Match Report: Kansas City Current sweep regular season series against Utah Royals with 1-0 victory

KANSAS CITY (Sept. 7, 2024) — The Kansas City Current (11-3-5, 38pts., 3rd place) returned to winning ways in front of an electric home crowd at CPKC Stadium Saturday night, downing the Utah Royals (4-12-3, 15pts., 13th place) 1-0. Forward Temwa Chawinga recorded the game-winning goal in the 47th minute, marking her league-record eighth consecutive NWSL match with a goal, as the Current secured a regular season sweep over the Royals. In net, goalkeeper Almuth Schult kept her first clean sheet as a member of the Current with an array of vital stops.

"We talked a lot about not getting scored on,” said head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “As much as we want more goals, we talked about winning games 1-0 because it does build character, builds a little stamina, cohesiveness, mindset and everything. Now, we know it’s a good moment, a good growth opportunity and I’m glad that we were able to secure a win.”

Utah, who entered Saturday’s contest with a four-match winning streak across all competitions, had plenty of dangerous scoring opportunities throughout the first half. The visitors recorded the first shot on target of the match in the 12th minute with a shot from forward Mina Tanaka that Schult snared.

The Current recorded some early chances of its own. Chawinga fired a shot just wide of goal in the sixth minute, and midfielder Debinha ripped a shot from distance in the 13th minute that just sailed high of goal.

In the 20th minute, Schult was called into action again. Utah forward Paige Monaghan dashed down the left side of the Current’s defense and slid a diagonal cross to the penalty spot. Tanaka had a clean look at goal, but Schult made a sprawling save to deny the close-range effort. The ball found its way to Royals forward Cloé Lacasse at the back post, but Schult stood tall with a kick save to keep the match level.

Schult made another crucial stop in the 40th minute. From the end line, Monaghan rolled a cross to a wide-open Lacasse at the back post. Lacasse’s slow-moving shot allowed Schult to scramble across her line to stop the effort just before it crossed the goal line.

The Current nearly went ahead before the first half ended. Utah goalkeeper Mandy Haught made a pair of saves to deny shots inside the penalty area from Chawinga and Debinha, respectively, in the 44th minute that helped keep the match level. Despite 15 combined shots in the opening frame, the match entered halftime scoreless.

Chawinga ensured the match would not remain that way with a clinical finish in the 47th minute. The Current sprung loose following a Utah corner kick, executing a perfect counterattack to open the scoring. Midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta pushed the ball forward and, just before midfield, slid an inch-perfect through ball to Chawinga. Chawinga made no mistake after racing behind Utah’s defense for a one-on-one opportunity with Haught, slotting the ball into the back of the net.

The goal marked Chawinga’s 15th of the NWSL regular season, tying LaBonta’s franchise record for goals in an NWSL regular season set earlier this season. Additionally, Chawinga extended her league record streak of consecutive matches with a goal to eight. Chawinga is just the fifth player in NWSL history to score 15 goals in a regular season.

Kansas City continued to push and nearly doubled its advantage in the 52nd minute. Debinha provided Chawinga with a quality look at goal inside Utah’s penalty area, but her volleyed shot sailed just high of Haught’s net. In the 55th minute, forward Nichelle Prince was inches away from connecting with Chawinga for a goal, but Chawinga slid just past Prince’s cross that ultimately rolled harmlessly across the Utah penalty area.

In the 72nd minute, forward Bia Zaneratto returned to the pitch for the first time in 71 days. Zaneratto finished out the contest in her first game action since June 28.

Schult made one final key save in the 82nd minute, standing tall to make a crucial one-on-one save against Utah forward Hannah Betfort. Schult made six saves in Saturday’s contest. The Current’s defense, anchored by center backs Alana Cook and Kayla Sharples, helped see out the match from there to secure Kansas City’s one-goal victory. Sharples made her club debut Saturday night, and both Sharples and Cook made their first NWSL regular season home appearance against the Royals.

The Current hit the road next weekend for a crucial clash atop the NWSL table. Kansas City visits the Orlando Pride Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video. Kansas City fans can listen to the action on 90.9 The Bridge or on the Kansas City Current app.

NWSL Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. Utah Royals FC
Date: September 7, 2024
Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City MO
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. CT/5:30 p.m. MT
Weather: 73 degrees, fair
Attendance: 11,500

Discipline
None

Scoring
47’ Kansas City – Chawinga (LaBonta)

Scoring Summary

Kansas City Current Lineup: Schult, Rodriguez (61’ Scott), Sharples, Cook, Mace, LaBonta ©, DiBernardo (85’ Feist), Debinha (85’ Ball), Prince (72’ Zaneratto), Chawinga, Wheeler
Unused Substitutes: Franch, Ballisager, Hamilton, Jereko, Magaia

Utah Royals Lineup: Haught, Del Fava, Tejada (72’ Foederer), Riehl, Pogarch (63’ Burns), Griffits, Zornoza, Tanaka (88’ Cluff), Monaghan © (88’ Vasconcelos), Lacasse, Betfort
Unused Substitutes: Roque, Tucker, Murison, Nyberg, Grosso