Temwa Chawinga and Michelle Cooper each racked up a goal and an assist to lift the Kansas City Current to a 2-1 win over host Gotham FC on Saturday in rainy Harrison, N.J.
Cooper scored in the third minute and Chawinga doubled the Current’s lead eight minutes later with her seventh goal of the season, tying Gotham’s Esther Gonzalez and Orlando’s Barbra Banda for the league lead.
It marked the fourth straight win for Kansas City (9-2-0, 27 points) and the third consecutive loss for Gotham (3-5-3, 12 points).
Lorena was moments away from her sixth clean sheet of the season, but amid a Gotham attack, Kansas City’s Vanessa DiBernardo accidentally booted the ball into the back of her own net in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time.
Lorena made two saves, while Ann-Katrin Berger had three saves for Gotham.
The Current forced a turnover by Gotham’s back line early in the game. Chawinga picked up the ball and found Cooper in the box for an easy strike.
On a fast break in the 11th, Cooper sent a low cross into the box and Chawinga reached the ball a split second before a diving Berger. Chawinga scored into the open net.
Gotham FC thought they had a goal early in the second half when Emily Sonnett headed a corner kick into the net. But VAR showed that Sonnett got her advantage from a two-handed shove to a Current player’s back, and it was overturned.
U.S. women’s national team midfielder Rose Lavelle, who had offseason ankle surgery, made her season debut for Gotham as a substitute in the 74th minute.
Pride 1, Dash 0
Cori Dyke’s first goal with Orlando broke a stalemate in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time and delivered a victory over visiting Houston.
Summer Yates’ attempt on the run bounced off the leg of Dash goalkeeper Abby Smith and found Dyke near the far corner of the 18-yard box. Dyke’s shot caromed off a Houston defender and bounced past Smith, who had seven saves.
Anna Moorhouse made four saves for the Pride (7-3-1, 22 points), who have won two straight after a 1-2-1 stretch. Orlando outshot Houston (3-6-2, 11 points) 22-8 and had an 11-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Bay 1, Thorns 0
Alyssa Malonson scored in the 39th minute and Jordan Silkowitz made five saves to help Bay FC shut out Portland in San Jose, Calif.
Penelope Hocking put a touch pass into a wide part of the box for Malonson, who raced in and rocketed it into the top of the net. Silkowitz made a key stop on Olivia Moultrie’s shot attempt in the 83rd minute to preserve the clean sheet for Bay FC (4-4-3, 15 points).
The Thorns (4-3-4, 16 points) saw their five-match unbeaten streak come to an end. Bella Bixby made one save for Portland, which had a 16-10 advantage in shot attempts.
Angel City 2, Stars 2
M.A. Vignola’s 80th-minute equalizer helped Angel City FC salvage a draw with Chicago in Los Angeles.
Three minutes after she hit the crossbar with an attempt, Vignola collected a rebound at the 6-yard box and deposited her shot high out of the reach of Chicago’s Halle Mackiewicz.
Kennedy Fuller scored from close range to put Angel City (4-4-3, 15 points) ahead in the 29th minute, but Nadia Gomes tied the game in the 58th on a bizarre shot that squirted high in the air off her defender’s foot and landed in a spot where keeper Angelina Anderson could only swipe at it in vain.
Eight minutes later, Ally Schlegel made an individual run for the Stars (1-8-2, 5 points) before unleashing a rocket goal from well outside the box.
–Field Level Media
