Players to watch:
Kansas City forward Kristen Hamilton has scored in two straight games while attempting only two shots in each game. The only other player to score in consecutive games while attempting no more than two shots in each this season is Kaleigh Kurtz of the North Carolina Courage. Hamilton also leads the team in goals (3) with forward Elyse Bennett the only other player to have scored two or more goals (2) for the side this season.
Red Stars forward Mallory Pugh added another goal to her own tally on Sunday, making it five goals and an assist on the season. Since Pugh joined the Red Stars last year, she has been a part of 14 goals (9 goals, 5 assists), with only Sophia Smith (16) and Alex Morgan (14) contributing to a greater than or equal to number of regular season goals in that timeframe. Elsewhere, forward Ava Cook leads the league in assists (3) with Chicago helping lead the league in assists as a team (9) with Portland.
Match facts:
The Kansas City Current welcome the Chicago Red Stars to Children’s Mercy Park riding a three-game unbeaten streak that includes two wins, the only two wins the side has earned in the regular season so far. Meanwhile, the visiting Red Stars come in as one of the hottest teams in the league sporting a six-game unbeaten run of their own (W3 D3).
The three-game run for Kansas City is the first in the club’s brief history, with the only other time the Current have played three straight games without losing in all competitions was the teams’ first three matches of this year’s Challenge Cup (W2 D1). Most recently, it was a Kristen Hamilton goal in the 84th minute that separated Kansas City from Gotham FC at home last Saturday.
Chicago’s impressive run of form dates back to a 2-1 loss with San Diego in mid-May. The last time the Red Stars went at least six straight regular season games without losing was a seven-match run from July to September 2018 (W4 D3).
The Current have lost all three regular season games against the Chicago Red Stars but are unbeaten against them in the Challenge Cup (W2 D1). The two games Kansas City has played against Chicago this season were 2-1 victories in the Challenge Cup.
