Photo Copyright Jay Biggerstaff for USA TODAY Sports

The meme of the weekend in another chaotic round of National Women’s Soccer League fixtures was Kansas City Current midfielder Debinha shouting, “f*ck off” at the referee in second-half stoppage time.

Such is life in Kansas City right now.

The Kansas City Current, who made it to the NWSL Championship last year after finishing in last place the prior season, are back near the basement of the NWSL over one-third of the way through the 2023 season. Only the hapless Chicago Red Stars have fewer points (4, to Kansas City’s 6) and have conceded more goals this regular season.

Last week, Kansas City lost to Racing Louisville FC twice in 72 hours, once in the Challenge Cup and once in regular-season play. The Current have lost four straight games in all competitions. All this for the team that made the splashiest offseason acquisition in the league and won a global bidding war to land midfielder Debinha, then reinforced that with several important midfield signings via the league’s first free-agency window.

Salvaging this season will require a stark turnaround.

(Photo Copyright Atlas Femenil FC)

Daniela Cruz found herself in the market for a new club this past winter. She needed to get good, strong competition each week to help prepare for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

That’s how Cruz found Atlas in Liga MX Femenil, the top women’s league in Mexico.

“I’ve been following Liga MX Femenil for a while already. I had some friends and teammates who came here to play,” Cruz said, exclusively to The Equalizer, via Zoom. “Since the beginning, I knew the league was going to grow and grow each year. Mexico has a lot of talent with women playing soccer. I’m really happy for the country to develop such a good league. I wanted to come to Mexico to play because I know the level here is good. I know, with each tournament, there is growth.”

In her first season with Atlas, Cruz has cemented herself as a regular starter, starting 14 of 15 regular-season contests. She and Atlas are currently in the Liguilla, qualifying for the playoffs in seventh place. Cruz stated that the club and her experience in Mexico so far have exceeded her expectations.

We at The Equalizer are looking forward to covering this year’s World Cup in depth, but we’re just as excited about the future. In two months, the United States competes at another major finals. But in three months, a new tournament cycle begins. With that in mind, we want to think one step ahead, and assess the major prospects that could carry the national team forward. These are our top 50 USWNT prospects to watch out for ahead of the World Cup in 2027. This is the next generation, part five.

About the series

Because this series focuses on the future of the United States women’s national team, we are only considering players who will be under the age of 27 when the 2023 World Cup ends. Due to the complexity of comparing college and professional players, this series is limited players who are already pros. A lot can change in the next four years, so we aren’t ranking these players purely on form. Some of them are not at the peak of their powers right now; others aren’t necessarily playing in their best position.

See players No. 50 through No. 41 here.

See players No. 40 through No. 31 here.

See players No. 30 through No. 21 here.

See players No. 20 through No. 11 here.

10. Taylor Kornieck

• Age: 24
• Position: Midfielder
• Club: San Diego Wave

Kornieck stands out due to her height — at 6-foot-1 she is the tallest outfield player ever to represent the USWNT. She is an aerial threat, and her flick-ons have produced numerous scoring chances for the likes of Alex Morgan and Jaedyn Shaw at club level. But she also possesses other vital qualities, namely clever movement and nimble footwork. Kornieck has been trialed at defensive midfield by the national team, but don’t be fooled by her physical profile or unflashy nature. Her long-term future is most likely to be as a roving, attack-minded midfielder, crashing the box to score.