Kansas City Current remain undefeated after draw against Racing Louisville at home

KANSAS CITY (May 18, 2024) — The Kansas City Current (6-0-4, 22 pts.) remain undefeated after dueling Racing Louisville (1-2-6, 9 pts.) to a 3-3 draw at CPKC Stadium Saturday night. The Current become only the fourth team in NWSL history to tally 14 different goal scorers in a single season, after defender Gabrielle Robinson scored her first professional goal in second half stoppage time.

"I thought we deserved to win the game and I thought we were the better team,” said head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “I thought we created enough and it's unfortunate the game ended the way it did…This is a good character builder for us and hopefully in the next one we come out on top.”

Louisville got the scoring started in the 19th minute as forward Emma Sears curled a shot in from the right side. It deflected off the left post and into the back of the net, past the outstretched hands of Kansas City goalkeeper AD Franch. For the first time all season the Current were forced to play from behind at home as Racing Louisville took a 1-0 lead.

Current midfielder Debinha was relentless, contributing to the team’s nine shots in the first half. In the 38th minute she got behind a shot that rolled into the Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund’s arms and was scooped up.

Kansas City found the equalizer three minutes into first half stoppage time after midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo was taken down in the box. A VAR review awarded a penalty kick to Kansas City just before halftime and midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta added to her club record for penalty kick goals. LaBonta buried it into the top left corner of the net to equalize the match, 1-1. The ‘cellys’ returned as she carried the soccer ball like a true KC Baby and celebrated with her teammates.

The Current struck first in the second half, as Debinha found forward Michelle Cooper who blasted a cross, splitting two defenders, into the upper corner of the goal for a 2-1 lead. It was her first goal of the season and made her the 13th goal scorer for the Current in 2024.

In the 59th minute forward Temwa Chawinga found the back of the net, but it was called back for being offside. Ten minutes later KC goalkeeper AD Franch made a breathtaking save as Louisville’s Savannah DeMelo fired a shot. It was tipped out by Franch setting up a corner. Off the corner kick as a scrum of players went up to head the ball, it bounced off the back the head of KC defender Stine Ballisager and past Franch for an own goal, equalizing the match at 2-2.

With the score tied up, the barrage of KC goal scorers wasn’t finished. Two minutes into stoppage time saw a Current defender capitalize. After Chawinga showed some fancy footwork to get Gabrielle Robinson a pass, Robinson ripped a long shot from the far corner and arched it over the top of a leaping Lund to give KC a 3-2 lead. That marked Robinson’s first professional goal and gave the Current it’s 14th goal scorer on the season.

Deep into stoppage time of the second half, Franch made an incredible save in the 90’ +5 diving to the right post and off of her fingertips, keeping the Current in front. However, 13 minutes what was originally budgeted to be eight minutes of added time, Louisville equalized and ended the match with the teams splitting the points 3-3.

The Current 2024 unbeaten streak extends to ten games, but dating back to the 2023 season, the Current are unbeaten in 12 games. The club record is 13 games unbeaten set during the 2022 season.

Kansas City hits the road to Utah on May 25 for a match up with the Utah Royals at 9 p.m. CT. Fans who can’t make it to the match can watch on KMCI, 38 The Spot and ION television. Fans at home can listen along on 90.9 The Bridge and on the KC Current App.

NWSL Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. Racing Louisville FC
Date: May 18, 2024
Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Kickoff: 8:35 pm CT
Weather: 82 degrees
Attendance: 11,500

Discipline
12’ Kansas City – Rodriguez (Yellow)
23’ Louisville – Fischer (Yellow)
33’ Kansas City – Mace (Yellow)
72’ Kansas City – Robinson (Yellow)
89’ Louisville – Flint (Yellow)

Scoring
19’ Louisville – Sears (Milliet) 
45 + 3’ Kansas City – LaBonta
56’ Kansas City – Cooper (Debinha)
68’ Louisville - Ballisager (Own Goal) 
90 +2’ Kansas City – Robinson (Chawinga)
90 +13’ Louisville – DeMelo (Erceg)

Scoring Summary

Kansas City Current Lineup: Franch, Rodriguez, Robinson, Ballisager, Mace (58’ Wheeler), LaBonta © (94’ Feist), Hutton, DiBernardo (58’ Prince), Chawinga, Cooper (78’ Pfeiffer), Dehinha (78’ Lavogez) 
Unused Substitutes: Ball, Scott, Silkowitz, Spaanstra

Racing Louisville Lineup: Lund, Milliet, Pickett, Wright, Erceg ©, DiGrande, Flint, Fischer (45’ Turner), DeMelo, Sears, Bahr (80’ Kanu)
Unused Substitutes: Jean, Pokorny, Clegg, Goins, Bloomer, Sekany