santos punished Kansas City

Washington scored twice on either side of halftime and never allowed the Current to get settled in the match.

Leicy Santos struck twice, while Trinity Rodman added a goal and an assist in a performance that constantly attacked Kansas City’s back four. Rodman needed only 32 touches in 78 minutes to dictate the game, repeatedly finding dangerous spaces down the left wing and forcing the Current to defend.

The Spirit finished with 57% possession, 17 total shots, seven efforts on target, and 1.91 xG. Kansas City posted 43% possession, eight shots, three on target, and 1.36 xG. The raw xG suggests the game was not a complete tactical mismatch, but Washington were far cleaner and far more ruthless in both boxes.

Costly errors and little attacking support

For Kansas City, it was a night where too many players underperformed, none more noticeably than goalkeeper Lorena Leite. The Brazilian made three saves, but one of Washington’s four goals came directly from her error.

Michelle Cooper was still one of the few bright spots. Her positioning remained aggressive, and her heatmap showed regular involvement high in Washington’s half. The issue was service. Cooper saw too little of the ball to influence the game consistently and was often dragged into defensive work because the Current spent long stretches under pressure.

Kansas City did create a pair of moments before halftime through Croix Bethune and Debinha, but unlike Washington, they never found the finishing touch.

Bigger questions starting to form

This was supposed to be a positive restart after three straight wins in all competitions. Instead, the Current looked like the same inconsistent NWSL side that stumbled into the April break under head coach Chris Armas.

Four defeats in five league games, three scoreless performances in four, and 14th place in the standings tell the real story. Kansas City may not be buried by points yet, but performances like Friday’s are turning an early wobble into a legitimate concern for the NWSL Shield holders.

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