The Kansas City Current (3-0-0, 1st place) win their third straight match for the first time in club history, taking down Angel City (0-2-1, 12th place), 4-2, in the second match hosted at CPKC Stadium, the first stadium purpose-built for a women’s professional team. NWSL veteran midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo scored for a third-consecutive match and newcomer forward Temwa Chawinga became the first player from Malawi to score a goal in the National Women’s Soccer league.
The Current have scored 11 goals over the first three matches of the 2024 season, marking the most ever in a three-game span. Nine different goal scorers for Kansas City is also the most over three-consecutive games in NWSL history.
“I am very thankful for all the work Cami (Ashton, general manager) did in the offseason to secure, not just Bia (Zaneratto) and Temwa (Chawinga), but all the other new players on the roster,” said head coach Vlatko Andonovski, who has now tallied his first 3-0 start in his NWSL career. “She made the coaching staff’s job so much easier so we can construct the team in the way that we did.”
In front of a second-straight sellout crowd at CPKC Stadium, 11,500 fans saw the KC Current start yet another high-scoring affair. In the 6th minute, Bia bodied up a defender and pushed past until reaching the far corner of the box where she found Chawinga inside the arc. Impressive footwork drew in three defenders and opened up a shot for DiBernardo on the nearside of the pitch. All it took was a single touch, a rocket that didn’t stand a chance off the outstretched fingers of the Angel City goalkeeper to give KC the 1-0 lead.
Chawinga attempted five shots against Angel City, the highest total for a Current player this season. She had possibly her best chance of the first half in the 20th minute, getting open and alone at the top of the box, but a straight shot down the middle ended up wrapped up in the hands of the keeper. Another attempt that came close in the first half came in the 27th minute with a great move on the left from Bia to get a cross into defender Ellie Wheeler. Wheeler’s header went past the keeper but was saved off the goal line.
The Current put a second goal on the board two minutes into first half stoppage time. Bia drew several defenders to her just past the center circle then laid off a crisp pass to Wheeler who was cutting in towards goal. As her path was blocked, she found DiBernardo open on the right side. The veteran midfielder one-touched a cross that flew right into the path of forward Alexa Spaanstra for a header into the net. After initially being called offside, a review from the VAR proved the goal was true and the Current took a 2-0 lead into the halftime break.
Angel City would not remain scoreless in the second half. Forward Sydney Leroux cut KC’s lead in half 2-1 in the 50th minute, but the Current answered immediately. After a failed clearance from Angel City found it’s way to Spaanstra on the right, she hit a centering pass to Bia who spun her defender and allowed her to lay off an easy pass to a streaking Chawinga. Wide open on the far side Chawinga baited the goalkeeper to come out and then lifted a hard shot over her to the back of the net, giving the Current some security with a 3-1 lead. Chawinga made history as the first Malawian player to score in the National Women’s Soccer League.
In the 78th minute AD Franch made an incredible save, but seconds later one got by the veteran goalkeeper, courtesy of Angel City rookie Madison Curry, putting the match within a single goal, 3-2.
The 84th minute appeared to have Angel City score an equalizer from Rocky Rodriguez. However, another trip to the Yeti Cooler for a VAR review proved the Angel City veteran was offside, keeping the Current in the lead.
With 11 minutes of stoppage time added to the end of the second half, it could have gone either way, but Bia capitalized in the second minute of added time for her second goal this season to seal the deal for the Current, and take home their third-straight victory, and second-straight win at CPKC Stadium. Bia’s goal marked the fifth goal scored in second half stoppage time for the Current this season. Kansas City now has three straight home games with at least four goals dating back to the 2023 season.
The Current hit the road after a two week-long international break to take on the defending NWSL Champions, Gotham FC at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey Sunday, April 14 at 5 p.m. CT.
NWSL Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. Angel City FC
Date: March 23, 2024
Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Kickoff: 2:39 pm CT
Weather: 64 degrees, partly cloudy
Attendance: 11,500
Discipline
40’ Kansas City – Wheeler (Yellow)
75’ Angel City – Nelson (Yellow)
90 + 6 Angel City – Emslie (Yellow)
Scoring
6’ Kansas City – DiBernardo (Chawinga)
45 + 2’ Kansas City – Spaanstra (DiBernardo)
50’ Angel City – Leroux (Emslie)
51’ Kansas City – Chawinga (Bia)
84’ Angel City – Rodriguez
90 + 2’ Kansas City – Bia
Scoring Summary
| Goals | 1 | 2 | F |
| Kansas City | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Angel City | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Kansas City Current Lineup: Franch, Rodriguez, Robinson, Ball, Wheeler, Hutton, DiBernardo (72’ Lavogez), LaBonta © (90+12’ Scott), Spaanstra (90+3’ Ballisager), Zaneratto (90+3’ Steigleder), Chawinga
Unused Substitutes: Feist, Hamilton, Silkowitz, Lauren, Pfeiffer
Angel City Lineup: Anderson, Riley (83’ Spencer), Nielsen, Gorden, Curry, Fuller, Henry (65’ Rodriguez), Howard, Thompson, Leroux (65’ Bright), Emslie
Unused Substitutes: Haracic, Johnson, Le Bihan, Nabet, Reid
