The Kansas City Current (12-3-7, 43pts., 4th place) capped a two-match homestand with a 1-1 draw against NJ/NY Gotham FC (13-4-5, 44pts., 3rd place) Saturday afternoon at CPKC Stadium. The contest marked the second consecutive 1-1 draw between the sides in the 2024 NWSL regular season, as the Current and Gotham FC played to a 1-1 stalemate April 14 in New Jersey.
After Gotham FC opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, Current forward Temwa Chawinga found an equalizer in the opening minutes of the second half. The goal marked Chawinga’s 17th of the regular season, and Chawinga is one goal away from matching the NWSL regular season scoring record. Chawinga’s goal came in the 52nd minute, and neither side could find the deciding goal as the match ended level.
Saturday’s contest was the final contest of a three-match stretch for the Current in which the club played each of the top three squads on the NWSL table. Following Saturday’s draw, Kansas City formally wrapped that part of the season with a 1-0-2 record.
“The fact that we played three of the best teams in the league, currently, and they didn’t score a goal on us is a great step forward for the team,” said head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “It comes at a crucial time in preparation for playoffs. So that’s the first thing that stands out. And then the fact that on the other side, we’ve created opportunities and scored goals obviously against some great defenses, goalkeepers and great teams is another positive thing.”
The match got off to a slow start, with defenses largely ruling the opening 20 minutes of the contest. Kansas City’s best chance of the early going came in the 16th minute, when an excellent Current passing sequence was capped by Chawinga sliding a pass to forward Michelle Cooper. Cooper fired a shot that sailed just high of goal as the match remained scoreless.
In the 23rd minute, the visitors opened the scoring. Following a Gotham FC corner kick, midfielder Yazmeen Ryan received a second-chance opportunity to serve a ball into the Current’s penalty area. Although Kansas City forward Michelle Cooper seemed to have the line on the initial career, a collision between her and the referee allowed Gotham the chance to get on the ball and pass wide to Ryan. From there, Ryan’s cross took a deflection off a Current defender and rolled into the back of the net to put Gotham FC up 1-0.
Gotham FC maintained its 1-0 lead entering halftime, but both sides had opportunities to significantly alter the scoreline. In the 26th minute, midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta slid an inch-perfect through ball towards forward Nichelle Prince, who latched onto the looping ball on the run. Prince lobbed the ball over Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, but her effort landed wide of goal.
In the 32nd minute, Current goalkeeper Almuth Schult made a vital one-on-one save to keep the visitor’s advantage at one goal. Ryan was played through on goal and had a breakaway opportunity against Schult, but the German international stood tall to make a kick save on Ryan’s low-struck effort.
Both sides mustered a few more scoring opportunities before the end of the half, including a long-range effort from midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo in first-half stoppage time, but Gotham FC entered the interval with a one-goal lead.
Looking to flip the script in the second half, the Current added forward Bia Zaneratto and defender Ellie Wheeler to the fray. Those second-half substitutions set the stage for a second half in which Kansas City was largely on the front foot, and six minutes into the second half Chawinga found the game-tying goal. The Current executed a perfect counterattack from a Gotham FC corner kick in the 52nd minute. Midfielder Debinha latched onto a loose ball at the top of the visitor’s penalty area, then took a few touches forward before launching an inch-perfect through ball forward for Chawinga. Chawinga outpaced a Gotham FC defender for a clean breakaway, and rounded Berger before slotting the ball into an empty net.
Chawinga now has 17 NWSL regular season goals, leaving her only one goal behind the NWSL record for regular season goals. She has also scored in seven consecutive NWSL matches at CPKC Stadium, and Chawinga has scored 12 NWSL regular season goals at home so far this season.
The Current continued to generate chances as the match progressed. In the 81st minute, forward Hildah Magaia had a one-on-one opportunity denied by Berger. While the Current defense continued to stifle Gotham FC’s attack, Kansas City nearly won the match in second-half stoppage time. In the first minute of second-half stoppage time, a loose ball in Gotham FC’s penalty area fell to midfielder Claire Hutton. Hutton’s shot from the center of the penalty area sailed just high, but the midfielder was heavily involved after entering the contest in the 74th minute. She had two total shots in her first appearance for the Current since Aug. 25, having spent the last month with the United States U-20 National Team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
In the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, Hutton fired a strike just wide of Berger’s net as the Current continued to push for a late winner. However, Hutton’s chance marked the last opportunity of the match for either side as the contest ended in a draw. Saturday’s result keeps Kansas City unbeaten in NWSL regular season matches against Gotham FC, as the Current now hold a 3-0-5 edge in the all-time series.
The Current hit the road next weekend for the first of two consecutive matches away from CPKC Stadium. First up is a clash against Racing Louisville FC next Saturday, Oct. 5 at Lynne Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. Next weekend’s match kicks off at 6:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on KMCI, 38 The Spot and stream live NWSL+.
NWSL Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC
Date: September 28, 2024
Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City MO
Kickoff: 12:05 p.m. CT/1:05 p.m. ET
Weather: 75 degrees, sunny
Attendance: 11,500
Discipline
81’ Kansas City – Chawinga (Yellow)
86’ Gotham – Martin (Yellow)
Scoring
23’ Gotham – Own Goal (Cook)
52’ Kansas City – Chawinga (Debinha)
Scoring Summary
Goals
1 2 F
Kansas City 0 1 1
Gotham 1 0 1
Kansas City Current Lineup: Schult, Rodriguez (46’ Wheeler), Sharples, Cook, Mace, DiBernardo (74’ Hutton), LaBonta ©, Debinha, Chawinga, Prince (46’ Zaneratto), Cooper (74’ Magaia)
Unused Substitutes: Ball, Scott, Ballisager, Franch, Jereko
NJ/NY Gotham FC Lineup: Berger, Sonnett, Davidson, Carter, Lavelle, Sheehan (76’ Zerboni), Ryan, Martin, Nighswonger (66’ Freeman), Gonzalez (77’ Kizer), Williams © (66’ Stevens)
Unused Substitutes: Betos, Miller, Bruninha, Torres, Silva
