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Fans packed CPKC Stadium Saturday for the Kansas City Current's home opener against the Utah Royals, bringing big energy and even bigger expectations for the new NWSL season.
The warm weather added to the excitement, with temperatures climbing toward a high of 70 degrees.
"It's absolutely gorgeous," said super fan Richard Harper, known as Teal Man. "I know we're going to lose a little bit of it tomorrow. But let's just enjoy the day. I think we're supposed to get a high of 70. Let's enjoy every second and be outside as long as we can."
The opener also marked the coaching debut of Chris Armas, who took over the Current this offseason with the goal of bringing a championship to Kansas City.
Fans said they appreciated the new coach's accessibility before the match.
"I got to actually talk to Chris today, which was kind of fun," said one fan. "I've never been able to talk to him. I thought that was cool. They were out talking with everyone, so they're not afraid to mingle with the fans."
For many in the stands, the start of a new season brought renewed optimism.
"I mean, it's the first day back for our season," said Teal Man. "We got a whole new, fresh crop of girls coming in. I think everyone's excited to really get back and get this place rocking."
Younger fans were also looking ahead with high hopes.
"I'm hoping that they do really good this year because last year they did really good," one fan said.
Teal man, draped head to toe in the team's signature color, made it his mission to bring the energy and pump up the crowd around him.
"I think that there's so many other teams that have a lot of loud, proud super fans, and I think that this team deserves one too. And I am just proud to support them, and I think they're the best team in the entire town," he said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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