Current extends lead at top of NWSL with 2-0 win over Thorns
The Kansas City Current’s dominant form at the top of the National Women’s Soccer League continued with a 2-0 road win against the Portland Thorns on Saturday.
The Current (14-2-1) are now 9-0-1 in their last 10 games and are 12 points ahead of second-place Washington (9-4-4) with nine games left in the regular season. The league leaders have also registered five consecutive shutouts, chalking up 452 minutes without conceding a goal.
With the defeat, the Thorns’ (7-5-5) ended a team-record streak of 10 consecutive home games without a defeat (7-0-3) — dating back to last season.
Elsewhere in the NWSL on Saturday, Bay FC was defeated 3-2 by the Spirit in front of a record-breaking crowd at Oracle Park, while Gotham FC was held scoreless at home by the Utah Royals.
Ellie Wheeler opened the scoring for Kansas City with less than one minute on the clock. The defender scored on a header off a cross from Izzy Rodriguez. The goal was Wheeler’s first of the season, and the second of her career. Both goals have come against the Thorns.
Temwa Chawinga added a second for the Current in the 71st minute. The Malawian sprinted onto a long pass, dribbled into the box and rolled the ball between the legs of Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold. It was her 11th goal of the season.
The Current were reduced to 10 players when substitute Gabrielle Robinson was given a red card for a serious foul in the eighth minute of stoppage time. Robinson had only entered the match in the 90th minute. The appearance marked the defender’s return from a long-term knee injury suffered in May 2024.
Bay’s comeback falls short in 3-2 loss to Spirit in front of record crowd
Bay FC was defeated 3-2 by the Washington Spirit and the match set an attendance record for a U.S. women’s professional sports league with 40,091 on Saturday. The contest was played at Oracle Park, home of baseball’s San Francisco Giants.
The win lifted the Spirit (9-4-4) to second in the NWSL standings, with the team now undefeated in five games. Washington is 5-0-0 against Bay all-time.
Bay (4-8-5) remained in 12th, four places off a playoff spot.
The Spirit went up 3-0 up in the first half to quiet the noise of the expectant Bay Area crowd.
Kate Wiesner opened the scoring in the seventh minute via a cross that Bay goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz misjudged. Croix Bethune then rifled in her first goal of the season from outside the box to make it 2-0 in the 39th. An own goal from Kelli Hubly made it 3-0 in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.
Moments later, Bay forward Racheal Kundananji headed in a free kick by Caroline Conti to make it 3-1 just before the half time whistle blew. After the break, Hubly nodded in a corner kick to make it 3-2 in the 54th.
Gotham held scoreless at home to Royals in 0-0 draw
The scoreless draw closed out a winless three-game homestand for Gotham (5-6-6). While Juan Carlos Amoros’ team has the second most shutouts in the NWSL this season with eight, only three teams have scored fewer goals than Gotham’s total of 20.
It was the second consecutive 0-0 tie for the last-place Royals (1-11-5). Utah have gone 12 matches without a win, dating back to April 18.
After an even first half, Gotham piled on the pressure and out-shot the Royals 15-1 in the second half. Utah goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn, who played for Gotham for three seasons, finished the game with seven saves.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
By THEO LLOYD-HUGHES
Associated Press
