KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City Current is one of the two most-represented NWSL clubs on the October roster for U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Emma Hayes and the four players on the roster who proudly wear the teal had a lot of good things to say about the city they represent.
The USWNT plays its first-ever friendly at CPKC Stadium, home of the Kansas City Current, on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. CT. CPKC Stadium is the first stadium in the world built exclusively for a women’s sports team. The historic, standard-setting venue at Berkley Riverfront Park opened its doors in 2024.
While it may be a new location for the National Team, players Claire Hutton, Michelle Cooper, Lo’eau LaBonta and Ally Sentnor know very well the site of Wednesday’s friendly against New Zealand is a special place.
“It feels very much like home,” Sentnor said.
These four players are part of a Kansas City Current roster that made history this season. The Current captured the NWSL Shield on Sept. 20 with five regular season matches remaining, faster than any other club in league history, and head into the last weekend of matches before the playoffs with a 20W-3L-2D record.
“This quartet has been driving the standards here at this club, and it’s why they are an outstanding team in the NWSL this year,” Hayes said.
These four players have brought a high standard to the international level and played important roles for the U.S. Women’s National Team in this October FIFA window.
Hutton was one of three teenagers to start the team’s 3-1 win against Portugal on Sunday, Oct. 26 in Connecticut and is a player who Hayes often uses as an example to epitomize the player pathway from the Youth National Teams to the senior team. The 19-year-old midfielder worked her way from her debut with the U-17s to the U-19s and the U-20s, making contributions in competitive tournaments such as the 2023 PanAm Games and the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
“The development and grounding, both in playing youth national team tournaments... plus NWSL, starting for her team... is really giving her the foundation to be able to perform at our level, maybe at a slightly earlier age,” Hayes said.
Sentnor, who recorded an assist in the 3-1 win over Portugal, arrived to the Kansas City Current via a blockbuster trade on Aug. 1.
“When you come into a top environment, you might not get everything all at once, but if there's one player who I know that is determined, no matter the obstacle, no matter the realities of a situation, that will make things happen, it’s absolutely Ally Sentnor,” Hayes said.
Hayes called Cooper “a firecracker” with the kind of dynamic personality that every team needs. Cooper showed her grit in the opening match of this window on Oct. 23, earning a spot in the starting XI and battling against a tough, physical Portuguese side.
“She's dynamic,” Hayes said. “She gets people out of their seats.”
LaBonta was a late addition to Hayes’ October roster, replacing the spot initially filled by Seattle Reign midfielder Sam Meza. LaBonta is the oldest player in camp, someone who Hayes describes as “a constant” in terms of her performance and delivery. When the group arrived in Kansas City, Labonta welcomed her USWNT teammates to the city by introducing them to her dog, Amigo.
“He’s definitely brought some smiles to camp,” LaBonta said.
Playing at CPKC Stadium, even in the cold mist that Tuesday’s weather brought to training, is clearly a point of pride for the foursome – and it expands beyond the pitch. Hayes shared with the media that these four teammates have been telling everyone what to expect – from where to find the best barbeque in the city to how spirited the fans will be Wednesday evening.
“I think it’s going to be loud,” Hutton said. “The stadium is going to be packed, loud and energized. We say it with the Current, this is our 12th man when we're playing in the stadium, and I think it's going to be the same way in the U.S. crest. I'm most excited to see how everyone else reacts, how they talk about this city and this field afterwards.”
These four aren’t the only ones who know how loud Kansas City fans can get. The camp roster consists of 19 players from the NWSL, including Rose Lavelle who plays for Gotham FC. As someone who has visited CPKC Stadium before on the opposing side, the midfielder is looking forward to having the Kansas City fans behind her for once.
“It's definitely a tough stadium to be an away team in because the crowd really shows up, and it's a great atmosphere. It will be fun to experience it as a home team,” Lavelle said.
Kansas City is a massive sports town, and its soccer roots run deep. Hayes said that the team’s hotel includes a clock that counts the days, minutes and seconds until the Current’s next match. The city is also home to Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer, formerly known as the Kansas City Wizards and the Kansas City Wiz before that when the club was one of the 10 charter teams to play in the league’s inaugural season in 1996.
The city is also of course home to the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, winners of back-to-back Super Bowls in 2023 and 2024. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes became the first active NFL player to have equity in an NWSL team when he became a new co-owner of the Current in 2013 along with his wife, Brittany. He joined the Long family, Angie and Chris, who founded the club and served as the visionary leaders who brought CPKC Stadium and the Current’s world class training center to life.
“What an incredible family,” Hayes said of the Longs. “What they are doing for women's sport and women's soccer in particular in this country, they're leading the way with some other clubs.”
Hayes, her son Harry and four of her USWNT players had a chance to root for Mahomes during the Kansas City Chiefs’ 28-7 win at Arrowhead Stadium against the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football. Hayes had a rocking time and expects to have another one on Wednesday night when Kansas City officially welcomes the USWNT for the first time at CPKC Stadium.