**Kansas City, Kansas** – The Kansas City Current dueled to a 2-2 draw with the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday night, with the Current’s opening goal canceled out by two goals from the visitors, only for the hosts to then find an equalizer in a thrilling second half.
The action began in the seventh minute when newly acquired Current midfielder CeCe Kizer forced a good save from Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher close in. The ball was moved down the left flank and into the penalty area where Kizer awaited, but Naeher closed the move from a few yards out from goal to concede a corner. However, it was that corner that saw Chicago allow the game’s first goal when defender Hailie Mace took a pass from a short corner and lifted a line drive to the back post that forward Kristen Hamilton got the last touch on on its way in.
In the 29 ^th minute, it was again Kansas City threatening in a forward move as the midfielder Kizer was denied by another great save from the goalkeeper Naeher. After recovering possession in the middle of the park, Current defender Victoria Pickett slid a ball forward for Kizer to latch onto in the penalty area. Taking a touch away from goal toward the byline, Kizer was then unable to lift her effort over the netminder to double her side’s lead.
One of the best chances for Chicago came near the end of the first half when forward Mallory Pugh took a pass from just inside the opposition half all the way down to the endline where she attempted to find a teammate. However, her cross-cum-shot was well saved by Current goalkeeper Adrianna Franch as Kansas City held its narrow lead heading into the halftime interval.
Coming out of the break, though, it was the visiting Red Stars who capitalized on a great chance off a corner kick to level the scoring in the 53 ^rd minute. Assuming corner kick duty, Pugh launched her delivery deep toward the back post but was able to pick out teammate Amanda Kowalski, who drove an extremely powerful header past Franch to open the scoring for her side on the night.
Then, Chicago’s momentum piled after it found the leveller as it won a penalty in the 58 ^th minute to give itself a chance to go from one down to one up in the span of five minutes. Up to the spot, and the player who won the penalty, was the forward Pugh, who sent Franch the wrong way as she buried the opportunity to her right.
Just after the hour mark, the Red Stars could have gone 3-1 up when Pugh was played in on goal via a fantastic through ball from teammate Sarah Luebbert. However, she was unable to create enough space to get the ball around Franch and the Current XI collectively exhaled.
Bouncing back quickly, Kansas City then drew level in the 68 ^th minute as Kizer’s homecoming goal, though initially denied on a couple of occasions, eventually came following a through pass from forward Elyse Bennett. Played into space on the left side of the field, Kizer ripped a left-footed effort that got just enough height on it to beat Naeher and then bring the game back even.
As the second half wore on, it was Chicago who nearly snatched victory in the end when Pugh picked out teammate Sarah Griffith in the 86 ^th minute for a last effort in front of goal. Standing in the middle of the penalty area, Griffith fired a high shot on goal that was too central to beat the goalkeeper Franch, who did well to parry the ball over the crossbar and out for a corner.
In the end, an entertaining match saw the two teams split the points as Chicago’s quest for a comeback victory was quelled by a Kansas City equalizer. The win keeps both clubs’ unbeaten runs alive as well, with the hosts Kansas City extending theirs to four games while Chicago moves to eight games without a loss.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights