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Four weeks ago, the Kansas City Current faced the Denver Summit. It felt like a must-win game, as the team had dropped out of playoff position. A Denver win would’ve left the Current in dangerous territory.

Fast-forward to today, Kansas City is coming off a 2-0 road win over Utah, leapfrogging the Royals in the standings to fourth place. KC sits comfortably in position not just for the postseason, but for a valuable home playoff game.

“I think we know at this point every game matters, and all the points matter,” said midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo. “It pretty much is playoffs for us already, and so we’ve kind of hit that next level.”

DiBernardo’s corner kick set up Haley Hopkins’ first of two goals. Hopkins drilled a back-post header into the net. She added her second late in the second half from an assist by Temwa Chawinga.

The scoreline made it look closer than it was. Chawinga beat the goalkeeper but skied her shot a little; it caromed off the crossbar just before halftime. And the Current put the ball in the net twice in the five minutes before Hopkins’ second, only to be called for offside each time.

Only one of Utah’s shots inside the penalty area made it on target. The rest came from more than 20 yards away, causing little danger to Lorena.

The Current managed the midfield well, staying compact and limiting the chances Utah likes to create.

In the last three games, the Current has outscored opponents 11-2, gotten healthier and seemed to have found its true rhythm. KC again resembles the team that won five of six games in May.

“I think we’ve definitely turned a corner,” DiBernardo said. “And I think these last few games have really given us a lot of confidence. And getting a road win, I think, was also huge for us.”

Hopkins stays red-hot in front of goal

Haley Hopkins is red-hot heading into the playoffs. The KC Current striker has six goals and an assist in the team’s last three matches, bringing her season totals to 11 goals and 4 assists.

She hasn’t always been viewed as a striker since being acquired in a trade with the North Carolina Courage. Her height, strength and aerial prowess make her a natural fit at that position. And so do her eye for when to press and passing ability.

Even so, she spent much more time on the wing last season and in the first half of 2026.

Her skill set works there, too. But with wingers like Temwa Chawinga and Michelle Cooper, the logical spot for her was striker. The offense often came into focus late in games once Hopkins stepped on the field as the team’s striker.

Since the Current traded away Ally Sentnor to Angel City, Hopkins stepped up and provided what the Current needed at striker, perhaps as a better stylistic fit than Sentnor.

“We talk about ways that we try to score goals,” said head coach Chris Armas. “She arrives in those areas, players put the ball in those areas, and she also leads our press from up high.

Since the Sentnor trade, Hopkins has eight goals and four assists. It has taken the scoring burden off Chawinga’s shoulders and provided a more well-rounded threat up top than some of the club’s attempts after Bia Zaneratto’s offseason departure.

“She can score in different ways, and she helps our defensive presence,” Armas said. “She’s so energetic and smart in how we press and can repeat sprints, which makes her very different and special up there.”

The latest NWSL playoff picture

Saturday’s win and performance over the Utah Royals certainly perked ears up not just in Kansas City, but across the National Women’s Soccer League. It was only KC’s fourth road win of the 2026 season, but it came at the right time.

The win moved KC into the top four with two matches remaining. If Kansas City can finish top-four, it will host a playoff game the weekend of November 5-7.

In the meantime, the Current has a number of ways to clinch a playoff spot: Those permutations include a North Carolina Courage loss or draw. A Seattle loss would do the trick. And if Seattle draws or wins, a Current draw or win would similarly clinch a playoff spot this weekend.

About that matchup: The Current faces the Washington Spirit in its last regular-season home game, scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. Sunday at CPKC Stadium.

Sporting KC dealing with a disconnect?

After Sporting KC’s 3-1 loss to Real Salt Lake, things didn’t quite add up. The loss was Sporting’s 20th of the season, and it fell to a team whose road record was worse than its own.

Coach Raphael Wicky sat in a nearly empty press room to answer questions about the game and lambasted the team’s defense. Days earlier, he said the team defended “like kids” in a 4-0 loss to Nashville.

“At the end of the day, it’s hard work,” Wicky said after the loss to RSL. “You’ve got to work. You’ve got to follow the guys. You’ve got to run back. That’s the game. And it’s too easy. That’s the reality. It’s too easy to score against us, and we can’t expect to score two or four goals every game.”

This has been an issue all season, and frankly, it’s fair to question what it’s a symptom of. Is it a disconnect between players and coaches? Is it a lack of leadership on the field? Wicky dismissed the idea that his message may not be getting through to players. But the results suggest there’s some level of difficulty.

SKC has averaged 2.63 goals against per game since André Luiz’s arrival. For the whole season, the team’s mark is 2.5 goals against.

SKC has conceded three or more goals eight times in its last 16 games. Five of those times have come since Luiz entered the lineup.

Obviously, that’s not to suggest it’s simply André Luiz’s fault. This team just gives up goals. Lots of them. And it hasn’t changed.

Still, both Wicky and players feel there has been some progress in recent weeks. And the underlying numbers are marginally improved.

Jake Davis didn’t want Saturday’s performance to overshadow that.

“I think that we have more to give,” the defender said, talking about the team’s potential. “I think today is not our best showing. But that doesn’t take away my belief in what our team can give, from what I can give, from what the new guys we’ve brought in can do.”

Roos return to winning ways

The Kansas City Roos men’s soccer team returned to the top 5 of the United Soccer Coaches Poll on Tuesday after a 2-0 win over Delaware on Saturday in Summit League play. Losses elsewhere helped catapult the Roos back to No. 5 with a 9-2-2 record.

They took on Penn on Tuesday night and defeated the Quakers 2-1. Their final home match of the 2026 regular season is Sunday at noon against Massachusetts.