KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Currents celebrated the grand opening of CPKC Stadium, the first stadium built specifically for a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team, on Saturday, defeating the Portland Thorns in five games. We defeated them 4-4. The game tied for the most points scored in the league.
Current captain Roor LaBonta said: “I think it was a great game, both teams scoring, because I don't think there's a single player in this stadium who doesn't want to come back for the next game.'' he said. ,He said. “They're going to tell more people. People are going to want to come right now because it was a show.”
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The game marked the beginning of a new era for former U.S. Women's National Team head coach Vlatko Andonovskii, as she returned to her adopted home in the NWSL and returned to her team and league.
CPKC Stadium cost more than $120 million to build, most of which was funded by private funds. The Kansas City Current owners are also building an $18 million training center, scheduled to open in 2022 and expand further in the near future. 11,500 fans filled the stadium when it opened on Saturday, causing an unprecedented suspension of facility spending for a women's soccer team.
NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman told ESPN at halftime that it was “above and beyond our expectations.” “We've been saying internally that if we build this, they'll come, but now we're here to really understand what it means to actually invest in the physical infrastructure of a brick-and-mortar store. Look, this is a game changer.
“They've changed the footprint of this city forever, and I think it's going to have a bigger impact than anyone can imagine.”
Kansas City midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo scored the opening goal 22 minutes into the game, electrifying the crowd and eliciting fist pumps from current co-owners Angie and Chris Long, and fellow co-owner Brittany Mahomes. said Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, jumping up and down in celebration. the current.
Current grabbed the momentum in the building and scored two more points in the next 12 minutes. Kansas City built a 5-1 lead by the 68th minute, with 16-year-old Alex Pfeiffer becoming the youngest goal scorer in NWSL regular season history.
What looked like an insurance goal from Pfeiffer ended up being the winner as the Thorns fought back to make things interesting with back-to-back goals from forwards Sophia Smith and Janine Beckie.
Andonovski made a name for himself in the NWSL with his team's solid defensive structure. Although he was “horrified” by conceding four goals on Saturday, he was satisfied with his side's ability to fight through an ugly game and pick up three points on a historic day. He said he was there.
“If you could describe this team, it would have to be like you're describing Kansas City,” Andonovski said. “You have to be hardworking, resilient, talent and grit literally show on people's faces. We showed that today. We had some moments where we weren't good there. We We didn't win because we were very good or much better than Portland. We won because we were Kansas City.”
The stadium also has unique Kansas City features, including its location on the south bank of the Missouri River and the team's unique teal color throughout the facility, from the seating to the hand soap in the bathrooms.
Saturday was a long time coming for players and coaches from the NWSL's early, frugal era. DiBernardo is a 10-year league veteran who began his professional career playing in a 3,000-seat college football stadium in the Chicago suburbs.
”[From] Where we started in this league and where we are now is all about growth and how hard our players have worked and pushed the bar and how much we have to really fight for ourselves. It just shows what wasn't there,” DiBernardo said. start. We grow with our voices, [we’re] I'm just pushing the limits and I think today was a special first experience and a day I'll never forget.”
Mr. Andonovski was the first coach of the city's original NWSL team, FC Kansas City. FC Kansas City was launched in the league's first year in 2013 and disbanded at the end of 2017. The team played at a high school football stadium outside the city.
After the disappointment of last year's World Cup, he returned to the league and Kansas City as head coach of the U.S. national team because he shares Long's vision of making Current the best team in the world.
“This is going to change the world of women's soccer,” Andonovski said. “This is the beginning of change.”
