Chawinga’s Early Goal Secures Kansas City Current’s Playoff Spot

The Kansas City Current secured their place in the NWSL playoffs with a decisive 2-0 victory over Racing Louisville FC at Lynn Family Stadium on Saturday. Central to this success was star forward Temwa Chawinga, who made headlines by scoring a record-tying goal early in the match.

Chawinga, a notable player for the Kansas City side, netted her 18th goal of the season just two minutes into the game. This achievement matches the long-standing record held by Sam Kerr, who scored 18 goals for the Chicago Red Stars in 2019. The goal, a right-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area, was assisted by Debinha.

The goal not only contributed to Kansas City’s victory but also established itself as one of the fastest goals recorded in the history of the National Women’s Soccer League, coming just a minute and 49 seconds into the match.

Later in the match, Vanessa DiBernardo extended the lead with a successful free kick in the 86th minute, securing the win for the Current. Kansas City’s defense, led by goalkeeper Almuth Schult, held firm throughout the match, with Schult making three significant saves that kept Racing Louisville at bay.

Racing Louisville, struggling to gain offensive momentum, managed several attempts but could not find the back of the net. Key players like Savannah DeMelo and Emma Sears tried to break through, with DeMelo making three shots and Sears managing two on-target attempts, all to no avail.

Both teams are now looking forward to their upcoming fixtures. Kansas City will face Bay FC at PayPal Park on October 12, while Racing Louisville is set to take on the Washington Spirit at Audi Field on October 13.