Kansas City Current returns to winning ways, scoring twice on road vs. NC Courage
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- Kansas City Current beat North Carolina Courage 2-1 at WakeMed Soccer Park.
- Croix Bethune scored in the 8th minute for her 2nd goal since being acquired from Spirit.
- Michelle Cooper scored in the 23rd minute as the Current improved to a 3-0-4 record.
The Kansas City Current found its groove on the road Saturday, beating the North Carolina Courage 2-1 in a National Women’s Soccer League match at First Horizon Stadium in Cary, North Carolina.
The Current improved its season record to three wins, no draws and four losses. The Courage, meanwhile, fell to two wins, three draws and two losses.
Saturday’s outcome was a far cry from the Current’s previous match result, a 4-0 loss to the Washington Spirit. Only at the very end of Saturday’s late-afternoon/early-evening game was the Courage able to get on the scoreboard and prevent the shutout.
“We loved the start of the game — energy, intensity, quality,” Current head coach Chris Armas said in a team news release. “The way we stepped on the pitch, we arrived all business, and I think we could see that.”
Current midfielder Croix Bethune scored in the eighth minute, taking a quick first touch before hammering home her shot in front of the net.
It was Bethune’s second goal since her acquisition from the Spirit this past offseason. She also assisted on the Current’s second goal (more about that one in a moment), marking the second time in her pro career she’s registered a goal and assist in the same game.
Suffice to say Bethune looked right at home on the East Coast Saturday. And for the first time this NWSL season, the Current took a lead before the opposing team scored.
Forward Michelle Cooper netted the visitors’ second goal of the day in the 23rd minute. Hers, off the aforementioned Bethune assist, came at a sharp angle across the mouth of the goal after she’d beaten the Courage keeper.
The Courage cut into the deficit in the 85th minute on a goal by Manaka Matsukubo, but that was about it. The Current held on through injury time and prepared for a happy flight back to Kansas City.
“You don’t often win the game in the first half,” Armas said, “but the two-goal lead gave us a cushion. We pushed for more and had to fight them off late, but awesome start. Really proud of the team.”
One more note: Saturday’s game was midfielder Lo LaBonta’s 100th career regular-season start for the Current. She’s the first player in club history to reach that milestone.
Up next: It’s a Mom’s Day special next weekend as the Current plays host to the Chicago Stars at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 10 — Mother’s Day — at CPKC Stadium.
This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 7:33 PM.