Chawinga scores her 17th to help Current come from behind for a 1-1 draw with Gotham FC

Associated Press

Temwa Chawinga scored her league-leading 17th goal of the season to help the Kansas City Current come from behind for a 1-1 draw with Gotham FC on Saturday in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Gotham (13-4-5) took the lead in the 23rd minute when Yazmeen Ryan’s cross deflected off a Current defender and slipped under the legs of goalkeeper Almuth Schult.

Chawinga responded in the 52nd minute, beating her defender at the halfway line and finishing around goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. Debinha assisted.

Chawinga’s 17 goals are one shy of Sam Kerr’s league single-season record of 18 set in 2019. Chawinga’s 12 goals at CPKC Stadium are the most scored by a player at home in a single regular season in league history.

Schult made six saves for the Current (12-3-7).

Gotham is in third place and has only lost once in its last eight matches. The reigning league champions became the first NWSL team to visit the White House earlier this week.

ROYALS 1, RACING LOUISVILLE 0

Ana Tejada’s second-half goal gave the Utah Royals a 1-0 win at America First Field against Racing Louisville.

Tejada unleashed a hard shot from distance that slipped into the lower left corner in the 79th minute.

Cristina Roque, making her regular-season debut after Mandy Haught was injured in warmups, made two saves for Utah (5-14-3).

Louisville (6-9-7) is still in the hunt for the eighth and final playoff spot with four games remaining.

PRIDE 3, DASH 1

Carson Pickett, Angelina and Marta scored as the first-place Orlando Pride extended their league record unbeaten streak to 23 games, dating to last year, with a 3-1 win over the Houston Dash at Inter&Co Stadium.

Pickett scored in the 29th minute when she was left alone on the far post and headed in Cori Dyke’s cross to give the Pride (16-0-6) a 1-0 lead.

Angelina scored in the 51st minute, putting her shot from just outside the 18-yard box into the upper left corner.

Two minutes later, last-place Houston (4-13-5) got on the board when Yuki Nagasato got her foot on the end of Elin Rubensson’s pass into the box.

Marta scored on a solo effort in the 92nd minute.

WAVE 2, THORNS 0

Mya Jones and Melanie Barcenas scored and the San Diego Wave downed the Portland Thorns 2-0 at Snapdragon Stadium.

Portland (8-10-4) hasn’t won in six straight regular-season games but the team still clings to a playoff spot above Racing Louisville in the standings.

The Wave (5-10-7) are just three points back of Louisville for the last postseason berth with four games remaining.

Jones scored in a scramble in front following a free kick in the 69th minute, then 16-year-old Barcenas added her first NWSL goal in the 74th.

The Thorns were without top scorer Sophia Smith, who has an ankle injury, and midfielder Hina Sugita, who has a facial injury.

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