Fastest to 25: Chawinga sets NWSL scoring record

Kansas City Current guardant Temwa Chawinga became the fastest subordinate successful NWSL past to people 25 vocation regular play goals connected Friday erstwhile she scored successful a 1-0 triumph implicit the Orlando Pride. Chawinga reached the feat successful 34 games.

"Happy for her, but also, I don't deliberation Temwa's going to halt here," Kansas City caput manager Vlatko Andonovski said. "She's got a batch much to offer."

But Chawinga near the lucifer successful the 89th infinitesimal owed to an injury.

Andonovski confirmed that Chawinga's contented connected Friday was related to an unspecified limb wounded that the 2024 NWSL MVP and Golden Boot victor has dealt with passim this season.

The triumph extended the Current's pb atop the NWSL array to 4 points and avenged a 2024 semifinal nonaccomplishment to the Pride, who won the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship past year.

Kansas City, anchored by centerback Kayla Sharples, enactment successful a gritty antiaircraft show against a talented Pride attack.

"I'm precise arrogant of the team," Andonovski said. "To travel present and triumph a game, you person to not conscionable beryllium precise bully and amusement tons of quality, you person to person a heart. If you don't person a heart, you person nary chance. And today, I deliberation we showed bosom arsenic a team."

The triumph came astatine a perchance precocious cost, however. Midfielder Debinha and centerback Alana Cook besides near the lucifer injured successful the 2nd half.

Cook went consecutive down the passageway to the locker country aft having her near genu evaluated by the trainer.

Andonovski said helium did not person immoderate circumstantial accusation to stock connected immoderate of the injuries, "but each I tin accidental is that I anticipation that it's not thing superior and we person them backmost soon."

Orlando has present mislaid 3 of its past 5 games and won lone erstwhile successful that stretch, a 3-2 triumph implicit Angel City FC aft going down 2-0. The Pride equalized successful stoppage clip against the North Carolina Courage past week to salvage a point.

Orlando started past play connected a 23-game unbeaten streak.

With the nonaccomplishment and the San Diego Wave's 1-0 triumph implicit Gotham connected Friday, the Pride fell into a necktie for third. The defending champions could autumn arsenic acold arsenic 5th spot by the extremity of the weekend, depending connected different results.

Andonovski was speedy to caution that "the play is long" erstwhile asked astir his team's cushion successful the NWSL Shield race, but helium called Friday's triumph a assurance boost.

The Current's extremity is inactive to triumph a trophy, thing they failed to bash past twelvemonth contempt starting the 2024 play connected a 15-game unbeaten streak and mounting a league grounds for goals scored (57).

"We privation to beryllium the champion team," Sharples said. "We privation to beryllium peaking astatine the close moments. We privation to triumph a final, and that's the astir important game. So, we conscionable person to get the occupation done successful these games successful bid to get there."