The Kansas City Current picked up their eighth straight win Friday, Aug. 8 with a 1-0 victory at the Utah Royals.
Temwa Chawinga scored the game’s only goal in the 82nd minute, when defender Kayla Sharples fed the ball from midfield toward Chawinga. The striker then outpaced the Utah defense and lobbed the ball past Royals keeper Mandy McGlynn. It was Chawinga’s tenth goal of the season, in the process setting another league record for the fastest pace to 30 career goals in the NWSL, needing just 41 games to achieve the feat.
Lorena secured her seventh clean sheet of the season for the Current, but was put to the test, making five saves. The Current also welcomed midfielder Ally Sentnor to the lineup, subbing her in at halftime for her team debut against the team who selected her first overall in the 2024 NWSL draft.
The Current (13-2-0) now have 39 points, expanding their lead in the standings by 12 points over Orlando and Louisville. The Current return home to CPKC Stadium this Saturday to host defending champs Orlando; kickoff is at 3 p.m.
Jaziel Orozco and Sangbin Jeong netted their first goals for St Louis City SC, leading the way to a 3-1 upset victory over Nashville SC on Saturday, Aug. 9 at Energizer Park.
Orozco became the second CITY2 product to score in MLS when he sent his shot into the back of the net in the 23rd minute. 16 minutes later, João Klauss doubled the hosts’ advantage when Eduard Löwen fed Klauss at the right side of the box, who then sent time a right-footed shot. Jeong then bagged his first goal for Saint Louis since his transfer from Minnesota United, sending a header into goal in the 66th minute. Nashville denied Roman Bürki the clean sheet after Hany Mukhtar converted a penalty kick in the 85th minute. Bürki ended the match with five saves, as City recorded seven shots on goal to Nashville’s six.
Meanwhile, Sporting Kansas City were shut out for the second straight game, falling to Western Conference leaders San Diego by a 2-0 score Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park.
Chucky Lozano opened the scoring for San Diego in the 23rd minute, with an assist by Andres Dreyer. Dreyer would then land a goal of his own in the 70th minute. Sporting recorded 22 shots on goal, with nine of them blocked and seven on target. San Diego keeper CJ dos Santos recorded five saves to earn the clean sheet, as San Diego retained possession 54 percent of the game.
Sporting remain on 24 points and 13th in the Western Conference, while City are now on 21 points, five points clear of the Western Conference basement. Real Salt Lake is in the ninth and final playoff spot at 31 points.
Next Saturday, another Eastern Conference foe awaits St Louis, as City will travel to Chicago to face the Fire on Saturday. Sporting are also on the road, visiting Orlando City.