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Photo Copyright Jay Biggerstaff for USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Current’s first trophy celebration had everything. TikTok dances, a player pulling off a brilliant confetti snow angel coverup after slipping off the stage, and a proud coach standing off to the side out of the spotlight watching his team hoist the trophy.
Team co-owners Brittany and Patrick Mahomes were also on hand sharing their suite with some of their two-time defending Super Bowl champion friends from the Kansas City Chiefs.
It was goofy and a little awkward, but it also felt right for this team that’s successfully navigating a chaotic season in the National Women’s Soccer League.
“It was hilarious when the confetti was stuck in everybody’s hair and mouth. That was fun,” team captain Lo’eau LaBonta said.
This is LaBonta’s first trophy in Kansas City too, despite it being her fourth year with the franchise. She also played for Andonovski when he coached the city’s previous NWSL team FC Kansas City in 2016 and 2017, but she missed the team’s two title runs.
“We battled hard. You know, at the end, he was proud of us, that we had three or four corners on us in the last minute and were able to come out of it still with the win, LaBonta said. “These are always little victories that we enjoy and we embrace.”
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This trophy was awarded after a pair of games in The Women’s Cup. First, a 3-0 victory against Mamelodi Sundowns FC, and then a 1-0 championship game win against Atlético de Madrid 1-0 on a balmy Saturday night at CPKC Stadium.
It was the team’s second tournament of the league’s Olympic break. In the other, the Current advanced to the finals of the inaugural NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup which will be played in October.
Though the stats—as phenomenal as they were—don’t count toward the league standings, the confidence boost can’t hurt a team that suffered its only blemish in the final game before the break. The Current fell 1-0 to the Orlando Pride, who sit at the top of the table and are still undefeated.
Across six matches in the two tournaments, the Current outscored their opponents 16-1. Tigres UANL was the only one to score and they did it facing a 2-0 deficit. Kansas City answered back a few minutes later and went on to win the match 4-1.
Though she entered the break with just one goal, Debinha appeared to return to form for the Current during the last few weeks. She scored the winning goal in the championship as well as three in the Summer Cup.
“A player like Debinha, she makes all the difference,” Atlético de Madrid coach Victor Marin said through a translator. “Even if you’re well-positioned, she finds the hole, finds a way to get behind.”
Aug 17, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Current midfielder Debinha (99) wins Player of the Match after defeating Atlético de Madrid in The Women’s Cup championship at CPKC Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
She was tabbed as Player of the Match, earning a unique 3-D printed cleat signed by Leo Messi and made with recycled materials collected while cleaning and restoring rivers and seas. The trophy was designed by Join the Planet and boxed in a glass case.
“We still haven’t seen the best of Deb, but we see how good, how dangerous she can be when she’s anywhere near her best,” coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “When she’s doing well, the players around her are doing well, it’s not just that the team looks better. The team also looks fun to watch.”
Now, the team has a handful of days to recover and prepare to return to league play with a Saturday road match against the Washington Spirit. That starts the countdown for the final 10 regular-season games, with a quick break for that Summer Cup final on Oct. 25.
The Current are second in the standings with a 10-1-5 record with an 18-goal differential. Despite having just one loss, they only have a one-point lead on the Spirit, who are 11-4-1. Gotham is another three points behind at 9-3-4.
“Every win is enjoyable and we want to enjoy that, but we also want to, once we’re done with this one, we have to start focusing on the next game,” Andonovski said. “It’s important for us to win, to win this tournament because we talk a lot about creating a winning mindset or creating a winning culture.”
Expanding the mission into the community
While in town, The Women’s Cup also organized a camp for local athletes dubbed The Girl’s Cup. It was created and organized by Paul Dreisbach, director of impact and purpose for TWC, as a way for players from around the world to engage with the host community.
Players from each team led clinics and answered questions from participants between the ages of nine and 17. In collaboration with local clubs, 130 participants were invited from immigrant, low-income, refugee and club communities. A similar event was held in Louisville for children aged 11-16.
“The Girls Cup is the cornerstone of why we do this work,” Dreisbach said in a statement. “We aim to create moments where girls can dream and see the pathways in front of them and then support and invest in their journey. Building social impact, community engagement and closing the gap is not only the right thing to do but it’s essential to create the game we all want and need.”
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