gotham fc vs kc current takes center stage Saturday at CPKC Stadium, where Gotham FC visits the Kansas City Current for a 4 p. m. ET kickoff in a rematch of last year’s historic NWSL quarterfinal upset. Midge Purce and Jaedyn Shaw are back in Gotham FC’s starting lineup, giving the visitors two changes after last weekend’s 0-0 home draw with the Orlando Pride. Lead assistant coach Shaun Harris will direct the sideline because head coach Juan Carlos Amorós is home with his family as they prepare for the arrival of their second child.
Purce and Shaw Return to the XI
The lineup news is the biggest immediate development around gotham fc vs kc current. Purce makes her second start of the regular season and her first since Gotham’s opener at Boston, while Shaw returns to the XI for the first time since March 14. Gotham FC has also kept its familiar attacking shape, with Purce and Shaw set to pair with Esther González up front.
In midfield, Rose Lavelle captains Gotham FC after reaching the NWSL’s 100-match club last weekend against Orlando. She starts alongside Savannah McCaskill and Jaelin Howell, who has a team-best 23 duels this season. The trio is starting together for the fourth time in five matches, underscoring how settled the midfield has become as Gotham FC heads into gotham fc vs kc current.
Kansas City Rematch Carries Real Weight
Saturday’s trip is Gotham FC’s first return to Kansas City since its postseason win there in 2025, when the eighth-seeded club upset the top-seeded Current on the way to the NWSL Championship. That result was a milestone for Gotham FC, marking the first time a No. 8 seed defeated a No. 1 seed in NWSL playoff history and delivering the club’s first-ever win over Kansas City.
For the Current, the game is a chance to reset the tone at home. For Gotham FC, it is another high-pressure test on a field tied to one of the club’s defining results. CBS will carry the national broadcast from Kansas City.
Key Pieces, Injuries, and the Bench
Defensively, Gotham FC stays with its regular back four in front of goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who enters the weekend leading the NWSL with a 0. 50 goals-against average and three clean sheets. Jess Carter has a team-high eight interceptions this season and earned NWSL Best XI of the Month honors for March, while Emily Sonnett is nine minutes away from 15, 000 regular-season minutes in her NWSL career.
The substitutes bench includes Shelby Hogan, Tierna Davidson, Sofia Cook, Sarah Schupansky, Talia Sommer, Jordynn Dudley, Andrea Kitahata, Katie Lampson and Khyah Harper. Bruninha, Mandy Freeman and Taryn Torres are unavailable because of injury and were listed out on the Gotham FC availability report.
What Comes Next in gotham fc vs kc current
With Purce and Shaw back, Gotham FC arrives in Kansas City with a clearer attacking plan and a familiar core in place. The club will now try to turn the energy around gotham fc vs kc current into another statement result, while Amorós remains away for a family milestone and Harris handles the coaching duties for one more night.
