Match Report: Kansas City Current falls 4-1 against Washington Spirit in return to NWSL play

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 25, 2024) — The Kansas City Current (10-2-5, 35pts., 3rd place) returned to NWSL play on Sunday afternoon in the nation’s Capital, falling 4-1 against the Washington Spirit (12-4-1, 37pts., 2nd place) Sunday afternoon at Audi Field. Washington scored twice inside the first 15 minutes of the contest to take a lead it ultimately would not relinquish. Current forward Temwa Chawinga scored her league-high 13th goal of the season, which puts her in sole possession of first place in the NWSL’s Golden Boot race, for Kansas City’s lone goal of the contest.

"Every loss hurts, but this team, in some ways, needed a little bit of adversity,” said head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “Obviously, we didn't want to lose, but if this is the adversity we need to come out of, it's a great test for us. Now, we have a chance next week to showcase where we're at and how we're going to get back from this."

Sunday’s match marked the first NWSL contest for the Current in 50 days, as well as Kansas City’s first road match in just over two months. Both sides started quickly as the match got off to an energetic start, but the Spirit opened the scoring in the ninth minute. Washington midfielder Paige Metayer ran nearly the length of the pitch to break the deadlock, capping the run with a low strike into the back of the net.

Five minutes later, Washington doubled its advantage. The Spirit capitalized on a loose ball in midfield, and midfielder Croix Bethune drove forward at the Current’s net before sliding a ball through to forward Ouleymata Sarr. Sarr finished the chance to give the Spirit a 2-0 lead.

Still, the Current generated plenty of opportunities in the opening frame and throughout the match. Kansas City outshot Washington 14-7 in Sunday’s contest and recorded its first shot on goal in the 27th minute, when Chawinga got on the end of a long through ball and fired a shot that Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury snared.

Late in the first half, the Current nearly got on the board with a volleyed effort from midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo that struck the crossbar, but Washington maintained its 2-0 lead as the halftime whistle sounded.

Washington added its third goal of the contest in the early stages of the second half. Metayer slid a ball through for forward Trinity Rodman, who curled a strike into the back of the net to put the Spirit ahead by three goals.

Kansas City continued to push and ultimately found a goal in the 64th minute. A prolific connection throughout the 2024 season, midfielder Debinha played a through ball for Chawinga, who powered through a Spirit defender and finished the one-on-one opportunity to put the Current on the board. The goal marked Chawinga’s 13th of the regular season, and she now sits just two goals behind midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta for the most regular season goals in club history.

Current midfielder Jereko made history in the 65th minute as she made her club debut, becoming the first Kenyan to appear in the NWSL. Jereko featured in the final 25 minutes of Sunday’s contest, logging two shots.

Spirit forward Leicy Santos added the final goal of the contest in the 73rd minute.

The Current remain on the road next weekend as the club travels to North Carolina to face the Courage next Sunday, Sept. 1. The match kicks off at 1:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on CBS and Paramount+. Current fans in Kansas City can listen to the match on 90.9 The Bridge and on the KC Current App.

NWSL Match Report
Match: Washington Spirit vs. Kansas City Current
Date: August 25, 2024
Venue: Audi Field, Washington, D.C.
Kickoff: 11:07 a.m. CT/ 12:07 p.m. ET
Weather: 82 degrees, sunny
Attendance:

Discipline
49’ Kansas City – DiBernardo (Yellow)
72’ Kansas City – Cook (Yellow)
85’ Kansas City – LaBonta (Yellow)
90+7’ Washington – Metayer (Yellow) 

Scoring
9’ Washington – Metayer (Santos)
14’ Washington – Sarr (Bethune)
51’ Washington – Rodman (Metayer)
64' Kansas City – Chawinga (Debinha)
73’ Washington – Santos (Carle)

Scoring Summary

Washington Spirit Lineup: Kingsbury ©, Krueger (65’ Carle), Butel, McKeown, Metayer, Santos, Sullivan, Hershfelt (65’ Stainbrook), Rodman, Bethune (71’ Kouassi), Sarr
Unused Substitutes: Barnhart, Silano, Morris, Ratcliffe, Brown, Hatch

Kansas City Current Lineup: Franch, Wheeler, Ballisager, Cook, Mace, LaBonta ©, Hutton (65’ Jereko), DiBernardo (65’ Prince), Debinha (79’ Feist), Chawinga, Cooper (79’ Hamilton)
Unused Substitutes: Schult, Steigleder, Ball, Scott, Rodriguez