Kansas City Current extends unbeaten streak to franchise-record 14 games with 5-2 victory over Seattle Reign

KANSAS CITY (June 9, 2024) — The Kansas City Current (8-0-4, 28 pts., 1st place) rode an incredible offensive performance to a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Reign (2-9-1, 7 pts. 13th place) on Sunday afternoon at CPKC Stadium. The Current extended the club’s ongoing unbeaten streak, which dates back to the end of the 2023 season, to a franchise-best 14 matches following Sunday’s victory. After Seattle took a 2-1 lead in the first half, defender Lauren leveled the contest on the stroke of halftime before forward Temwa Chawinga recorded both a goal and an assist in the first 89 seconds of the second half to put the Current ahead for good.

Midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo scored the go-ahead goal inside the first 30 seconds of the second half, before Chawinga scored just over a minute later. Midfielder and captain Lo’eau LaBonta capped the scoring in 67th minute with a penalty kick that extended Kansas City’s lead to 5-2. The Current punctuated the first-ever “Teal Out” match, presented by Palmer Square Capital Management, with the third five-goal performance of the 2024 season in front of the sixth consecutive sell-out crowd at CPKC Stadium.

“They wanted to show everyone that the first half was behind us and we’re back,” said head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “Moments like that are going to happen, games like that are going to happen, as long as we understand what we are about, the direction that we are moving, who we are and we come back, bounce back and do well. I am very proud of them and the way they responded.”

Seattle started the match on the front foot, forcing multiple early saves from goalkeeper AD Franch. Franch stood tall to deny a threatening chance from Seattle’s Veronica Latsko in the second minute, and routinely corralled another long-range effort from Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock about 10 minutes later.

The Current eventually grew into the match, and Chawinga recorded the team’s first shot on target of the match in the 19th minute, but Seattle ultimately opened the scoring five minutes later. In the 24th minute, Jordyn Huitema pulled off a sliding finish on a cross from Latsko to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Kansas City did not wait long to equalize, though, as Chawinga pulled the Current level just four minutes later.

Chawinga’s goal capped an excellent team move, which started from a long ball forward by defender Elizabeth Ball. Ball’s pass was perfectly weighted for Michelle Cooper, who made a bursting run down the right side of Seattle’s defense and made it to the byline unopposed. She slid a ball across the penalty area for Chawinga, who was wide open at the back post to tap the ball into an empty net. The assist marked Cooper’s first of the season and the second of her NWSL career.

Huitema put Seattle back in the lead in the 41st minute after she pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area following a Reign free kick. The Reign looked poised to bring their 2-1 lead into halftime, but Kansas City equalized in first half stoppage time. On a Current corner kick served in by Izzy Rodriguez, Bia Zaneratto steered the ball to Lauren inside the six-yard box. Lauren made a sprawling finish to level the contest at 2-2. For the third straight match, a Current Center Back recorded a goal for Kansas City. Lauren also became the 16th Current player to score a goal in the 2024 season, which extended the team’s NWSL single-season record. Finally, the goal marked Lauren’s first as a member of the Current.

The Current went ahead in remarkable fashion in the opening seconds of the second half. Kansas City attacked immediately from kickoff, scoring less than 30 seconds into the second half after second-half substitute DiBernardo thumped home a Chawinga cross from the left side of Seattle’s penalty area. Seconds later, Chawinga met a forward pass from Ball just beyond midfield and was instantly through on goal after deftly evading a Reign defender. Chawinga finished the breakaway opportunity to extend Kansas City’s lead to 4-2 after just 89 seconds had been played in the second half. The goal marked Chawinga’s team-high seventh of the season, which also moved her into third place on the NWSL Golden Boot leaderboard.

All told, the Current’s two goals in the first 89 seconds of the second half marked the fastest time that any team has scored two goals from kickoff in a half in NWSL history.

Kansas City’s second-half onslaught ultimately secured the victory, but LaBonta’s 67th minute penalty kick capped the Current’s 5-2 victory.

Goals have flowed for the Current at CPKC Stadium, as the team has scored at least four goals in four of the six games that the Current have played at home. Sunday marked the Current’s third five-goal performance of the season and Kansas City is averaging 3.84 goals per game at home. The Current 31 goals through the first 12 games of 2024 have set a new club record for most goals in a season, beating the old mark set in 2023.

The Current’s 2024 unbeaten streak is now at 12 games and, dating back to 2023, Kansas City has gone a franchise-best 14 games unbeaten. Kansas City is now in first place on the NWSL table ahead of Friday’s home contest against the Chicago Red Stars.

The Current return to action in less than a week, taking on the Red Stars June 14 at 7 p.m. CT. Friday’s match is the Current’s annual Pride Night presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. The match can be streamed on Prime Video with Mike Watts and Lianne Sanderson on the call. In Kansas City fans can listen along on 90.9 The Bridge and on the KC Current App.

NWSL Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. Seattle Reign
Date: June 9, 2024
Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Kickoff: 5:08 p.m. CT
Weather: 82 degrees, sunny
Attendance: 11,500

Discipline
65’ SEA Ivory (Yellow)

Scoring
24’ SEA – Huitema (Latsko) 
28’ KC – Chawinga (Cooper)
41’ SEA – Huitema 
45+2’ KC – Lauren (Zaneratto)
46’ KC – DiBernardo (Chawinga)
47’ KC – Chawinga (Ball)
67’ KC – LaBonta (PK)

Scoring Summary

Kansas City Current Lineup: Franch, Rodriguez, Lauren (73’ Ballisager), Ball, Mace (77’ Wheeler), Hutton, LaBonta © (88’ Scott), Lavogez (46’ DiBernardo), Chawinga, Zaneratto (46’ Debinha), Cooper
Unused Substitutes: Feist, Silkowitz, Pfeiffer, Spaanstra

Seattle Reign Lineup: Ivory, Huerta, Holmes, Cook (75’ Brown), McClernon (56’ Barnes), Fishlock ©, James-Turner (56’ Van der Jagt), King (79’ Adames), Latsko, Balcer (56’ Ji), Huitema
Unused Substitutes: Pérez, Athens, Woodham, Mercado