Croix Bethune and Ally Sentnor Rally Kansas City Current Past Utah Royals 2-1 in Opener

For 57 minutes, the Utah Royals had the Kansas City Current exactly where they wanted them. Then two new faces in Current colors decided opening day was theirs.

Croix Bethune scored on her club debut and Ally Sentnor added a slaloming winner as the Current came from behind to beat the Royals 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at CPKC Stadium. Tatumn Milazzo had given Utah a first-half lead with a header, but Kansas City dominated the second half in front of 11,500 fans, a sellout according to the club. The Current start 1-0-0 with 3 points. Utah starts 0-0-1.

Utah Owns the First Half

Head coach Chris Armas' NWSL regular season debut, per the club, did not start to script. Utah was the sharper side early, firing seven shots in the first half to the Current's three, per ESPN's play-by-play. Lara Prasnikar, Cece Delzer and Cloé Lacasse all had efforts blocked, and Lacasse forced the game's first save from Lorena with a shot from distance in the 28th minute.

Kansas City finally answered with back-to-back looks, as Mia Justus saved from Katie Scott in the 29th minute and Sentnor from outside the box in the 32nd. But the Royals struck first. In the 35th minute, after a corner, Lacasse lofted a cross into the area and Milazzo got there first, heading in from close range. 1-0. Per Utah, it was Milazzo's debut for the club and the first goal the Royals have ever scored against the Current.

Debinha pulled a shot wide in the 42nd minute, and Utah went into the break deserving its lead.

Armas Flips the Switch

Armas sent on Haley Hopkins for Michelle Cooper at halftime, and the Current came out flying. Debinha missed again in the 50th minute, Sentnor went just past the top left corner in the 52nd, and the 56th minute alone produced three Kansas City attempts in a frantic spell around the Utah box.

The pressure broke Utah in the 57th minute. After a corner, Gabrielle Robinson lifted the ball back toward the box from near midfield, according to the Current, and Kayla Sharples headed it down into the path of Bethune. The new arrival took a touch and finished with her left foot into the bottom left corner. 1-1.

Bethune went off four minutes later, replaced by Penelope Hocking, who made her own club debut. Kansas City kept coming. Sharples had a header blocked in the 64th minute and Hocking dragged a shot wide from inside the six-yard box two minutes later.

The Turning Point

Sentnor's goal in the 69th minute was the kind that makes a stadium stand up before the ball even goes in. Debinha drove toward the box and slipped a pass to Sentnor, who, by the Current's account, cut back toward the penalty spot to shake the first wave of defenders, slipped between two more and then drilled a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner past Justus. 2-1.

Utah pushed late. Lorena saved from substitute Ana Tejada in the 79th minute and kept out a Brecken Mozingo strike in the 81st, while Aria Nagai sent one just past the top right corner in the 86th. Justus kept the deficit at one with a save on a Hopkins header in the 80th. Kansas City saw out six minutes of stoppage time without much drama.

Bethune and Sentnor Arrive

Bethune scored on her only shot of the day, her first goal for the club and eighth career regular season goal, per the Current. Sentnor led Kansas City with four shots, two on target, and the club says the winner was her first goal for the Current and the third of her NWSL career.

Debinha, wearing the captain's armband, set up the winner for what the Current list as the 26th regular season assist of her career, and Sharples' assist was the second of her regular season career. Cooper made her 50th career regular season start, becoming the seventh player in club history to get there, according to the club.

For Utah, Lacasse was the most dangerous attacker, with two shots and the assist. Per the Royals, Kameron Simmonds and Kiana Palacios made their NWSL debuts, Madison Hammond made her first appearance for Utah, and Kalea Eichenberger made her professional debut off the bench. The Current also gave Gianna Paul her first professional appearance late in the game.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Kansas City 18, Utah 13. On target: 5 to 4.
• Second half shots: Kansas City fired 15 times after the break.
• Possession: Utah 51.7 percent, Kansas City 48.3.
• Saves: Lorena 3, Justus 3.
• Corners: Kansas City 8, Utah 6.

What It Means

The Current won their third straight home opener at CPKC Stadium and improved to 5-0-0 all-time against the Royals, according to the club. Armas liked what he saw. "Today we learned that we still are a really gritty team," he said. "Going down a goal and coming back was a really good sign for this team. That's going to be a way we'll have to win games."

Depth was part of the message, with Hopkins and Hocking combining for five second-half shots as substitutes. "We've got really good attackers and we have depth," Armas said. Kansas City now begins a three-game road swing, starting at Chicago Stars FC on Sunday, March 22.

Utah heads home with a goal, a lead it could not keep and a long list of debuts to build on. The Royals host San Diego Wave FC at America First Field on Sunday, March 22, before visiting the Washington Spirit on Wednesday, March 25.

Closing Take

Armas did not need a BELIEVE sign taped above the locker room door. He had Bethune and Sentnor. "This is never as easy as you want it to be, but on these days, you also learn a lot about who you are," he said. Kansas City learned that its new pieces can win a game on their own, which is a pretty good thing to find out on day one. Utah learned that 45 good minutes are not enough against a team with this much firepower.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by KansasCityCurrent.com. Match notes from the Utah Royals' official site.