After finishing in last place in their inaugural season in 2021, Kansas City rode the underdog mindset in 2022. Head coach Matt Potter and general manager Cami Levin Ashton made a few important tweaks to a young group in order to peak at the right time and make it all the way to the NWSL Championship.

In 2023, the underdog label is far behind the Current, who signed some of the NWSL’s biggest free agents in the offseason. With full buy-in from ambitious ownership, the Current have become one of the premier destinations for professional women’s soccer players in the U.S. in only three years. But after a successful 2022 season, how will the team’s chemistry withstand all the new additions?

2022 review: Underdog energy

The Kansas City Current of 2022 played a cohesive, sometimes chaotic style of soccer that other teams found difficult to break down. While they weren’t immune to conceding first, they almost always found a way to come back to challenge for a result.

The team played in an expansive 3-5-2 formation, with three center-backs behind a high-flying midfield that moved the ball quickly and found space for their attackers. A number of young and relatively inexperienced players helped reset the team’s culture, with key veterans like Lo’eau Labonta and AD Franch setting the tone.

The team committed to the grind of the NWSL season early on with a preseason process they’re using again this year. Labonta told reporters in February that the heavy lift days the team holds in Florida in the preseason are a “rite of passage” and that the time spent in camp set them in the right direction in 2022.

“Matt [Potter] has actually given credit to us being here and grinding here for why we’re able to make it so far in the league last year,” Labonta said. “I think it’s true.”

The Current ultimately finished fourth in the regular-season standings, a vast improvement from their league-worst finish in 2021. Their style of play proved perfect for the NWSL’s knockout playoffs, as they advanced past the Houston Dash and then Shield winners OL Reign. A collective never-say-die attitude took them all the way to the 2022 NWSL final, where their inexperience showed in a 2-0 defeat to a Portland Thorns team ready for the big moment.

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The Current made the biggest splash of free agency, signing midfielder Debinha. (Jaylynn Nash/USA TODAY Sports)

Offseason moves: Building a superteam

Rather than running it back with the benefit of hard-earned experience, the Current appeared unsatisfied with being runner-up. In the offseason, Levin Ashton took a clinical approach to push the roster to the next level, re-negotiating Sam Mewis’ contract as she continues to rehab her knee and abruptly sending Lynn Williams to Gotham FC in order to make room for other players.

The Current signed Vanessa DiBernardo and Morgan Gautrat away from Chicago, traded up for No. 2 draft pick Michelle Cooper and, most crucially, won the bidding war for Brazilian superstar Debinha. They’ve since also signed top Swedish outside back Hanna Glas.

Players have noted the club’s resources and facilities as some of the best in the world. But the decision to move Williams, in a trade the USWNT forward called “shocking,” also showcased the ruthlessness the team feels is necessary to improve in the long term.

Potter said he declined to bring non-roster invitees into Kansas City’s 2023 camp — reversing a common practice among NWSL teams — because making the 28-player roster (24 first-team and four supplemental) is going to be difficult enough for draft picks and other acquisitions.

“To be perfectly honest, there was an opportunity to bring in more players, but it would only be false hope for them,” he said. “Because the reality is to make this roster even with the players that we have here, it’s going to be super competitive.”

Early in preseason, Labonta wasn’t worried about the locker room being disrupted by big-name players.

“I actually had a meeting with Matt yesterday, and I was just saying that this team already, we have great human beings,” she said. “There’s not one bad person on this team.”

As for team rules, they’re keeping it simple: “Don’t be late, don’t leave your gear around. That’s literally it. That’s all that we have to enforce,” Labonta said.

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Lo'eau Labonta and the Current thrived on their team chemistry last season. (Amy Kontras/USA TODAY Sports)

2023 Outlook: Keeping the culture

While spirits are high in Kansas City, ambitious offseasons also present challenges in player management. Some players who carried the load last year were waived or traded in the offseason, and others who remain are going to see their roles on the team reduced when the roster is at full strength.

Even Labonta, one of the team’s breakout stars of 2022, has a new level of competition at her position.

“I think a lot of the people saw in the offseason signings, we signed about 12,000 midfielders — that’s my position — but it only makes it so much more competitive,” she said.

The team does have positional imbalances, having loaded up on central midfielders and wide defenders in the offseason. They lost defender Kristen Edmonds to free agency and will have to control games through the prowess of the midfield so they don’t get into high-risk shootouts. The Current should be well-positioned for the World Cup period — when they will be without Glas, Debinha and likely Franch — thanks to an influx of players who are used to participating in other teams’ systems and can get up to speed quickly.

No matter what, Kansas City players will be in fierce competition for playing time, with the hope that their deep midfield can score enough goals to compensate for vulnerabilities in the central defense.

“We talk often about competition being about striving together,” Potter said. “How can we, whoever’s out there, take the mantle of what we have as a team identity and express that for something bigger than ourselves?”

The NWSL has a history of the best team on paper not always being the squad that hoists the trophy at the end of the season. The Current are taking a very different approach than what worked for them last year, but if they can get the balance right, they might become unbeatable once the playoffs roll around.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

The NWSL is coming to FIFA 23, and to no surprise, U.S. women’s national team stars will be among the best players in the game.

EA Sports revealed its NWSL player ratings Friday, with USWNT and San Diego Wave striker Alex Morgan at the top of the list.

Morgan’s placement should come as no surprise, as she ranked seventh overall in the game’s international women’s player ratings with an overall rating of 90. After Morgan comes Kansas City Current forward Debinha (88), followed by six of Morgan’s USWNT teammates.

Portland Thorns forward and reigning NWSL MVP Sophia Smith, OL Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle and Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson round out the top five, all tied at 87. Then comes Portland Thorns defender Becky Sauerbrunn, Angel City FC forward Christen Press and OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe with ratings of 86.

Goalkeepers Alyssa Naeher, AD Franch and Kailen Sheridan close out the top 10. They are all the highest-rated at their position with overall ratings of 85.

The FIFA 23 ratings also break down players’ skills. Smith is the fastest player in the game, with a pace rating of 95, followed by Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman. Sauerbrunn gets the nod as the best defender, with an 89 rating, while Washington Spirit defender Amber Brooks is the most physical player with a rating of 86.

Check out the full ratings in the FIFA player portal.

FIFA 23: NWSL player ratings

  • Alex Morgan, 90 – San Diego Wave FC
  • Debinha, 88 – Kansas City Current
  • Rose Lavelle, 87 – OL Reign
  • Sophia Smith, 87 – Portland Thorns FC
  • Mallory Swanson, 87 – Chicago Red Stars
  • Christen Press, 86 – Angel City FC
  • Megan Rapinoe, 86 – OL Reign
  • Becky Sauerbrunn, 86 – Portland Thorns FC
  • Kailen Sheridan, 85 – San Diego Wave FC
  • Alyssa Naeher, 85 – Chicago Red Stars
  • AD Franch, 85 – Kansas City Current

One of the top free agents in the NWSL has a destination: Debinha is headed to Kansas City.

The NWSL MVP finalist spent her first six seasons in the league with the North Carolina Courage, and she entered the offseason as one of the most sought-after free agents. The Current have signed her to a multi-year deal through the 2024 season, with an option for a third year.

“As a professional athlete, I always want to get better and to be on a competitive team that fights for titles, with excellent professionals,” Debinha said in a statement. “I’m sure it will help me in that goal and Kansas City showed that last season.”

The Brazilian national team member also noted that Kansas City’s plans, which include a new stadium and training facilities, “left me really motivated.”

“All of this made me want to be part of it and made me think about being here today,” she continued. “I’m happy for this new journey that is just beginning.”

Debinha joined the NWSL in 2017 as a member of the Courage. She helped the team to three straight NWSL championship appearances, as well as two titles and three consecutive NWSL Shields.

In 2019, she was named NWSL Championship MVP after scoring the game’s opening goal.

The 31-year-old midfielder has been named Challenge Cup MVP twice, including in 2022, and owns the record for most goals all-time in the tournament with nine.

She finished the regular season last year with a career-high 12 goals through 18 matches. That total ranked third in the league behind Golden Boot winner Alex Morgan (15 goals) and NWSL MVP Sophia Smith (14 goals). Debinha also had four assists, which also put her among the best in the league.

“We are thrilled to welcome Debinha to Kansas City,” Current co-owners Angie and Chris Long said. “Debinha is one of the most talented, accomplished, and well-known players in the world. Her name is synonymous with excellence. We can’t wait for Kansas City to have the special opportunity to watch Debinha play and cheer her on.”

One of the biggest free agents of the offseason, Kansas City knows what it’s getting in Debinha.

“Obviously, she was sought after by I think just about everyone,” Current general manager Camille Levin Ashton told The Athletic. “There was a lot of competition for her. What makes this really special for us, and a big statement for us, is that she had all those options and chose to come here to Kansas City and be a part of what we’re building.

“We continue to build on the success that we had last year, obviously falling short, and she’s a winner. She wants to bring championships to Kansas City.”

But the signing is also huge for the league as a whole, as reports also had linked Debinha to Arsenal, as well as Barcelona, PSG and Manchester United, according to Rob Pratley and ATA Football.

As other players have made moves to clubs offering more money, it’s becoming increasingly clear that NWSL clubs will have to start forking over more cash in order to keep players.

“Our value of her, and what we honestly believe the global soccer community values her, as she is one of the best players in this league and in the world — we think that the salary we provided her reflects that,” Levin Ashton said.

One other NWSL club made a serious offer to Debinha, The Athletic’s Steph Yang reported: the Orlando Pride. The offer “would have made Debinha one of, if not the highest-paid player in the league,” Yang reported last week.

The same source that gave details of the Pride’s offer indicated that Debinha was more interested in Europe, including the boost that the Champions League could provide to her player profile. But, according to Levin Ashton, that potential move never came up in talks with Kansas City.

“I think everyone understands the value (of Champions League) and that players do want to play in Champions League,” Levin Ashton said. “At the end of the day, when we look at the NWSL as a whole, this league is the most competitive league in the world. It has been, and that hasn’t changed. Players that want to be the best and want to continue to get better and prove themselves, being in the NWSL, you have to prove yourself week after week, game after game.”

Debinha’s agent, Benito Pedace of SOW Sports, told The Athletic that the decision to remain in the NWSL came alongside what the midfielder views as new challenges alongside “great structure.”

“Not everyone entered the final stretch of decision-making,” Padace told The Athletic, “and she ended up choosing to stay in the league, knowing that she will have new challenges, will have a great structure for her to continue evolving and doing what she loves most, which is playing football at a high level in a league she knows and knows that every season the teams get more and more competitive.”

The Current will aim to make another run to the championship game in the 2023 season, though they’ve lost the element of surprise. A number of blockbuster signings have bolstered the team’s lineup, including Morgan Gautrat and Vanessa DiBernardo via free agency. They’ve also re-signed defenders Alex Loera, Hailie Mace and Kate Del Fava.

After six seasons with the North Carolina Courage, midfielder Debinha has informed the club that she will not return in 2023.

The Brazilian national team star is a free agent this offseason. She has spent the entirety of her NWSL career with the Courage, and Debinha appeared in her 100th regular-season match during the club’s 2022 finale at San Diego. Through her six seasons, the midfielder has scored 35 goals.

She had a career-best 12 goals in 2022, and she was named to the NWSL First Team Best XI and an MVP finalist.

During her time with the club, Debinha won two NWSL championships, three NWSL Shields, the 2018 ICC Championship and the 2022 Challenge Cup title.

“It’s difficult to say goodbye to a club and community that has played such a big part in my life,” Debinha said. “I would like to thank the Courage for six amazing seasons, a time that we achieved so much and set a very high bar for the growth of women’s fútbol.”

Wishing the club “nothing but the best” for the future, Debinha also thanked the Courage fans for their “unwavering support.”

“I will always hold my time in North Carolina in a special place and have high regard for Sean, the coaching staff, the entire organization, and all those who helped me develop into the player I am today,” she said. “I will forever hold dearly my teammates and all we accomplished. I would like thank the amazing fans of the Courage for their unwavering support my entire time in North Carolina.

“I will forever be grateful for my time with the Courage.”

Notably, Debinha had been signed to a multi-year contract that included a club option. However, the midfielder was granted free agency under the league’s new CBA following an independent arbitrator’s review of the agreement that granted her and others eligible for free agency.

“We are extremely sad to see Deb leave and we know she does so as one of the most iconic players in our club’s history. We’ve watched her develop into a national and international superstar over the last half-decade with our club,” said Chief Soccer officer Curt Johnson, noting that the club made a “significant offer” in order to keep her in North Carolina.

“In our conversations, though, it became clear that – despite a deep love for this club and this community – she finds it in her best interest to continue her professional career elsewhere and we wish her nothing but the best,” he continued.

Off the field, this season was a difficult one for the Courage, as former head coach Paul Riley was the subject of abuse and sexual misconduct allegations. The joint investigation done by the NWSL and NWSLPA revealed that Riley’s misconduct continued while he was head coach at North Carolina.

Debinha had previously been linked to a possible move to Arsenal, which is currently down a number of players, including Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema who have both suffered ACL injuries.

North Carolina Courage star Debinha could leave the NWSL this offseason to sign with a European club, ATA Football reported Monday.

The 31-year-old forward has played for the Courage since 2017. She was nominated for league MVP this year after scoring 12 goals in 18 matches, third-most in the NWSL, including a hat trick on Sept. 24.

But the Brazilian enters the offseason as a free agent.

Debinha has garnered interest from Women’s Super League club Arsenal, who is looking for a boost after ACL injuries to Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema depleted the Gunners’ forward line, ATA Football reported.

Arsenal isn’t the only team looking to add Debinha, who helped lead Brazil to its fourth straight Copa América Femenina title in July. European powers Manchester United, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain also are interested, as are several NWSL clubs, ATA Football reported.

Debinha spent the early years of her career with Brazilian clubs, though she played for Norway’s Avaldsnes IL from 2013-15 and then for China’s Dalian Quanjian in 2016 before she joined the NWSL in 2017.

She won NWSL titles with the Courage in 2018 and 2019, and she was named the MVP of the championship match in 2019. She was named MVP of the preseason Challenge Cup tournament in 2021 and 2022.

The NWSL free agency pool expanded by 22 players Monday after an arbitration ruling ruled them eligible following a dispute between the NWSL and NWSL Players Association.

Several stars number among the new additions, from a 2022 MVP candidate to a U.S. women’s national team star. Just Women’s Sports is taking a look at the top free agents to join the fray of the league’s first free agency period.

Debinha

A candidate for NWSL MVP this year, Debinha went on a tear for North Carolina. At one point, she scored five goals in two games for the Courage as they made a final playoff push, though they fell just short.

With 12 goals on the season, she finished third in the Golden Boot standings behind Alex Morgan (15) and Sophia Smith (14).

The Brazilian forward has been a member of the Courage since 2017, when she first joined the NWSL. But will she stay in North Carolina?

Tobin Heath

USWNT star Tobin Heath has struggled with injury for the last few seasons, including this one. After making just five appearances for OL Reign, Heath had season-ending knee surgery.

Before the move to Seattle, Heath had played in the NWSL for the Portland Thorns since 2013, winning two championships. She later departed for Manchester United and did a short stint at Arsenal.

Her journey to OL Reign was an interesting one, as her NWSL rights had been held by Racing Louisville FC. The club acquired her rights in the 2021 expansion draft. Her rights were later traded to OL Reign in exchange for draft picks and allocation money.

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(Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports)

Christine Sinclair

Sinclair has been a member of the Portland Thorns since her entry into the NWSL in 2013, so if she doesn’t re-sign with them, it would come as an absolute shock.

Still, she’s worth looking at as a big free agent. As Portland’s all-time top goal scorer with 65, Sinclair signed a one-year contract extension with the Thorns in January. The deal also included an option for the 2023 season.

When signed, general manager Karina LeBlanc said Sinclair “made it clear that she always wants to be a Thorn.”

She’s the only player to start and play in every playoff game in the club’s history and leads the club in games played (143), games started (140), minutes played (12,404) and goals (54).

The final weekend of the NWSL regular season is here, and with it comes high stakes — and not just in the races the playoffs and the NWSL Shield.

The league’s Golden Boot remains up for grabs.

Whoever wins already is assured to have more goals than last year’s winner. Washington Spirit forward Ashley Hatch claimed the 2021 prize with 10 goals. This year, four players have bested that number heading into the last weekend, and another has matched it.

Hatch sits tied for sixth this time around with nine goals on the season, alongside Houston Dash forward Ebony Salmon.

Ahead of them are Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Pugh (10) in fifth, North Carolina Courage rookie forward Diana Ordóñez (11) in fourth and Portland Thorns forward Sophia Smith (12) and North Carolina Courage forward Debinha (12) tied in second.

San Diego Wave striker Alex Morgan (15) leads the pack.

While Morgan sits atop the stat sheet, a knee injury has kept her off the USWNT roster for next week’s friendlies. She played in San Diego’s last contest, but her status remains unknown Friday’s match. Her most recent goals came in the form of a brace on Sept. 10.

Meanwhile, Debinha has been on a tear of late, scoring five goals in the last two games – including a hat trick in North Carolina’s win over NJ/NY Gotham FC last Saturday.

Friday night could prove the decider, as Morgan and the Wave will take on Debinha and the Courage in San Diego. In addition to the individual stakes, the Courage need the win in order to have a shot at the playoffs, while the Wave will be looking to bolster their case for a first-round bye.

Like Debinha, Smith would need at least a hat trick to tie Morgan, and her goal-scoring of late has not been as consistent as it was to begin the season. She has just one goal in Portland’s last five, while she had eight in the five games before that.

The final weekend of NWSL regular season action kicks off at 10 p.m. ET Friday.

With one week left in the regular season, the race to the NWSL playoffs remains tight.

Four teams have locked up their postseason berths, with help from stellar plays, while four other teams remain in the running for the final two spots in the six-team bracket.

NWSL Plays of the Week

Taylor Kornieck’s playoff-sealing equalizer

Kornieck was in the right place at the right time Sunday, slotting in a late-game equalizer against the Orlando Pride to help clinch a crucial standings point and San Diego’s playoff berth.

The Wave midfielder was perched in the box, waiting to pounce on her team’s set piece, before punching in a loose ball. With the goal, the Wave drew level with the Pride in the 87th minute.

With the 2-2 tie, San Diego became the first expansion club to advance to the NWSL playoffs.

While coach Casey Stoney expressed excitement about the club’s postseason berth, she was sober in her assessment of the team’s performance Sunday.

“We set our standards our expectations high and these players and my staff we want to achieve it so there’s just disappointment on the performance,” Stoney said. “I have to be extremely proud of how far we’ve come in a short space and time.”

Debinha’s hat trick

Debinha put on a show Saturday, logging a hat trick to lift the North Carolina Courage to a 3-0 win over Gotham FC to put her team in postseason position. With the win, the Courage control their own destiny heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

Of Debinha’s three quality finishes, perhaps the most impressive goal came in the 34th minute, when she volleyed a perfectly weighted ball past Gotham keeper Michelle Betos.

The 30-year-old’s remarkable showing earned the praise of coach Sean Nahas, who said Debinha is on a “different level.”

“Not sure there is a better player in the world right now,” Nahas said in a Twitter post after Saturday’s match.

Debinha now has 12 goals on the season, tied with Portland’s Sophia Smith for second in the Golden Boot race behind Alex Morgan, who leads the league with 15 goals.

Lo’eau LaBonta’s rocket

Lo’eau LaBonta continued to make her case for NWSL MVP as she helped the Kansas City Current to a 3-0 win Sunday over the Washington Spirit.

The shutout victory was critical for Kansas City, as it secured the Current a place in the NWSL postseason.

LaBonta opened the scoring in the 18th minute, striking a rocket from the top of the box for the go-ahead goal. The 29-year-old ran to the corner flag to revel in her banger, with one of the inventive goal celebrations that has become customary for the Current.

LaBonta has seven goals and four assists through 19 matches played, anchoring a surging Current side through the 2022 campaign.

Honorable mention

Portland’s Taylor Porter put the ball on a string, one-timing a worldie to the upper 90 to help the Thorns to a 3-0 win Sunday over the Chicago Red Stars.

Debinha put on a show Saturday night, logging a hat trick to lift the North Carolina Courage to an emphatic 3-0 over Gotham FC.

The Brazilian star opened up scoring in the 27th minute, running onto a perfectly weighted ball from Carson Pickett before faking out Michelle Betos and slotting home the go-ahead finish.

Keeping her foot on the gas, Debinha added to her tally in the 34th minute, volleying a lofted cross past the Gotham FC keeper to put North Carolina up 2-0 heading into the break.

Debinha completed her hat trick with another quality finish in the 81st minute, chipping a shot over Betos after finding plenty of time and space on the right flank.

The 30-year-old’s prolific outing earned the praise of Coach Sean Nahas, who said Debinha is on a “different level.”

“Not sure there is a better player in the world right now,” Nahas said in a Twitter post after Saturday’s game.

Debinha now has 12 goals on the season, tied with Portland’s Sophia Smith for second in the Golden Boot race behind Alex Morgan, who leads the league with 15 goals.

The Courage’s shutout caps off an impressive run with four wins in the club’s last five games. North Carolina’s late-season stand has lifted the club to sixth in the NWSL standings, just above the playoff contention line.

North Carolina will end their season with a trip to San Diego on Sept. 30 to take on the Wave with a place in the playoffs in play.

North Carolina Courage midfielder Debinha has been named the Challenge Cup MVP for the second year in a row, the NWSL announced Tuesday.

She’s the second Courage player to receive a 2022 Challenge Cup award after Kerolin was named MVP of the final.

In the this year’s Challenge Cup, Debinha set the record for goals in consecutive matches, notching five goals in five straight games. Washington Spirit forward Ashley Hatch finished second in MVP voting, and her Spirit teammate Ashley Sanchez finished third.

The league also named the 11-member All-Tournament team, with four OL Reign players (Rose Lavelle, Alana Cook, Sofia Huerta, Phallon Tullis-Joyce), three North Carolina Courage players (Debinha, Abby Erceg, Carson Pickett), three Washington Spirit players (Hatch, Sanchez, Trinity Rodman), and Kansas City’s Kristen Hamilton.

The first of Debinha’s goals came in the team’s tournament opener against Washington. From there, she ripped off goals against Gotham FC, Orlando, Washington once more and Kansas City.

No. 1 North Carolina vs. Washington Spirit: 2-2

No. 2 North Carolina vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC: 1-1

No. 3 North Carolina vs. Orlando Pride: 4-2

No. 4 North Carolina vs. Washington Spirit: 2-2

No. 5 North Carolina vs. Kansas City Current: 2-1