Temwa Chawinga broke away early in the second half on a pass from Lo’eau Labonta to net the only goal of the match in the Kansas City Current’s 1-0 victory over the Utah Royals on Saturday night at CPKC Stadium. The goal was Chawinga’s 15th of the season, keeping her in the lead for the NWSL regular season scoring title. More importantly, it snapped Kansas City’s three-game league losing streak. New goalkeeper Almuth Schult secured her first shutout of the season. The Current remain in third on 38 points with seven games remaining. They’ll visit league leaders Orlando Pride on Friday the 13th.
Sporting Kansas City gave up a goal late in the second half and had to settle for a 1-1 draw at New York Red Bulls on Saturday night. Alan Pulido put SKC on the board in the 55th minute with an assist from Jacob Davis. Davis would play a role in New York’s goal, as his yellow card in the 87th minute gave way to substitute Julian Hall’s strike two minutes later. Davis ended up picking up a second yellow card in stoppage time, resulting in Sporting finishing the game a man down.
St Louis City SC ended up needing a goal from Simon Becher to secure a 2-2 draw at the New England Revolution. City opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Henry Kessler headed home a shot to the top left corner of the goal. However, the Revs would score a pair before the half to take the lead, with Will Sands assisting both goals.
The draws make dimmer the playoff hopes for both Sporting and St Louis. Both teams are on 28 points, with stronger goal differential putting SKC over Saint Louis in 12th. Minnesota sit eight points ahead in the ninth and final playoff spot. St Louis will host Minnesota next Saturday, while Sporting travel to Seattle on Sept. 15th.
The U.S. Men’s National Team lost to Canada on American soil for the first time in nearly seven decades, falling 2-1 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas on Saturday afternoon. The Canadians took advantage of a listless American side by scoring in the 17th and 55th minutes, while the Americans were limited to Luca de la Torre’s first international goal in the 66th minute. The loss comes two months after the U.S. crashed out of Copa America in the group stage just across the state line at Arrowhead Stadium. The last time Canada defeated the U.S. in the U.S. was a World Cup qualifier hosted in St Louis in July 1957.