Kansas City Current Fight for Playoff Spot vs. Denver Summit — SkimNews
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- Kansas City Current sit 8th in the NWSL with 38 points — the final playoff spot — going into Saturday's home game against the Denver Summit (35 points), who can overtake them on goal differential with a win, while the Seattle Reign (37 points) also loom
- The Current's star trio of Temwa Chawinga, Michelle Cooper, and Croix Bethune has played together only 10 times this season; the team averages 2.1 goals with all three on the pitch but just 1.2 without them, and Bethune (hip) is questionable for Saturday
- Chris Armas, hired as head coach after Vlatko Andonovski moved to sporting director, acknowledged a learning curve coming from MLS, where his prior stint with the Colorado Rapids ranked 24th of 30 in goals conceded
- Andonovski's defensive record evaporated this season — the Current conceded 0.6 goals per game in his 2025 Shield-winning campaign but are allowing 1.4 per game in 2026, a collapse captain Lo'eau LaBonta attributes to sweeping off-field turnover
- Ownership group led by Angie and Chris Long reached out to friend Jesse Marsch (now Canada's men's national team coach) for a recommendation that led to Armas; Chris Long said they did a 'full search' but Armas was always atop the list
- Andonovski, who left the club's sporting director role after eight months, has already joined the Chicago Stars in a similar capacity, with the Current now searching for his replacement
Why it matters: A Shield-winning team now fighting for a playoff spot underscores how a single offseason reshuffle — swapping a beloved coach for an MLS hire and stripping front-office continuity — can derail an NWSL contender, leaving the league's most ambitious ownership group to rebuild trust and squad depth simultaneously.
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