Match Preview: Bay FC Welcomes Defending NWSL Shield Winning Kansas City Current to PayPal Park

Friday, Sept. 4: Bay FC vs. Kansas City Current

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Sept. 3, 2026) – Bay FC returns home this week after a quick trip back east, welcoming the Kansas City Current to PayPal Park for a Friday night matchup Sept. 4. It’s the first meeting of the season between the two clubs, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. PT. The match will broadcast live on Prime Video and tickets remain available at BayFC.com/tickets.

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Bay FC fell in a tight contest to the Washington Spirit last week, despite a strong performance on both ends, and will look for a turn in fortunes as the club comes back home. The club outshot the Spirit’s vaunted attack with 19 total shots and did well to keep opportunities from reaching goal for the bulk of the contest. A transition score in first half stoppage time by Washington ended as the decider, but Bay FC threatened all day long and nearly equalized on multiple occasions in the second half.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Bay FC midfielder Claire Hutton: Hutton taking on her former club this week will surely get attention, but she also enters the week with a league-leading 50 tackles won, second in the league with 151 successful on-on-one duels, and in the top ten in interceptions. Against a strong attacking team in Kansas City, her ability to break up plays before they turn into opportunities may be a deciding factor in the outcome.

Kansas City Current midfielder Croix Bethune: Bethune has been one of the league’s top playmakers this season with 35 chances created and nine assists. Overall, she enters the week with 13 scoring contributions, including her fourth goal of the season last week vs North Carolina in a 3-2 win. Her ability to put forward Temwa Chawinga, firmly in contention for the golden boot, in dangerous positions will be one to watch for Bay FC.

Claire Hutton, Bay FC
Croix Bethune, Kansas City Current

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT

Pundits across the league had Kansas City in their crosshairs early in the season as the club lost three of its first four games, an almost unfathomable happening after the club’s historic form in 2025. Slowly but surely, the Current has returned to a steady pace and remained dangerous on the attacking end, having lost just once in its last six games. However, the club has been vulnerable, going without a shutout since July 3 and only recording four so far this season, while tallying just two wins away from home.

Kansas City bested North Carolina in a 3-2 result last weekend, a match defined by an eventful first half. Four of five goals were scored before the break, including an own goal by the Courage to open the proceedings just 12 minutes in. The club welcomed back forward Temwa Chawinga for the first time since returning from international duty at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where she scored three times in her squad’s improbable run to the final.

OFF TO REPRESENT

Starting this week, Bay FC midfielder Kennedy Fuller will be away from the club as she joins the U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. It will be Fuller’s second youth World Cup, after representing the U.S at the 2024 U-17 tournament. Fuller and the U.S U-20’s will open play Sept. 6 vs. Italy, before taking on Japan Sept. 9 and New Zealand Sept 12. All matches will broadcast on FOX networks in the United States. The selection marks Fuller’s first to a national team roster since joining Bay FC from Angel City FC in June.

FORMER CLUB FACEOFF

Friday marks quite a night for those who like to see players take on their former teams. Bay FC midfielder Claire Hutton, forward Alex Pfeiffer, and goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz each do just that this week, as does Current forward Penelope Hocking. Hutton, Pfeiffer, and Silkowitz each began their pro careers with Kansas City, while Hocking featured for Bay FC in 2024 and 2025 before joining the Current via transfer deal during preseason training camp.

Hutton was named to the NWSL First Team Best XI with Kansas City last season, also earning nominations for 2025 Midfielder of the Year and 2024 Rookie of the Year. Pfeiffer became the league’s youngest ever goalscorer at the time of her debut in 2024. Hocking was Bay FC’s leading scorer in 2025 and helped the club surge to a playoff berth late in its inaugural season after coming over from Chicago Stars FC.