Unbeaten no more: KC Current lose first game of 2024

In the biggest matchup of the 2024 season so far, the Kansas City hosted the Orlando Pride in a battle between two unbeaten teams. Identical in points (35) and goal differential (19), the Current edged the Pride in goals coming into this game (39 vs. 30). Only one team would remain unbeaten with a win, or the streak would continue with a draw for each team. The game certainly lived up to its hype as the two top teams in the NWSL faced off before the Olympic break.

Starting XI

The Current would continued their 4-2-3-1 formation, with Debinha moving to the number 9 spot as Bia Zaneratto suffered a broken bone in her foot last week that will sideline her for the next 6-8 weeks.

Lineup Photo: FotMob

First half: Banda vs. Chawinga

One of the big storylines for this game was the two top goal scorers in the league in this match: Orlando’s Barbra Banda and Kansas City’s Temwa Chawinga. Both with 11 goals before kickoff, & both with 12 goals by night’s end. It was Banda with the first goal of the night to give the visiting team the lead in the 37th minute.

Barbra 👏 Banda 👏 likes 👏 scoring 👏 goals 👏 pic.twitter.com/xqvlzyHqUU

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 7, 2024

The lead wouldn’t last as Chawinga took matters into her own hands as she took the ball from the midfield towards the Orlando final third, dribbling and zooming past Orlando players for a Kansas City equalizer in the 39th minute.

This run AND this goal by Temwa Chawinga!

📺 @IONNWSL pic.twitter.com/7tAd4hQK6z

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 7, 2024

With the goal, Chawinga became the league’s top leading scorer with 12 goals and six assists.

1:44 – Temwa Chawinga's equalizer came 1 minute, 44 seconds after Barbra Banda's goal. The only faster reply after conceding this #NWSL season was also by Temwa Chawinga: 1 minute, 22 seconds after Sydney Leroux scored for Angel City in March. Response. pic.twitter.com/p6RydGIZEQ

— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) July 7, 2024

Second half: Was that really a PK ref?

Momentum had shifted to Kansas City near the end of the second half. Orlando appeared to play a physical game, using fouls to stop the Current attack. The Pride entered the second half with 10 players after Carrie Lawrence earned her second yellow after a hard foul on Chawinga in the 42nd minute.

But in the 60th minute, a collision between goalkeeper AD Franch and Adriana inside the Current’s penalty area convinced the referee that a penalty needed to be awarded. Marta, who earlier in the first half was given a yellow card for arguing with the referee, converted the the PK and put the Pride ahead 2-1 in the 63rd minute.

The Current spent the majority of the second half trying to equalize, but even with 10 players, Orlando’s defense was too organized to hold off the Current’s attack, and Kansas City had difficulty breaking them down to build up anything for a goal. Orlando’s win gave the Current their first loss this season, ending a 17-game streak end.

NWSL Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. Orlando Pride
Date: July 6, 2024
Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. CT
Weather: 86 degrees, sunny
Attendance: 11,500

Discipline
14’ Orlando – Lawrence (Yellow)
23’ Orlando – Marta (Yellow)
28’ Kansas City – Hutton (Yellow)
42’ Orlando – Lawrence (Second Yellow, Red)
47’ Kansas City – LaBonta (Yellow)
57’ Kansas City – Mace (Yellow)
61’ Kansas City – Franch (Yellow)

Scoring
37’ Orlando – Banda
39’ Kansas City – Chawinga (Rodriguez)
63’ Orlando – Marta (PK)

Kansas City Current Lineup: Franch, Rodriguez, Ballisager, Ball (86’ Lauren), Mace, LaBonta ©, Hutton (71’ Wheeler), Debinha, Chawinga, Lavogez (57’ Feist), Cooper

Unused Substitutes: Steigleder, Glas, Scott, Hamilton, Silkowitz, Spaanstra

Orlando Pride Lineup: Moorhouse, Lawrence (RC 42’), Sams, Strom, Abello, Yates (45’ McCutcheon), Marta ©, Angelina (70’ Dyke), Adriana (70’ Watt), Doyle (44’ Souza), Banda
Unused Substitutes: Crone, Allen, Lemos, Martinez, Gautrat, Rafaelle