Temwa Chawinga🌲🇼 scores the team’s first goal in history and goes on to score two more goals as they win 2-0.
From Missouri River Temwa Chawinga River
After the Malawian star became the first player from Kansas City to send a ball over the goal bar outside the stadium and into the water body, fans nicknamed Missouri River Temwa Chawinga River.
During the majority of Friday night’s game against the Houston Dash, the Kansas City Current were unable to find a breakthrough.
However, Temwa Chawinga smashed both her personal record and the record for the longest unbeaten streak in the NWSL, ensuring that the Current now holds that title.
Chawinga scored twice to give the Current a 2-0 lead
With that victory, the Current maintain their top spot in the NWSL rankings and run a record-breaking 17 games without a loss.
The Current finished 2023 undefeated and had a record of 10 victories, 5 draws, and 0 losses.
Nevertheless, according to manager Vlatko Andonovski, the team isn’t concentrated on that historical moment.
According to Andonovski, “No one talks about it.” Nobody is interested in it. Both the fans and our media department are quite excited about that. We will do all in our power to continue winning for them.
CPKC Stadium on Friday
That’s precisely what the Current accomplished at CPKC Stadium on Friday.
The record for the most goals by a current player in the NWSL regular season, achieved by Chawinga’s goals in the 77th and 80th minutes, stands at 11 (and counting). She has just needed 15 matches to achieve this.
She has impressive statistics, according to Andonovski. She has been invaluable to us. She assists on goals and scores goals. In the games, she has made a significant effect even when she doesn’t score.
NWSL Golden Boot competition.
Her two goals also placed her above of Barbra Banda and Sophia Smith, who both have ten goals, in the NWSL Golden Boot competition.
Banda and Smith are well-known throughout the world, but Chawinga is only starting to get recognition in the league. She is proud to see her name next to the others, but she also gives gratitude to her teammates for getting her there.
Chawinga remarked, “Maybe I’m making a name for myself, but I’m not making my name by myself.” “My teammates are the ones who help me become known.”
Kansas City Current performance and chawinga influence
In the first half of the match, the Kansas City Current did not play at their best. The Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell was tested by the 17 shots the Current attempted, six of which were on target. However, players were not making runs where a passer would have expected them to, and poor decision-making characterised the final third.
Chawinga’s other first, though, was a highlight of the first half. She hit a ball into the Missouri River, making history as the first KC Current player to do so.
When the erroneous photo appeared on the jumbotron, the audience cheered loudly.
Miss in style
Andonovski jokingly said, “If she missed, she might as well miss in style.”
“We had a lot of opportunities in the first half, but we missed them,” Chawinga remarked. But the second half starts, and we gave it everything we had to win this game and score goals.
Chawinga’s goal in the 77th minute ended the haphazard ball and player movement.
Dash defender Tarciane stumbled and landed on an easy ball that the Current played over the top, pushing the ball into Chawinga’s path. After Campbell stopped a tapped shot in the beginning, Chawinga put the rebound in.
After a duration of three minutes, Chawinga approached Campbell one-on-one. For her second, she dribbled the ball around the keeper and into the unoccupied net.
The match between the two NWSL unbeaten clubs is the next event on the KC Current schedule. On July 6, the Orlando Pride will take off at 6:30 p.m. at CPKC Stadium.
