MATCH REPORT: Kansas City Current opens Summer Cup with 3-1 win over Houston Dash

KANSAS CITY (July 20, 2024) — The Kansas City Current (1-0-0, 3 pts., 2nd place in Group C) opened the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup with a win on Saturday night, thanks to midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta’s game-winning goal in the 68th minute that gave Kansas City a 3-1 victory over the Houston Dash (0-1-0, 0 pts., 4th place in Group C) at CPKC Stadium. The win kept Kansas City in the Group C lead after Tigres UANL beat Pachuca 4-2 on Friday.

Kansas City forward Michelle Cooper opened the scoring 55 seconds into the first half. Cooper now holds the two fastest goals scored in club history after scoring in 22 seconds last season. LaBonta scored the game-winner and forward Kristen Hamilton returned with a crucial insurance goal as the Current christened their first-ever international tournament with a victory.

“We’re taking it one game at a time,” head coach Vlatko Andonoski said. “Obviously we wanted to win this game, we did, now Pachuca is our next game and it’s the most important game for us. Once we’re done with this one, we’re going to focus on Tigres.”

Houston’s players didn’t show much rust after a two-week break, scoring 55 seconds into the first half on a brilliant team play. Defender Izzy Rodriguez threw a pass straight down the left side of the Houston defense that met forward Temwa Chawinga. Chawinga reached the end line and crossed with his left foot to the penalty spot that found Cooper, who fired a shot to the near post beating Dash goalkeeper Erin McKinney. Cooper’s goal was Kansas City’s first goal in an international tournament.

Kansas City nearly doubled its lead in the sixth minute on a header from midfielder Bayley Feist. The veteran rose above McKinney and headed in a cross from the right, but her shot hit the crossbar. The Current created plenty of chances throughout the first half, but Houston found its second goal of the game in the 20th minute. Dash midfielder Yuki Nagasato intercepted a loose ball in midfield, took a few touches forward and then fired a long-range shot off the post and into the back of the net for the equalizer.

After Houston’s goal, Cooper went to work finding the winning goal. She hit the post in the 32nd minute following a Current corner and saw another effort go just over the bar in the 38th minute. Two minutes later, Kansas City goalkeeper AD Franch made a great save to keep the game tied, while the Current keeper deflected a long-range shot off the crossbar, keeping the game tied at 1-1 at the break.

Houston created the first two dangerous chances of the second half. The visitors came close to taking the lead in the 50th minute on a header from forward Diana Ordóñez, but her shot hit the crossbar and the Current defense was able to clear the ball safely.

Andonovski made two substitutions in the 65th minute that, by his own admission, helped stabilize Kansas City’s attack. Midfielder Desiree Scott and forward Kristen Hamilton each made their first appearances of the tournament.

Hanilton made an immediate impact and was ultimately instrumental in turning the tide in the Current’s favor. In the 68th minute, Hamilton headed a long free kick from Debinha to a wide-open LaBonta. McKinney got both hands behind LaBonta’s shot from inside the Dash box, but the shot sailed over the goal line and the Current took a 2-1 lead.

Then Hamilton scored a crucial goal 15 minutes later. The forward took advantage of a back pass from a Dash defender, allowing her to break away toward the goal. Hamilton slotted the ball into the back of the net to give Current a 3-1 lead. The goal marked Hamilton’s 40th career goal in all competitions, and she became the 17th player in NWSL history to reach that milestone.

Grace Bahr, signed by the club on Thursday as a national team substitute, made her professional debut in the 88th minute.

The second-place Current in Group C host Liga MX Femenil powerhouse Pachuca at CPKC Stadium on July 27 at 7:00 p.m. CT for the second match of the group stage. Unlike regular-season NWSL games, tickets for these games are available for purchase now at KansasCityCurrent.com.

NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup Match Report
Match: Kansas City Current vs. Houston Dash
Date: July 20, 2024
Location: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Kickoff: 7:08 p.m. CT
Weather: 76 degrees, cloudy

Discipline
22′ Houston – Olivieri (Yellow)
35′ Houston – Patterson (Yellow)
67′ Houston – Chapman (Yellow)
86′ Houston – Schmidt (Yellow)

Rating
1′ Kansas City – Cooper (Chawinga)
20′ Houston – Nagasato
68′ Kansas City – LaBonta (Hamilton)
83′ Kansas City – Hamilton

Summary of scores

Current Kansas City roster: Franch, Rodriguez (45′ Spaanstra), Mace, Steigleder, Wheeler, LaBonta ©, Feist (79′ Hutton), DiBernardo (65′ Scott), Chawinga (65′ Hamilton), Debinha, Cooper (88′ Bahr)
Unused substitutes: Silkowitz, Hisey

Houston Dash roster: McKinney, Chapman (72′ Nielsen), Jacobs ©, Petersen, Harris (84′ Ayson), Schmidt, Nagasato, Briede, Ordóñez, Olivieri (72′ Wolfbauer), Patterson
Unused substitutes: Hinz, Hirst