RECAP: Stars’ Struggles Continue in 3-1 Loss to KC Current
The Chicago Stars suffered their eighth defeat of the NWSL season on Saturday evening, falling 3-1 to the Kansas City Current at SeatGeek Stadium.
The league leaders looked in control throughout the game and came away with a comfortable victory.
The Stars remain at the bottom of the NWSL table with four points from 10 games.
Promising Start Nullified by Current Attack
Chicago’s back line looked defensively sound to start the game, keeping the potent Current attack quiet for half an hour. The visitors nearly took the lead in the 33rd minute, when Nichelle Prince drove a low cross into the danger area. The ball took an unfortunate bounce off Cari Roccaro, forcing Alyssa Naeher into a stunning reflex save off the bar. The goalkeeper couldn’t replicate her brilliance a minute later. Bia Zaneratto struck from short range, and the ball snuck under Naeher to make it 1-0 to KC.
PHOTO: Matt Cashore/Imagn Images
In the 41st minute, the Current doubled their lead through Temwa Chawinga. The striker got on the end of a well-placed through ball from Zaneratto and scored with a low shot towards the back post. The Stars were just barely able to stop the bleeding until halftime, with Zaneratto hitting the post in the 44th minute.
The Chicago Comeback Falls Short
Chicago bounced back in style, drawing a foul in the attacking half with 50 minutes on the clock. Sam Staab stepped up to take the set piece, delivering a threatening looping ball into the box. Under pressure from two opposing players, Shea Groom connected with a low header and put the Stars on the board. It was Groom’s first goal in a Stars jersey and first overall since the 2022 season.
Unfortunately for Groom and her teammates, that was all the attacking threat the team would produce. KC reinstated their two-goal advantage with a set-piece goal of their own. With 60 minutes on the clock, Izzy Rodriguez whipped in a free kick from the left touchline. Kayla Sharples was on the receiving end, defeating Naeher with a bullet header.
The Current rode the 3-1 lead all the way to the full-time whistle, producing a few chances to add to their lead.
The Stars didn’t create any opportunities to cut into the deficit.
Is There Any Hope for the Stars?
It’s been a very bleak year for the Stars. The club, a mainstay in the NWSL Playoffs for most of its history, is on track for its worst season yet. They lack any attacking output in the absence of star striker Mallory Swanson and have conceded a league-high 22 goals as well.
It’s thus perhaps unsurprising that they’ve mustered just one point in four games under interim manager Masaki Hemmi. That mark is comparable to predecessor Lorne Donaldson’s three points from the first six matches of the year.
Despite the struggles, Hemmi can find positives, recognizing that transforming the Stars into a winning team will be a long process.
“We as a coaching staff throw a lot of different things at [the players] in terms of how we play,” Hemmi explained post-match.
“With those things, the execution takes a little more time, but the players bought in and tried to do what we were asking them to do.”
The effort is therefore not an issue for this struggling side. There are simply gaps in the squad that cannot possibly be filled until at least the summer transfer window. That being said, the Stars still have three roster slots available, including two international slots. Hemmi will almost certainly lead the team through the summer, meaning he cannot yet be fairly assessed for his results.
In short, the Stars have to play the waiting game. All three of their remaining games before the summer break are against teams currently in playoff positions. Any points from those games could go a long way towards the Stars’ bid to move up in the standings.
It’s been a miserable 2025 for the club and its fans, but the second half of the season could bring at least a partial reprieve.
PHOTO: Matt Cashore/Imagn Images
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