KC Current vs. Portland Thorns live stream, schedule, preview: Watch NWSL online

On April 13, 2013, the National Women's Soccer League started with Portland Thorns FC taking a trip to visit the club then known as FC Kansas City. Now, 11 years later, Portland travels to the mid-west to kick off the 2024 campaign, only this time a lot has changed. No, it won't be broadcast on a staticky live stream or be played on a pitch with American football lines acting as a distraction.

Kansas City Current, led by the same leader that FCKC had all those years ago Vlatko Andonovski is set to open the first stadium built for the sole purpose of housing a professional women's sports team. The ambition of the Current when it first came into the NWSL as an expansion side was inspiring. After years of hard work, the club has put those words into action. Per the club, $117 million was used to build the facility with almost all of it funded privately by club ownership.

Mike Norris' Thorns, the first visitors are coming off a campaign in which it saw the eventual champions NJ/NY Gotham FC upset it on home soil in the playoff semifinals. The Current hosted Portland in the second match week of 2023, a contest that Sophia Smith owned. The USWNT star forward picked up a hattrick en route to a 4-1 runaway triumph.

In some of the same ways, both of these clubs experienced change over the last few months. In search of expansion draft protection, the two outfits were forced to bid farewell to regular rotational assets, three of whom were first-choice starters. KC dealt full-back, Kate Del Fava to Utah Royals FC and Alex Loera, an incredibly talented young defensive midfielder to northern California. Out of the 17 players that competed in at least 10 league games in 2023, the Pacific Northwest outfit lost five of them, trading away Emily Menges, and forward Hannah Betfort for expansion protection.

Under new leadership, KC seeks to bounce back from a season that saw it finish only in front of the Chicago Red Stars in the table. Back in the city where he grew so much as a person and coach, Andonovski is ready for the challenge ahead following his World Cup failure.

"I'm here again because somebody believes that I can do it well," the ex-USWNT sideline leader explained to ESPN. "Nothing to prove. I'm just looking forward to doing anything possible to repay the trust that people put in me."

While the outgoings are tough blows, the incomings have sparked excitement on both sides. Jessie Fleming, the Canadian captain links up with Sam Coffey and Olivia Moultrie to create a star-studded midfield in Portland. The club also brought in two talented young defenders, Marie Müller and Isabella Obaze to supplement some of the losses.

Attackers Bia Zaneratto and Nichelle Prince headline the newcomers for the mid-west outfit. Zaneratto is a veteran on the Brazilian national team, having been to four Women's World Cups in the past. The winger will likely slot in on the left flank, the same side where Hailie Mace tends to play in defense.

How to watch KC Current vs. Portland Thorns FC in the NWSL regular season

• Date: Saturday, March 16
• Start Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
• Location: CPKC Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri)
• TV info/Live Stream: ABC and ESPN+

Prediction: KC Current 2-2 Portland Thorns FC

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