KANSAS CITY – Saturday night, CPKC Stadium played host to the first of three group matches. These matches are a part of the inaugural Summer Cup. The NWSL in partnership with Liga MX created this tournament to provide play for teams during the Olympic break. The Current, coming off their first loss of the NWSL season, faced a familiar foe; The Houston Dash.
Surrounded by a sea of teal and red, The Current didn’t waste any time getting on the board. The NWSL June Player of the Month, Temwa Chawinga, was able to spin a perfect ball to a patient Michelle Cooper, who knocked it in. The goal came quicker than anyone imagined, occurring just under sixty seconds into the match. The goal, due to its short history, is the fastest in Summer Cup history, and due to its unprecedented circumstances, it may remain that way for years to come.
Cooper, who also holds the NWSL record for fastest goal in a match, seems to have a knack for scoring quickly. Her goal on June 19th, 2023, came just twenty-three seconds into the match, a record still in place today.
Houston responded in the 20th minute with a goal of their own. The equalizer came from Houston forward Yuki Nagasato, who sailed a shot from outside the box past the outstretched hands of KC Goalkeeper AD Franch. The 1-1 score remained until the conclusion of the first half.
While their initial score did put KC ahead, it also proved to be a negative of some sort as Manager Vlatko Andonovski put it, “It was the best thing that could happen to us, but it also was the worst thing that could happen to us”. He explained that the mentality of the match being ‘too easy’ could start to creep in with the early score. Kristen Hamilton said postgame that, “After being in this league for a long time” concluding from her experience when, you score early, you kind of let your foot off the gas”.
Kansas City, following their early offensive success, struggled to find the net, knocking multiple balls off the post or in the general vicinity. Yet, nothing yielded anything on the scoreboard. There was an expectation that the match would reveal much about Houston’s depth, specifically at the Goal Keeper position. Jane Campbell, the 2023 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, was unavailable due to her affiliation with the US Olympic team and their preparation for the ensuing Summer Olympic Games in Paris. Her absence provided an opportunity for rookie Erin McKinney, who made her professional debut in the match. With the exception of the quick goal at the beginning, McKinney played well throughout the first half and into the second half.
That changed in the 68th minute when Current Captain, Lo’eau LaBonta, fired a shot from the right side of the box; straight at the rookie. McKinney’s hands grazed the ball enough to slow it down, but not enough to stop it. The ball slowly drifted into the net, giving The Current the lead once again.
In the 83rd minute, an errant pass back to Houston GK McKinney was intercepted by Current forward Kristen Hamilton, who came flying in out of nowhere and spun the ball in for an insurance goal, bringing the score to 3-1.
The three-goal performance for KC Current is nothing unusual for the most prolific offense in the NWSL through the first half. Kansas City’s forty goals through the first sixteen games is unmatched. Even though the NWSL is on an official Olympic break, it was clear that Kansas City’s offense was not taking a hiatus at all. The 3-1 win catapults KC to the top of the Group C table with two remaining matches before tournament play.
Both clubs now prepare for their second group stage match with Houston heading home to play host to Tigres Unal on July 28th at 7 pm. The Current will now have the week to prepare for their next matchup. That contest will be against Pachuca on July 27th at 6 pm.
