First-half goals by Croix Bethune and Michelle Cooper buoyed the Kansas City Current as they posted a 2-1 win Saturday, May 2 at the North Carolina Courage.
Bethune needed eight minutes to get the Current on the board, sending a volley past Courage keeper Kailen Sheriden into goal. She then recorded the assist on Cooper’s goal 15 minutes later, when Cooper squared the ball for Bethune before breaking ahead. Bethune’s pass back to Cooper split the Courage defense, and Cooper finished the play by rounding the keeper and slipping the ball into the lower left corner of goal. The Current held off a late rally attempt by the hosts, which was sparked by a goal in the 85th minute by Manaka Matsukubo, who poked through her goal during a scramble in the Current box following a kick save by Lorena moments earlier. The Current were aided in part by a Courage player being sent off during stoppage time.
The Current recorded their third win of the season and improve to nine points, now standing tenth in the NWSL. They return home for a Mother’s Day game contest against the Chicago Stars next Sunday, with kickoff slated for 11:25 a.m.
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Sporting Kansas City fell behind quickly, but were able to level things early and hold on for a 1-1 draw Saturday against the Seattle Sounders at Sporting Park.
Paul Rothrock bagged Seattle’s goal just two minutes into the contest, sending a left-footed strike inside the far post. Seattle almost doubled their lead ten minutes later, with a shot hitting the crossbar. However, it was Sporting’s captain Dejan Joveljic who countered in the 18th minute and sent a shot from the edge of the penalty area through the legs of Sounders keeper Andrew Thomas. The two sides had chances to take the lead in the second half, but Stefan Cleveland made seven saves in his first appearance for Sporting, also his first MLS action in nearly three years.
Sporting recorded just their fifth point of the season, and are now a point behind St Louis City SC for last in the Western Conference. Sporting KC will travel to Portland next weekend to face the Timbers. Meanwhile, St Louis City will visit Austin on Sunday afternoon, with kickoff at 3:30 p.m.