Kansas City Current pitches NWSL road shutout, beating Racing Louisville FC 2-0
The Kansas City Current scored very early and very late Saturday evening, shutting out host Racing Louisville 2-0 in a National Women’s Soccer League match at Louisville, Kentucky.
Temwa Chawinga scored her 18th goal of the season just two minutes into the match, tying the NWSL record for most goals in a season with several league games remaining.
The Current defense put together its fourth clean sheet in five games, and Vanessa DiBernardo’s stunning strike in the 86th minute all but made it final.
“Any time you get a win, it’s nice regardless of how it comes,” head coach Vlatko Andonovski said after the match. “But this one I think was very good for us because for different reasons. One, because it’s multiple goals. The second thing is we did not give up a goal again, which is good. And it’s an away win.”
The Current remains in fourth place in the league standings, with 46 points collected via 13 wins, seven draws and three losses.
Debinha got things going for KC early to set up Chawinga. Debinha made a pass that slipped Chawinga in behind the Louisville back line, and from there Chawinga took the ball and dribbled in on goal before sneaking a shot to the near post.
“Initially the game plan was for us to be just a little bit more aggressive,” Andonovski said. “And when we scored the goal, we actually slowed it down a bit because we knew we were going to create a few more chances as a team.”
Chawinga’s 18th goal of the season has moved her five clear of anyone else in the lead for the Golden Boot. Having tied Sam Kerr’s record, she’ll have three more opportunities to break it in the regular season.
Chawinga said she was proud to have tied the record and couldn’t have done so without her teammates. The record-setting run has captured the admiration of many, and maybe no one more so than the other Current players.
“She’s so dangerous offensively, but she works so hard defensively as well,” DiBernardo said. “I think she’s grown so much as a player from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. It’s been so fun to watch her play, and play with her.”
For the 84 minutes following that goal, the Kansas City back line held Louisville at bay.
“We just wanted to make sure that we do not give up any (goals), and I thought we did a good job with that,” Andonovski said.”
On DiBernardo’s goal, a foul just outside the penalty area set up a free-kick attempt from an ideal distance. Her powerful kick made it over the wall and dipped, flying past Louisville keeper Katie Lund and into the net.
Up next: KC hits the road again next weekend, traveling to San Jose, California, for its first road match against expansion team Bay FC. That game kicks off at 9 p.m. Central on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.
This story was originally published October 5, 2024 at 8:40 PM.