KC Current, Bay FC putting the NWSL’s ambition on display in Saturday matchup

CPKC Stadium will be the backdrop on Saturday for two teams who have shown ambition very early on in their existence.

The Current, which is in its fourth season in Kansas City, will welcome Bay FC in the midst of the visitors’ inaugural season.

While the Current has certainly shown its ambition on and off the field, Bay FC started with a bang in constructing its first roster this offseason.

Current coach Vlatko Andonovski, who has coached in the league through a multitude of expansion teams, noted how differently Bay FC has approached its first season in the NWSL

“Back in the days when Houston came in or Orlando, they were a bit different,” Andonovski said. “Where now with Bay FC, they’re immediate contenders.”

Kansas City fans will most likely recognize Alex Loera, who broke out in the first two years of her career with the Current. Names that will be well known in the broader global women’s soccer circle should be just as exciting.

Asisat Oshoala, Racheal Kundananji and Deyna Castellanos are players who have starred at the international level with Nigeria, Zambia and Venezuela, and in the European game as well.

Oshoala played for Barcelona before coming to the United States, scoring 85 goals in a little over 100 games. During her career, she was also a star for the Nigerian national team.

Kundananji is 23 years old and played with Madrid CFF where she scored 33 goals in 43 matches the last two seasons. Bay FC paid a reported $787,000 transfer fee, a world record for a women’s soccer player.

The rest of Bay FC’s roster is loaded with NWSL vets to complement the star power at the top. Hence, Andonovski’s labeling them as an immediate contender.

Building a contender-level roster doesn’t come without ambition, which the Bay FC ownership group has clearly set forth. There are parallels, too, to the Current.

The club’s ambition has manifested through investment in facilities unlike any other professional women’s sports organization. And the Current has a talented roster and a big-name coach to boot.

One of the Current’s big-name additions this offseason was Bia Zaneratto, Brazil’s star number 9, who arrived in a transfer from Palmeiras. In four games, she has two goals and two assists. She says the competitiveness of the NWSL drew her to the league.

“What caught my attention most of all was the organization, the intensity of the 90 minutes,” Zanerrato said on Friday through a translator.

It’s a sign of the times in the NWSL. The Current is coming off a road trip to Gotham FC, the defending league champions. Gotham FC broke its attendance record and has a roster loaded with U.S. women’s national team members.

Now, the Current returns home to its own mostly self-funded stadium, filled with players of international pedigree, hosting an expansion team with an equally impressive and ambition-laden roster.

Saturday’s game (set for 6:30 p.m.) should provide some fireworks on the field.

Kansas City leads the league in goals scored (12), and Bay FC is tied for third (7). On the flip side, the Current concedes the third-most goals (8), while Bay FC concedes the fourth-most (7).

Andonovski joked that the game could look something like the Current’s season-opening win against Portland, which ended 5-4.

“We are gonna stick to what we do and how we do things,” Andonovski said. “Not because of Bay FC, it’s because we believe we’re getting better, and we’re gonna keep getting better not only on the attacking side but also defensively.”